ATLANTA – The U.S. men's national team notched a second consecutive defeat with a 2-0 loss to Portugal on Tuesday, an experimental version of the team stringing together another inconsistent performance in their final match before head coach Mauricio Pochettino names his World Cup roster.
Much as they did against Belgium before a 5-2 loss on Saturday, the USMNT started the game with plenty of energy and intensity, seemingly understanding the message Pochettino sent in his pre-match remarks on Monday. Weston McKennie was one of the team's most attack-minded players, in line with his goalscoring exploits with Juventus this season, while Christian Pulisic was a player of focus as he searched for his first USMNT goal since November 2024.
Despite their bright start, the game began to slip away late in the first half. Pulisic missed a shot at one end and from there, Portugal were off to the races. Bruno Fernandes notched a backheel assist and left the USMNT's defense in his wake, paving the way for Francisco Trincao's goal.
Portugal gained better control of the game as it evolved in the second half and had a second goal to show for it in the 59th minute. The visitors had a corner and while every U.S. defender stood inside the box, Joao Felix was alone at the edge of the area and sent a strike sailing past his teammates and opponents alike to double Portugal's lead.
The USMNT return to play on May 31 for a pre-World Cup friendly against Senegal at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, five days after Pochettino will name his World Cup roster at an event in New York.
Matt Freese's importance in net, along with the return of Chris Richards, showed as while Portugal controlled possession, it never got out of hand in front of a true World Cup atmosphere in Atlanta. Of course, you want to win these games, but when facing a team that could win the World Cup, these gaps in class do show as you get punished for the smallest mistakes.
81' Into the final minutes here and the USMNT charge towards goal but their quest to find a goal is still fruitless, with Brenden Aaronson taking a shot from the edge of the penalty area but firing the ball way over the goal. It's been that kind of day for the USMNT, who have 12 shots but just 0.69 expected goals to show for it.
12 minutes remain for the USMNT to get back into the game, and Aaronson, Reyna, and Roldan will all enter to push for a goal.
It's the end of the day for Tim Weah and Malik Tillman as Joe Scally and Folarin Balogun enter the match. Down two goals, he moves to two strikers in a 4-4-2.
The Toluca man hadn't made an appearance for the squad since 2020, but after scoring for fun in Liga MX and when Portugal needs a striker in the worst way, he'll get his chance at the USMNT defense, which, while they've been solid, they can't get out of their own way.
This one came following a corner as the USMNT didn't mark Joao Felix, as he wasn't marked at all outside of the box. Matt Freese could be seen in frustration as that was a misdefended corner kick.
After logging more than 100 minutes during this break, there isn't much more that needs to be seen from Weston McKennie for Mauricio Pochettino, but with Tanner Tessman coming in, this half could cement his spot in the World Cup. It's interesting that Christian Pulisic is still in, but with the Milan man in need of a goal in the worst way, he may log more minutes than usual.
A few halftime changes to start the second half: Max Arfsten, Tanner Tessman and Patrick Agyemang come on for Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic.
The USMNT have grown into the game, so they'll want to get an equalizer before the half is over.
A giveaway led to a Portugal chance, and an excellent backheel from Bruno Fernandes to Trincao was an unstoppable chance for Matt Freese in net. Those hurt to give up, but it's about the response, as the USMNT won't want to collapse like they did facing Belgium.
Who has the thought af full speed to play a backheel to their winger? Weston McKennie that's who. Pochettino already said that Juventus are McKennie plus 10, but is that beginning to shift to the USMNT as well? Tim Weah's shot may have went over Jose Sa's head, but do that a bit more and good things will happen.
It's early in the match, but Weston McKennie has been taking positions very high up the pitch for the USMNT during the match, and he's been the furthest player forward. While it's still early, this is something to watch.
Fitting that this is in Atlanta, as Matt Freese had ice in his veins to make a big stop and ensure that Portugal didn't open the scoring before immediately turning to rally the defense. That's a World Cup number one right there.
It took a clearance from Portugal to stop the USMNT from opening the scoring early after a great shot from Christian Pulisic. The corner kick was dealt with, but only seven minutes into the game, this is a good start.
Fans are still getting into the stadium, but it's a good atmosphere as two strong teams will battle it out. Look for a fast start from the USMNT as they'll want to make sure that they can make any early chances count to learn from their mistakes facing Belgium.
Portugal fans have brought their drums and are here in some numbers as the stadium begins to fill in.
Portugal brought the drums
— Chuck Booth (@chuckyeaa.bsky.social) March 31, 2026 at 6:34 PM
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Belgium manager Roberto Martinez had a few things to say about the occasions in his prematch availibliity.
We have a lineup for the USMNT, and Mauricio Pochettino has pushed Pulisic further up the pitch in an effort to get him his first goal since 2025 in the XI today. It's something that he hinted at in prematch availibility.
"Maybe tomorrow [it would] help him to start because I think in 2026, I don't know if he's scored or not," the coach said. "Maybe we help [him] a little bit to go a little bit more close to the goal, maybe we give some possibility and maybe because it's a non-official game, we can do some tests also to play maybe with more midfielders and less offensive players … It is an idea after Saturday that is in my mind but it's not sure."
USMNT XI: Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Auston Trusty, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah
A change to the USMNT's shape, though, might be in order against Portugal, considering the team's other strengths and weaknesses. While the defensive showing against Belgium was the overarching takeaway against Belgium, U.S. star Christian Pulisic had his latest off day in a string of them. He has 10 goals for AC Milan this season, but has not scored once since Dec. 28, while his last international goal came in 2024. His rough patch was epitomized by a golden opportunity early in the second half against Belgium, somehow sending the ball over the bar. The attacker was visibly upset before Amadou Onana scored on the other end of the pitch moments later to give the visitors a 2-1 lead, the game permanently tilting in Belgium's favor from that point on.
Pochettino would like to see more of Cardoso, but in his absence, it could be a chance to see Weston McKennie in a different role while also rotating defensive midfielders. McKennie was used as a dual 10, facing Belgium, and was excellent, scoring a goal, but Pochettino appreciates his versatility, which could be on display facing Portugal if McKennie moves further back to accommodate Gio Reyna coming into the XI as the last chance saloon continues to be open for members of the squad.
Projected XI: Matt Freese, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun
The best way to move on from a loss is by playing more soccer, and that's just what the USMNT will do tonight as Portugal will bring a stern test to Atlanta. Pochettino has made it clear that he wants more intensity, and if the USMNT doesn't bring it, they'll be in line for another lopsided score as Portugal's midfield, led by Bruno Fernandes, will bring plenty of tests that they'll have to deal with. It's a great match to prepare the team but if they don't rise to the occasion, it'll be a long night.
