USMNT Player Ratings vs. Portugal: Another Defeat Intensifies World Cup Concerns

The U.S. men’s national team suffered its second defeat in three days, falling 2–0 to reigning UEFA Nations League winners Portugal on Tuesday night.

Much like against Belgium, the Stars and Stripes started brightly in Atlanta. Mauricio Pochettino’s men enjoyed prolonged spells of possession, stifled much of the visitors’ attacks and rallied off a few chances of their own.

Yet Portugal simply had too much quality on the pitch to be denied. Francisco Trincão buried the game’s opening goal in the 36th minute and then João Félix doubled his side’s lead just before the hour-mark. Both goals were set up by Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.

The USMNT failed to rally any significant response and ended the night without even a consolation goal. Sure, the Americans held their own for the most part, but it is clear they are still a long way off from the level needed to beat a top European team—an unsettling reality less than three months out from the 2026 World Cup.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Pochettino rolled out another head-scratching XI on Tuesday evening, headlined by Christian Pulisic getting the nod as the lone center forward. Folarin Balogun, Patrick Agyemang and Ricardo Pepi were all kept on the bench, leaving the Stars and Stripes without a pureblooded No. 9 leading the line.

The gamble was rooted in Pochettino wanting to get Pulisic, the team’s best player, more involved in the hopes he finally finds the back of the net for the first time in 2026. Yet the Argentine did his team no favors by throwing the struggling 27-year-old on an island for prolonged spells.

Tim Weah orchestrated the best chance of the first half for the USMNT, using his blistering pace to attack the right flank and then send in a delicious cross into the box. Pulisic completely missed the ball, which sailed on without even a touch from him. The moment was just one of many where the American looked uncomfortable and unthreatening.

The best moments from Pulisic came when he had the ball at his feet, dribbling in transition and looking to create, not score. Had Balogun, Agyemang or Pepi been the No. 9 and Pulisic on his favored wing, the USMNT’s attack likely flows much better and has more success in the opening 45 minutes.

Instead, another tactical decision from Pochettino left the Stars and Stripes at a disadvantage. The Argentine seemed to realize the error in his ways at halftime, when he replaced Pulisic with Agyemang.

USMNT Player Ratings vs. Portugal (4-3-3)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Matt Freese—6.3: Looked sharp early with a great save to deny Bruno Fernandes. Let down by his teammates in front of him on both goals.

RB: Alex Freeman—6.3: Stepped up in a big opportunity. Locked down Pedro Neto and held his own one-on-one with Nuno Mendes. Surely did enough to earn his place at the 2026 World Cup, likely as a starter.

CB: Chris Richards—6.0: Led the line with poise. Continues to be one of Pochettino’s most trusted players. Helped keep Gonçalo Ramos quiet.

CB: Auston Trusty—6.8: Delivered a solid outing that gives Pochettino something to think about moving forward. Made a few brilliant recovery runs to limit Portugal’s damage.

LB: Antonee Robinson—6.3: A bright spot for the USMNT when he got on the ball. Elevated the team in the final third, using his pace and vision to create for the hosts. A shame he only played the first half.

CM: Weston McKennie—5.6: Committed the giveaway that ultimately led to Portugal’s opening goal. Fell down inside the box with no one near him to squander an electric chance on the counter attack. Didn’t come back out for the second half.

CM: Sebastian Berhalter—6.4: Will regret not trying harder to smother João Félix on Portugal’s second goal. Otherwise, impressed in flashes with his creativity.

CM: Aidan Morris—7.1: His poor positioning opened up the passing lane for Vitinha to exploit in the midfield, leading to the Trincão’s goal. Too indecisive at times.

RW: Tim Weah—5.9: Used his blistering pace to create the team’s most dangerous chances from the right flank. Did well to pitch in defensively when needed.

ST: Christian Pulisic—5.6: Still not himself. Squandered chances, lost his temper with frustrated fouls and failed to rally a single shot on target. Hooked at halftime.

LW: Malik Tillman—6.5: Showed off his passing range and accuracy, but would have liked to have more of an influence in the final third. Had too many moments where he was simply a bystander instead of imposing himself.

SUB: Patrick Agyemang (46’ for Pulisic)—6.1: Hardly got involved until he created a dangerous chance for Balogun in the 78th minute.

SUB: Tanner Tessmann (46’ for McKennie)—6.0: Made the USMNT’s midfield lose any semblance of control in the game.

SUB: Max Arfsten (46’ for Robinson)—6.4: Caught out of position on multiple occasions.

SUB: Joe Scally (67’ for Tillman)—6.0: Protected the ball and was tidy in possession.

SUB: Folarin Balogun (67’ for Weah)—5.9: Sent a glorious opportunity wide 10 minutes after coming on.

SUB: Gio Reyna (79’ for Freeman)—6.2: Needed to come on earlier to have any chance to make an impact.

SUB: Brenden Aaronson (79’ for Berhalter)—5.9: Only took one shot and couldn’t keep it on target.

SUB: Cristian Roldan (79’ for Morris)—6.0: Completed just five passes in his limited cameo.

SUB: Mark McKenzie (91’ for Trusty)—N/A

Subs not used: Chris Brady (GK), Matt Turner (GK), Patrick Schulte (GK), Tim Ream, Ricardo Pepi.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Weston McKennie (right) disappointed in Atlanta. | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

Weston McKennie is still inconsistent when donning the red, white and blue. The midfielder went from being the team’s best player against Belgium to putting in a poor performance three days later. He looked subpar back in the midfield, committing giveaways, losing duels and having little positive impact on the game.
Matt Freese will be disappointed he didn’t keep a clean sheet, but the goalkeeper gave Pochettino yet another example of why he should be the starter between the posts this summer. He stood tall when called upon and was void of errors, something Matt Turner could not say last time out.
It might not show up on the scoresheet, but Tim Weah was the most dangerous player for the USMNT on the night. The winger looked unstoppable in space down the right flank even if the end product was lacking. The performance offered a glimpse of the damage he can inflict on a lesser team than Portugal this summer.

The Numbers That Explain the USMNT’s Disappointing Defeat

Mauricio Pochettino could only watch as his team lost its second consecutive game. | Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

The USMNT had its chances up top, sending 12 shots the way of Portugal’s goal. Except only three were on target.
The Stars and Stripes only managed 38% possession in the defeat, which gave them little control over the game, especially in the second half.
Pochettino’s men were wasteful and careless with the ball. They only managed a 83% passing accuracy, and Portugal took full advantage of their errant passes.

Statistic	USMNT	Portugal
Possession	38%	62%
Total Shots	12	11
Shots on Target	3	5
Passing Accuracy	83%	89%
Fouls Committed	15	6
Corners	2	8

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

USMNT Player Ratings vs. Portugal (4-3-3)

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain the USMNT’s Disappointing Defeat

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