Beyond the Scoreline: Why Tonight’s Victory Over Japan Is a Turning Point for US Soccer

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” That was the GIF Alexi Lalas shared, quoting Michael Corleone’s famous line from The Godfather: Part III, to describe Mauricio Pochettino and the current USMNT after their emphatic 2-0 victory over Japan. Naturally, it was a perfect description—not just of his own feelings but echoing those of every US Soccer fan. In fact, the message was clear: it’s far too soon to completely write off this squad.

Sure, it’s also too late in some ways. Time is indeed the enemy for this U.S. team, which only a year ago brought in this enigmatic coach. As one of the major co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, they now have a little over nine months before their campaign begins. More precisely, just six matches and four international windows remain. Everyone remembers how the 0-2 defeat to South Korea almost convinced U.S. Soccer pundits and fans that they’d had enough.

Yet the fact that the American boys were able to completely turn things around in this match makes this victory more of a turning point than many would have expected.

Breaking curses like a boss!

Starting with the obvious elephant in the room, a win, something which they desperately needed. Just before this result, the U.S. had been on a rough stretch—dropping five straight games to FIFA top-25 teams by a combined 11-1 scoreline. That skid also left them winless in their last seven such matchups, where they were outscored 17-3. Furthermore, aside from their rivalry with Mexico, their last victory over a top-25 side came back at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar under Gregg Berhalter, when they scraped out a narrow group-stage win.

Until tonight, when Mauricio Pochettino and his boys managed to pull off the unexpected, securing a victory over a team like Japan. And mind you, in quite an emphatic fashion. The opener from Alejandro Zendejas in the 30th minute even had Alexi Lalas conceding that Poch’s methods were paying off: “Crossing & finishing training going well,” he wrote in a tweet while sharing the goal. Then, just past the hour mark, Folarin Balogun sealed it with a composed strike from the left side, prompting Lalas to post again, “Balogun’s aim is true,” praising the Monaco striker’s sharp finish.

On the stat sheet, the U.S. dominated with 19 total shots to Japan’s 11, including 11 on target compared to 6. They also controlled 56% possession, strung together 559 passes with 87% accuracy, and kept their discipline with just 8 fouls and a single yellow card. Japan, meanwhile, managed 435 passes at 84% accuracy but was undone by 13 fouls and 2 bookings.

Really good or just the magic of ‘El Dos a Cero’?

Part of the decent performance from the men’s program of the US Soccer also goes to the kind of atmosphere there was at Lower.com Field. To recall, after the previous game vs South Korea at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Mauricio was literally pleading with fans to turn up in numbers. “Please come more [to the games]”, he said.

Well, he didn’t have much choice, given that even on home soil the atmosphere felt more like Seoul. The stadium was awash in red, with reports indicating that nearly 80% of the crowd was made up of Korean supporters. But in Columbus, there just had to be a different energy, considering it was an important venue in the team’s history. No wonder ex-USMNT international Herculez Gomez literally tweeted, “Columbus, Ohio, is the home of ‘El Dos a Cero.'”

For those unaware, “El Dos a Cero” is Spanish for “The Two to Zero.” Apparently, it is a phrase that has been a long rallying cry in the U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry. Basically, it stems from the USMNT’s iconic 2-0 triumph over Mexico at the 2002 FIFA World Cup—a result that sparked a string of memorable victories, especially in World Cup qualifiers held in Columbus, Ohio.

While today’s result wasn’t against Mexico, it still carried the same scoreline—2-0—this time over Japan. Fittingly, Columbus once again lived up to its reputation, as the USMNT has now won 11 of its 15 matches there (73.3%), the highest winning rate in any city where they’ve played a dozen or more times, as per the numbers from OptaJack. Poetry at its best! But we have another major question!

Is the US Soccer men’s squad finally sorted?

The uncertainty around player selection had been unusually high. Herculez Gomez pointed out that by now there should already be a clear sense of the team’s core—its best XI, the backups, and the overall structure. Instead, both fans and analysts are still questioning who will take up key spots like center-back, goalkeeper, striker, and other vital roles. So far, Pochettino has used 14 different lineups in 17 games, and with only seven friendlies left, time is running out to settle on a final squad before the World Cup camp.

Even today, many were skeptical of the starting XI that Pochettino chose, with even Alexi Lalas, again, taking a sly dig by saying, “USMNT training session starting 11 for tonight.” Heck, one can also argue that the kind of starting XI Japan used for themselves, not starting their key players. But things worked out just fine, and it surely doesn’t mean we can rule out the fact that it was quite an important evening for the program, especially for Poch, who earlier in the presser admitted, “We know what we are doing, we have experience.”

It doesn’t end there, as he also said, “The important thing is to provide the players the possibility to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition.” Whether the 53-year-old can actually deliver on that remains to be seen. For now, he can embrace the praise coming from both fans and pundits. More importantly, this result gives him the satisfaction of watching the naysayers eat their own words.

Mauricio Pochettino shall enjoy silencing US Soccer cynics while it lasts

Too early to escalate things from their victory, eh? Well, someone has to, considering the time and place the US men’s national team is in. “I don’t know what to expect anymore. That’s where we’ve gotten with the USMNT. Nobody really knows,” this is what former USMNT striker Herculez Gomez spoke about the Yanks after their tough loss against the Koreans. But now we hope the pundit must be impressed with the American boys and, more importantly, the result they have etched.

Former USWNT legend Carli Lloyd had been outspoken about the struggles of the men’s program, criticizing them after a recent loss by saying they had strayed from the core principles that long defined both the USMNT and USWNT. But following the statement win over Japan, Lloyd seemed to change her tone. In a post today, she praised the team’s performance, writing, “Letting the play do the talking. The best formula.”

Yep, that’s exactly what the men’s program of US Soccer did—making their intentions clear about winning. Then again, this victory serves as a stark reminder that they must keep their feet on the ground. After all, there’s still a lot more to come. We’ll see them again in October, when they face Ecuador and Australia, followed by Paraguay and Uruguay in November.

And guess what? Two more matches are lined up afterward, with opponents yet to be confirmed. Finally comes the World Cup—the ultimate test. How that unfolds remains to be seen. Until then, the US soccer landscape can celebrate this victory over Japan, and just like Mauricio Pochettino summed up: “We believe in the process. We believe in the plan.”