Mark Cannizzaro USMNT can take some positives out of this loss to Portugal By Mark Cannizzaro Published April 1, 2026, 12:34 a.m. ET USA's Brenden Aaronson (11) and Matheus Nunes fight for the ball during USMNT's 2-0 loss to Portugal at Marcedes-Benz Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images ATLANTA — The Americans desperately needed positive reinforcement out of Tuesday night.
Before leaving town for the next stop on this World Cup express that will eventually lead to the real thing June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles for its Group D opener, the U.S. men’s national team was bent on feeling good about itself moving forward.
The Americans lost 2-0 to Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but they checked some positive boxes and got a good lesson in the small details it will take to make a run in the World Cup.
Perhaps the best thing the USMNT did in advance of this World Cup was schedule two European powers for tune-up matches.
