Mauricio Pochettino will be feeling even more heat after the USMNT fell 4-0 to Switzerland on Tuesday at Geodis Park in Nashville.
Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Johan Manzambi, and Breel Embolo scored first half goals against a sloppy USMNT team whose depth players looked out of their depth in a baffling showing against a quality Swiss side.
MORE — Player ratings from USMNT vs Switzerland
Pochettino’s record dropped to 5-5 as the Yanks failed to register a shot on target over 90 minutes but did find bright spots in second-half subs Malik Tillman and Diego Luna.
MORE — Which teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
The game was billed as a send-off to the Gold Cup, and the Americans will see their national team summers end earlier than expected should they put forth anything like this display come Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago.
How to watch USMNT vs Switzerland live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 8pm ET Tuesday (June 10)
Venue: GEODIS Park — Nashville, Tennessee
Streaming, TV channel: Peacock en Espanol
USMNT vs Switzerland live updates — by Nick Mendola
Final score — USMNT 0-4 Switzerland
Oof.
Damion Downs debut
The young Koln striker, Texas-born, makes his USMNT debut.
He’ll take the place of Berhalter in the 75th minute.
A LOT better
Diego Luna and Malik Tillman are the unabridged winners of the first 150 minutes of the USMNT summer.
The back three has caused some hesitation for the Swiss. Tim Ream has looked good, and Sebastian Berhalter looks better with more active players around him.
There’s still not much going on the right flank, but the U.S. have picked their heads up after the subs.
FIVE subs
Diego Luna, John Tolkin, Malik Tillman, Patrick Agyemang, and Tim Ream enter the game and the team looks to go to a back three.
Brian White exits, as do Quinn Sullivan, Brian White, and both Aaronsons.
Halftime — USMNT 0-4 Switzerland
One shot and 43% possession. Four touches in the Swiss box and at least three came in the first five minutes.
It’s not about energy — duels are 21-21 — rather a group of players so far off the level at home that it’s hard to fathom.
Audible boos throughout Geodis Park
More than a smattering of boos have persisted since the third goal.
Mauricio Pochettino looks furious. At this point, he may not have a choice but to put in his most experience players and perhaps even swap out the keeper as a hockey-styled wake-up call.
This is as passive and bad of a half as the USMNT have played in a long, long time.
Johan Manzambi goal — USMNT 0-4 Switzerland (36th minute)
Quinn Sullivan makes a bad pass and the Swiss take the ball and go the other way past Sebastian Berhalter.
The ball gets to Manzambi, and the teenager has acres of space and only Mark McKenzie to defy... which he does, finishing with aplomb.
Breel Embolo goal — USMNT 0-3 Switzerland (33rd minute)
The fullbacks are having an absolute nightmare.
Nathan Harriel invites the Swiss attack to do whatever it wants, and they choose a shot.
Turner makes the save but Arfsten is nowhere near Embolo, who has a nose for goal.
Terrible, terrible, terrible.
Should be 3-0
Breel Embolo torches the U.S. back line for pace as Arfsten is caught watching the ball.
Embolo makes an awful touch close to goal and Arfsten is able to close the forward down enough to force a bad-angled shot at Turner’s goal.
Michel Aebischer goal — USMNT 0-2 Switzerland (23rd minute)
Awful defending.
A long pass Freiburg teenager Johan Manzambi on the right flank and Max Arfsten gives him plenty of room to approach the six before missing a tackle.
Manzambi cuts a pass to the heart of the six and Aebischer has no problem beating Nathan Harriel to the spot.
Dan Ndoye goal — USMNT 0-1 Switzerland (13th minute)
That was just too easy.
The U.S. looked bright for the first five minutes but there hasn’t been much to like in the interim and now the Swiss are in front.
Club Brugge youngster Ardon Jashari chops a deflected, grass-buffing pass between 2-3 USMNT defenders and Dan Ndoye is on it. Bologna’s left winger beats Matt Turner for 1-0.
Neither Nathan Harriel nor Walker Zimmerman will love the replay, but the deflection didn’t help either player.
USMNT will be stressed
Tyler Adams joining the long list of absences was not a good thing, and it’s potentially quite worse against a Switzerland team that could well overrun the Yanks.
The USMNT can very much hang in this game, and winning is not out of the question, but this team is not just young it is full of players who have yet to show much — mostly through lack of opportunity and no fault of their own — in a national team shirt.
USMNT lineup
Turner, Arfsten, Zimmerman, McKenzie, Harriel, Berhalter, Cardoso, Sullivan, B. Aaronson, P. Aaronson, White
Switzerland lineup
Kobel, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez, Schmidt Ndoye, Xhaka, Jashari, Aebischer, Embolo, Manzambi
,USMNT vs Switzerland preview — by Joe Prince-Wright
Following on from the Nations League debacle in March the USMNT has now lost three-straight games, as a young and inexperienced side lost 2-1 to Turkiye in East Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday. Pochettino gave plenty of youngsters a chance to impress, and some like Jack McGlynn did, but he’s missing several key players this summer for various reasons and there is real concern among the USMNT fanbase about where the team is heading. This friendly against Switzerland will give the USMNT a very good idea of how things are shaping up ahead of the Gold Cup this summer, and just 12 months before the 2026 World Cup where they are expected to flourish in front of their home fans.
Switzerland beat Mexico 4-2 in a friendly in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday with Murat Yakin’s team looking as solid as ever. In Breel Embolo, Granit Xhaka, Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji they have an experienced core and their run to the quarterfinals of the European championships last summer proved their quality. In many ways the USMNT should aim to replicate what Switzerland have created. Being tough to beat and relying on a solid, defensive base and then allowing talented attackers to flourish on the counter.
USMNT team news, focus
We should see Tim Ream, Matt Turner, Haji Wright and Brenden Aaronson all start as Pochettino rotates his lineup but Tyler Adams will be missing from the starting lineup (and the squad altogether) as he deals with “a little, small issue in his foot,” according to the the head coach. “I think we can manage … and rest him a few days, and then see if he can be ready for the Gold Cup,” Pochettino said on Monday.
The likes of McGlynn, Diego Luna and Malik Tillman impressed against Turkiye, but defensively the USMNT need to improve as they can’t keep making sloppy mistakes at the back. Mark McKenzie could come in to start at center back, while Johnny Cardoso could be rested after a long season for Real Betis and ahead of his pending move to Atletico Madrid.
OUT: Christian Pulisic (requested), Yunus Musah (requested), Antonee Robinson (knee), Weston McKennie (Club World Cup duty), Tim Weah (Club World Cup duty), Zach Steffen (knee), DeJuan Jones (muscle), Sergino Dest (fitness)
Switzerland team news, focus
The Swiss will likely roll out Xhaka, Embolo and Akanji to start once again, while Bologna trio Dan Ndoye, Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer are all players to keep a close eye on. Fabian Rieder is a rising star.
USMNT vs Switzerland prediction
This feels like the USMNT will have plenty of problems at the back again and Switzerland showed how clinical they could be against Mexico over the weekend. Expect another defeat for Pochettino’s understrength side. USMNT 1-3 Switzerland.
