A third straight loss didn’t prevent Mauricio Pochettino from thinking big. The U.S. lost its third straight game, wasting an early lead in a 2-1 defeat to Turkey.

The U.S. manager said he has "faith in the players who are here," while critics continue to lament how many big stars are absent.

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said it's important to focus on the opportunity for his young squad, rather than the absences of several senior players.

The Americans dropped to 5-4 under Pochettino, who took over after a first-round elimination in last year’s Copa America led the U.S. Soccer Federation to fire coach Gregg Berhalter. They have lost three straight for the second time in a year.

Turkey took advantage of a sloppy defense to beat the United States 2-1 in a rainy friendly, dealing the Americans their third straight loss as Arda Güler and Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored in a 2-minute, 20

Turkey took advantage of a sloppy defense to beat the United States 2-1 in a rainy friendly on Saturday, dealing the Americans their third straight loss.