The United States men's national team defense faces a significant crisis ahead of its crucial World Cup warm-up matches. Defender Miles Robinson will miss the friendlies against Belgium and Portugal due to a groin injury sustained during training on Tuesday, according to coach Mauricio Pochettino. Robinson's absence leaves a gaping hole, especially as fellow center-back Chris Richards is also ruled out with a knee problem, likely sustained during Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League match. Pochettino confirmed Richards would miss both games after assessing his knee issues post-training on Wednesday, stating the defender couldn't complete sessions and felt something was wrong. This leaves only Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, and Auston Trusty available for the Belgium game, with Joe Scally and Tanner Tessmann as potential backups, though Pochettino has favored a three-central defender setup since September.