USMNT vs. Canada takeaways: Mentality issues, Tim Ream needs to be replaced and GK Patrick Schulte impresses

The United States men’s national team played their first match since crashing out of Copa America and it was one to forget falling 2-1 to Canada on Saturday. It was the first loss on home soil to the Canucks since 1957 and yet another match that shows how far the USMNT have to go. Led by interim manager Mikey Varas, the USMNT had a shaken-up lineup including changes like Patrick Schulte as the starting goalkeeper instead of Matt Turner but they looked like a group of guys playing together for the first time.

Without USMNT stalwarts like Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Antonee Robinson, it was a chance for players deeper down the pecking order to step up and while some did, not enough did to lead to a victory. It’s an odd limbo for the USMNT as they wait for Mauricio Pochettino to arrive as head coach and facing a Canadian team that knows who they are and how they want to play, the USMNT’s weaknesses were exploited.

It’s a concerning match but not one that feels like it was a signal of things to come. The team needs a new mentality to be instilled and that’s not something that an interim manager can do in one window but it’s something that Pochettino will have time to do before a return to competitive play in Concacaf Nations League in November. It’s also a chance for some of these players who struggled against Canada to take a look at their own game and what needs to improve if they want to remain in the pecking order moving forward.

“With the ball, that’s on me. After three training sessions, I asked a lot of them. On the first goal, that’s on me. Both of those because when you don’t have a lot of time to work and you play a certain way, it creates confusion. The players are going to take responsibility for the quality of action but I eat that one. I think we were too static so my translation of the ideas wasn’t clear enough because you shouldn’t be static and you shouldn’t pass the ball just to pass the ball. You’re trying to accelerate play as quickly as you can, you know?” Varas said following the match.  

“On the other side, the mentality is on the players. Sorry, and they know it. They know it, we speak the truth to each other. I love those guys but they know. The mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can’t do that for them. I can’t do that for them, that’s on them. So at the end of the day, it’s a combination between all of us together.”

It’s not a new issue as these cracks were showing under Gregg Berhalter but it’s an issue that needs to be ironed out. The USMNT did improve after substitutes were introduced but by then, it was too late to fight back. Let’s take a look at the good and the bad from the match:

Schulte makes his case at goalkeeper

Playing time has been a concern for many areas around the USMNT but chief among those has been keeper. On transfer deadline day, Matt Turner left Nottingham Forest, where he was a backup, to continue being a second-choice keeper at Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Patrick Schulte has stood tall for the Columbus Crew and the U.S. U-23s at the Olympics. It was an opportunity that the Columbus Crew man earned. While his defense didn’t do much to help his case, Schulte did everything he could to keep the match in check making saves on two strong Canada chances. 

Also confident with the ball at his feet and in his box on crosses, there was a lot to like from the 23-year-old. If he can keep these performances up, keeper could become positions wouldn’t have to worry about.

Tim Ream’s role needs to be reduced

In 2022, the emergence of Tim Ream for the World Cup was a welcome surprise that helped propel the USMNT to the round of 16. His chemistry with Antonee Robinson and veteran leadership has been an important part of stabilizing the defense for the side, but now preparing for 2026, every match that Ream starts is a missed opportunity to figure out who Chris Richard’s partner will be at the 2026 World Cup in defense. 

Ream was directly responsible for Canada’s second goal with a pass that is a prime example of when playing out of the back goes wrong.

It’s fine to acknowledge that players who have done a lot for the national team in the past may not be the best guys to move the team forward. It’s a position that Walker Zimmerman was in, but now it’s Ream. With Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie on the bench, it would’ve been a great time to see what they can bring to the table, but instead, a 36-year-old defender who could be retired ahead of the World Cup was out there.

These are moments that show some of the systemic issues with U.S. Soccer which are things that Pochettino will need to tackle in the role. As a manager who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and shake things up, it will be a positive shift if he makes the right calls. 

Mentality is an issue

Varas spoke well about the fact that the players weren’t up for the match in the first half and that they need to take accountability for that, but there’s a deeper question as to why it happened. You shouldn’t need to motivate a team after the opposing coach, Jesse Marsch, said that he would beat them 2-1, but instead, they rolled over and let him do it. It’s an area where the national team has been sliding since Gregg Berhalter’s second spell in charge began but they need to leave their comfort zone.

It doesn’t apply to the entire pool as players like Aidan Morris showed that they want to be there and fight for the badge but it’s somewhere where the team has been sliding as of late. This is another issue that shows how deep Pochettino will have to dig to get this team to where they need to be but it can’t be done overnight either. A start will be making wholesale changes against New Zealand but also a member of the team needs to step up to become the person on the pitch to make those changes happen.

Previously it was Adams who would rally the troops but with the Bournemouth midfielder injured more often than not these days, no one has stepped up to be that voice in recent windows. Finding out who that player is will be critical to fixing some of the issues on the pitch.