Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is home to the NFL’s Buccaneers and famous for a 103-foot pirate ship behind the north end zone whose replica cannons blast upon touchdowns.
On Tuesday, when 26,110 fans came to the 69,000-seat stadium to watch the USA vs. Uruguay, the venue also featured a countdown clock to remind fans that there were 205 days until the 2026 World Cup, for which both teams are preparing.
The cannons held their fire but the crowd roared far more often than anyone would have predicted in a game involving Uruguay, famous for its hard-edged defending.
And that countdown no longer seemed as daunting for the USA as did it just a few months ago.
In its final game of 2025, the USA scored four first-half goals in a 5-1 victory.
Five goals is as many as Uruguay conceded in its previous 10 games, two of which were scored by world champion Argentina (1-0) and Brazil (1-1).
The victory set several milestones for the USMNT, but more importantly it punctuated a remarkable upswing that began in September — a year after Mauricio Pochettino was hired to prepare a struggling squad for the World Cup it would host.
“Futbol is to touch the right button and start to perform,” the Argentine said when he was hired. “We need to really believe in achieving big things.”
But months went by without signs of progress that would instill optimism for next summer.
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