Four Takeaways From USMNT’s Unapologetic Thrashing of Haiti in Concacaf Nations League

There may be a lot of unrest and uncertainty right now within the U.S. men’s national team, but you wouldn’t know it.

The USMNT thrashed Haiti 6–0 in Miami in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals on Saturday, just one day after manager Mauricio Pochettino signed a new contract to take charge of Manchester United.

The deal shocked the soccer world, coming just four months after Pochettino inked a renewal with U.S. Soccer through the 2030 World Cup, involving him in every major facet of the federation for what was supposed to be the long haul.

The players themselves only received confirmation of Pochettino’s exit on Thursday; however, in the Argentine’s penultimate game on the touchline, they absolutely dazzled for him. The overwhelming victory all but seals the team’s advancement to the Nations League finals in March, which requires an aggregate win across both legs of the series. It also extends the USMNT’s win streak to five games, maintaining perfection in the post-World Cup era.

Here are four takeaways from the USMNT’s emphatic victory.

Upon Pulisic’s return to the USMNT, it was unclear the role he would play.

In the September-October window without him, a team of budding young talents cruised to four straight victories, leaving him firmly in the rearview. The team’s success only compounded the distrust Americans had in Pulisic’s ability to be a true talisman—an utter lack of confidence in the No. 10 ignited by his lackluster World Cup display this summer.

But a recent resurgence at club side AC Milan suggested that Pulisic might have a bit more magic up his sleeve, and what he performed on Saturday night was magic alright, at least in the second half.

In the first half at Nu Stadium, the attacking load was very much shared. Pulisic had flashes of creativity, a few terrifying drives into the final third, a couple moments of silky footwork, yet he was by no means the chief creator. He wasn’t the centerfold as he has so often been during his international career.

That all changed in the second half. Taken down in the box, Pulisic earned a penalty kick in the 61st minute, which he blasted through the center of the net. That finish was his first in competitive action for the USMNT in almost exactly two years, dating back to the 2024 Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Jamaica on Nov. 18.

It proved to be just the confidence boost he needed, finding the net again less than two minutes later on a line drive just outside the 18-yard box. It was his first brace in red, white and blue in over three years, dating back to 2023 Concacaf Nations League semifinals against Mexico.

Pulisic continued to stamp his authority all over the pitch, commanding the USMNT’s attacking motions until the final whistle and ending with a game-high nine touches in the opposition’s box. He effectively silenced all doubters and proved that he is still the same “Captain America” that he always was.

A major personnel question has lingered in the wake of the retirement of USMNT captain Tim Ream: Who can partner Chris Richards on the backline?

The stalwart center back needs an equally strong presence beside him to help command the defense, and on multiple occasions, even Ream proved he wasn’t up to the task. It has left a glaring hole in the USMNT’s otherwise strong line, which is flanked by studs Antonee Robinson and Alex Freeman.

The team may finally have its answer: Auston Trusty.

The 28-year-old Celtic star is playing the best soccer of his career and has demonstrated his potential as Richards’s partner this fall. Not only is the 6'2" player as aerially gifted as Richards—which provides assurance against opponents committed to the long-ball game—but he is as commanding in possession and as confident in his defensive duties, evidenced by how he stifled the dangerous Wilson Isidor.

To further compound his skillset, it was actually Trusty who opened the evening’s scoring, performing a flawless side volley to remind everyone of the danger he presents in offensive set pieces.

Trusty was included in Pochettino’s 26-man World Cup roster this summer but was perhaps pigeon-holed into a bench reinforcement role due to his versatility as both a fullback and center back. He was also likely overshadowed by the veteran leadership Ream could provide.

But in the perfect post-World Cup era, Richards and Trusty have now shared the center of the backline three times. They played together briefly in the second half of the 4–2 victory over Chile on Sept. 29 as well as all 90 minutes of the massive 3–0 win against bitter rival Mexico just days later. It is quickly proving to be a partnership for the long haul.

Although World Cup hero Folarin Balogun was back in the USMNT’s roster, it was actually 18-year-old Julian Hall who got the nod to start at striker.

Hall earned the team’s confidence after dazzling in his debut camp last month, capitalizing on Balogun’s absence to make a name for himself. He became the youngest USMNT player ever to score in back-to-back matches as well as just the third USMNT player in history and youngest globally (since Brazilian legend Pelé) to score in each of his first three appearances. More than just his output, it is Hall’s high soccer IQ and knack for finding even the tiniest pockets of space that makes him such a dynamic striker.

The New York Red Bull youngster maintained the team’s confidences heading into November and soon proved Pochettino right for dethroning Balogun. Tracking Robinson’s dash down the left flank, Hall positioned himself perfectly inside the box between Haiti’s center backs to receive a cross and fire a shot into the corner of the net. The finish, his fourth in five international appearances, happened just six minutes into the second half. It doubled the USMNT’s advantage and threw open the floodgates.

However, Balogun refused to be upstaged, eager to remind everyone why he was the darling of the summer. He swapped with Hall just after the hour and less than 10 minutes later had found the net. That finish would soon prove just barely offside by VAR, but if there’s one thing Balogun proved at the World Cup, it’s that when he’s denied, it means a real goal is just moments away.

He scored for real just seven minutes later, before pointing to an imaginary watch on his wrist as if to suggest, “It was only a matter of time.”

There is officially a red-hot striker battle happening between Hall and Balogun, and it spells exciting times for the USMNT.

The American boys may not know their next manager, but they certainly know who they are.

They have a sense of identity that will carry them forward long after Pochettino has departed for Old Trafford. Sure, it’s the very identity that Pochettino concocted for the team, consisting of equal parts American pride and South American passion; however, the players don’t need the Argentine to sustain it or even progress it.

They can do that on their own, precisely because the foundation has been firmly laid now, as was made abundantly clear against Haiti.

The USMNT continued to play with its characteristic grit and a front-footed aggression, set to the tempo of their competitive spirit and eagerness to prove everyone in Nu Stadium wrong. The Americans were jumping down Haiti’s throat within the opening five minutes, and by the 10th minute, they had already found the back of the net, thanks to Trusty’s volley.

The team never took its foot off the gas, continuing to play vertically to pry Haiti’s lines open and relying on quick passing sequences and explosive runs to command the final third. Even when the game was wrapped up with a bow, the USMNT never relented, scoring a whopping five goals in the second half alone.

The USMNT may be bidding farewell to the man who helped to shape it, but the team will take solace in the fact that its core identity is here to stay.