USMNT turn up the intensity ahead of World Cup | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

It was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly for the US men’s national team in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup preparation friendly against Germany on Saturday afternoon, and not in that order.

An idyllic sunny Chicago afternoon dripping with hype and spectacle at sold-out Soldier Field started in nightmare fashion for the hosts, as the Yanks leaked a soft set-piece goal less than two minutes after the opening whistle.

It was a worrying sign of fundamental frailties in the USMNT’s final tune-up before their World Cup campaign kicks off against Paraguay on Friday.

Defenders Tim Ream and Miles Robinson were fooled by a pick play, goalkeeper Matt Freese was rooted to his spot as Arsenal star Kai Havertz nodded home a simple finish from point-blank range after Tyler Adams committed a cheap foul to gift the four-time world champions an inviting set piece.

“It’s the worst start possible, conceding on their first chance of the game,” left wingback Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson told TNT postgame.

“But we reacted really well to that, bounced back and started giving them a game.”

All-out response

Indeed, the home side’s response was scintillating. 

The Yanks found their feet and built rhythm in possession, methodically pinning one of the planet’s most talented and accomplished national teams back into their own end of the pitch. 

They were eventually rewarded with an unforgettable rocket of an equalizer from Jedi.

The Fulham fullback met a floating clearance of a corner kick at the top of the German penalty box with a vicious left-footed volley that nearly took goalkeeper Oliver Baumann’s head off, turning Chicago Fire FC’s home ground into a cauldron of noise that hinted at the groundswell of host-nation support that could propel the USMNT this summer.

“It was a real ‘shoulders back and smash it’ kind of moment,” said Robinson. “I've just seen the ball looping, I thought, just commit, hit it, look down and try and hit the target, and luckily it went in. And yeah, it's a great feeling.”

Germany would pry open another seam in the USMNT defense in the 57th minute, Havertz a chief culprit again as he teed up Leroy Sané for what proved the game-winner in a 2-1 Mannschaft victory.

World Cup reminder

It was a reminder of how opportunistic opponents of that caliber can be, and how tight the margins will be in situations like this in the World Cup.

Still, the Yanks are walking away with heads high, encouraged that they can keep pace with a European giant like this, even if a full 90 minutes of that level of quality remains elusive and a gap between them and the global elite persists.

“We competed; [were] unlucky. I think it was an even game, if you see the stats, [they’re] similar,” said head coach Mauricio Pochettino postgame, lauding the “character” his team displayed under pressure. “I am so happy with the commitment and how the team was, thinking also that we conceded in the first action, and how the reaction was, I think we need to be happy.

“The reaction was really positive, and after, we finished the first half dominat[ing] Germany and we created chances, not only to draw the game but to win the game… It’s a good signal for us.”

Fighting spirit

Then there was the ugly – the best kind of ugly, from a US perspective.

As the match reached second-half injury time, Germany clearly eager to milk the clock and see out their ninth consecutive win, US substitute Tim Weah executed a textbook slide tackle on David Raum to send the ball out of play along the touchline. 

Raum and his teammates took exception to what they considered an unnecessarily physical challenge, confronting Weah and sparking a scrum as both sides pushed, shoved and jawed to defend their colleagues. Even Adams, who’d already been substituted, and Pochettino left the bench to stand up for their side before cooler heads prevailed.

“We want to show our skill and our quality,” said Adams, “but it doesn't come without being combative, fighting, winning duels.”

It was a fleeting moment, albeit one that suggested this USMNT squad are ready to scrap for one another when necessary, no small factor in a major tournament.

“It isn’t easy to strike the right balance regarding aggression, avoiding excess while not lacking intensity, or navigating situations that could lead to trouble,” ‘Poch’ later said in Spanish.

“The World Cup is coming up, and you have to be aggressive and competitive; you have to learn that. Playing these kinds of matches helps our players gain that experience.”

The scene now shifts to Southern California, where the Yanks will set up their base camp in Orange County before dueling Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday. It’s a vital first step in what they hope will be a long, euphoric summer adventure.

“To concede that early in a game like this is always going to make it difficult,” said Adams, “but the character we showed, the energy, the resilience – I mean, guys were going at it like it was a World Cup final, and I think that's what we wanted to see.”