Defensive Concerns Loom Large

The USMNT is Dealing With a Leaky Defense Heading into the World Cup

The U.S. has now conceded 11 goals in four matches this year, and the back line that will be asked to carry this team deep into a home World Cup remains its most unsettling question mark.

Both goals against Germany illustrated the problem. Kai Havertz's second-minute header came from a free kick in which he was left completely uncovered, catching Matthew Freese flat-footed on his line. The second, just before the hour mark, saw Havertz slip a pass into a seam between Tim Ream and Miles Robinson, where Leroy Sané finished calmly beyond Freese's diving reach.

"There were times where you can see the eagerness in the team to go and press," Antonee Robinson acknowledged, "and at times we were a little bit disjointed in how we pressed. That's what good teams like Germany want you to do."

Compounding matters is the uncertain status of Chris Richards, who tore two ankle ligaments late in the Premier League season and sat out Saturday. Ream called him "a commanding center back and someone who's been relied on heavily over the past 18 months," and his absence, even temporarily, exposes just how thin the margin for error is defensively.

The U.S. also hasn't kept a clean sheet in eight matches. Against Paraguay, Australia, and Türkiye, they won't face Germany-level firepower. But they'll need to be better. Their World Cup run depends on it.

Robinson's Stunning Volley

Defender's Splendid Goal a Sign of Things to Come

If Antonee Robinson scores a goal like that when the World Cup begins, it'll be one of the moments of the tournament.

Robinson's 37th-minute equalizer against Germany on Saturday—a first-time volley he collected outside the box after a German clearance off a Christian Pulisic corner, then absolutely launched past Oliver Baumann—was the kind of individual moment that stops you cold. His former Fulham teammate Tim Ream admitted he was watching in disbelief from close range. "I had whiplash watching it go past everybody," Ream said.

For Robinson personally, it carried extra weight. He battled through a difficult knee injury this season, one whose recovery "didn't go as smoothly as I hoped," he said back in March upon returning to the national team fold after 16 months away. There were dark stretches. "Earlier in the season, I felt like I couldn't really see the light at the end of the tunnel," he admitted Saturday.

He sees it now. Robinson is one of the most important pieces of Pochettino's system — an unquestioned starter whose attacking runs and ball progression are central to how the U.S. functions going forward.

"Going into a World Cup, it means a lot," Robinson said of the goal. "A bit of freedom to shoot again if I'm in that position."

Friday can't come soon enough.

U.S. Falls to Germany

Despite a Stunning American Goal, the Germans Were More Ruthless in the Friendly Victory

The USMNT dropped its final pre-World Cup tuneup 2-1 to Germany on Saturday at a sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago, but the performance offered plenty of reasons for optimism heading into Friday's Group D opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Things couldn't have started worse. Joshua Kimmich's free kick, earned after a Tyler Adams foul just outside the box, was headed home unchallenged by Kai Havertz in the second minute for his 22nd international goal—a nightmare opening for a defense that can't afford such lapses when the games count.

To their credit, the Americans responded well. Antonee Robinson leveled the match in the 37th minute, timing a left-footed volley off a German clearance from Christian Pulisic's corner to rocket a shot past Oliver Baumann from 23 yards out. Robinson celebrated his fifth international goal with a cartwheel and backflip.

The U.S. carried momentum into halftime, but Germany restored its lead just before the hour mark when a sharp pass through the penalty area found Leroy Sané for a composed first-time finish.

Pochettino subbed freely after that, with Matthew Freese the only player to go the full 90. Chris Richards remained sidelined with an ankle injury, adding some uncertainty to the backline ahead of what's shaping up to be a pivotal summer for American soccer.