Hoping to show its first-round exit at the Copa America was a fluke, the United States instead displayed an alarming lack of intensity and an abundant defensive disarray that resulted in its first home loss to Canada since 1957.
Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored off defensive misplays, and Canada dominated 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday for just its second win over the Americans in 27 matches over 99 years on U.S. soil.
While Jesse Marsch, Canada's American-born coach, glowed following a win over a team that bypassed him for its coaching opening last year, interim U.S. coach Mikey Varas rebuked himself and his players.
"The mentality is on the players. Sorry, they know it," Varas said. "That mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can't do that for them. I can't do that for them. That's on them."
Coming off defeats to Panama and Uruguay at the Copa America, the U.S. has lost three straight games for the first time since 2015 against Brazil , Mexico and Costa Rica . A defeat to New Zealand on Tuesday at Cincinnati would result in the Americans' first four-game losing streak since 2007.
