USMNT 'might not be as good as we thought', claims Alexi Lalas after loss to Trinidad and Tobago: 'We become very mediocre, very quickly'

Alexi Lalas believes USA's 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago is an alarming indication of the overall level of Gregg Berhalter's team.

USMNT were beaten by the Caribbean side in the Nations League on Monday night but still advanced into the semifinals with an aggregate 4-2 win, clinching a place in next summer's Copa America in the process.

That tournament will be held in the US - as well as the World Cup in 2026 - but Lalas believes there could be a false sense of expectation around how far the team can go.

The current US squad has a string of talented players such as Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun, as well as midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie but beyond that Lalas, himself a former US international, is unconvinced. 

'We as an American soccer community leading up to 2026 may have to come to terms with this team, when all is said and done, might not be as good as we thought,' he said on his State of the Union podcast.

'I know that's a difficult thing to hear - it is a difficult thing to say given all of the talent we have, all of the pathways, all of the success and let's be honest, all the expectation we have for this group. Is that unfair? Or is that lowering expectations going to hurt this group going forward? 

'I will say that all of the talk of the depth and all of the talk of all of this talent, I think we are finding out now on multiple occasions that once we get past those elite players, or as has happened in this window - some of those players aren't available, we become very mediocre very quickly.

'Does it mean we can't beat great teams? Does it mean we can't have great moments? No.

'But this whole foundation has been built on winning a World Cup, on the premise that these players are so much better and there are so many more of them. 

'Not saying I yet believe this but it is a question that needs to be asked if our expectations are out of whack with what the reality is when it comes to this team. It's an important conversation to have leading up to next summer and 2026.'

Star man Pulisic and midfielder Adams, the USA captain, were missing for this international camp while McKennie was absent for the loss on Monday through injury. 

At the last World Cup, the US team reached the last-16 before being swept aside by Holland in a 3-1 loss.

Next summer's Copa America will deliver a crucial yardstick as to where the team is in its development under Berhalter.

Participation in a competition as testing as next summer's is vital for the US, given it traditionally only faces teams of that caliber in World Cups.