“Let’s just start by saying, this is a bad team…” remarked former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez after Mauricio Pochettino and Co. suffered a disappointing 0-2 defeat to South Korea on September 6. With the American side just nine months away from co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, this is surely the last thing players, fans, or even the coach would want to hear. But that’s the reality. And just when one might think the criticism would ease, enter OG USA icon Frankie Hejduk, also making hay while the sun shines.

Understandable, yet daring, especially with Pochettino’s men heading into another crucial test against Japan tomorrow. Coming off such a tough loss, where they gave their all yet got nothing in return, one would hardly call it healthy for them to face this level of criticism. But for someone like Hejduk, who had quite a blast with the USMNT — especially during the 2002 World Cup — it felt natural to step in and remind the current squad of the true meaning of US Soccer: “Disrupting the game.”

“We weren’t glorious,” began the former wingback during his guest appearance on the live episode of the Men in Blazers podcast hosted in Columbus, OH. “We didn’t play pretty soccer…that was the furthest we have been in a long time, and you know what we did? We had grit, we had heart, and we had fight.” The rest, you ask? Well, what else but a typical response you’d expect from an easy-going Frankie Hejduk?

Praising his 2002 World Cup teammates as a group of skilled players, he added, “What you saw was a frickin’ team. And that’s what soccer is to be, man. That’s why I loved it,” subtly reminding the current ‘Golden Generation’ of how things were back in the good old days. No wonder the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder insisted on liking the beautiful game more than surfing—another activity he is quite passionate about.

Hejduk emphasized that in surfing, you can be the star — everything revolves around the individual. But in soccer, the true blessing lies in sharing the celebrations with your teammates, experiencing the glory of victory together. Unlike surfing, where you mostly celebrate alone or at best with your parents, soccer offers a collective joy.

To explain that feeling, Hejduk recalled how unforgettable it was to celebrate not just with his former USMNT teammate and close friend Chad Marshall, but also with Marshall’s entire family and other teammates, all together in the moment.

Furthermore, the former Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy star recalled how no one expected them to win the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, especially after being placed in a group with the likes of South Korea, Cuba, El Salvador, Canada, and Costa Rica. In fact, Hejduk noted that the revered magazine Soccer America had even ranked them last.

“Soccer American put us in last place, put it up on the bulletin board, and we were ravaged off,” he admitted. But talk about turning the tables, as Frankie added, “Next thing you know, we’re hosting the cup and these fans are right behind us doing it. So it’s mad,” concluded Hejduk.

We don’t know about you, but boy, our memories were surely refreshed as Frankie Hejduk took everyone on a walk down memory lane, subtly reminding us what the current USMNT squad is missing — even with an esteemed manager like Mauricio Pochettino now at the helm. Speaking of which, it looks like the Argentine tactician has a lot of explaining to do.

Time is running against Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT!

Fun fact: the defeat against South Korea means the American boys have now lost five straight matches against FIFA top-25 opponents by a combined score of 11-1. To make matters worse, they are winless in their last seven such games, having been outscored 17-3. Apart from Mexico, their most recent victory over a top-25 team came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar under Gregg Berhalter, when they edged out a narrow win in the group stage.

Wait for this one! On one hand, we have Frankie Hejduk, reliving his highs from the 2002 World Cup. Funny enough, that was the very same tournament where Mauricio Pochettino was representing Argentina. And guess what kind of anecdote the 53-year-old had to share? Brace yourself — he pointed out how Argentina, despite years of dominance, ended up crashing out in the group stage.

Now, sure, that’s quite the story, but… umm, hello, read the room, eh? With just nine months left before the World Cup, fans probably aren’t too thrilled to hear such a negative and undermining example right now. No wonder many have given up the hope of seeing the American boys doing marvels in the impending tournament, like former USMNT star Herculez Gomez said, “I don’t know what to expect anymore… That’s where we’ve gotten with the USMNT. Nobody really knows.” 

Gomez even slammed Pochettino over their “abysmal performance” against South Korea. Further taking a sly dig at the former Chelsea, PSG, and Tottenham boss, the player-turned pundit said on his YouTube channel that he is glad that people are starting to realize the wrong that Mauricio is doing with the team, let alone questioning the kind of rosters he is calling up with just nine months away from the kick-off.

”There are holes, gaping holes. Mauricio Pochettino is not a good talent evaluator… He doesn’t have a good nose for selection,” boldly added Herculez Gomez, echoing former USMNT striker Landon Donovan’s “Mind-boggling” claims over seeing the current September roster, which misses the likes of Weston McKennie, Haji Wright, Joe Scally, Johnny Cardoso, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris.

Sure, Mauricio Pochettino gave his own explanation for his decisions, even though later, he ended up getting brushed aside under the weight of tough criticism from fans and pundits alike. Yet the bigger picture is clear — there are problems within the USMNT. How they will be tackled remains to be seen.