USMNT Prepares for Friendlies Against Belgium and Portugal
ATLANTA — The U.S. men’s national soccer team heads into this weekend’s friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal feeling fairly confident.
But the question remains: will their current form be enough to break their streak of tough outings against European competition?
Joe Scully, a defender who has made a name for himself with New York City FC and previously played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany, reflected on the situation. “A lot of us are used to competing at top European clubs, so these matches feel familiar,” he said. “We’ve all had successes at high levels.”
He emphasized the importance of believing in themselves as a unit. “I think we’ve shown we can perform well, whether against Uruguay, Paraguay, or Brazil in past weeks. We have the potential to win against any team, so it’s just about executing that on the field.”
However, the American team hasn’t had much luck lately, suffering five consecutive losses against European opponents. In fact, their success rate in World Cup matches against UEFA teams stands at just 27 percent.
These upcoming friendlies will be a chance to measure themselves against two teams ranked within FIFA’s top 10.
Competing closely with European teams comes at a pivotal time, especially after Thursday’s matches brought them closer to adding top-ranked UEFA teams to their World Cup schedule.
In recent play, Turkey edged out Romania with a 1-0 win in the playoff semi-finals, while Kosovo managed to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over Slovakia, setting the stage for a crucial playoff final at home in Pristina on Tuesday.
Despite its ongoing journey since 2014, the Balkan nation has yet to qualify for a major tournament, yet they now sit just one win away from World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, Turkey holds the 23rd spot in FIFA rankings and is regarded as the favorite in Group D against the U.S., Australia, and Paraguay.
On another note, defender Miles Robinson took some time for individual practice during Thursday’s sessions. The rest of the team participated in training, gearing up for their matches against Belgium and Portugal.
Meanwhile, fans from several countries hoping to attend the upcoming World Cup will be required to pay hefty deposits, potentially up to $15,000, for tourist visas to enter the U.S. This new regulation has led FIFA to quietly urge the Trump administration to consider exemptions for players.
This situation arose due to a recent policy change, which requires travelers from specific countries entering on business or tourist visas to pay bond fees.
The Visa Bond Pilot Program currently includes 50 countries, five of which are African World Cup participants: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia, which was added just last week.
