USMNT Proves Nothing’s Changed in World Cup Collapse
U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino at a July 6 press conference following Belgium’s brutal 4-1 beatdown of the Americans in the Round of 16The summer of soccer is over for the United States Men’s National Team, who crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup harder than theIt was nothing short of a total meltdown of a performance inside Seattle Stadium.
The USMNT, playing in its most important match in nearly a quarter-century, executed well below even its most baseline standard from the opening minute. All four of Belgium’s goals – while certainly well-taken – were facilitated by crushing U.S. errors of both the mental and physical variety. For the United States, this match was really a potpourri of worst-case scenarios.
The “impact” players at the top of the roster failed to cause Belgium any real issues, while the biggest question marks for the U.S. got totally exposed. And highly touted and highly paid coach Mauricio Pochettino had no answers for any of it.
“I think we were not good enough. It wasn’t our day. We didn’t perform in the way we were supposed to perform,” Pochettino said postgame. In retrospect, the international crisis that formed in the lead-up to the match surrounding Folarin Balogun’s eligibility, one that President Donald Trump couldn’t resist sticking his Cheeto-dusty fingers into, looks downright pathetic.
Balogun barely got a touch of the ball and registered just a single shot on target in the dying minutes of the match. So that’s that. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to host a World Cup on home soil – an opportunity that has defined the last decade for this national team – amounted to nothing more than a familiar type of loss in a familiar stage of the competition.
If getting punked by a European big-boy in the Round of 16 isthe ceiling for this program, as it has been for four consecutive World Cup appearances, then we might as well stop expecting anything better. If there is a bright side to be found, more Americans have consumed this World Cup than ever before, both on television and in stadiums across the continent.
And unlike in previous summers, the tournament won’t continue in relative obscurity following the United States’ exit. Our country has been thoroughly entertained by the stars and storylines of this tournament, and that will continue through the final on July 19.
Millions watched with mouths agape as England survived a drama-filled gladiator battle against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium, just as millions have jumped on Norway’s bandwagon following Erling Haaland’s heroics eliminating Brazil in the Round of 16. Lionel Messi’s Argentina produced back-to-back Houdini acts to escape inspired performances from a pair of African underdogs to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. France and Spain have continued their dominant runs.
The bracket, which has already delivered some delectable matchups, is only getting sexier by the day. But that same bracket no longer includes the United States, and that’s a shame. In the one major team sport where the phrase “there’s always next year” doesn’t apply, we now embark on the long, winding road to Spain/Portugal/Morocco 2030. Who knows?
Maybe that will mark the moment in which the U.S. Men’s National Team takes a meaningful positive step. Until that happens, though, we knowThe Verde Report newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, and follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene.
Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. Eric Goodman has covered Austin FC for the Austin Chronicle since before the club first kicked a ball in 2021.
His column, The Verde Report, continues the Chronicle's decades-long tradition of soccer-focused commentary, serving as a spiritual successor to Nick Barbaro's Soccer Watch column. Eric has also covered multiple Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups as a freelance sports journalist, and is a two-time Emmy-winning producer.
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