Two weeks ago, the USMNT suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This ended their exciting run in the prestigious tournament. Reflecting on the nationwide excitement accompanied by the team’s storied run, let’s take a look at their journey throughout Qatar and what we can take away from their performances throughout the tournament.
ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP
After missing out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the USMNT was out for vengeance. Finishing 3rd in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, the team made it out of the 14 qualifiers with only 3 losses. Amidst the qualifiers, the US beat Mexico twice in two other tournament finals: The Nations League and the Gold Cup. After beating arguably the best team in CONCACAF, which doubled as our storied rival, the US team was looking to be the best team from North America traveling to Qatar.
Although the US lost 2-0 to Japan and tied 0-0 to Saudi Arabia in pre-World Cup friendlies, the excitement of the team returning to the World Cup was too immense to die down. Despite the rather disappointing pre-tournament results, avid USMNT supporters remained hopeful.
Going into the tournament, the US squad was the second youngest in Qatar, with the majority of players playing in some of the best leagues in the world in Europe. Comparing this squad to our squad from the 2014 World Cup, the 2014 squad’s average age was 2 years older than today’s, with a minority of players playing in Europe.
It can be argued that with age comes experience. However, a young team of world-class players has garnered excitement from all over America. Most intriguing for North Texans, the World Cup squad consisted of Weston McKennie, Jesus Ferreira, and Kellyn Acosta who are all products of the FC Dallas Academy here in Frisco.
MATCHDAY 1: USA VS. WALES
On the 2nd day of the World Cup, the energy at the Al Rayyan stadium was palpable for the long-awaited return of US soccer to the World Cup. Two impassioned teams were coming head to head with Wales being led by long-time legend Gareth Bale, who hoped to gain Welsh glory for his country which hadn’t made a World Cup appearance since 1958.
Beginning the inaugural game of Group B, The US came out strong; evidenced by the domineering possession over Wales. However, Wales wisely came out playing an offside trap to counter lightning-fast forwards, such as Timothy Weah, Christian Pulisic, and Josh Sargent. Showing their tactical ability to readjust, the Stars & Stripes finally created a chance. Christian Pulisic sent Tim Weah a needle-threading ball putting him through on goal. Only requiring a rudimentary pass around the Welsh goalkeeper, Weah put the ball into the back of the net. Accelerating the US into the lead in the 36th minute, Weah revealed shades of his legendary father, who won the Ballon d’Or (a prestigious award given annually to the best soccer player in the world) in 1995. Going into halftime, the US was holding possession and hoping to carry the momentum into the second half. However, Wales was surely drawing up a plan of attack during the HT talk.
With nail-biting fans watching at home, the US comfortably held possession in the 2nd half, however, the Welsh team kept a high press which kept the US on their toes. Coming into the 82nd minute, the LAFC star, Gareth Bale made a threatening move into the box, and with his back turned to the goal, MLS defender, Walker Zimmerman came in with a dangerous tackle, taking Bale down in the box. After what must have been a collective gasp from US soccer fans all around the world, the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. After stepping up to the penalty spot, Bale calmly smashed the ball into the right side netting ultimately providing for a historic world cup tie for Welsh Soccer.
While Americans were content with 1 point coming from the tie, critics slammed the rash challenge from Zimmerman. Forced to put the tie behind, the US had to prepare for one of the biggest games in USMNT history against England. With England defeating Iran 6-2, the group was wide open for the taking, which allowed the US and Wales to both still be in the running for the 1st or 2nd spot, spots that would send them on into the Round of 16.
MATCHDAY 2: USA VS. ENGLAND
The day after Thanksgiving, 15.4 million eager Americans tuned in to watch one of the biggest games in USMNT history, setting a record for the most watched men’s soccer match on American television in history. Of course, the storied rivalry between the US and England goes back to the 18th century. But, concerning soccer, the rivalry’s history is a lot shorter. Most notably, an important game in their history occurred 12 years ago at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. That fixture ended in a 1-1 draw with goals coming from England’s Steven Gerrard and the US’s Clint Dempsey. These scorers were both legends for their respective countries who have since retired from soccer.
Now, in Qatar, from Al Bayt Stadium, jam-packed with nearly 70,000 fans, the whistle was blown and one of the most intriguing games in the tournament was underway. In a game where the US was an underdog, it started as so. England began the game dominating possession, even creating a few chances on goal against a nervous US side. However, the Americans quickly inserted themselves back into the match, evening up the possession. After minutes of patient passing around, the ball found its way into the box, setting up a shot for Weston McKennie just around the penalty spot. Taking a wild swing, the ball soared over the crossbar. While this was disappointing, it showed that maybe the US did have a chance to grab a goal or two against England. Later on, Pulisic rocketed a shot from the left corner of the 18-yard box, which painfully ricocheted off the crossbar. By this time, the possession was beginning to shift in the American’s favor which allowed them to play patiently against a disappointing English side. With both teams at a stalemate, unable to get the ball into the back of the net, the game ended in a draw. At the end of the game, US captain Tyler Adams earned the Man of the Match Award.
Although the US did not win, this was a huge victory for US soccer in a meager tie against a world soccer powerhouse. After the match, critics slammed England for their disappointing and poor form, with Herculez Gomez, a popular soccer personality, thrashing England’s coach stating “Southgate was not up to the caliber of his players.” Now, with two US draws, the Americans had to beat Iran in their 3rd group stage match to move on to the Round of 16.
MATCHDAY 3: USA VS. IRAN
Coming into Matchday 3, American nerves were especially high in this must-win situation. Adding to the weight of the game, the USMNT stirred the pot in political controversy with Iran. For the past few months, Iran has been facing widespread protests about its oppression of women. The Iranian national team got involved in the protests at the World Cup by refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem. The US national team inserted themselves in the protests by refusing to put an Iranian emblem on one of their social media posts ahead of the game. As a result, this action angered many World cup officials as well as Iranian officials who don’t have a great history with the United States. Adding to the weight on Iranian players’ soldiers, there were rumors that they and their families could potentially be endangered if they lost. While they were just rumors, acts like that are certainly not unheard of.
Back in Qatar, at Al Thumama stadium, both sides lined up in a high-stakes game where each team had the same opportunity to make it into the round of 16. With nearly equal possession, both teams were neck and neck until the 38th minute.
One of the US’ biggest stars: Christian Pulisic, stepped up to the plate, putting his body on the line, diving headfirst into the keeper while tapping the ball into the goal. However, one of the most triumphant moments of his career was slightly squandered, as Pulisic was slow to get up after taking a rough shot to the gut. Pulisic left the game as a hero, as the US team only had to hold Iran for a half. With possession continuing to be 50/50, Americans all over the world were biting their nails as it seemed to take years to hear the final whistle.
As the game approached the 90-minute mark, the assistant referee announced a whopping 10 minutes of stoppage time. The Iranians were using all their might to score a goal in hope of some kind of pathway to the Round of 16 and they were keeping their pressure immensely high. After numerous Iranian shots on goal during that long 10-minute span, the final whistle was blown and Americans dropped to their knees with tears in their eyes.
After missing out on the 2018 World Cup, the US came to Qatar and sealed their spot into the knockouts, which in itself is a humongous accomplishment. Now the US had to look forward to playing against a monstrous powerhouse in The Netherlands. The Dutch were considered to be a huge threat to Americans’ World Cup hopes.
ROUND OF 16: USA VS THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands finished at the top of their group, coming out of the early stages with 2 wins and a draw against Ecuador. The Dutch side had plenty of depth, with world-class players such as Virgil Van Dijk, Frenkie De Jong, and Memphis Depay. The last time the US played the Netherlands was in 2015 which resulted in a 4-3 win for the USMNT. However, both sides have transformed astronomically since then. With the US being the usual underdog, they didn’t have much to lose, however, both teams looked at each other as a pretty even matchup.
Blowing the whistle from Khalifa International Stadium, the match commenced. From the very start, the US had a strong grip on the possession, with the Netherlands playing extremely patiently. However, it seemed as though the Netherlands wanted the US to hold possession because as soon as the Dutch won the ball, they created lethal counterattacks. This tactic came to fruition in the 10th minute as Memphis Depay slotted one past Matt Turner to catapult the Netherlands into the lead. After this, America continued to hold possession, and the Dutch continued to utilize the counterattacks. As the first half was coming to a close, Daley Blind put another one past Turner to put the Netherlands up two.
Little by little, Americans on and off the field were losing hopes of World Cup dreams. After numerous chances on goal, the US finally got one on the board, when Haji Wright put one into the back of the net in the 76th minute. However, this may have been too little too late. The US continued to put everything into their attack, hoping to notch up one more goal to tie the game.
Unfortunately, with their high press, they left their defense weakened, allowing Denzel Dumfries to put the nail in the coffin. This gives the Dutch into a 3-1 lead in the 81st minute. Despite the tall task, the American spirit shined through, playing to the very last minute, but it just wasn’t enough. The whistle was blown and the match ended in a 3-1 victory for the Netherlands.
Americans’ hearts broke all around the world as previously hopeful American players attempted to console each other as tears streamed down their faces. With this disappointing loss, the US was knocked out of the 2022 World Cup.
TAKEAWAYS FOR THE FUTURE
Despite the USMNT’s early exit in the first round of the World Cup, there are still many positives to look forward to. Amid a golden generation of US Soccer, there are many chances for success in the near future. The US will compete in the Gold Cup to crown the champion of North America in 2023. Also, they have been invited to participate in and host Copa America in 2024 to crown the champion of South America. Therefore, intriguing and competitive US Soccer is prominent in the next few years. Most exciting, the US, Canada & Mexico are hosting the 2026 World Cup. Therefore, they will automatically qualify for the tournament.
Returning to the 2022 World Cup though, the young USMNT squad showed impressive maturity on the field. While it’s not common for coaches to spend many years with one national team, Berhalter displayed impressive form in a tournament where the US were clear underdogs. Nonetheless, if the US continues to remain in good form, they are sure to make steady improvements in the world soccer scene.
