Chicago: Antonee Robinson struck the ball seamlessly with his left foot, sending it rocketing into the corner of the net. Engulfed by a frenzied, capacity crowd at Soldier Field, the defender celebrated the moment by executing a cartwheel and a backflip.

It proved to be a remarkable statement ahead of the World Cup.

Robinson's spectacular strike served as the primary highlight for the United States in a 2-1 defeat against Germany on Saturday. The result marked the ninth consecutive loss for the U.S. national team against European rivals stretching back to 2022, yet the Americans expressed optimism regarding their execution in their ultimate pre-World Cup exhibition.

“I mean, against a really good team, I thought we were dangerous at times,” forward Christian Pulisic said. “We had good stretches of possession, defended well for good portions of it. And, yeah, I mean, honestly, I think, we're feeling good.”

Prior to kickoff, members of the 1994 U.S. World Cup squad received on-field recognition.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino deployed a starting lineup that closely mirrors what is projected to be his primary World Cup squad, featuring Matt Freese at goalkeeper, Sergiño Dest at right back, Alex Freeman, Miles Robinson, and Tim Ream in central defence, and Antonee Robinson at left back. Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman anchored the defensive midfield, while Pulisic and Weston McKennie filled advanced midfield roles behind lone striker Folarin Balogun.

The U.S. squad competed without the services of starting defender Chris Richards, who has been sidelined since tearing two ligaments in his left ankle on May 17. Either Richards, Mark McKenzie, or Auston Trusty could potentially take the place of Miles Robinson in the Americans' World Cup opening match against Paraguay on Friday.

During this final evaluation before the tournament, the U.S. manufactured several promising attacking opportunities, spearheaded by Pulisic and Balogun. The 16th-ranked Americans dictated the concluding stretches of the opening half and accumulated 10 corner kicks, whereas the 10th-ranked Germans earned just two.

However, the U.S. also committed a pair of expensive defensive errors that Pochettino must address during his final tournament preparations.

The U.S. team has recorded 14 victories, 10 defeats, and two draws since Pochettino assumed managerial duties in October 2024.

“We compete. Unlucky. I think was an even game,” Pochettino said. “If you see the stats, similar stats in some stats for us. I am so happy with the commitment and how the team was.”

The match began in difficult fashion for the Americans when Adams drew a foul for tripping Felix Nmecha just 43 seconds into the contest, while the German player's back faced the net. On the ensuing free kick, Ream encountered a block from Nico Schlotterbeck, allowing an unmarked Kai Havertz to slip past Miles Robinson and deliver an uncontested header in the second minute.

On Germany’s decisive goal in the 57th minute, Miles Robinson hesitated to advance as Leroy Sané collected a short pass from Havertz, allowing Sané to beat Freese with a shot inside the far post.

“Disappointed that we lost, but many positives to take,” Antonee Robinson said. “I feel like conceding that early, we could have easily crumbled, and it could have been a very, very bad day to be going into the tournament with. But we fought back and at times played some really good football and looked good, looked competitive."

No sequence for the American side matched the quality of Antonee Robinson's fifth international goal in the 37th minute. After Jonathan Tah attempted to clear Pulisic’s corner kick with a header, the ball dropped just beyond the penalty area, where Robinson displayed flawless technique to volley the ball past German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

“Sick. I mean, it's a sick goal,” a smiling Pulisic said.

The 28-year-old Robinson, who adopted the moniker “Jedi” during his childhood, remarked that he had never previously recorded a goal of that calibre during a competitive fixture.

The strike evoked memories of Benny Feilhaber's game-winning goal for the United States against Mexico during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, which also took place at Soldier Field.

“Going into a World Cup, it means a lot to have that kind of in my mind that I've scored something like that and a bit of freedom to shoot again if I'm in that position,” Robinson said.

With inputs from AP