Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Christian Pulisic suffered a fresh injury blow against Belgium (Getty)
Another World Cup, with the Same Ending
What kind of fan walks away from the team they’ve supported for years because it keeps disappointing them? What do you do when your national team always seems to fall just short of taking the next step? Do you simply switch your allegiance to a perennial contender like France, Argentina, or Spain and enjoy winning for a change?
I’ve already seen several USMNT fans on social media say they’re ready to move on, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Supporting this team can be emotionally exhausting.
For me, though, I don’t think I could ever make that change. I’ve invested too much time, energy, and passion into following the USMNT over the past three decades. Even if it means accepting yet another Round of 16 exit, this team is still my team.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly where this World Cup ended.
The USMNT became the final host nation eliminated in the Round of 16, continuing what has become an all-too-familiar trend. Five of the last six times the USMNT has reached the knockout stage, its tournament has ended in the Round of 16, this loss being the worst performance in my lifetime.
Many fans will understandably point to this tournament as a success. The USMNT accomplished things we had never seen before, winning the group after just two matches winning three matches and scoring 11 goals, both program records at a FIFA World Cup.
Those achievements deserve recognition.
But there’s another side of the argument.
The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams fundamentally changed the competition. With 16 additional teams, the path became more favorable than in previous World Cups, making those records more attainable than they would have been under the old format.
When the competition stiffened, many of the same issues resurfaced.
Against an aging Belgium side in the Round of 16, the USMNT was second best for much of the match. Belgium controlled long stretches, created the better chances, and ultimately deserved to advance. Once again, the USMNT failed to produce the signature victory over an elite opponent that every memorable generation of American soccer has delivered but we have yet to see from this team over the past two cycles.
What’s Next for the USMNT?
As attention turns toward the 2030 World Cup cycle, it’s difficult to find much optimism.
Mauricio Pochettino’s future remains uncertain, although multiple reports suggest US Soccer is eager to retain him. Personally, I think that would be the wrong decision.
Whether US Soccer pursues another internationally proven manager or returns to hiring another American coach, this decision will define the next four years. I’ll have much more to say about that in my next article.
The Long Wait Begins Again
There’s always an emptiness after your team is eliminated from a World Cup.
The excitement disappears overnight and now comes another long wait until September’s FIFA window, which features four matches over a double international window. Hopefully, those games provide fresh storylines and genuine reasons for optimism.
Because after that?
We’ll likely find ourselves right back in Concacaf Nations League and another Gold Cup next summer, competitions that, while important for development, simply don’t carry the same significance or emotion as the FIFA World Cup.
As always, I’ll keep watching. I’ll keep analyzing. I’ll keep believing that one day this team will finally produce the defining World Cup moment that this generation has been chasing.
But after another Round of 16 exit on home soil, that belief is harder to hold onto than ever before.
