Another Disappointment for the USA
In the past few days, politics stole the stage. Belgium found their unifying purpose. And tonight, the USA faded quickly in the face of adversity. Are there lessons?
I’ve listened now, at this late hour, to multiple takes from US Soccer fans and tactical gurus to celebrities and journalists on what went wrong for the USMNT, as they fell quite confidently to Belgium, 4-1.
The one through line? We weren’t good enough.
Of course, from the opening whistle, this team WAS NOT good enough. Despite a few days of hype, with a matchup that seemed somewhat favorable, Belgium looked in control within five minutes. Their opening goal against the run of play was a profoundly simple disaster and deflated the energy of the stadium and most importantly the team. Despite Malik Tillman’s miracle free kick goal, our national squad appeared passive to the moment, giving up a score that answered squarely what the rest of the game would amount to - rolling over in front of a raucous record crowd and millions of fans.
How do you not take this moment and seize it? How do you not at least show that the US are not going to go down without a fight?
Instead, the entire match, despite a few subs that provided momentary boosts, felt like a whimper.
What do we learn from this disaster?
The loss is not shocking; the manner of the loss is!
Honestly, Belgium were the favorites even before the weird narratives around Balogun’s suspension plopped in their laps. Were they the “out and out” favorites? No. The US were expected to score a goal, maybe two, compared to similar odds for Belgium. If the hard fought match had ended 1-2 to the visitors, it would have met those expectations. If it had gone into extra time, we all would have been satisfied. This was supposedly an even bout.
In truth, Belgium were a class above. Way above.
The fact that the USA could hardly manage to control the ball, despite boasting a strong home field advantage, undermines so much of what we thought about this team. Was it maybe just one bad game? Sure. But at this stage of the tournament, at this moment? A huge disappointment.
The two later goals, including a shocking goalkeeper error, add to the embarrassment of the day. None of this should have happened.
Politics did not help.
I imagine the United States were prepping to start Ricardo Pepi all week long. Or maybe it was Haji Wright? Or some other tactical lineup?
We will never know.
Learning that Balogun would be reinstated, perhaps due to some arcane FIFA rules process or perhaps due to political pressure by an unpopular, sports-killing President or both, changed everything. It may have given Belgium that cohesive purpose they had missed earlier in the tournament. Now, they felt like the underdogs against a system that was aligning against them and against fair play. You can argue all you want whether that is justified or not, but the US players had to answer questions about it and throw out their game plans. It changed the narrative, too.
That was a huge distraction for this team, who, no doubt, had to go back to the drawing board. Maybe they felt like they could just roll out what worked before and expect to win. Sorely, sorely, sorely… mistaken. They looked unprepared. The narrative did not work in their favor.
Ultimately, there was no savior for the US.
Yes, Folarin Balugon got the start, but he hardly contributed (beyond earning a key foul). Ricardo Pepi got some minutes, but what difference did he make? No one on the United States Men’s National Team offered brilliance in this game, beyond Malik Tillman and maybe some late energy from Reyna and Berhalter.
In truth, this was a game where one coach simply out-classed another, and there was no answer. Pochettino, who had rumors swirling that he could be re-signed for another four year contract, put to bed his future with the US program. In the one game where you really need to put your team in its best possible position, he had no answers. This is the kind of game you are hired to prepare for. Sure, you lose some in the group stages — you lose some in the Gold Cup lead up. And maybe you even lose in this moment. But this is the game you are paid big bucks to at least make sure your squad is ready for.
The USA were not ready; Pochettino was not ready.
It is time to move on, be thankful for what was developed, and find the next name who can help this team prepare for the next four years, with fresh faces and opportunities ahead.
Is the sky falling?
No. This was a historic tournament for the US. The expanded field helped. Winning the group was an important step for this program. The future, though, is uncertain. However, there is talent and a continually expanding soccer structure in the United States that opens the door to growth. So many eyes and ears were exposed to the beautiful game and more will come.
Even from four years ago, the competitiveness and quality in Major League Soccer, USL Championship, and MLS Next Pro is vastly improved.
The best thing you can do as a potential soccer fan is to support lower tier soccer. Support these young people who love the game and want to shine on the biggest stage. You never know who you might see take that next step to stardom.
We can still enjoy the rest of this tournament. There are amazing games to be played and world class stars who will show us what we only hope will one day to see on a regular basis for the US. Tonight hurts, but the future is still bright.