Timothy Weah calls for a reaction after the heavy defeat of the USA against Belgium.

After a crushing defeat against Belgium, American winger Timothy Weah made strong statements, urging his team to “go back to the lab and work.” The humiliating loss in Atlanta, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, not only left fans disappointed but also increased the pressure on the head coach of the US national team, Mauricio Pochettino, just a few months before the World Cup begins.

The Belgians were relentless, scoring five goals, while the home team managed only one, netted by Patrick Agyemang, which, although a moment of relief, was merely a consolation. The match started on a positive note for the US when Weston McKennie opened the scoring, but the response from the Red Devils was swift, with Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana, a penalty converted by Charles De Ketelaere, and two goals from Dodi Lukebakio sealing the fate of the host nation.

Weah, who currently plays in Ligue 1 for Marseille, on loan from Juventus, expressed the team’s frustration but also hope that there is enough time to correct their mistakes. “It was definitely a tough experience. We went into the game hungry for victory, but today things didn’t go as we expected. We have to go back to the lab and keep working, both on our game and our mentality. This is the perfect time for that, with the World Cup in mind. We want to perform well and improve,” said Weah, showing determination and focus on the future.

Mauricio Pochettino, for his part, remained calm after the match, refusing to panic. The Argentine coach believed his team performed solidly in the first half. “The first half was really good, I thought we played better than Belgium. It’s just one game,” Pochettino commented, highlighting that there is still time for adjustments before the big tournament.

The U.S. now turns its attention to the next challenge, hosting Portugal at the same stadium next Tuesday. The team will then face Senegal and Germany in May and June, before starting their World Cup campaign against Paraguay, scheduled for June 13 in Inglewood, California. The pressure is mounting, but Weah and Pochettino are determined to turn this defeat into motivation for the future.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.