Fail Spectacularly: USMNT Bows Out Of 2026 FIFA World Cup
It’s over.
We’d experienced several weeks of euphoria and unification across the nation as a host nation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Tournament. Watch parties took over plazas and bars from coast to coast, merchandise was in short supply, and thousands of fans/collectors discussed the sport and traded Panini World Cup stickers at card shops. All of our heroes of the pitch showed out — game after game — Messi, Haaland, Kane — and we were introduced to the island nation of Cabo Verde and the legend of Vozinha.
I’d played the role of cautious optimist on FOX Sports Radio during the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) efforts in the tournament. Our approach was different than past iterations of the squad, with more concentrated attacks and an aggressive offensive base. Balogun teamed up with Pulisic in the opening of the group stage and electrified —- yeah, shocked! – a hopeful fan base. The squad went 2-1 in group play and then got the W over Bosnia despite the red card from Balogun that left them undermanned for more than a half hour.
For the next several days, debates raged about FIFA integrity, the “unjust” nature of the red card being administered and myriad strings of “hot take nonsense,” as I call it. It was simmering and all discussions started to turn to the Monday match with Belgium. You know, that little task swirling off in the distance, a matchup which represented a massive step up in class. Huge.
Then, I was on-air Sunday morning when news broke about the “suspension of a suspension” and the sudden availability of Balogun for the Monday night tilt in Seattle. Political angles, an appeal of the seeming unappealable … and soooo FIFA.
Yes, there was a lot of finger-pointing and tongues wagging about the loss of the “sanctity of the game.”
You’re joking, right?
This is that moment?
I’ll save that rant for another time.
With great anticipation and a massive audience, including the fantastic Seattle crowd, the United States came out flat. It’s a psychological thing, much like getting the center of the Tootside Roll Pop, that “the world will never know.”
Is it as simple as “the moment was too large?” Did the team crack under the weight of the international scrutiny following the Balogun decision? I can’t dismiss either talking about, though we certainly hoped for more, for Pochettino to deliver on the early promise and catapult the US forward. Certainly, the Belgian team readily talked motivation and satisfaction (complete with singing and dancing of their own) following the 4-1 win.
But to sum up the 90+.
Lack of cohesion and connectedness. Sloppy passing. Bad touches. And the concerns about the back line and keeper showed … time and time again. Standing and watching. Looking for the offsides call instead of defending or finishing the play.
We’re somewhere between crawling and walking … but so many miles to go.
——————————————————
We did a huge debrief on FOX Sports Radio after the game, including a deep dive on the red card controversy and motivation, Christian Pulisic’s tenure
You can check out the Pulisic take here – https://x.com/foxsportsradio/status/2074354769959981258?s=61
Check out the rest of our reaction/analysis wherever you get your audio content.
