American soccer fans woke up feeling a bit empty Sunday with the U.S. soccer team no longer alive in the World Cup.
The 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Qatar left us wanting more, because it felt like there was more there.
And that’s a good thing for the state of the U.S. men’s national team, because it’s a sign of how the sport has evolved in America.
It was clear this U.S. team wasn’t merely satisfied advancing out of the group stage. It wasn’t in this for a participation medal. This team, the second youngest in this World Cup by average age (slightly older than 25), had visions of a deep run, of changing the perception of soccer in America.
That’s what made Saturday hurt just a little bit more.
“What hurts is we thought this was a group that could have done something no American team had done,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said.
That hurt, though, must quickly be generated into hope, because this U.S. team is laden with young talent, a group that will continue to play and grow together and — in theory — further evolve as it plays more international competition and readies for the 2026 World Cup.
One piece of pressure U.S. soccer doesn’t have to deal with in the next four years is qualifying for the 2026 tournament, because the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are hosting it, and host countries gain automatic entry into the tournament.
Not that qualifying should be an issue for the U.S., because if merely getting to the World Cup is considered some sort of accomplishment, then we aren’t as advanced in the sport as we fancy ourselves to be.
“This tournament has really restored a lot of belief, a lot of respect,’’ U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie said. “We showed we can be giants. We may not be there yet, but we’re definitely on the way.”
Goalkeeper Matt Turner talked after the Netherlands match about how the “potential is clear’’ with this U.S. team that wants more than it got out of this World Cup, adding, “That’s part of changing the expectations of our fans, changing the expectations of the players in the locker room, not just feeling like we won a trophy because we made the Round of 16.”
There is, of course, much to learn and overcome for U.S. soccer. Since the 1990 World Cup, the Americans have defeated only one European team, a 3-2 result against Portugal in 2002, the only time the U.S. has ever reached a World Cup quarterfinal.
The loss to the Netherlands, a much more experienced and savvy side, left the U.S. with a 1-12-7 record against European teams in the World Cup since ’90.
That trend, of course, must be curbed. And the only way it’s going to stop is if the U.S. can find and develop goal scorers.
“We set out with a goal to show the rest of the world how we can play soccer,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “I think we partially achieved that, even though we fell short of our goals.”
A pressing question now is whether Berhalter, whose contract is up, will be given the opportunity to see this forward. He’s done excellent work with the program, rebuilding what had been a porous defense, constructing one of the most dynamic midfields in the sport and restoring the U.S. as a World Cup side.
Some of his lineup and tactical decisions have been questioned — such as his odd handling of Gio Reyna, who’s considered by most one of the best American players, yet he hardly played in the World Cup.
The decision on Berhalter will eventually be made by U.S. Soccer officials. Whether he stays or goes, there is a lot for a coach to work with here.
“When people look at our team, they see a clear identity,’’ Berhalter said. “They see guys that go out and fight for each other. They see the talent on the field.’’
Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert saw it. He told reporters after the match, “They go like crazy, like hell. They’re working together. They don’t give up.”
That’s always been a trait of the Americans. Now they need to take that relentless effort and deliver better results.
“I think it’s probably the first time in a long time that people will say, ‘This team has something special,’ ’’ 23-year-old U.S. captain Tyler Adams said.
Zimmerman said this should make the U.S. players come to the 2026 World Cup “hungrier than ever,’’ adding, “A lot of the guys are in their prime. We have a lot of guys coming through the pipeline that I think can contribute. It’s an exciting time to be an American soccer fan.’’
