In under two months, the FIFA World Cup will kick off, and the excitement around the world is through the roof. The United States, Mexico and Canada are the host countries for this newly expanded 48-team tournament, and the U.S. carries enormous expectations, though so far they haven’t lived up to the billing.
The U.S. will be in Group D of the World Cup, facing Paraguay, Australia and Turkey.
They will kick off their campaign at SoFi Stadium on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET, taking on a young and explosive Paraguay squad. A week later they travel to Lumen Field in Seattle to face Australia on June 19 at 3 p.m. ET, before closing out the group stage with a return to SoFi against Turkey on Thursday, June 25, at 10 p.m. ET.
Earlier this month, the U.S. took the field for friendlies against European sides Belgium and Portugal, falling by a combined score of 7-2.
On Saturday, March 28, Belgium came into Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the roar of the crowd waving their USA flags filled the arena as the game kicked off.
After a positive start, the U.S. got on the scoresheet first. In the 39th minute, left back Antonee Robinson stepped up and delivered a corner kick to the back post. Midfielder Weston McKennie beat his defender and flicked the ball beautifully into the back of the net to give the U.S. the lead.
The lead lasted just six minutes. Belgium defender Zeno Debast unleashed a rocket off his right foot that rifled into the back of the net to level the game. That goal seemed to break the U.S., who surrendered four goals in a row before forward Patrick Agyemang pulled one back in the 78th minute to salvage some dignity in a 5-2 defeat.
Three days later in the same building, they welcomed Portugal and were once again outclassed, with goals from Francisco Trincão and João Félix sending them to a 2-0 loss, extending their losing streak to 10 games against European opposition.
When the United States moved on from Gregg Berhalter after the 2022 World Cup, the idea of change felt exciting. They brought in the highly regarded Mauricio Pochettino to prepare the team for the tournament on home soil.
Pochettino has built a 13-2-9 record and has taken on one of the most demanding jobs in international management. In his own words, he wasn’t brought in to teach fight and culture.
“I never came to the United States to change the culture,” he said during a press conference. “I’m here to help create a path to be more competitive and aspire to great things.”
It’s a measured and respectful outlook, but for a team whose passion and commitment has repeatedly been called into question, some may wonder whether a cultural reset was exactly what was needed.
During his tenure he has given opportunities to younger players and MLS talents, working to experiment and bring passion and culture back to the national team.
This generation has been labeled a golden generation, boasting talents like Christian Pulisic, McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams, billed as the most gifted U.S. squad ever. Yet they haven’t consistently shown it at the international level.
When they click, the talent and style of play is beautiful to watch. However, their commitment to the national team has been questioned, and with the greatest tournament in world football arriving in under two months, the U.S. needs every one of them at their best.
Beyond those household names, players such as Folarin Balogun, Timothy Weah and Malik Tillman have also stepped up to lead the way in red, white and blue.
What this team still lacks is the passion and grit that past U.S. sides were known for. They have more technical ability than any previous generation, but when the heart and desire to represent the badge goes missing, that is a deeply concerning sign heading into a home World Cup.
The roster will be announced in a few weeks, and the potential ceiling of this team is sky-high. On paper, they could contend to make a run deep into the tournament, perhaps even lift their first ever trophy. But soccer isn’t played on paper, and the qualities that define championship teams have too often been absent.
Every player dreams of representing their nation at a World Cup, and now that moment has arrived. For 26 lucky men, they will get to walk out of the tunnel, stand tall as the national anthem rings around the stadium, and play the most beautiful game on earth in front of their own country.
The U.S. has a chance to show the world what they are made of and make their fans truly believe they can lift the most coveted trophy in football.