Sometimes getting smacked in the face with reality is exactly what you need. What happened last fall was great for this U.S. men’s national team. A victorious run was important and valuable to build confidence and belief.
And it is the right message from U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino to encourage this team to “be realistic and do the impossible.”
But the U.S. cannot afford to forget the first part of that tag line. Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Belgium was as clear a reminder as a team can get. “I think it’s a good reality check for us,” Pochettino said.
The very best U.S. teams play with an underdog mentality. But the U.S. isn’t good enough to relax against the elite. It can’t coast to the latter stage of the World Cup that Pochettino dreams of and has stated as a target.
It cannot afford to drop its intensity — not against the strongest of opponents. It has to match and surpass the work of those opponents in order to get the results it’s seeking.
Saturday was a warning. Tuesday, against another world-class team in Portugal, is the first chance to show the U.S. can take its lesson, turn around and set things right.
It’s why a 5-2 loss to Belgium in March, unpleasant as it was, could end up being a good thing come June.
About the author
World Cup 2026 news live updates: Latest on final qualifying matches, ticket information and more
Sometimes getting smacked in the face with reality is exactly what you need. What happened last fall was great for this U.S. men’s national team. A victorious run was important and valuable to build confidence and belief. And it is the right message from U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino to encourage this team to “be realistic and do the impossible.” But the U.S. cannot afford to forget the first part of that tag line. Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Belgium was as clear a reminder as a team can get. “I think it’s a good reality check for us,” Pochettino said.The very best U.S. teams play with an underdog mentality. But the U.S. isn’t good enough to relax against the elite. It can’t coast to the latter stage of the World Cup that Pochettino dreams of and has stated as a target.It […]
Giants chairman Greg Johnson Q&A Part 1: Tony Vitello hire, payroll, real estate and more
There seems to be a whole lot of mixed signals from San Francisco Giants fans these days.On one hand, business is brisk. The Giants nearly drew 3 million fans last season. Their attendance forecasts are at least as robust, if not better, for 2026. You can’t walk two city blocks without seeing a Giants cap or shirt, whether it’s the traditional color scheme, the Licorice Pizza City Connects or the new Gigantes gear that the team will wear for Saturday home games. Spring training was as lively as ever in Scottsdale, even as record-setting temperatures soared past 100 degrees.AdvertisementOn the other hand, the Giants are on their third manager in four seasons — a crazy amount of volatility for an organization that formed a through line across four decades from Roger Craig to Dusty Baker to Felipe Alou to Bruce […]
2026 World Cup odds, picks: Expert reveals best bets for Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup qualifying finals
The final spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be filled on Tuesday, March 31, when eight teams compete in the four UEFA World Cup Qualifying Playoffs finals. The four winning nations will earn a trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in North America, and four-time World Cup champions Italy are among those still fighting for a spot.The Azzurri, who haven't advanced to the World Cup since 2014, will have to get past Bosnia and Herzegovina, which made its first and only appearance in 2014 and hosts Tuesday's match in Zenica. The Italians beat Northern Ireland 2-0 last Thursday, while the Dragons beat Wales on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 and Poland got past Albania 2-1 last week to set up their final near Stockholm. The other matches are Kosovo vs. Turkey […]
PŘÍMÁK: Špína ve fotbale. Nelítá v tom jen Morava, skandál se rozšíří po celé republice, varuje expert
Témata dnešního dílu: Rozšíření korupční kauzy po celé republice (04:59)Jak se hraje v klubu, nad kterým se vznáší obří tresty (17:59)Co může fotbal proti korupci podniknout (24:13)Rajnoch platí za známého bojovníka proti korupci. Byl jednou z tváří iniciativy Fevoluce, která se snažila dostat z FAČR staré garnitury spojené s osobou Romana Berbra. I proto bývalý reprezentační obránce vnímá současné dění pozitivně.„Cesta k očištění se zahájila už za minulého svazového vedení v čele s Petrem Fouskem. Pokud chceme čistý fotbal, tak se už muselo něco stát. Je to dlouhodobé vyšetřování, které nás dovedlo až do této fáze, ale konec to rozhodně není. Čeká nás ještě víc případů a jsem rád, že mohou podobné praktiky z fotbalu vymizet,“ má jasno.Aktuálně se vyšetřování korupčního skandálu týká především Moravy a Slezska. Podle hostů v pořadu Přímák na Sport.cz si však nelze nalhávat, že se situace zastaví na hranicích Čech.„Je asi jasné, že vše začalo na […]
How realistic is prospect of Verstappen quitting F1?
Following Max Verstappen's claim after Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix that he is seriously considering quitting Formula 1, Sky Sports F1 assess how realistic the prospect of the four-time world champion walking away actually is.The biggest rule change in F1 history saw new power units and chassis introduced for the 2026 season, with an attempt to make the sport more sustainable resulting in greater reliance on electrical energy. Across testing and the opening three rounds of the season, the cars have split opinion among the drivers, with Verstappen consistently the most outspoken critic. Others, such as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, have praised the more exciting racing the cars have produced. Verstappen's frustrations centre around a feeling that competing in the new cars is more about energy management than pure traditional speed and skill.The 28-year-old Dutchman had expressed reservations over the […]
Bývalý šéf karvinského klubu Wolf vinu v korupční kauze znovu odmítl
Pavel Býma (bývalý předseda FC Zlínsko), Lukáš Vychodil (bývalý hráč FC Zlínsko), Roman Bala (hráč Zábřehu), Marek Kalina (hráč 1. SC Znojmo), Michal Suchý (hráč 1. SC Znojmo), Andrii Lychkivskyi (hlavní investor 1. SC Znojmo), Nicolas Tilkeridis (hráč SFC Opava), Lumír Číž (hráč MFK Chrudim), Samuel Šigut (profesionální fotbalista - v současnosti MFK Karviná, dříve České Budějovice), Sebastian Pejša (hráč SFC Opava), Matěj Hýbl (hráč MFK Karviná), Jakub Tlustý (hráč MFK Chrudim), Denis Holub (hráč MFK Chrudim), Daniel Kubát (hráč MFK Chrudim), Filip Štěpánek (hráč SFC Opava), Vilém Gettler (hráč SFK ELKO Holešov), Simon Vejtasa (ligový rozhodčí), Jan Nápravník (rozhodčí), Lukáš Hála (hráčský agent), Roman Procházka (předseda TJ Start Brno), Josef Tomanec (rozhodčí), Šimon Žalud (hráč FK Blansko), Jiří Remiáš (hráč FC Hlučín), Tim Kramář (hráč TJ Břidličná), Robert Russmann (hráč FK Peřvald na Moravě), Matyáš Moučka (hráč FC Baník Ostrava), Tomáš Bělíček (hráč […]
Related
Giants chairman Greg Johnson Q&A Part 1: Tony Vitello hire, payroll, real estate and more
There seems to be a whole lot of mixed signals from San Francisco Giants fans these days.On one hand, business is brisk. The Giants nearly drew 3 million fans last season. Their attendance forecasts are at least as robust, if not better, for 2026. You can’t walk two city blocks without seeing a Giants cap or shirt, whether it’s the traditional color scheme, the Licorice Pizza City Connects or the new Gigantes gear that the team will wear for Saturday home games. Spring training was as lively as ever in Scottsdale, even as record-setting temperatures soared past 100 degrees.AdvertisementOn the other hand, the Giants are on their third manager in four seasons — a crazy amount of volatility for an organization that formed a through line across four decades from Roger Craig to Dusty Baker to Felipe Alou to Bruce […]
2026 World Cup odds, picks: Expert reveals best bets for Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup qualifying finals
The final spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be filled on Tuesday, March 31, when eight teams compete in the four UEFA World Cup Qualifying Playoffs finals. The four winning nations will earn a trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in North America, and four-time World Cup champions Italy are among those still fighting for a spot.The Azzurri, who haven't advanced to the World Cup since 2014, will have to get past Bosnia and Herzegovina, which made its first and only appearance in 2014 and hosts Tuesday's match in Zenica. The Italians beat Northern Ireland 2-0 last Thursday, while the Dragons beat Wales on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 and Poland got past Albania 2-1 last week to set up their final near Stockholm. The other matches are Kosovo vs. Turkey […]
PŘÍMÁK: Špína ve fotbale. Nelítá v tom jen Morava, skandál se rozšíří po celé republice, varuje expert
Témata dnešního dílu: Rozšíření korupční kauzy po celé republice (04:59)Jak se hraje v klubu, nad kterým se vznáší obří tresty (17:59)Co může fotbal proti korupci podniknout (24:13)Rajnoch platí za známého bojovníka proti korupci. Byl jednou z tváří iniciativy Fevoluce, která se snažila dostat z FAČR staré garnitury spojené s osobou Romana Berbra. I proto bývalý reprezentační obránce vnímá současné dění pozitivně.„Cesta k očištění se zahájila už za minulého svazového vedení v čele s Petrem Fouskem. Pokud chceme čistý fotbal, tak se už muselo něco stát. Je to dlouhodobé vyšetřování, které nás dovedlo až do této fáze, ale konec to rozhodně není. Čeká nás ještě víc případů a jsem rád, že mohou podobné praktiky z fotbalu vymizet,“ má jasno.Aktuálně se vyšetřování korupčního skandálu týká především Moravy a Slezska. Podle hostů v pořadu Přímák na Sport.cz si však nelze nalhávat, že se situace zastaví na hranicích Čech.„Je asi jasné, že vše začalo na […]
How realistic is prospect of Verstappen quitting F1?
Following Max Verstappen's claim after Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix that he is seriously considering quitting Formula 1, Sky Sports F1 assess how realistic the prospect of the four-time world champion walking away actually is.The biggest rule change in F1 history saw new power units and chassis introduced for the 2026 season, with an attempt to make the sport more sustainable resulting in greater reliance on electrical energy. Across testing and the opening three rounds of the season, the cars have split opinion among the drivers, with Verstappen consistently the most outspoken critic. Others, such as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, have praised the more exciting racing the cars have produced. Verstappen's frustrations centre around a feeling that competing in the new cars is more about energy management than pure traditional speed and skill.The 28-year-old Dutchman had expressed reservations over the […]
Bývalý šéf karvinského klubu Wolf vinu v korupční kauze znovu odmítl
Pavel Býma (bývalý předseda FC Zlínsko), Lukáš Vychodil (bývalý hráč FC Zlínsko), Roman Bala (hráč Zábřehu), Marek Kalina (hráč 1. SC Znojmo), Michal Suchý (hráč 1. SC Znojmo), Andrii Lychkivskyi (hlavní investor 1. SC Znojmo), Nicolas Tilkeridis (hráč SFC Opava), Lumír Číž (hráč MFK Chrudim), Samuel Šigut (profesionální fotbalista - v současnosti MFK Karviná, dříve České Budějovice), Sebastian Pejša (hráč SFC Opava), Matěj Hýbl (hráč MFK Karviná), Jakub Tlustý (hráč MFK Chrudim), Denis Holub (hráč MFK Chrudim), Daniel Kubát (hráč MFK Chrudim), Filip Štěpánek (hráč SFC Opava), Vilém Gettler (hráč SFK ELKO Holešov), Simon Vejtasa (ligový rozhodčí), Jan Nápravník (rozhodčí), Lukáš Hála (hráčský agent), Roman Procházka (předseda TJ Start Brno), Josef Tomanec (rozhodčí), Šimon Žalud (hráč FK Blansko), Jiří Remiáš (hráč FC Hlučín), Tim Kramář (hráč TJ Břidličná), Robert Russmann (hráč FK Peřvald na Moravě), Matyáš Moučka (hráč FC Baník Ostrava), Tomáš Bělíček (hráč […]
Twins vs. Royals prediction, odds, time: 2026 MLB picks for Monday, March 30 from proven model
The Minnesota Twins battle the Kansas City Royals in an American League Central Division matchup on Monday afternoon. It will be Kansas City's home opener. The Royals are coming off a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves, while Minnesota dropped an 8-6 decision to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The Twins (1-2), who finished fourth in the division a year ago at 70-92, were 32-49 on the road. The Royals (1-2), who finished third in the AL Central at 82-80, were 43-38 on their home field last season.First pitch from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 4:10 p.m. ET. The Twins lead the all-time series 466-430, but the Royals won the season series 7-6 in 2025. Kansas City is a -155 favorite on the money line (risk $155 to win $100) in the latest Twins vs. Royals […]
Be the first to leave a comment