USMNT Stock Up, Stock Down: The U.S. goes into the 2026 World Cup on a 2-1 loss to Germany, Antonee Robinson hits a banger

By Billy McGee - @iambillymcgee

The USMNT’s sendoff game before the World Cup didn’t go as the team would’ve hoped, falling 2-1 to Germany after allowing a third-minute goal to Kai Havertz before equalizing and eventually falling behind again when Leroy Sane scored the winner in the 57th minute. Their next match will be their first World Cup match, taking on Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Here’s a look at our stock up, stock down for the USMNT loss to Germany.

Stock Up

Antonee Robinson - Robinson shows flashes of being one of the best left-backs in the world when he’s healthy and showed that on Saturday against Germany, being impactful in all phases of the game. In the attack, Jedi was arguably the best player, being active on the ball with 54 touches, having the joint-most chances created with three, and scoring the only goal for the USMNT, sending a screamer for a goal off a volley after a corner was headed out towards him at the edge of the box. He was sound defensively, recording three tackles, a block, an interception, and two clearances. He will be a key player for the U.S. in the tournament and, in his current form, should raise both the floor and the ceiling.

Depth - The starters for the U.S. played longer than the previous game, but when subs came on, a few stood out, namely Giovanni Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson, and Timothy Weah. Reyna recorded five touches in the box, the joint-most in the match. Berhalter proved to be a capable all-around player in his appearance. Aaronson went a perfect eight-for-eight on accurate passes and put a shot on target, and Weah played with intensity late to try to get them back in the game. Their performances show they can contribute in specific ways and can step up when called on to help the team late in games.

Intensity and Aggression - After falling behind twice, the U.S. not only maintained, but raised their efforts at vying for an equalizer. Folarin Balogun also showed good intensity, leading the press from the front throughout the first half. The U.S. would eventually find the first half equalizer off the team's intensity and response to the early allowed goal. In the second half, they held a majority of possession and had three of their four shots on target while showing aggressive pressing and winning the ball back. Late in the game, Weah went in for a hard challenge while trailing, upsetting some German players. Playing with a high level of intensity to try to win possession back like that should cause problems for the opposition in competitive games.

Stock Down

Center Backs - The starting center back duo of Tim Ream and Miles Robinson left something to be desired for the USMNT. There were many times when the pair left too much space for German attackers to work in, or were left scrambling to recover to prevent disaster. In possession, they weren’t anything special, combining for two passes into the final third and three long balls. The team is sorely missing Chris Richards, who is out right now with an ankle injury. Richards being available will help improve the back line and improve their chances of making a run in the World Cup.

Finishing Chances - After netting three goals against Senegal last time out, the U.S. managed to put just four of their 16 shots on target, scoring just one goal,  compared to the three against Senegal, where they had a similar amount of shots and shots on target. With how shaky the defense is, the attack will need to step up and score more goals to take the pressure off the back line. Both striker options have shown what they’re capable of, but will need consistent service to help them reach the levels they’ll need to be at.