Three takeaways from the USMNT's World Cup crashout

The United States' World Cup journey came to an abrupt end in Seattle, ending a tournament run that had generated optimism and excitement around the program, only to see it end with a thud in Monday's 4-1 defeat to Belgium.

With the dream now over and the discourse flowing, here are my three takeaways following yet another Round of 16 exit for the USA.

The USMNT has genuinely improved

It might not feel like it in the aftermath of the Belgium debacle, but the disappointment surrounding the Round of 16 game doesn't change that we saw an impressive level from this team over the last three weeks. The Yanks won their group, advanced to the knockout rounds and played some of the best soccer I've seen from an American men’s team in a major tournament. The group-stage efforts and the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina weren't perfect, but they featured a level of composure, attacking fluidity, and confidence that often felt beyond those of previous US teams. It produced some electric moments, and they deserve credit for all of that.

This team also helped create the kind of energy around the sport that we all hoped for when FIFA announced the men’s World Cup would be returning to North America. Fans showed up in huge numbers, the atmosphere followed the team from city to city, and for most of the tournament, the players rewarded that support with performances worthy of the occasion. That's all worth remembering, even taking into account how poorly the Belgium match went.

The USMNT also couldn't afford to lose to Belgium in that fashion

Losing this match in itself was not a catastrophic outcome. This Belgian team might not be what it used to be, but it's still a perennial top-10 global power with elite, match-winning talent across the board. If the US had gone out there, put on a competitive showing, gone toe-to-toe for much of the match, and still come up short, it would have been disappointing, but it wouldn't have been an abject failure or an embarrassment. Losing after a competitive performance, as Mexico did against England, probably leaves people encouraged about the program's direction.

Instead, the US put forth an effort that was almost comically bad. There wasn't a single positive to point to. The team struggled to defend, couldn't hold possession, couldn't build attacks, lost every individual battle, and looked overwhelmed by the occasion from the opening whistle. Even Malik Tillman's free-kick equalizer became a negative because of how quickly and easily the team conceded afterward.

Matt Freese's Bad News Bears error on Belgium's third goal didn't cost the US the match on its own, but it became the defining image of the evening. It transformed a disappointing defeat into one that felt genuinely embarrassing – the sort of mistake that will be replayed for years, whenever this match is remembered.

This result doesn't erase the progress made over the previous month, but it casts doubt on whether this team has truly moved beyond the shortcomings that defined previous generations. They didn't need to beat Belgium to change those perceptions, but they did need to show they belonged on the same field, and they didn't come remotely close to doing that.

Not a failure, but a missed opportunity

I don't think this World Cup was an abject failure for the Americans, as many will say, but it also wasn't the transformational moment it could have been. The US men won't play another home World Cup for decades. The sport had the country's attention. The crowds were incredible. Casual fans were buying in. There was genuine momentum after the Bosnia win. Then that tire-fire of a knockout game became the image millions are left with. It isn't simply that the tournament ended in the Round of 16 – plenty of successful World Cups have ended there. It's that the team was given an opportunity to deliver on their mantra of changing the way the world perceives American soccer – and not only did they not take it, but they also wilted entirely.

If we're talking silver linings in these dark times, many of the ingredients for sustained success appear to be in place. Mauricio Pochettino has, in my view, proven his chops as a world-class manager. We'll see what the future holds for him, but if he does sign back on, the program has one of the select few managers who can legitimately change games with his tactical acumen and game planning. He's established a clear identity, the talent level is undeniably still improving, and the vibes around the program throughout this World Cup were better than they've been in years. It's just hard not to take those positives with an unmistakable sense of what might have been.

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