USMNT confident they can end recent struggles vs Europeans

The U.S. men's national team enters friendlies against Belgium and Portugal after recent strong form, but they have lost five straight matches to European opponents; a UEFA playoff between Kosovo and Turkey will determine a likely World Cup group opponent.

The United States men's national team arrives for weekend friendlies with Belgium and Portugal after a run of positive results in recent matches. Many U.S. players are regulars with top European clubs, and coaching staff have been working with most of the roster in full training. The team has struggled historically against European opponents, and the upcoming matches are being viewed as tests against top-ranked sides. Separately, a UEFA playoff will decide a potential World Cup group opponent for the U.S., and visa bond policies are affecting some fans from participating countries. Key facts: - The U.S. is scheduled to play friendlies against Belgium and Portugal this weekend. - The U.S. has lost five consecutive matches to European (UEFA) teams and has a 27 percent World Cup win rate against UEFA opponents, as reported. - Several U.S. players are regular starters at European clubs, and coach-led training included 22 position players together while one defender did individual work. - Kosovo beat Slovakia to set up a playoff final with Turkey, which will determine a UEFA team that could join Group D with the U.S., Australia and Paraguay at the World Cup. - FIFA has raised concerns about a U.S. Visa Bond Pilot Program after reports that fans from some countries face bond payments to enter the United States; five African nations were listed among affected countries. Summary: The upcoming friendlies will be a direct test against top-10 FIFA teams and a chance for the U.S. to address recent results versus European opponents. The Kosovo-Turkey playoff final is scheduled next and will decide a potential World Cup opponent for the U.S., while visa bond issues affecting fans remain reported as an ongoing concern.