Five reforms are now in focus after the USMNT’s World Cup loss to Belgium exposed how far the program still is from elite contenders despite a promising four-game run.
The recommendations argue the next step cannot hinge on Mauricio Pochettino alone, even with a new contract on the table, and instead requires federation-level changes in coaching, development and scheduling.
Player-pool fixes center on recruiting more dual nationals and cutting youth soccer’s pay-to-play barriers so talent is not filtered out by club fees, travel costs and private training expenses.
Fan and competitive changes would make friendlies cheaper—an October Ecuador match started at $84 before fees—and add more hostile away tests after the U.S. played just 1 exhibition abroad under Pochettino.
The broader message is that a deeper, more accessible pipeline and tougher preparation matter more than any single coach if the U.S. wants to move beyond another round-of-16 ceiling.