The USMNT fell to the Netherlands 3-1 in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Men's World Cup on Saturday, ending their storybook season.
Their tournament ends seeing them meet the expectation that has been put upon them—that is, the USA progressed out of the group stage. However, there is a feeling that this team had the talent to make their first quarterfinal appearance in 20 years and failed to do so.
After an undefeated Group stage, lapses in fundamentals doomed the USMNT in the first knockout round. Does this make their World Cup a success or a failure?
The USMNT dream of progressing at the 2022 World Cup was cut short by a Netherlands team that was able to out-tactic them. The question of whether this meant their World Cup was a success or failure comes down to perspective.
On one hand, the failure to exceed expectations can be seen as a lack of a coach getting the most out of his talented players. The decision by Gregg Berhalter before the tournament to only bring three strikers on a 26-man roster hurt this team. His substitution decisions didn't create the spark he wanted either. Also, there were no like-for-like changes for his midfield three. They were the workhorse for the team, and they were extremely tired and made mistakes unlike them because of it. This can make the 2022 World Cup seem like a failure, as the team scored just three goals in four matches, and ran out of gas after just three games played.
On the other hand, this was a tournament that saw a young core of players gain meaningful experience on the world stage. The USA outplayed England and forced the Netherlands to sit back and press at this World Cup. That is a level of respect that the USMNT has not had in World Football.
Many are already looking ahead to how this team can improve en route to the 2026 tournament. The USA is one of the host nations of that tournament and will have an experienced core of players entering the prime of their careers, and others rising.
Next year (2023), there will be a U-20 World Cup; a tournament that has produced and shaped some major players for the first team. There is also A Nations League and a Gold Cup, titles the USA won in 2021. These contests will be a chance for the next crop of players to rise, and possibly the next coach to experiment with their tactical approach.
In 2024 the USMNT will return to the Olympics, something they haven't done since 2004. The 20-year absence has been brutal, but their U-20 team qualified them this past summer in the Concacaf Championships. This will be another great chance for young players to show their quality on a world stage.
In 2025, the USMNT will play in another round of the Nations League and the Gold Cup. Could we be seeing a USA team that is looking to three-peat in both tournaments a year before the 2026 World Cup?
No matter who is on the team or coaching in 2026, the USMNT will need to shift their expectation. Soccer has been labeled the sport of the future in the United States. The nation could and should be competing to win the World Cup.
