Seattle, Wash. – The ride was great, until it was over. Once again, the USMNT has been eliminated in the Round of 16 of the World Cup by a European team. On Monday night, the United States returned to Seattle Stadium for the knockout match against Belgium. An unexpectedly disastrous performance and 1-4 scoreline will live long in the memory.
This match was marred by politicking leading up to it. Talisman striker Folarin Balogun was given a controversial red card in the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after scoring. A late invocation of Article 27 made Balogun eligible for this match, with minimal precedent.
Afterwards, reports of a call with U.S. President Donald Trump surfaced. A press conference at the White House suggested influence, despite the President acknowledging that he did not understand the rule at the time. A statement from Chairperson of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee did not quiet the accusations. Belgium, UEFA, and other European nations condemned the decision. Even if the decision as right in the end, bad process. Horrible timing. Disastrous public relations.
Almost as disastrous as the USMNT backline.
The USMNT had so far avoided the political controversies of this tournament. They had been a bright spot along with the other host nations. They’d played fun soccer, scored goals, played as a team, and been likable to neutrals. Only for the biggest story out of their tournament to be their controversial President taking center stage in fanning the flames of corruption and favoritism.
Whatever benefit the Yanks got from Balogun starting the match, it did not help.
A brain fog of a start saw a soft goal on a Charles De Ketelaere tap in. There was temporary hope on the half hour mark. Balogun emerged from center back isolation to win a free kick at the top of the box. Malik Tillman, off a brilliant free kick last game shot the ball off a defender and in.
It took two minutes for Belgium to go up 2-1. De Ketelaere with a header, pushing aside Tim Ream with Chris Richards again out of position.
The USMNT had a better end to the first half and start to the second half, but it was folly. Matt Freese came off his line, and kicked the grass in the 57th, leading to a turnover. Hans Vanaken scored with Ream being the only one guarding an open net from 30 yards out.
Fittingly, Romelu Lukaku scored in second half stoppage time off the bench. Richards turned the ball over softly on the play. The match ended 4-1.
A Generational National Humiliation:
The performance was a shocker. Players will be answering questions about this night for the rest of their careers. Mexico and Cape Verde went down swinging. With two Ro16 games left, the USMNT are second worst only to Paraguay maybe.
Four soft goals on simple mistakes. All preventable. Nothing we’d seen before in this tournament, save the end of the Türkiye game with a rotated squad. This came out of nowhere.
In the attack, uninventive. No movement off the ball. Sergiño Dest was dribbling straight into defenders. Everyone’s passes were off and easily intercepted. Per ESPN, Christian Pulisic lost possession 11 times in the first half. A calf injury forced him off after the third Belgian goal.
Ream looked old. Richards had possibly his worst performance since joining Crystal Palace. That Freese howler hits like the Chris Wondolowski miss in 2014. Gio Reyna was an experimental sub that didn’t yield.
“Today we didn’t show our real quality,” Pochettino said in the press conference. “I think we were not good enough today. We don’t need to find another excuse,” in response to the Balogun saga.
Seattle will forever be where the USMNT had aura with the win over Australia. Clinching the group. Walking out to SIRIUS and walking off to Country Road. It will also be where their home World Cup ended in disaster.
BaloGate:
Balogun was a non-factor in this match. A FotMob rating of 5.9 with 19 touches. Three of the USMNT’s seven shots. The U.S. were planning without him and it look like they had trained without him too.
He struggled to get open, unless far from goal and non-threatening. His one big chance in the 82nd minute was saved by the arm of Thibaut Courtois. It was their only shot on goal besides the goal.
Let’s see how much this performance and the controversy around his eligibility for this match follow him. So much was made about his importance to the team and his eventual inclusion. All for it to end in that performance and result. The internet will be savage. Belgium’s dancing certainly was.
To say nothing of the narrative around him qualifying for the USMNT via birthright citizenship and the political football that has become for a domestic administration that claims credit for him being able to play.
Where American Soccer goes from here:
I’m fascinated and scared to see where fandom of the sport goes from here. The last few weeks have been so hyped. This World Cup had broken containment into the public consciousness. Casuals were becoming obsessed. The sports bros, small and major figures, were talking about this over NFL offseason and NBA free agency. Nike sold out both World Cup jerseys.
All for their lasting impression of the biggest tournament in USMNT history to be THAT. What a shame.
How do they all react to this performance and scoreline? Was all the interest boosted by the World Cup being hosted in North America with convenient kickoff times? What happens in four years when it’s on the other side of the Atlantic and games are at bad times?
I’ve seen plenty of Apple TV commercials for the new season of Ted Lasso. I’ve seen David Beckham in a dozen commercials. None of them reference his time at LA Galaxy or ownership of Inter Miami. MLS Commissioner can say “We’ll take it from here,” on the Fox broadcast all he wants. It’s not clear to me that MLS has set up to capitalize on this. I’m sure all the casuals and first timers have googled when the Premier League and Champions League start.
Lastly, the team itself. This changes the energy around a Poch extension surely. I would be wary of him sticking around another four years. Pulisic’s legacy certainly takes a hit as the face of this generation. This is still a second tier nation on talent. And in the first real test on paper of the tournament, they failed. Worse than historically.
Better vibes to start but the same result in the end. Still a long way away from winning a World Cup. Did they change the way Americans view the game and themselves as a soccer nation? Or have they just kicked the can down the road, relying in the replenishing well of hope that is the future? Soccer, the sport of the future, still decades in the making.
I’m sure the USWNT will be contenders in Brazil next summer. Courage.
Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. You can also make a one-time contribution via Tip Jar. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.
Spencer Baldwin 