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• Jamaica to face USA as Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals kick off on November 14

  Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will face a tough challenge as they go up against the United States in the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, with the first leg set for November 14. This highly anticipated showdown comes after Jamaica topped Group B of League A, setting up a clash with the third-ranked USA, who are one of the pre-seeded teams based on the Concacaf Rankings.

   Jamaica, coming off an unbeaten group stage campaign, will be looking to build on their strong performances, which included victories over Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as draws against 10-man Cuba and Honduras. The Reggae Boyz will face the USA in a home-and-away series, with the second leg scheduled for November 18. The winner on aggregate will not only advance to the Concacaf Nations League Finals, set for March 2025 at Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but also secure a spot in next summer’s Gold Cup.

  In another exciting quarterfinal, Honduras will take on top-seeded Mexico. Honduras, who finished as runners-up in Group B behind Jamaica, will be aiming to upset a formidable Mexican side that is ranked first in the region. The two-legged tie begins on November 15, with the return leg on November 19.

  The third quarterfinal features second-ranked Canada going up against Suriname. Canada, who pre-qualified based on their Concacaf ranking, will face a determined Suriname team that finished second in Group A behind Costa Rica. The first leg of their matchup will be played on November 15, with the second leg scheduled for November 19.

  Quarterfinal Matchups:

  United States vs Jamaica (November 14, November 18)

  Mexico vs Honduras (November 15, November 19)

  Canada vs Suriname (November 15, November 19)

  Panama vs Costa Rica (November 14, November 18)

  The quarterfinal winners will move on to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals, where they will compete for the championship. Additionally, the victors will automatically qualify for the 2025 Gold Cup, while the quarterfinal losers will have a second chance through the Gold Cup Prelims.

   

• Pochettino calls for calm after 'disappointing' Mexico loss

  Mauricio Pochettino has called for calm following his first defeat as the United States boss, insisting he needs more time to get the best out of his players. 

  Pochettino watched on as the Stars and Stripes fell to a 2-0 loss to Mexico at the Estadio AKRON, with Raul Jimenez and Cesar Huerta on target for the hosts. 

  The United States struggled for large parts of the contest, managing just one shot on target from the five they attempted, ending with an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.27. 

  An even bigger cause for concern was that the USMNT's xG came from Brandon Vazquez (0.12), Kristoffer Lund (0.11) and Haji Wright (0.04), all of whom started on the bench.

  "We all feel disappointed because I think we didn't have all the players that we wanted to have when we started," Pochettino told reporters.

  "We lost some players for different reasons, and we arrived a little bit short here.

  "I say thank you to the players (who were here) because they were amazing, professional and the behaviour was amazing. 

  "We wanted to win. I think we need to be positive about this type of game.

  "We need to play more games like this to improve the knowledge that we have.

  "Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, have them, know them, and from there I will give you a better opinion about what is much more fundamental than what I see."

  Pochettino understands the task at hand, with his side's win in his first game in charge against Panama the only triumph in their last six games. 

  The Argentine has been tasked with leading the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, and the latest defeat will leave him plenty to ponder ahead of the November international break. 

• Mexico 2-0 United States: Pochettino suffers first defeat at the helm

  Mauricio Pochettino suffered his first defeat in charge of the United States, losing 2-0 away to Mexico in a friendly on Tuesday.

  For Mexico, it was their third match without defeat or even conceding a goal as they celebrated the international swansong of veteran midfielder Andres Guardado in style.

  Mexico opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when Raul Jimenez whipped a powerful free-kick past Matt Turner from distance.

  The in-form Fulham man hit his shot with the perfect amount of power and height to lift it up and over the wall and find the top corner.

  Jimenez continued to threaten in the first half, with long-range shots and audacious flicks, but there was little else to get excited about in the opening period.

  The home side doubled their lead early in the second half after star man Jimenez won the ball back in the box and slipped in team-mate Cesar Huerta for a close-range finish. That was a lead they comfortably saw out for their first victory over the USA since 2019.

  Data debrief: Pochettino with plenty of work to do

  The chief worry for Pochettino will be how his side were bossed out of what was a low-margin game in terms of expected goals (xG), with the USA generating 0.27 compared to Mexico's 0.95.

  The United States managed just one shot on target, with Brandon Vazquez's effort coming in the 79th minute when the result seemed academic.

  There is a big job here for Pochettino given his side's 2-0 victory against Panama in his opening match remains their only win in six, while they have lost four of those contests.