A general view before the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match between the U.S. and Canada at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

The. U.S. men’s national team will attempt to salvage something from a dismal CONCACAF Nations League campaign when it faces Canada in Sunday’s third-place match (6 p.m. ET, Paramount+/TUDN). After an uninspired 1-0 loss to Panama on Thursday in the semifinals, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad is under scrutiny, with questions swirling about its mentality, urgency and ability to respond to adversity.

Thursday’s defeat at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in front of a sparse home crowd was a sobering reality check. The Americans lacked aggression and purpose, but most of all they lacked creativity before succumbing to a 94th-minute Cecilio Waterman goal that exposed the frailties that led to Gregg Berhalter’s dismissal last summer. The more than half-empty stadium and subdued crowd only reinforced the sense of a team searching for motivation. Pochettino did not mince words postgame when lamenting his team’s lack of intensity and fight.

Now, with only a consolation prize at stake, the USMNT must find a response against a Canadian side that fell 2-0 to Mexico in its semifinal. Les Rouges, under American head coach Jesse March, showed grit despite the loss and will be eager to make a statement amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Canada.

Will the USMNT embrace the physicality and urgency needed to compete at a higher level? Or will they stumble into another lifeless performance, deepening concerns about their trajectory with the 2026 World Cup looming?

Follow our live tracker below for all the latest updates from the match.

USMNT vs. Canada live blog