When Mauricio Pochettino signed on last fall, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.
Results this window:
Turkiye 2, USA 1 (Güler 24’, Akterkoglü 27’; McGlynn 1’)
Switzerland 4, USA 0 (Ndoye 13’, Aebisher 23’, Embolo 33’, Manzambi 36’)
The story this window:
Where have you gone, USMNT Joe DiMaggios? Our soccer nation turns its downcast eyes to you.
Watching Switzerland dog-walk the USMNT on Tuesday night in less time than it takes to walk your actual dog, the player I found myself thinking about was Frankie Hejduk.
For any Yank-supporting whippersnappers who weren’t around for his career in the late-90s and early ‘00s, Hejduk might have been the original USMNT cult favorite – a literal California surfer dude with the long blonde hair (and aversion to early-morning alarms) to match. But on the field Hejduk was anything but laid-back, putting his legendary stamina to use at right back with punishing endline-to-endline dashes and frequent full-speed challenges. Hejduk never became a wizard with the ball at his feet, but he did become a USMNT fixture – including starting four games at left back during the magical 2002 World Cup run – because no one played harder or faster.
I thought of Hejduk, watching 19-year-old Johan Manzambi glide past Max Arfsten to effortlessly set up the Swiss second.
