After struggling initially under Pochettino, US heads into 2026 on a high

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After struggling in its first nine months under coach Mauricio Pochettino, the United States headed into a World Cup year with a five-game unbeaten streak and its most one-sided win over an opponent from South America's confederation.

“We wanted to make a statement. We wanted to show what U.S. soccer’s about,” Sebastian Berhalter said after the Americans scored four goals in a 25-man span of the first half and routed Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday night. "We had a chance to go out here and give everything we had and show that we're ready.”

Berhalter, Alex Freeman and Tanner Tessmann all scored their first international goals and Freeman — a son of former NFL All-Pro receiver Antonio Freeman — added his second while Diego Luna scored his fourth. The U.S. led 4-0 and scored five goals against a team outside the CONCACAF region for the first time since beating Scotland 5-1 in 2012.

After getting knocked out in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League in March, losing the CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico in July and then falling 2-0 in a friendly to South Korea in September, the 16th-ranked U.S. ended the year with a 2-0 win over Japan, a 1-1 tie against Ecuador, 2-1 victories over Australia and Paraguay and the blowout of No. 15 Uruguay.

“The main thing that we’ve been focused on is the DNA, building that DNA and that grit, that hard-working mentality because that’s us, that’s us as a country and that’s us as a team,” Luna said.

The U.S. was missing more than half its projected likely World Cup starters: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Malik Tillman and Chris Richards.

Pochettino took offense to questions about facing Uruguay without many first-choice players.

“I hate that 'no regular players,'" the coach said. “It's USA playing. It's the national team. Stop with that mindset. ... I hate to talk in this way. It’s so disrespectful. It’s so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys that today were involved.”

Asked another question about the lack of regulars, Pochettino said: “Maybe I think we need to stop the press conference and I need to go to the dressing room, come back and start again the press conference because it’s like we were the opposite, losing five-nil, no, 5-1.”

There are just two more games before Pochettino selects his World Cup roster, March friendlies likely against Belgium and Portugal.

“We start to feel the World Cup and the excitement,” Pochettino said. “I think it’s important for our fans this type of victory and the result because I think it’s to push them to really believe in the team. We never doubt(ed) because we saw the quality of the players.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

United States' Alex Freeman (16) scores on Uruguay goalie Cristopher Fiermarin (1) as Rodrigo Bentancur (6) defends during the first half of an international friendly soccer game Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

United States' Tanner Tessman celebrates his goal during the second half of an international friendly soccer game against Uruguay, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino, center, talks to Gil Reyna (7) during the second half of an international friendly soccer game against Uruguay Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

United States' Mark McKenzie (22) and Tanner Tessman celebrate Tessmann's goal during the second half of an international friendly soccer game against Uruguay, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A former guitarist for Grammy-winning Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile has been charged with attempted murder after authorities say he chased down and struck a former bandmate's father with his car, badly injuring him.

Montgomery County police officers responding to a Sunday report about a pedestrian being struck in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Silver Spring found William Yates, the 79-year-old father of lead singer Brendan Yates, injured in a front yard, according to charging documents.

Yates' family said guitarist Brady Ebert, a neighbor who parted ways with the band several years ago, had struck him with a car, police wrote. Yates’ daughter, Erin Gerber, told authorities that she and her husband were getting their kids out of their car when Ebert drove up honking at them and yelling obscenities, then drove into her father.

In video footage obtained from a neighbor, Ebert could be seen driving a gold Buick LeSabre and swerving toward William Yates but missing him, according to the charging documents. Yates then threw a rock at Ebert’s vehicle and Gerber dragged her 3-year-old son onto the lawn to avoid being hit. Ebert then turned sharply into Yates' driveway and struck him as he was trying to run away, investigators wrote. Ebert finally drove across the lawn and left.

Yates told a detective that as he was injured on the ground, Ebert returned and yelled that he “deserved it” before driving off again, according to charging documents.

Yates said Ebert used to be in a band with his son and had been causing problems for his family since being kicked out. He said Ebert had been taunting them for long time, but that his behavior had been escalating.

Ebert, 33, was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, court records show.

During a bond hearing Thursday in which he appeared via video, Ebert called William Yates a “maniac” who threw a rock at him asked the judge to watch the surveillance footage, saying it would “contradict” the authorities' narrative of what happened, The Baltimore Banner reported.

But prosecutor Dominic Plantamura said the footage shows it was a “clearly targeted attack” and that Yates is lucky he wasn't injured more seriously.

Ebert's lawyer, John Costello, acknowledged Ebert’s contentious history with his former bandmate, but said, “That does not, in this instance, warrant extra detention.” Costello’s office declined to comment to The Associated Press.

The judge ordered Ebert held without bond.

According to Plantamura, William Yates was injured so badly that a bone stuck out of one leg.

In a statement, Turnstile said it cut ties with Ebert in 2022, “in response to a consistent pattern of harmful behavior." It said a boundary had to be set after he began threatening violence. While Ebert’s “baseless tirades” continued in public since then, the band said it didn’t address them to protect his privacy. Threats escalated in recent months and then there was a physical attack on Brendan Yates’ father this week, the band wrote.

“We are grateful that Mr. Yates survived, has successfully undergone surgery, and we’re hoping for the best possible outcome in his recovery,” the band said. “We have no language left for Brady.”

Turnstile were underground stalwarts until their 2021 album “Glow On” launched them into mainstream consciousness. They cemented their status this year by winning Grammys for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance.

FILE - Turnstile's guitarist Brady Ebert performs at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, Friday, April 19, 2019, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)