USMNT Aims to Sustain Intensity Against Portugal | OneFootball

MARIETTA, Ga. – France defeated Colombia 3-1 on March 29, a match that didn’t feature the United States but took place on American soil. The matchup pit two World Cup-bound teams against each other, and although France was the better side on the day with a brace from Paris Saint-Germaine midfielder Désiré Doué, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino noticed how the game was played.

“They played like this was the final of the World Cup,” Pochettino said emphatically in his press conference on Monday.

The kind of intensity and focus on display in Maryland between the world's No. 2 and No. 13 ranked teams defines world football, said Pochettino. It’s an example of what he wants to see out of his group as they march closer toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Maintaining intensity for an entire 90 minutes was the emphasis for Pochettino and his players coming off the opener against Belgium on March 28. In Saturday’s friendly, the U.S. opened the scoring behind midfielder Weston McKennie, who knocked in a corner kick first-time from fullback Antonee Robinson.

The goal sent a hearty crowd of nearly 67,000 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a frenzy. But there was one person in the stadium who didn’t rise from his seat or put his hands together to cheer.

“When we scored, did you see me?” Pochettino asked the media cohort as he recreated the same stone-cold face he showed Saturday. “Do you know why? My gut feeling. It wasn’t good… it should’ve been the third goal, not the first goal.”

McKennie’s goal arrived in the 39th minute of the match against Belgium, giving the U.S. its first lead over the European side in nearly 100 years, ever since the 1930 World Cup. In the opening half, the U.S. appeared on the front foot against the ninth-ranked team in the world and was the more dominant side.

While the U.S. scored the opening goal, the lead didn't hold for long. Belgium scored six minutes later to level the match 1-1 heading into the second half. The U.S. ended up losing at full-time 5-2, which is why the word “intensity” has been brought up and emphasized coming out of the result.

“For many moments of the game, we played with the will and the speed that the game required,” Pochettino said in his post-match press conference. “We played a very good team with tough players, and it's a team that’s one of the best in the world. The problem was keeping that intensity. In the moments that we matched the intensity of Belgium, we were even. Or, in some moments, we were better.”

“There were moments in the game where you could see that we were the better team,” echoed McKennie after the match. “It’s trying to figure out as a team [how] to try and hold that type of level of intensity that we played with and understanding of the game throughout the whole game.”

The United States will have another chance to test their endurance and intensity for a full 90 minutes against a second European powerhouse in the finale of the March window. The USMNT faces Portugal next on Tuesday, March 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United in MLS.

Portugal enters the meeting in strong form – Seleção das Quinas are ranked No. 6 in the world, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions and coming off a scoreless draw Saturday against World Cup co-host Mexico.

Just like Belgium, a team of Portugal’s caliber will demand the best from Pochettino's squad for a full 90 minutes.

“We need to extend this type of performance,” Pochettino said. “We need to improve the intensity defensively. But the most important is not Portugal. What’s most important is that we need to improve in this area from one game to another.”