EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — With a hazy World Cup outlook, barely a peep of fan buzz and many top players absent, an unassuming U.S. men’s national soccer team arrived at a gray stadium on a gray Saturday afternoon for a friendly against Turkey.
This squad had the feeling of a team two or three years from the World Cup, not one. It had the look of a team in a state of resetting and experimenting, not shifting into higher gear 369 days before the 2026 spectacle takes flight in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Americans’ 2-1 loss during a rainy friendly at Rentschler Field exposed how far Coach Mauricio Pochettino must pull the program for a strong World Cup showing.