Richards, Robinson Both Out

Both Center Backs to Miss the Belgium Match, Causing Some Lineup Issues

The USMNT heads into Saturday's friendly against Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium already undermanned at center back, with both Chris Richards and Miles Robinson ruled out of the contest due to injury.

Robinson, the FC Cincinnati defender, suffered a groin injury during training earlier this week and has been ruled out of both the Belgium match and Tuesday's follow-up friendly against Portugal. The 29-year-old is in the mix for a starting spot at right center back in Mauricio Pochettino's three-back system—a position that carries enormous importance with the World Cup roster announcement on the horizon.

Richards' situation is somewhat more complicated. The Crystal Palace defender played 75 minutes in his club's Europa Conference League match in Larnaca on March 19, but began experiencing knee discomfort after reporting to camp. He was able to participate in portions of training earlier this week before being unable to finish a session on Wednesday. Pochettino confirmed Richards is out for Saturday and expressed doubt he would be available for Tuesday's Portugal match either.

"We hope that it is nothing important," Pochettino said of Richards, "but for tomorrow he is out, and I don't believe that he can arrive Tuesday."

The absences put significant pressure on the remaining center back options. Tim Ream, who has served as captain for much of the past year, is expected to slot in at left center back, with Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty the most natural partners. Pochettino also floated Joe Scally and Tanner Tessmann—neither a conventional center back—as possible options on the right side of the backline.

Pochettino acknowledged the disruption, but framed it as valuable preparation for the unexpected challenges a World Cup run can bring.

Pochettino's "Why Not Us?" Mentality

Manager is Ready For the Final International Break Before the World Cup

With fewer than 100 days until the World Cup kicks off, Mauricio Pochettino is using this March window as both a final audition and a moment to reinforce the identity he has been building since taking over in September 2024.

The Argentine drew inspiration ahead of camp—the 2004 Disney film Miracle, based on the 1980 U.S. hockey team's stunning run to Olympic gold. Pochettino admitted he was moved to tears watching it, and the parallels he drew to his own group were clear when he addressed his players in training this week.

"Why not us?" he asked his squad, in words that echoed the film's famous pre-game speech. "If I don’t believe in you, it’s difficult, and if we don’t believe in you, it’s difficult to compete. Why not us?"

That rallying cry sits at the center of Pochettino's philosophy. The USMNT enters the Belgium match riding a five-game unbeaten streak against World Cup-bound opponents, and while oddsmakers give the U.S. long odds for tournament glory, Pochettino believes home advantage and the emotional charge of playing on American soil can be equalizers.

Off the field, his methods have been equally deliberate. Players describe a coach who is simultaneously demanding and deeply personal — one who pushes hard in training but also takes time to learn about players' families and lives away from the game. The word that keeps surfacing among the squad is "family."

"He's wanting to have personal conversations," veteran Tim Ream said. "He's wanting to know about your family. He's wanting to understand and know everybody on a much deeper connected level."

Crucially, Pochettino has stressed that this World Cup roster will be built around the right 26 players—not simply the best 26—prioritizing chemistry, coachability and character alongside raw ability.

Reyna Embraces the Opportunity

Playmaker Given Another Chance Despite Club Struggles

Few selections on Mauricio Pochettino's roster for this window raised more eyebrows than Giovanni Reyna's, and the 23-year-old was candid enough to acknowledge it himself.

Reyna has managed just 26 minutes of playing time for Borussia Mönchengladbach in all of 2026, failing to appear in eight consecutive league matches—first due to a muscle injury picked up in late January, then as an unused substitute in the games that followed. It is a difficult club situation that stands in stark contrast to Pochettino's typical preference for players who regularly feature at the club level.

Yet Pochettino made an exception, and Reyna was quick to express his gratitude. "I guess you could say it was sort of one of his more difficult decisions, or I guess controversial decisions to maybe bring me in," Reyna said. "I can't appreciate it enough. Love this team, love this staff, love this group of people. So just always honored to be here."

The faith isn't entirely blind. Reyna was one of the standout performers during November's international window, scoring the opener in a victory over Paraguay before adding an assist off the bench in a dominant win over Uruguay. That kind of impact in a national team shirt has clearly left an impression on Pochettino, who called Reyna a "very special player" and suggested his quality could prove useful even without consistent club minutes.

Christian Pulisic echoed that confidence. "He looks good in training," Pulisic said. "Off what he's done for this team and in big moments, he deserves to be here."

Reyna himself remains undaunted. "So if the chance comes up in the next two games, I have confidence in myself and the team that I can do some good things and make good impact," he said.

Belgium Ahead of Saturday's Match

Belgium Arrives Undermanned but Still Dangerous

Saturday's opponent brings a rich footballing tradition to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, even if Belgium's famed golden generation has given way to a transitional squad still finding its identity under first-year manager Rudi Garcia.

Garcia, who took charge in January 2025 after previous club stints at Lille, Roma, Marseille, Lyon and Napoli, has his work cut out for him in assembling a cohesive unit ahead of this summer's World Cup. Belgium qualified comfortably from their group but arrived in Atlanta facing a notable injury crisis. All-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku, who has an extraordinary 89 goals in 124 international appearances, is sidelined with a thigh injury, a significant blow to a side that has long relied on him as its focal point up front. Club Brugge midfielder Hans Vanaken and Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard are also absent due to physical issues, leaving the squad notably lighter than originally planned.

Even so, the talent on hand remains formidable. Kevin De Bruyne, returning to the squad after his own injury absence, anchors a midfield that also features Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans and Nicolas Raskin. That is a group capable of controlling any game at the international level.

Up front, Garcia has no shortage of options to replace Lukaku. Jeremy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere, Alexis Saelemaekers and Lois Openda all offer pace, creativity and goal threat. De Ketelaere has been a consistent presence leading Belgium's attack and figures to do so again here.

In goal, Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels is the likely starter with first-choice keeper Thibaut Courtois not in the squad. Belgium's World Cup group, which features Egypt, Iran and New Zealand, is navigable, but Garcia will want answers from these two North American friendlies before June arrives.

USA-Belgium: A Soccer History

History Favors Belgium, But the USMNT Knows How to Make It Memorable

The all-time series between the United States and Belgium is lopsided, with the Americans holding a 1-5-0 (WDL)  record against the Red Devils. But what the history lacks in American victories, it more than makes up for in dramatic moments, including one of the most memorable individual performances in World Cup history.

The lone U.S. win came in the most significant setting imaginable: the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. On July 13 of that year, Bart McGhee, Tom Florie and Bert Patenaude each found the net as the Americans cruised to a 3-0 victory—the first World Cup match in the history of both nations.

What followed was a run of five consecutive defeats spanning two decades, beginning with a 1-0 friendly loss in April 1995. Belgium won again in February 1998, 2-0, courtesy of a brace from Nico Van Kerckhoven, then claimed another 1-0 friendly result in September 2011. The only previous meeting on American soil took place in Cleveland in May 2013, when Belgium prevailed 4-2, with Clint Dempsey and Geoff Cameron netting for the U.S.

The series's most storied chapter arrived on July 1, 2014, in the Round of 16 in Brazil. The match went scoreless through 90 minutes before Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku struck in extra time to put Belgium up 2-0. Julian Green pulled one back for the U.S., but it wasn't enough, and Belgium advanced 2-1.

The enduring image from that afternoon was goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made a World Cup-record 15 saves and earned the unofficial title "Secretary of Defense" from an adoring internet. Saturday offers the U.S. a chance to rewrite a bit of that history on home soil.