International Football

Mauricio Pochettino pushed all the right buttons on Wednesday night.

Zack Steffen was impenetrable in goal, Brian White and Caden Clark each opened their USMNT accounts and the Americans romped to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica at Orlando's Inter&Co Stadium.

Normally, White and Clark each scoring their debut goals for the USMNT would have stolen all the headlines. Patrick Agyemang scoring goals in consecutive matches would have been a candidate for the top storyline as well.

But Steffen—who was a fairly shocking choice as the starting goalkeeper after not making an appearance for the USMNT since March 2022—could not be ignored after a pair of astonishing saves:

So USMNT fans and pundits alike had plenty of options when it came to doling out praise, and they didn't hesitate to spread the love:

Steffen was not a part of the plans under former manager Craig Berhalter in the past few years, but Poch indicated back in October that Steffen would be given the opportunity to earn a place with the team, rostering him for friendlies against Panama and Canada.

"We know him, and I think he deserved the opportunity to be with us," he told reporters. "Of course, we always put all the circumstances when we made the decision, but I think he deserved the opportunity to be with us. That is our first roster; I explained a little bit that we were working from the distance, with all the [U.S. Soccer] analysis guys there, just trying to find and to see who is the best squad or the best balance. And I think it's a good opportunity to see him and analyze, but not only with him, all the players that are involved in the roster."

"Everybody knows that [Pochettino] came in and said that there are spots open, and that he wants there to be competition in every position," Steffen told Tom Hindle of Goal.com earlier in January. "That's my mindset. I want to get back to number one."

He has a long way to go in that regard, but he's clearly shown Pochettino enough to earn the start on Wednesday. And the United States' goalkeeper situation is in a bit of flux at the moment, leaving a glimmer of hope for Steffen yet.

He certainly took advantage of his opportunity against Costa Rica.

Alyssa Naeher didn't get a shutout in her final game as the goalkeeper for the United States women's team. But thanks to Lynn Williams, she did secure one final victory before her retirement from international play.

Despite the absence of the Triple Espresso trio of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, the USWNT bested a tough Netherlands team on Tuesday, 2-1.

Williams scored the game-winner in the 71st minute, while the Americans were also aided by Veerle Buurman's own-goal in the first half.

Buurman also opened the friendly's scoring, notching the Dutch's lone goal in the 15th minute.

But Naeher was the story, and not only because it was her final match for the USWNT. She also made a number of key saves in the contest (six in total), stifling a torrid Dutch attack in the first half while keeping the United States in the contest.

After the match, social media gave the USWNT legend her well-deserved flowers:

It was a fantastic end to Naeher's decorated international career, and a positive close to what has been a superb year for the USNWT in general, highlighted by the gold medal at the Summer Olympics. The Americans will surely take an away draw against England and an away win over the Dutch—both without Triple Espresso—to close out the calendar year.

It didn't come easy on Tuesday, however. The Netherlands dominated possession (57.2 percent), outshot the USWNT by a 23-5 margin (7-4 on goal) and had nine corners to exactly zero for the Americans. The Dutch dominated this game, especially the first half, but the USWNT managed to steal a win regardless.

It was certainly what Naeher after a career that has included a gold medal and two World Cup triumphs.

"Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor," she said in a statement announcing her retirement last week. "When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me, and now I find myself so grateful for all the incredible teammates that I have shared the field with; teammates that have turned into lifelong friends."

The United States women's national team concludes its 2024 schedule against the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The Americans played to a scoreless draw with England on Saturday in the first leg of their two-game European tour.

The USWNT takes a 19-game unbeaten streak into The Hague to take on the 11th-ranked team in the world.

Emma Hayes has not suffered a loss since taking over as USWNT manager this summer. A win would be a nice conclusion to her first six months in charge.

USWNT vs. Netherlands Info

Date: Tuesday, December 3

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The Americans are trying to reach 20 games on their unbeaten streak.

The USWNT's only defeat of the calendar year took place in February's Gold Cup group stage against Mexico.

Hayes' arrival this summer raised the program to a new level and that helped the Americans capture Olympic gold.

Tuesday's game is part of a two-game swing to Europe for the USWNT to see how it compares to UEFA's top teams.

The USWNT played to a 0-0 draw with England, the No. 2 team in the world, on Saturday. That was the 14th clean sheet earned by the Americans in 2024.

There's more reliance on the defense in this international window because the top American attackers are not in the squad due to various reasons.

Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams headlined an attack that produced three shots on target against the Lionesses. Williams is the only forward on the current USWNT roster with a double-digit goal tally at the international level.

Jaedyn Shaw, who entered as a substitute against England, will be a candidate to enter the starting lineup. Shaw scored eight times in 20 international appearances.

Korbin Albert should slide into one of the midfield spots in one of Hayes' other lineup changes. Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan started together in midfield in the tougher matchup against England. One of them could sit on Tuesday with Albert taking that position in the starting XI.

Tuesday marks the final game for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who announced her international retirement prior to the USWNT's matches in Europe. Naeher has earned 114 caps in her career and her retirement will usher in a new era at goalkeeper for the USWNT.

The Netherlands started the international window with a 4-1 win over China. That was a rare high-scoring game for the Dutch. Six of their last seven games against European opposition had two goals or less.

The Oranje have one edge over the USWNT and that's in experience up top. Lineth Beerensteyn is the top forward to watch. She has 36 goals in 109 caps.

Defending strong attacks has not been the problem for the USWNT all year long, and with that foundation in place, the Americans just have to worry about converting their chances to come away with a win.

Prediction: USWNT 1, Netherlands 0

The USWNT were without the Triple Espresso attacking line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith for Saturday's friendly against England, and it showed.

While the team played admirably in their stead, earning a scoreless draw against a tough foe, there was little doubt that the attack left something to be desired without the clinical trio up top.

After the contest, USWNT supporters had mixed feelings on the result:

On balance, this was a positive result for a reshuffled USWNT side, especially away at Wembley against a talented England bunch. The Americans held 53.6 percent of possession, outshot England 10-4 (3-1 on goal) and had six corners compared to three for England. The USWNT was the better despite being without its three most exciting players, a trio that accounted for a whopping 10 of the country's 12 goals during this summer's Olympics.

They were kept off the roster for Saturday's friendly against England and Tuesday's clash with the Netherlands to allow them time to rest the end of the NWSL season and recuperate from lingering injuries.

"Let me be clear, not one of these players want to ever miss a game for playing for their country," Emma Hayes told reporters earlier in November. "So, I want to be really clear about that... I want to make sure these players are prepared for a long time to come. And when you're in the back end of a season, and you're playing a lot, your body's tired, your mind's tired, that's where sometimes it can become risky."

A scoreless draw rarely inspires exuberance among supporters, and Saturday was no exception. But given the context of the match, the USWNT can be pleased enough with the result.

The United States women's national team faces its biggest test since the Summer Olympics on Saturday against England.

The trip to Wembley Stadium in London to face the Lionesses is part of a two-game European swing in which the Americans will also take on the Netherlands.

Emma Hayes' side cruised on home soil in three post-Olympic matches, but it was expected to win all of those contests.

England is the No. 2 team in the FIFA women's world rankings behind the USWNT, and it will provide the Americans with one of their toughest matches of the calendar year.

USWNT vs. England Info

Date: Saturday, November 30

Start Time: 12:20 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The USWNT will do battle with England with a short-handed attack.

Lynn Williams is the only striker on the roster with more than 20 international appearances and a double-digit goal tally at the international level.

So, Saturday should provide opportunities for Jaedyn Shaw and Alyssa Thompson, among others, to shine up top.

Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman have done the bulk of the scoring for the USWNT in 2024, but none of them are on the roster due to injury concerns and the recent conclusion of the long 2024 National Women's Soccer League season.

Conversely, England has Beth Mead, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly to choose from at forward. They have 60 international goals between them.

The Americans will be at a disadvantage in the scoring department, but they will still have Lindsey Horan anchoring the midfield and a majority of their first-choice defenders available.

Horan, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox and others in defense and midfield will be the most important players on Saturday.

The onus will be on defending against an England squad that scored on multiple occasions in three of its last four games.

The USWNT has five clean sheets since the start of the Olympics, but it did leak in a goal each in two friendlies against Iceland in October.

A shutout win would be the ideal outcome in Hayes' return to England. She had managed the Chelsea women's team for the last 12 years before joining the USWNT.

It would be more of a statement result than any other post-Olympics final score, but the Lionesses pack a ton more firepower up front and that could be the difference in what is expected to be a close game.

Prediction: England 2, USWNT 1

The United States Men's National Team is moving on to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal after taking down Jamaica 4-2 on Monday.

Monday's meeting was the second of a two-legged match. The United States won the first leg 1-0, meaning it won the quarterfinal matchup 5-2.

The USMNT got off to a fast start thanks to star Christian Pulisic, who scored in the 13th and 33rd minute to make it an early 2-0 lead.

Ricardo Pepi made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute, scoring his third goal in as many matches as the young player continued his rise to stardom.

After Jamaica's Demarai Gray scored early in the second half, Tim Weah gave the United States some insurance with a goal in the 55th minute.

Gray notched another goal in the 68th minute to make it 4-2, but Jamaica didn't have quite enough to mount the comeback.

After the win, fans had high praise for Pulisic, Pepi and the USMNT for advancing to the semifinal.

With the win on Monday, the United States has now punched its ticket for the Nations League Semifinals, which take place in March. The USMNT also advanced to the Gold Cup in June.

As the march toward the 2026 World Cup continues, new coach Mauricio Pochettino is building momentum. After a handful of friendlies earlier this fall, he finally got the chance to coach a competitive match for the first time last week against Jamaica. He now has a pair of solid outings to look back on and he'll look to keep winning moving forward.

The United States men's national team will try to complete the sweep of Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals on Monday.

The Americans downed Jamaica 1-0 in Thursday's first leg behind a fifth-minute goal from Ricardo Pepi.

Mauricio Pochettino's side needs a result in St. Louis to confirm its spot in next year's Nations League semifinals.

USMNT vs. Jamaica Info

Date: Monday, November 18

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The Americans have two wins and one loss under Pochettino's direction.

Thursday's 1-0 win over Jamaica marked the second clean sheet in a victory for the USMNT under the former Tottenham Hotspur boss.

The USMNT defense only allowed two Jamaica shots to go on net in the away contest in Kingston.

The strong defensive play should translate to Monday's game in St. Louis, where you would assume the Americans would play much better since they are on home soil.

Pochettino's side created four shots on goal out of 11 attempts in the first home game under the new manager in October against Panama.

Goals from Ricardo Pepi were the common denominator in the attack for both of the victories.

Pepi has another opportunity in front of him on Monday to lead the American attack because of the lack of depth at the position on the November roster. Brandon Vazquez is the only other true striker in the squad.

A third goal in four games would do wonders for Pepi's stock within the USMNT going into 2025. The Americans are still looking for a top goal scorer to take charge in front of Christian Pulisic and others in midfield.

Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah should be expected in the USMNT XI on Monday. McKennie might have more freedom to go forward to play with Pulisic and Pepi since the game is on home soil.

There could be change at center back since Chris Richards and Miles Robinson sat on Thursday. Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie anchored the back line in Kingston.

Matt Turner got the nod in goal on Thursday, Another start and clean sheet would boost his stock in a crowded battle for the No. 1 goalkeeper position.

A victory on home soil is expected, regardless of who is in the lineup, and that will put the USMNT into the Concacaf Nations League semifinal.

The USMNT is the only winner of the Nations League since it was introduced in 2019. The semifinals and final take place on March 20 and 23 at Sofi Stadium.

Prediction: USMNT 2, Jamaica 0

The U.S. Men's National Team is one step closer to a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal win.

Ricardo Pepi's early goal stood as the decider as Team USA won 1-0 on Thursday night in head coach Mauricio Pochettino's first game with the team.

The quarterfinal will continue with a second game on Monday. Whichever team wins the set will advance to both the Nations League Finals in March and the Gold Cup in June.

Pepi's early goal continued what has so far been a strong season for the 21-year-old USMNT star.

AC Milan star Christian Pulisic meanwhile sparked praise by setting up Pepi's go-ahead goal in the fifth minute.

The game marked a historic night for both Pulisic, who became the 33rd player in USMNT history to make 75 appearances for the U.S., and Pepi, who became the fourth USMNT player to score 12 times on international stages before turning 22, per the AP.

Pulisic also took several hits from Jamaica as USMNT worked to preserve the lead in the second half.

Jamaica's Demarai Gray received a penalty kick in the 14th minute, but Team USA goaltender Matt Turner blocked the shot to keep the Americans ahead.

The hosts got another opportunity to tie the game in the 65th minute, but Mason Holgate missed an opportunity on the goal line.

The second half was marked by whistles, with Holgate getting dismissed after receiving his second yellow card of the game in the 86th minute.

The win led fans to celebrate the U.S. Soccer Federation's decision to sign Pochettino as the successor to former manager Gregg Berhalter.

Pochettino coached Team USA through a pair of friendlies last month, but the win marked his first in a competitive match.

Team USA won the first three editions of the Concacaf Nationals League tournament. The United States will see if they can set themselves on track for a fourth straight victory by claiming the team's second official win of the Pochettino era on Monday.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET in St. Louis. The winner of the aggregate-goal series will advance to a semifinal match on March 20 in Inglewood, California.

The United States men's national team plays its first significant game under manager Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday night.

The USMNT visits Jamaica in the first leg of a two-leg quarterfinal in the Concacaf Nations League.

The Americans split the first two friendly matches under Pochettino's direction in September. They won at home against Panama and lost on the road in Mexico with a depleted squad.

Thursday's game starts a two-game series over the November international break with Jamaica. The winner of the series advances to the Nations League semifinals, which will be held in March.

USMNT vs. Jamaica Info

Date: Thursday, November 14

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Storylines to Watch

Thursday is the first real test of the Pochettino era.

It will be one of the rare chances the USMNT gets to play in a competitive environment prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

The USMNT's bare minimum expectation is to win everything on the continental level, and that has been true in the Nations League since it was introduced in 2019. The USMNT is three-for-three in Nations League titles.

The regular cast of stars are available for Pochettino on Thursday. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Antonee Robinson are among the players penciled into the starting lineup.

Goalkeeper and striker continue to be the toughest positions to figure out inside the USMNT talent pool.

Matt Turner and Zack Steffen were two of four goalkeepers called in for the November Nations League games. Two other young netminders are in camp, but they are not expected to start over the two international veterans.

Pochettino may be willing to split the November starts between Turner and Steffen, who have 76 international appearances between them, but no clear-cut No. 1 goalkeeper has emerged just yet.

At forward, Ricardo Pepi has to be the option given who was available for the November roster. Josh Sargent and Haji Wright are both dealing with injuries at the moment.

Pepi could take the Nations League quarterfinals as his opportunity to shine in front of the new manager. He has 11 goals in 31 international games and has six goals in the Eredivisie for PSV this season.

Brandon Vazquez is the other candidate to start up top. The Monterrey forward is not in the blistering form he was in last year in Liga MX, but he does have three goals in six games in the new Liga MX campaign.

Pochettino might be inclined to start his players with more experience on Thursday on the road before he unleashes a more attack-friendly lineup at home on Monday.

Jamaica can be one of the toughest teams to break down with three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake in net.

The Reggae Boyz allowed one goal in their last four games, so do not expect the Americans to bury a plethora of chances.

A draw in Kingston would be a good result, but if the Americans win, it will likely be by a slim margin.

Prediction: USMNT 0, Jamaica 0