Hello! The Concacaf Nations League semifinals are here. The U.S. men’s national team will play against Panama on Thursday, and Canada will face Mexico. I’m Pardeep Cattry, and I’m giving you the latest updates as these nations, who will host the 2026 World Cup, prepare for an important week.
Coaches at CNL Finals Stick to Soccer
At Tuesday’s press conferences before the games at SoFi Stadium, the coaches of the U.S., Canada, and Panama national teams made it clear that they would not use political issues as motivation for the upcoming matches.
This focus on soccer is happening during a time of tension between the U.S. and Panama, who will play each other in the semifinals on Thursday. Also, depending on the results, the USMNT could potentially face Canada or Mexico in either the final or the third-place game on Sunday. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that politics should not be part of the team’s preparation for this week’s games. This view was generally shared by the other coaches.
- Pochettino: ‘I don’t think political or diplomatic problems should motivate us. Players shouldn’t think about that. We need to play for ourselves, for our country – but only on the field. We need to try to be better and beat our opponents. It would be a mistake to talk about politics because I don’t think people expect that from us.’
Canada’s coach, Jesse Marsch, took a calmer approach after recently making headlines for criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the ’51st state.’ While Marsch acknowledged that his players are aware of political tensions and his own comments, he said that the Canadian team does not plan to become ‘political figures’ this week. Both Marsch and Pochettino chose to be professional and surprisingly friendly during the CNL Finals, even having what Pochettino called a ‘friendly’ chat. Marsch hopes this positive attitude will continue throughout the tournament.
- Marsch: ‘I hope this tournament shows the best of our societies, and that we can avoid booing national anthems and focusing on politics. Let’s focus on the players and the love of the game, and let fans support their teams.’
USMNT’s World Cup Preparation
For the USMNT, the semifinal game against Panama feels like a preview of their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, which will also be held at SoFi Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino will be working with most of the USMNT’s key players, including Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, who are returning after missing games due to injuries. However, the short time to prepare for Thursday’s game has had some challenges. Antonee Robinson, Auston Trusty, and Johnny Cardoso had to leave camp due to injuries and were replaced by Max Arfsten, Brian Gutierrez, and Jack McGlynn on Tuesday. This means Pochettino will have nine players from the January camp available, giving fringe players a chance to prove themselves before next summer’s World Cup.
Most of the expected starters for the USMNT are still available, and there’s a possibility of seeing a new midfield and attack, especially with Adams and Reyna back. Robinson’s absence raises questions about who will replace him, as he is arguably one of the team’s most important players along with Christian Pulisic. Arfsten is now in consideration, but as Chuck Booth notes, dealing with this issue now, a year before the important games, is beneficial.
- Booth: ‘This shows the importance of depth, especially since there’s no direct replacement for Robinson right now. By the end of the Nations League, it will become clear if this is a major problem or if the USMNT can manage without him as Pochettino develops the team’s depth. These are the challenges he needs to overcome on the way to the 2026 World Cup, so it’s good to start facing them in competitive matches as soon as possible.’
Despite the injuries, aiming to win a fourth consecutive CNL title fits perfectly with Pochettino’s main goal: preparing the USMNT to make a strong impression at the World Cup.
- Pochettino: ‘The main goal is the World Cup, that’s the truth. We started in October and haven’t had much time together. Because of different reasons, we are seeing different players and characteristics. Of course, we want to win. Winning this competition will help us build confidence and trust in our approach. At the same time, we need to find the best players to build a strong core team that can compete for big things. Even with limited preparation, we need to show that we can compete and we want to win. But remember, the main objective is the World Cup.’
