This match serves as a microcosm of the U.S. men's national team's current trajectory: flashes of promise undermined by persistent vulnerabilities. The strongest version of this narrative is that the U.S. is a work in progress, with Pochettino using this defeat as a teachable moment rather than a crisis. The team's first-half performance—dominant in possession and creativity—suggests they can compete with elite sides, but the defensive collapse in the second half reveals a fragility that opponen...