***** Official United States of America vs Belgium World Cup 2026 Thread *****

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Pahdz
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In reply to HowdyTexasAggies • 10:26p, 7/6/26
"We don't need to be like Europe!"

*Checks notes*

Can't ever beat Europe when it matters

Let's keep smashing that round peg in square holes
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Who?mikejones!
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In reply to TRM • 10:26p, 7/6/26
Berhalter played tonight. Believe he was a college player.

Just googled it and there were 8 on the us roster
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zgolfz85
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10:28p, 7/6/26
AG
If freese never puts on a US shirt again, I'll be fine. I still just can't get over that abortion of a play
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TRM
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In reply to Who?mikejones! • 10:28p, 7/6/26
AG
He was in the Columbus Crew Academy when he was 12.
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HowdyTexasAggies
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In reply to Pahdz • 10:29p, 7/6/26
AG
Pahdz said:
"We don't need to be like Europe!"

*Checks notes*

Can't ever beat Europe when it matters

Let's keep smashing that round peg in square holes


I don't get your point, all I ever hear is the goal to be like Europe. It hasn't worked trying to be them.
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PatAg
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In reply to zgolfz85 • 10:29p, 7/6/26
AG
zgolfz85 said:
If freese never puts on a US shirt again, I'll be fine. I still just can't get over that abortion of a play

Only silver lining is it didnt cause us to lose, or he'd probably never recover mentally.
Still may be hard to for him, to be honest
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Who?mikejones!
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In reply to Pahdz • 10:29p, 7/6/26
It's not so much we must be like europe. It's more like we need to find an american way to do Europe. Our country is so much bigger, spread out and the culture is so vastly different.

We cannot import their system and simply have it work.
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PatAg
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10:30p, 7/6/26
AG
I think we genuinely need to invest even more into scouting, we are definitely missing out on a LOT of players.
They need to get rid of MLS clubs having territorial rights to players as well.
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Pahdz
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In reply to Who?mikejones! • 10:30p, 7/6/26
Maybe... just maybe this MLS Next crap works, but again there are so many layers and leagues at the youth level who really knows who's the best?

As for the pro leagues there just isn't enough at stake. It's never happening but if you really wanted to see pro clubs invest in development, pro/rel would force them to take it seriously.

I know you aren't insane but I'm just shocked at how anyone isn't totally jaded by college sports these days.
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Who?mikejones!
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In reply to TRM • 10:31p, 7/6/26
So a glorified youth club team, who went on the play in college before going pro and the son of a professional soccer player and coach? Tell me how that works for a normal, good promising youth
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zgolfz85
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10:31p, 7/6/26
AG
College soccer is not the answer. We need money to sponsor athletes. We weed out so much insane talent with pay of play. We don't need much more talent. It's overstated, but we do need some more. Add 5-10% more quality to this team and they're easily through to quarters and beyond. We're probably never going to have an academy system that comes close to the top euro countries, but we could level way up with scholarships and sponsorships for elite youth in the low income ranks.
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THE_CHOSEN_ONE
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10:32p, 7/6/26
King ****as with the kiss of death. Took all the energy out of our World Cup run and everything turned to **** and national unity down the drain like everything else he touches.
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Pahdz
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In reply to HowdyTexasAggies • 10:33p, 7/6/26
HowdyTexasAggies said:
Pahdz said:
"We don't need to be like Europe!"

*Checks notes*

Can't ever beat Europe when it matters

Let's keep smashing that round peg in square holes


I don't get your point, all I ever hear is the goal to be like Europe. It hasn't worked trying to be them.


Because we aren't anywhere close to what they do. We're some hodgepodge version of it because college sports pearl clutchers demand it be a vital part of it (somewhat), and our professional leagues at all levels only care about themselves.

European leagues all have varying levels under one governing body. We don't have that.
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Jarrin Jay
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10:34p, 7/6/26
AG
F no college soccer and getting drafted into MLS is NOT the answer. And I am a big MLS fan as it is a really good league now, not the kick the ball league it was 20 years ago, it is a proper football (soccer league).

Kids that are good enough playing club and HS need to go to Euro clubs immediately after HS, sign a contract and develop. Get loaned out to 2nd division teams, train and play year round, push themselves daily, develop and make it their 100% reason for waking up and living after God but before family or anything else.

Yes you can go the college route and MLS, but if you are not gone by the time you are 23 it's over and even then it's already almost too late.

Many MLS teams would beat top level league teams from Colombia, Brazil and even Argentina (looking at our side of the pond) because those teams anyone 16-28 that is good enough those guys are NOT playing in their home country.
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carl spacklers hat
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10:35p, 7/6/26
Speaking very generally, the first and biggest hurdle is cultural. Football, baseball and basketball are the first three sports in this country, by a wide margin. Less than an hour and a half after this match is over and I can't find a show on TV running a program on soccer, the US match or the WC in general. In a country like Argentina, there is soccer conversation going 24/7 on some major outlet.

Most of our youth are given a football, basketball or baseball and told to go outside and play. Most of our kids aren't out in the street kicking around a soccer ball or at the park playing pick-up soccer. As mentioned earlier, that is necessary to develop instincts, touch, feel for the game, and to explore how to play with a ball at your feet. Most other countries you'll see the majority of kids playing soccer. So, those kids are already developing a lot of skills before they even start organized training.

Youth soccer in this country needs to be free to play. That's the easiest, fastest way to attract large numbers into the sport. Then, they need to receive actual technical training, not the BS too many get which is to throw out the best/fastest athletes and play chase. Someone mentioned it earlier, get rid of the win/loss component at those early ages and focus exclusively on skill development. We need coaches who can and will do that. The technical abilities between US and other countries is a monster gap currently

Professional levels in this country suck in comparison to other countries. Biggest hurdle, and it isn't changing any time soon, is lack of promotion/relegation. MLS isn't going to move to that so that's a major block. Without pro/rel, and the incentive that creates, the US will remain a soccer satellite country indefinitely. We are able to athlete our way to a 15-20 global ranking but that's the plateau under our current systems.
People think I'm an idiot or something, because all I do is cut lawns for a living.
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Who?mikejones!
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In reply to Pahdz • 10:36p, 7/6/26
We could use that jaded to our advantage of we so chose. College sports(the big ones) are definitely not college sports anymore.

If you could attach the sentimental aspect of college sports to soccer, you'd have a really good chance of getting more funding than just about anywhere else

Im just trying to be hopeful. The answer is getting more of the most athletic, coordinated kids to choose soccer at that crucial moment when they choose a sport to pursue long term. Right now, thats generally attached to college scholarships (or was until nil), college exposure and everything that comes with it.

It's not mls next academies, or usl.
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zgolfz85
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10:47p, 7/6/26
AG
If only we could replace our baseball quality with soccer. Diehard rangers fan, but I'd happily trade our global baseball prowess for soccer without hesitation
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AggieJ2002
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10:49p, 7/6/26
AG
We knew going into this that the back line and goalkeeper probably couldn't withstand a competent attacking offense. Had us on I our heels from 10 seconds into the game on and we folded like a cheap suit forcing us to abandon any plans we had made.
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1876er
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In reply to zgolfz85 • 10:49p, 7/6/26
AG
zgolfz85 said:
If only we could replace our baseball quality with soccer. Diehard rangers fan, but I'd happily trade our global baseball prowess for soccer without hesitation


We're falling behind in baseball for the same reasons as soccer. Basketball too.
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annie88
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10:55p, 7/6/26
AG
Well, the outcome of the game was a shame. Sorry they lost but looks like they got pretty far this time.

I guess I'll be pulling for Norway.
In a world when you can be anything, be the person that ends the meeting early.
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annie88
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In reply to THE_CHOSEN_ONE • 10:56p, 7/6/26
AG
THE_CHOSEN_ONE said:
King ****as with the kiss of death. Took all the energy out of our World Cup run and everything turned to **** and national unity down the drain like everything else he touches.


Congratulations on the dumbest post of the day. Some of you are just ****ing children.
In a world when you can be anything, be the person that ends the meeting early.
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ccaggie05
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10:59p, 7/6/26
AG
It's not about trying to "be like Europe", it's the fact that if our players are waiting until their early 20s to attempt to play professionally, we will never catch up. They are missing out on years of professional and technical development.

It probably never happens here outside of a handful of one offs. I don't have much hope for MLS/USL/USL Premier being the answer. But I can guarantee you if our focus is NCAA and "maybe" the MLS Draft, we will never improve internationally to the level we all want to reach.
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FIDO95
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10:59p, 7/6/26
AG
This team simply appeared to wilt under the bright lights. This was the biggest stage many have played on and it showed. IMO, the biggest advantage of many of the European leagues (and players that get regular playing time there) is the pressure of being relegated, promoted, or qualifying for the Euros. Nothing happens to you if you are at the bottom or the top of the MLS table. Contrast that with the grind of the European league schedules and the opportunities to play in Euros which simulates a world cup tournament. What do the top teams in the MLS get to do that is equivalent. You simply can't acclimate to the pressure without playing in the games and experiencing. it.

Youth soccer in this country is extremely broken. It is too expensive for most families and others have pointed out, the focus is on wins/loses/points and not getting technically better. On the bright side, things are radically better than when I played as a kid. I have even seen improvement from when my kids younger and on local clubs. All that being said, I still think we are a generation away from being able to really start competing on a more regular level and I remain optimistic about that future.
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BartInLA
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11:01p, 7/6/26
I'll be completely honest. The chatter of what mistakes we made and all of the analysis are overshadowed by straight short term Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood but I'll get over it in a week. Soccer (football) is infinitely the most popular sport on earth.
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aggietony2010
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In reply to THE_CHOSEN_ONE • 11:03p, 7/6/26
AG
THE_CHOSEN_ONE said:
King ****as with the kiss of death. Took all the energy out of our World Cup run and everything turned to **** and national unity down the drain like everything else he touches.


Seek help.
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zgolfz85
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In reply to FIDO95 • 11:05p, 7/6/26
AG
FIDO95 said:
This team simply appeared to wilt under the bright lights. This was the biggest stage many have played on and it showed. IMO, the biggest advantage of many of the European leagues (and players that get regular playing time there) is the pressure of being relegated, promoted, or qualifying for the Euros. Nothing happens to you if you are at the bottom or the top of the MLS table. Contrast that with the grind of the European league schedules and the opportunities to play in Euros which simulates a world cup tournament. What do the top teams in the MLS get to do that is equivalent. You simply can't acclimate to the pressure without playing in the games and experiencing. it.

Youth soccer in this country is extremely broken. It is too expensive for most families and others have pointed out, the focus is on wins/loses/points and not getting technically better. On the bright side, things are radically better than when I played as a kid. I have even seen improvement from when my kids younger and on local clubs. All that being said, I still think we are a generation away from being able to really start competing on a more regular level and I remain optimistic about that future.


Dude what are you talking about? 95% of our team plays in Europe. This post is about 16 years late
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ccaggie05
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11:09p, 7/6/26
AG
Just curious, how many of the players on the WC roster are getting regular minutes with their clubs?

The ideal situation is our players are at clubs that where they are actually playing vs riding the bench. I don't keep up with most of these guys at their clubs, so I don't know how much of an issue that
is with this team.
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zgolfz85
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In reply to ccaggie05 • 11:15p, 7/6/26
AG
ccaggie05 said:
Just curious, how many of the players on the WC roster are getting regular minutes with their clubs?

The ideal situation is our players are at clubs that where they are actually playing vs riding the bench. I don't keep up with most of these guys at their clubs, so I don't know how much of an issue that
is with this team.


Most play a good amount and if aren't starters, get significant minutes. Gio would be an exception. Dest and Pepi get good minutes, but not consistent. Most other guys play all the time.

I still think leaving Diego Luna off this roster was a massive mistake. He's the guy that could have got in everyone's ear and lit that team up like JFF against Duke. I hate that we let that glue guy stay home. Massive mistake IMO
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South Platte
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11:16p, 7/6/26
We need to enjoy American soccer for what it is. Despite a massive population advantage, the best athletes in our country don't play soccer, will never play soccer, and USA will never catch the elite international teams. And that's ok. Too many other sports pluck our top athletic talent.
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the_batman26
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In reply to ccaggie05 • 11:24p, 7/6/26
AG
I'd say they get solid minutes, but roughly 14/26 of the roster are in MLS/second-division Euro clubs. It's nowhere near Belgium's 26 all playing in Europe and on serious heavyweights. The minutes in MLS can't compare unfortunately.
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ccaggie05
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In reply to South Platte • 11:31p, 7/6/26
AG
South Platte said:
We need to enjoy American soccer for what it is. Despite a massive population advantage, the best athletes in our country don't play soccer, will never play soccer, and USA will never catch the elite international teams. And that's ok. Too many other sports pluck our top athletic talent.


Pretty much. It's been fun to see the sport grow and I think overall our talent level on the USMNT has improved quite a bit since I started watching the sport regularly around 20 years ago.

I'd love to see the U.S. get to a level where it can compete with the top countries, but I doubt it happens anytime soon.

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zgolfz85
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11:32p, 7/6/26
AG
From someone on Reddit and I can't disagree. It was a distraction and honestly a gift to Belgium more than it was a gift to us. It was the definition of locker room material and something to rally around. :

"I'm just going to say it, and I don't care if I get downvoted to oblivion. The decision to let Trump lobby Gianni Infantino to suspend Folarin Balogun's red card is exactly why we just got embarrassed 4-1 by Belgium.

Think about the mental toll this put on the squad. For days, Mauricio Pochettino and the boys were preparing to play without Balogun. Ricardo Pepi had to be completely locked in. He was prepping to start in a do-or-die World Cup knockout match. Then, literally 24 hours before kickoff, FIFA magically invents a one-year "probation" loophole because of a phone call from the White House?

Imagine being Pepi. I'm sure he's a team player and happy Balogun was cleared, but getting completely rug-pulled at the eleventh hour after training as the starter all week is a massive blow to the locker room. You can't just flip a tactical switch like that the day before the Round of 16 and expect the team to be cohesive.

And then there's the absolute media circus. Instead of focusing on Belgium's defense, our guys were thrown into a massive political firestorm. The entire world was calling us corrupt. UEFA called it "incomprehensible." The Belgian FA was practically foaming at the mouth and threatening legal action. It created a massive distraction and an insane amount of unnatural pressure.

Worse, it completely tainted the vibe of the match. If we won, the victory would forever have a massive asterisk next to it. Half the internet was saying it was rigged, and I literally saw actual Americans commenting that they were rooting for Belgium just so Trump wouldn't get the credit for "saving" the tournament. You think the players didn't see that toxic noise on social media? You think that didn't mess with their heads when they stepped onto the pitch in Seattle?

We should have just taken the red card on the chin, maintained our dignity, and let Pepi cook. Instead, we turned the USMNT into a global controversy, blew our focus, and laid a massive egg on the pitch. Absolutely disgraceful way to go out."
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fig96
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In reply to HowdyTexasAggies • 11:51p, 7/6/26
AG
HowdyTexasAggies said:
fig96 said:
GigEm17J said:
Genuine question... What will it take to get to an elite level? Is it even possible here with all the other sports soaking up athletes?

It's not about the athletes.

Kids here don't live and breathe soccer like they do in Spain, Brazil, England, Portugal, etc. They don't grow up playing pickup or futsal or street soccer for hours a day. They don't develop that touch and understanding and exploration of the ball that's innate to the best players.

There will be outliers that can become very good to even elite pros in top leagues, we have a few now, but we're going to be hard pressed to develop a true world class superstar (at least one that's born in the US).


Plenty of US kids play soccer, problem is most quit and follow the money. My nephew stayed in soccer, he's a stud athlete, but wish he would have stayed in baseball, he won't get any money with soccer. He'd likely get something in baseball.
Youre not reading what I wrote.

Plenty of kids play soccer. It's not they thing they live, eat, and breathe like it is other places.
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fig96
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In reply to Who?mikejones! • 11:52p, 7/6/26
AG
Who?mikejones! said:
To some degree. But, soccer purist (not a dig at you) do indeed underrated the lack of athletes not choosing soccer or choosing another sport.

You need more athleticlly gotten kids to choose soccer over football or basketball than you have now. We need to grow that pot. We could absolutely grow a soccer superstar here, but we don't incentivize it.
We didn't get out athleted today.
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fig96
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In reply to the_batman26 • 11:55p, 7/6/26
AG
We also lack a true world class player.

Most every team moving on has at least one if not a few.
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