The U.S. Men’s National Team concluded its World Cup preparations with an encouraging performance against 10th-ranked Germany, falling 2-1 before a record crowd of 63,636 fans at Soldier Field in Chicago. While the result favored the Europeans, Mauricio Pochettino’s side demonstrated that it can compete with one of the world’s elite teams just days before opening FIFA World Cup 2026 on home soil.
Germany entered the match riding an eight-game winning streak and wasted little time asserting itself. Just two minutes into the contest, Joshua Kimmich delivered a dangerous free kick into the area, where Kai Havertz found space behind the U.S. defense and headed home to give Germany an early advantage.
Rather than wilt after conceding so quickly, the Americans responded positively. Sergiño Dest fired a shot over the bar in the 16th minute, and Folarin Balogun forced a block moments later as the United States began to push higher up the field and challenge the German back line.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 37th minute through one of the most memorable goals of the team’s preparation campaign. Following a corner kick clearance, Antonee “Jedi” Robinson positioned himself at the top of the box and unleashed a stunning left-footed volley that clipped the underside of the crossbar and found the back of the net. Robinson celebrated his fifth international goal with his trademark backflip, igniting the sold-out crowd and sending the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
The statistics reflected how competitive the opening 45 minutes had been, with possession nearly even between the two sides. Unlike the previous friendly against Senegal, Pochettino elected to keep his starters on the field to begin the second half.
Germany eventually regained the lead in the 57th minute when Kai Havertz combined with Leroy Sané inside the penalty area. Sané’s low effort took a slight deflection but had enough pace to beat goalkeeper Matt Freese and restore the visitors’ advantage.
The Americans continued to search for an equalizer and created several late opportunities. Joe Scally narrowly missed the target in the 81st minute, while Brenden Aaronson forced German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann into a save in the 87th minute. Despite finishing with a 16-12 advantage in shots and earning 10 corner kicks compared to Germany’s two, the United States was unable to find the breakthrough.
The atmosphere surrounding the send-off match added to the occasion. Chicago native Chance the Rapper energized the crowd before kickoff, while members of the 1994 U.S. World Cup squad, including John Harkes, Cobi Jones, Earnie Stewart and Eric Wynalda, were honored as they symbolically passed the torch to the current generation.
Although the result ended in defeat, the performance provided valuable confidence heading into the tournament. With Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and company showing they can go toe-to-toe with one of Europe’s traditional powers, the United States now turns its attention to Los Angeles and its World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12.
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