“If that’s the only thing that’s possible, then it’s not good enough.”
Former U.S. men’s national team player Alexi Lalas, now an analyst for FOX’s coverage of the Copa America tournament, made the statement in the middle of a two-minute tirade following the USMNT’s 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday night in Kansas City.
This defeat marked the first time the United States failed to advance past the group stage in a tournament hosted in the United States (the team had reached the knockout rounds in each of the 19 previous tournaments).
After the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in one of the most embarrassing moments for the U.S. Soccer Federation, plans were in place for a comeback. It was to be a so-called “Golden Age” of U.S. Soccer. Young players like Christian Pulisic (19 in 2018), Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest and others were ready to bring the USMNT back to the top tier and compete at a high level in international competition. In 2022, they tried to do just that when they rebounded and advanced to the Round of 16 in Qatar before facing a better Dutch team and falling.
However, the move also came with a certain promise. Qatar was seen as a building block for the United States that would lead it to the 2024 Copa América and the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Canada and Mexico.
At least that’s what we thought.
After winning their opening Copa America match against Bolivia, things were looking promising for the USA as they had Panama lined up four nights later. However, a red card for Timothy Weah in the 18th minute put them at an early disadvantage from which they never really recovered as they conceded a late goal and fell 2-1. That loss forced a very tough battle that included a result against Uruguay and some help as Bolivia needed a draw or win against Panama.
Early on, the U.S. seemed to have some work to do after holding Uruguay scoreless in the first half, with Panama leading Bolivia 1-0 at halftime. Bolivia then equalized early in the second half, allowing the U.S. to advance to the quarterfinals with a draw. Seconds later, Uruguay scored on a controversial free kick that was just one of several referee errors. However, after a video referee review, the goal counted, and the U.S.’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals were once again bleak. Things then got even worse, as Panama scored two more last-minute goals to beat Bolivia 3-1 and advance to the quarterfinals with Uruguay.
People will certainly look back on Monday night’s game and blame the referees for the loss, but at the end of the day, the USA’s performance was not good enough to advance. They were sloppy in possession, weak on counterattacks and simply did not capitalize on the opportunities presented to them.
So the million dollar question is: How can the US Soccer Federation solve this problem?
You can start with a coaching change.
Gregg Berhalter has a win percentage of under .300 against top 30 nations, leading the team ranked 11th by FIFA in 2024. His overall record in those games is 6-10-8 (.250 win percentage). He just hasn’t been able to get his players to their full potential, which has created a discrepancy. Plus, coaching is all about adjustments. After the first half against Uruguay, it didn’t look like the USMNT had made any adjustments, content to play for a draw and hope Bolivia would help them out.
Beyond that, however, the blame lies with the players.
There comes a point in every sport where coaches can’t stretch their game plans so much; players have to be able to go on the field and execute their plans. Plus, players like Christian Pulisic are expected to make adjustments based on what they see on the field. Discuss the game with your coach and make the changes you think are best for the team. This team didn’t do that, especially with Pulisic as captain.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has two years to get things under control before hosting the 2026 World Cup. If you thought 2018 was embarrassing, can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to be eliminated before the round of 16 at the World Cup you host?
The obvious change is to move on from Gregg Berhalter and find a new leader for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and that move needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Matt Miguez is the host of the Miguez Mindset Podcast on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles YouTube channels. He is also a digital contributor for ESPN Southwest Louisiana.
