‘Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles’ said Sir Alex Ferguson, and his quote still holds in the modern era of soccer. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT side has one big underlying issue that they need to fix, if they are to make it past the round of 16, after not having done so since 2002. A lot of critics have highlighted the troubles Pochettino’s side will face if there are no changes in the squad. 

Landon Donovan, one of the most iconic figures in USMNT history has been vocal about the squad’s defensive issues. His concern centers around the age disparity within the current squad, where there’s a mix of veterans and novices. Apart from Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, all the other defensive players are under the age of 2025. Former players and soccer analysts, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville echoed Donovan’s worries. 

“If your two center-backs play well in a game of football, no matter how poorly the rest of them are, you’ve still got a chance of winning,” said the Liverpool legend in the latest episode of ‘It’s Called Soccer’. Carragher also highlighted that the defensive uncertainty could instill fear in the rest of the squad, as the backline could be breached at any time. 

Neville agreed and highlighted the chances of this happening since Mauricio Pochettino demanded his center-backs to push higher up the pitch. “I do think you have to resort to a back three personally and I think that’s the only way around it,” said Neville, who believes that the USMNT coach will have to change his style of play. 

Tim Ream will be nearly 39 years old by the time the 2026 World Cup arrives. Former USMNT player, Alexi Lalas has urged Pochettino to not include the Charlotte FC player and to give more chances to younger players. Currently, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty, and Mark Mckenzie have less than 50 caps, combined, compared to Ream who has 66. But that’s not the only problem waiting for Pochettino in March next year. 

Pochettino’s squad dilemma 

Of the goalkeepers named in the squad, none of them are getting any regular playing time at the top level. Current no.1 choice, Matt Turner is yet to see any action at Crystal Palace, where he’s currently on loan. Speaking of Crystal Palace, the Argentine coach will be hoping that defender Chris Richards will be fit by the time the international break ends. 

Pochettino will also face a tough choice between Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, with the latter outshining the AS Monaco striker. With the World Cup at home in 2026, we can hope that Pochettino’s players will use this time to hone their skills by playing regularly at club level. What do you think?