As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup ticks under a year, the U.S. Men’s National Team delivered a concerning performance in a 4-0 loss to Switzerland on Tuesday night in Nashville. What was billed as a tune-up friendly turned into a lopsided display of dominance by the visiting Europeans, underscoring deep issues in a U.S. squad already under scrutiny.

Switzerland scored four times in the first 36 minutes, overwhelming an unsteady American defense and exploiting a series of costly errors. The defeat marked the first time the U.S. has conceded four goals in the opening half of a home match — a historic low point according to statistics provider Opta.

The Americans, now riding a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2007, looked listless in attack and fragile at the back. They failed to register a single shot on target and have now gone eight straight matches without a win against European competition — a stretch dating back to 2021.

Mauricio Pochettino, who took over the national team following a disappointing Copa América exit and the dismissal of former coach Gregg Berhalter, made nine changes from the previous match, a 2-1 loss to Turkey. But the shake-up yielded no improvement. Despite early substitutions and multiple debutants, including Damion Downs in the 75th minute, the team looked far from cohesive.

Swiss forward Dan Ndoye broke through in the 13th minute, exploiting Nate Harriel’s positioning. Michel Aebischer tapped in a second ten minutes later after Johan Manzambi danced past Max Arfsten on the endline. Breel Embolo capitalized on a fumbled save by Matt Turner to score the third, and Manzambi capped the first-half rout with his first international goal following a turnover stemming from a miscommunication between Quinn Sullivan and Sebastian Berhalter.

The U.S. entered the match missing several key players — including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Tyler Adams — due to a mix of rest, injuries, and club commitments. Even so, the lack of depth and organization was stark. Turner, returning for his first match since March, looked rusty in goal, while the experimental lineup struggled to cope with Switzerland’s pace and precision.

Despite the result, the match had a few notable milestones: Sebastian Berhalter made his first start, and Brenden and Paxten Aaronson became the first set of brothers to start a U.S. match together since the Nanchoff siblings in 1979.

With the CONCACAF Gold Cup opener against Trinidad and Tobago just days away, the pressure is mounting on Pochettino to stabilize a team that appears anything but ready for a World Cup it will co-host. Tuesday’s loss may only be a friendly on paper, but the implications — and the boos echoing from Geodis Park — suggest deeper problems that can no longer be ignored.