USMNT: 3 takeaways from the March international window | OneFootball

By Cal Meachem

The March international window has come and gone, and for many United States men's national team fans, not a moment too soon.

A difficult window saw head coach Mauricio Pochettino's side drop contests against two of the world's elite sides, a 5-2 loss vs. Belgium and a 2-0 defeat to Portugal, both at Atlanta United's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Now, with a mere 72 days until the United States take the field vs. Paraguay in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener, plenty of questions remain.

So, with the penultimate international window before the World Cup in the rearview, let's dive into three important USMNT takeaways from March.

1. Ruthlessness vs. toothlessness in the final third

Although the scorelines suggested differently, make no mistake about it; the USMNT had their fair share of great chances across both March friendlies.

For portions of both the Belgium and Portugal defeats, the US hung tough against some of the world's best sides and even looked the more dangerous team. But their inability to capitalize on the early chances they created ultimately led to both results slipping away. 

Against Belgium, typically reliable forwards such as Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun were unable to find the back of the net, while midfielder Weston McKennie was denied perhaps the best chance of the game in the 17th minute, an open volley from inside the six-yard box that was palmed away by goalkeeper Senne Lemmens.

Even after McKennie opened the scoring in the 39th minute, Pochettino remained expressionless on the bench and showed no signs of celebration, stating postgame, "...because when we scored, we should be the third goal, not the first goal." And eventually, the lack of final-third production came back to bite the US.

The same could be said of the Portugal loss, in which the USMNT went toe-to-toe with the reigning UEFA Nations League champions during the opening half hour, with crisp passing and fluid movement that had the Portuguese on ropes on multiple occasions. But again, not taking advantage of the clear-cut chances they'd created in front of goal cost them, as Portugal's particularly formidable attack was able to wear down the US defense and ease to the 2-0 win.

“We lacked the clinical edge that Portugal possessed,” said Pochettino in Spanish post-match. “We didn't capitalize on the chances we created or the collective attacking situations."

While it may sound like a lot of doom and gloom, there were plenty of positives to take from these results. The US had success playing their way and showed flashes of brilliance against two nations viewed as potential World Cup favorites. As New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese put it, "A few minor things were the difference today. As soon as those switch, it’s a whole different ballgame.”

The USMNT's final-third conversion rate could well be the deciding factor in whether Poch's side makes a deep run or suffers an early exit at this summer's tournament.

2. Goalkeeping battle nears conclusion

A key talking point of this World Cup cycle has been which goalkeeper will snatch the starting role for the World Cup.

Ahead of last summer, it looked as though the New England Revolution's Matt Turner was the likely No. 1, before NYCFC's Matt Freese was given the starting job for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. He made the most of his opportunity, leading the USMNT to the final and starting all six games at the tournament, which looked to have earned him the inside track for the World Cup.

But Pochettino handed both 'keepers a start in the March window and a chance to prove why they deserve to be the one in between the posts on June 12 at SoFi Stadium.

So, did either goalkeeper separate themselves? Well... it's hard to say.

Turner conceded five times in the loss to Belgium, but it would be harsh to fault him for all of those tallies, as one was a penalty and two were stunning strikes. He also made five saves, a few of which were superb stops.

Freese, meanwhile, made three saves, including some strong diving stops, while conceding twice. Given that Freese has been Poch's first choice over the last year, it's fair to assume he is still in the driver's seat. But only time will tell. 

Has Pochettino made his decision, or will both goalkeepers get one last shot to lock up the starting role during May friendlies vs. Senegal and Germany?

3. A few stars boost their stock

While the March results made it clear that the USMNT still has some work to do to reach the level of the global elite, some players stood out from the rest of the pack. 

In the backline, Antonee Robinson finally made his national team return, starting both games at left back and contributing an assist against Belgium. On the right side, former Orlando City star Alex Freeman was impactful on both ends of the pitch, specifically against Portugal, where he caused havoc up and down the right side of the pitch.

Meanwhile, in the battle for which center back will start alongside Crystal Palace's Chris Richards, Celtic's Auston Trusty likely shone brightest with a solid performance against Portugal.

Further up the field, the duo of former Columbus Crew standout Aidan Morris and Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter both earned the start in the second match and put their best foot forward for a spot at the World Cup in a crowded list of midfielders battling for a place on the plane. 

Similarly, Bayer Leverkusen's Malik Tillman offered a creative outlet in attack, creating the most chances for the United States across both matches via key passes and his willingness to take on defenders. 

Finally, up top, with questions still swirling about which No. 9's will make Poch's final squad, former Charlotte FC striker Patrick Agyemang made his mark, making two substitute appearances and bagging a goal vs. the Belgians.

Sebastian Berhalter on THE James goal & Pirlo's left foot