The U.S. will head to Kingston for the first of a two-leg series that will have a huge impact on how 2025 will unfold
ORLANDO, Fla. – It's not that Mauricio Pochettino's first two matches in charge of the U.S. men's national team weren't important because they were, in more ways than one. Setting the tone in that Panama game was key. The lessons learned in Mexico will be even more vital. It was a building block and an introduction before the real games began.
Those real games have arrived. Just a month after Pochettino met his players for the first time, the USMNT will face Jamaica in a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League clash. The stakes are simple: win and move onto more meaningful games in the spring or lose and… well, that would require some figuring out.
All eyes are on the 2026 World Cup, and rightfully so, but for the U.S. to get there in the right way, this team has to win games like this. Starting with Thursday's visit to Jamaica, the U.S. has to prove it can beat other good teams and, if not, opportunities to do so again will be even harder to come by.
"We try to find the best balance, thinking not only about [performing] today, but to build something for 2026," Pochettino said after naming his squad. "That is the main objective. Of course, the objective is always about to win because we need to be competitive but it's important because we are not going to have too many camps to see players."
The first game, Thursday's visit to Jamaica, will be particularly challenging. The are a talented team, one that will be spurred on by their home crowd. This is a new era for them, too, under new manager Steve McClaren, one they hope ends with something the USMNT already has: a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
The USMNT has a big task on their hand in the first real game of the Pochettino era. Last camp was an introduction and now the real work begins.
GettyA new-look USMNT
A total of 20 players are back from Pochettino's first camp, giving some level of familiarity with what's going on. But, even for those 20, this is all still very new. Everyone involved is still adjusting a little bit to the new normal.
"It's only the second camp, and it's not like it was the exact same roster last camp. We have new players and others coming in. It's all still new," said midfielder Yunus Musah. "We're still trying to get to know each other as players and staff, but the main thing is the game tomorrow. At the end of the day, [it's about us] really competing to win. We went right into training to make sure that we're ready and give our best."
Pochettino's first camp had its ups and downs. The U.S. took down Panama 2-0, with Musah combining with club teammate Christian Pulisic on the opener. Ricardo Pepi, the likely starter at striker this camp, scored the second, sealing a debut win for the new coach.
The trip south to Mexico, though, was a challenge. The U.S. were thoroughly beaten by , although that team was far from full strength. Pulisic and Pepi were among the players out of the squad, but the ones in it were still left frustrated by the performance in Guadalajara.
For those players, the trip to Kingston is a chance at redemption and another chance to prove that they can perform away from home. For those coming into, or back into, the squad, it's a chance to make a big impression on Pochettino, who is still learning what he has at his disposal.
"Every coach has their has their differences," Pulisic said. "It's been a good kind of reset for everyone. It's brought an environment where everyone is a bit on their toes. Especially in training sessions and meetings, I think everyone is that much more focused. You obviously want to make a good first impression. You want to impress the coaches. They've obviously coached some of the best players in the world."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTraveling to Jamaica
Traveling in CONCACAF is never easy, even against teams that the U.S. should easily beat. Jamaica isn't that. This is going to be a big challenge for the USMNT.
The U.S. has played in Kingston 10 times, winning just three of those matches. They did draw six, and it could be argued that a draw would be a fine result in this opening leg, but even getting that will be hard. If the last two World Cup cycles have taught us anything, it's that getting results away from home in CONCACAF is hard. Last cycle, the U.S. earned just six points from seven World Cup qualifying games on the road. During the 2018 cycle, they earned just three points from five, which was a big reason they missed out on a trip to Russia.
The USMNT's last visit to Jamaica came in a November 2021 qualifier, one which ended as a 1-1 draw. Several members of that group remain, and they remember how difficult that game was.
"I've only played there once before, but it's obviously going to be a tough place to go," Pulisic said.
Adds Musah: "We know that it's going to be a really challenging game with the conditions and a physical team, so we have to match their intensity before even trying to play or anything like that. We have to really be ready to fight, really. That's the key thing tomorrow."
GettyDon't underestimate the Reggae Boyz
For the last several years, Jamaica has been its own biggest opponent. Federation squabbles have derailed the team at crucial moments, preventing from truly reaching the levels they should.
Make no mistake, though: this is a talented team and, from what we've seen recently, those federation squabbles may be a thing of the past.
The federation took a big swing earlier this year, hiring former England manager McClaren. The veteran coach had most recently been working as an assistant under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, but has also coached at the highest levels of English soccer as a head coach himself. He's yet to lose since taking charge, defeating Honduras and Nicaragua while drawing Honduras and Cuba to book this Nations League quarterfinal date with the USMNT.
McClaren's arrival has brought a new sense of optimism to Jamaica, who feature stars like Michael Antonio, Demarai Gray, and Ethan Pinnock. The key player, though, is Leon Bailey. After a year-long exile due to his feud with the federation, the Aston Villa star is back in the team, giving the a legitimately elite attacker to threaten the USMNT.
"They are obviously a team with a lot of good athletes," said Pulisic, "A very physical team, and one that I think has improved a lot as well in recent years, so quality-wise, for sure, I think it's a game that you absolutely have to be ready for because it's going to be a challenge."
Getty ImagesThe prize at the end
The CONCACAF Nations League has, by and large, been the USMNT's playground. The U.S. has won every iteration of this tournament, with a final win over Canada sandwiched between two triumphs over Mexico.
Right now, getting back to the final is about more than a trophy, though; it's about meaningful games.
Should the U.S. win, they'll play in two more meaningful games in the spring, starting with a semifinal and ending with a final or third-place game. Given the calendar ahead, those games are crucial. Aside from the Gold Cup, the Nations League is all the USMNT has left when it comes to games with real stakes, which only further puts into perspective how much of a missed opportunity this past summer's Copa America was.
Should the U.S. lose, though, and things get dicey. UEFA will be playing Nations League quarterfinal games during the spring window. CONMEBOL will have World Cup qualifying, too. The same can be said for Oceania, CAF and AFC. The only teams available will be the CONCACAF teams that also weren't invited to the semifinal round.
Those are the stakes the USMNT are playing with. This trip to Jamaica is about more than a trophy; it's about a process. The road to 2026 is short and every game counts. This trip to Jamaica will be among the harder ones on the schedule until the and, for Pochettino and the USMNT, this is an opportunity to show where they are in that process as this new era continues.