United States in free fall

The September international break left a bitter taste for the United States men’s national team. Despite securing a win over Japan in Columbus, the sting of the earlier defeat to South Korea lingers.

Inside the USMNT camp there is cautious optimism, with Mauricio Pochettino noting signs of progress, albeit gradual. “There’s still a long way to go,” he admitted, even as he acknowledged improvements.

With one loss and one victory in the latest round of matches, the USMNT now braces for a shift in the FIFA world rankings, which will be updated following this break. All signs point to the team dropping places – the combination of its own uneven results and those of other nations proving costly.

Uruguay, coached by Marcelo Bielsa, is the side expected to leapfrog the US. Having secured World Cup qualification with a win over Peru and a draw against Chile, Bielsa’s men have strengthened their position.

USMNT in free fall in FIFA rankings

Over the past year, the United States has steadily slid down the FIFA rankings. Not long ago, the Stars and Stripes broke into the top 10, but they have since surrendered ground little by little.

Currently ranked 15th – after climbing one place in the July update – the team is now set to fall back, with Uruguay poised to overtake. Ironically, the South Americans were the very team the US had only just moved ahead of.

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