‘The Group is Looking Lovely’: USMNT Looks to Build on Standard Set in Gold Cup

In the aftermath of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Final, the U.S. Men’s National Team leaders commended the culture fostered over the almost seven weeks in camp together. It felt like an important building block under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who at the time of the Gold Cup had been with the USMNT for less than a year.

Veteran center back Tim Ream said the players developed a better understanding of Pochettino’s expectations. Moving forward, it’s up to everyone in this camp to continue that momentum.

“The guys who were here during the Gold Cup, we know what the standard needs to be, and what it is going forward,” Ream said. “Just making sure everybody’s being held accountable, pushing each other, making sure we’re on the same page —we’re on the same team. We’re trying to move things forward and make sure we’re in a good position moving into the next year and into the World Cup.”

Twelve players return from the Gold Cup on Pochettino’s latest 24-player roster as the USMNT gets set to face Korea Republic (Sept. 6; Harrison, New Jersey) and Japan (Sept. 9; Columbus, Ohio). That marks half the roster that will mix and apply that standard with 12 others called up in September.

Midfielder Tyler Adams said after the final in July that the standard must translate quickly, anticipating the current moment when the team regrouped in the fall.

“Continuing to try and push the standard of what we're trying to achieve and become a winning team is super important,” Adams said ahead of the friendly against Korea.

That standard is built on a culture of players determined to compete for their country. Pochettino has stressed at different times during his year-long tenure the importance of playing with pride for the crest; he sees that hunger serving as a baseline of a winning team.

Forward Tim Weah watched the Gold Cup unfold from afar while his then-club Juventus competed in the FIFA Club World Cup. He followed it closely, watching his teammates grind out gritty wins on the way to a final, including a defining penalty shootout in the quarterfinal against Costa Rica.

“I think we're just building off of that,” Weah said. “The group is looking lovely right now, loving the vibes and loving the energy that we have. The quality in training has been amazing. Being back after not being with them in the summer is just an amazing feeling, and anytime I'm here, I try to keep that vibe.”

Including the two September matches, the USMNT has three international windows this year to continue building under Pochettino. While Ream said there’s no more pressure than usual, it’s still an ultra-importantopportunity together with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in sight.

 “People will say, ‘Oh, it’s a friendly.’ But with the amount of time between now and the World Cup, there’s no such thing as friendly games,” Ream said. “You have to be on it every single training session, every single game. The pressure is there on everybody to try to make the World Cup squad, and this is an opportunity for everybody who’s here to perform.”