The former New England Revolution forward-turned-Apple TV analyst joined Mic'd up to discuss USMNT's World Cup expectations
It's the phrase on that is front of mind for every United States men's national team fan:
It has become an obsession. This group needs to beat someone elite. Mexico and Canada are good – Canada, at the moment, are very good. But the USMNT needs to aim higher. At least, that's what Taylor Twellman thinks.
"What is their landmark win? What is their signature win with the national team? I don't think they have that yet," Twellman tells GOAL. "It's got to come at the international level. And by that I mean not against any CONCACAF opponent. So in my opinion, it's got to be against someone ranked in the top 10."
And that would seem to be a tough ask. The USMNT doesn't play that caliber of opponent very often. In fact, the only opportunity on the horizon will be in the 2026 World Cup, held on home soil. No pressure there. But for Twellman, it's an meaningful opportunity. An expanded tournament, 48 teams, 16 groups. Win your easy games, get a fortunate draw, and you could be off to the races. A quarterfinal, set by Mauricio Pochettino as a clear remit, is more than realistic.
"The pool is diluted," Twellman says. "It's not 32. I love the World Cup, and I would have never changed it. But the fact that it's 48 I think, I think the bare minimum is a quarterfinal."
Twellman is now in his 15th year covering soccer in the U.S. He has played for the USMNT 30 times, won MLS MVP and taken home the golden boot twice. There is arguably no one in this media landscape that understands American soccer better. And he knows that with 15 months to go until a World Cup, the storylines will only get more enticing.
Twellman weighed in on the USMNT and World Cup expectations for Christian Pulisic and the Americans in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
(C)Getty ImagesON USMNT COACH MAURICIO POCHETTINO
GOAL: Let's talk about the USMNT. Pochettino seems about as much of a landmark hire as you can get. What have you made of his job so far?
TWELLMAN: This is part of the issue of calling this generation of players the "golden generation" of American player. And in part, I don't think any of us are wrong, because we've never had a group of players playing at a high level at the same time, the way this generation is. And yet, I'd argue: what is their landmark win? What is their signature win with the national team? I don't think they have that yet. And I think that gets very interesting having the conversation about this group. And I think this group knows that. They've got to win the Gold Cup. You've got to set the standard by which you want to play in a World Cup in your own backyard. I think not winning the Gold Cup is a disappointment.
I'm interested to see what Pochettino is about, but he's not here for the Gold Cup, he's here for the World Cup. He's got a big question mark right now – and it's been a long time since we've had this question mark – is who's the center back tandem opening day of the World Cup? He doesn't know that answer. And, he doesn't know who his nine is, but at least some of the nines are playing consistently. Now, Ricardo Pepi's got a serious knee injury, so that's unfortunate. That probably stopped him from making a big move into a bigger club this winter, if not this summer, but he does not know who his center back tandem is.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportON THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSE IN THE WORLD CUP
GOAL: How important is defense in that equation?
TWELLMAN: No matter how good the attacking players are for the United States, or how they're developing at a high rate in the moment, you're still going to have to defend. You're going to have to defend to beat the top 10 countries in the world, and in order to compete with the top 10 countries in the world, the United States can't lose that identity, which is being hard to play against and making sure that they can defend in critical moments. If you don't know who your center back tandem is, a little more than 12 months from the World Cup. I don't know how that's not a concern. Because if you're going to tell me right now, Tim Ream starts in the opening day of the World Cup, what is he? 39, 40? I'm going to have a tough time with that one.
ImagnON USMNT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WORLD CUP
GOAL: So what's a signature win? Beating who?
TWELLMAN: It's got to come at the international level. And by that, I mean not against any CONCACAF opponent. So in my opinion, it's got to be against someone ranked in the top 10. And ultimately, you're asking me, in Feburary 2025, I don't think we're going to get that answer until it comes in the World Cup. And I think this group, their signature win will come in the 2026 World Cup, because they have the ability to have it. At Azteca as a World Cup qualifier, a Gold Cup final in the United States. We all did it, so I don't think that's a signature win for this group. I think that answer is going to come in the World Cup.
GettyON WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN 2026 WORLD CUP
GOAL: The inevitable World Cup question, then. What does success look like? Pochettino said quarterfinal. I'm sure there is a corner of American fans who say "Yeah we can win this thing."
TWELLMAN: I agree with the quarterfinals initially, just because, 48 teams, largest World Cup ever. You look at that and say, "Well, OK, it's got to be the quarter final now." And you're in your backyard now. When you ask me when the draw comes out, I might change that. Say, semifinal. I would be shocked if I say round of 16, just because 48 teams means there's more opportunities. The pool is diluted. It's not 32. I love the World Cup, and I would have never changed it. But the fact that it's 48 I think, I think the bare minimum is a quarterfinal.
GOAL: You reckon one or two big guns get knocked out, you could get an easier run?
TWELLMAN: Yeah, because if you look historically at the United States' games outside of the group, other than Mexico in 2002, it was an unknown Top 10 opponent, right? And the only one that wasn't was Ghana. But if you go back to all of them, they were all Brazil, Belgium. Every time the United States men got out of the group, it was someone ranked in the top 10 – 2010 was the only one that wasn't.
So by law of averages and numbers, well, now there's 48 so you get out of your group, is it more of someone that is in your level? It should be. Because you're at home, it's in your backyard. That's why, for me, yeah, it's quarterfinal because of that. So the round of 32 you're like, "OK, that game should be beatable." But then round to 16, I don't know. It could be England. It could be France or Brazil, Argentina, and you're sitting there going, how'd that happen?
