The USMNT did not play a beautiful game in their first game under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, but they got the result they wanted and a clear first step in the direction of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Little by little building something. The objective is 2026," Pochettino said of a game where Musah scored his first U.S. national team goal in his 42nd appearance. “It's only the first step.”

Yunus Musah’s 49th-minute goal and a late finish from Ricardo Pepi lifted the U.S. to a 2-0 victory over Panama in Austin, Texas.