The United States Men’s National Team is riding on a rare high.
After a difficult start to 2025 that saw it lose to Panama, Canada and Mexico in quick succession, the team is now unbeaten in four matches against top international opponents.
The USMNT put a flourish on this stellar run by beating a difficult Paraguay side, 2-1, in Chester, P.A. on Nov. 15 to record its first official win over South American opposition since last June.
It’s a lot of positive momentum for a team that desperately needed it. And it all comes to a head on Tuesday, when the USMNT will close out its 2025 schedule with a tough match against two-time World Cup winner Uruguay.
A personal connection
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t just know Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa; he owes him much of his sporting career.
Bielsa discovered Pochettino in Argentina when he was a teenager and signed him to his first professional contract. Pochettino was a hard-nosed central defender back then, and Bielsa brought him into his Newell’s Old Boys team to provide grit and spark to his back line. The two won a national championship together in Argentina and Pochettino went on to become a revered defender in Europe.
