USMNT vs. Germany Score, Highlights, Stats and Reaction from World Cup 2026 Send-Off Match

The United States did not beat Germany on Saturday in the team's final tuneup before the World Cup, but it was a promising performance nonetheless.

The USMNT hardly looked overmatched in the 2-1 defeat, even if the end result wasn't ideal. Supporters won't soon forget Antonee Robinson's golazo, after all:

Goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané ultimately proved to be the difference for Germany, but this was not the sort of one-sided affair a matchup between these teams has often provided.

The United States held a slight edge in possession (52.3 percent), had more total shots (16-12, 4-4 in shots on target) and had 10 corners to just two for their German counterparts.

This German side isn't as strong as iterations past, it must be said, but the USMNT also seems to be finding a groove. Mauricio Pochettino's tactics—playing three at the back, allowing Robinson and Sergiño Dest to aggressively get forward as wingbacks and giving Christian Pulisic freedom to roam atop the formation—are paying dividends.

Pochettino has experimented a lot with the players he utilizes and the systems he employs ahead of the World Cup, but he seems to have settled on a setup that gets the most out of the USMNT's most talented players.

Nobody expects the USMNT to win the World Cup—the talent discrepancy between the Americans and the top contenders, especially in defense and at goalkeeper, is too high. But getting out of the group and winning a game or two in the knockout phase is realistic and achievable.

It's been hard, at times, to envision the USMNT even doing that during this cycle. But it's becoming easier to imagine given recent results.