Christian Pulisic has lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy, the only award in the same stratosphere as the one the United States men’s national team is pursuing now. Sergino Dest has played alongside Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona. Weston McKennie has played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. Tyler Adams scored the goal that advanced his club at the time, RB Leipzig, farther than it ever had been in the European game.
There are two fundamental differences between the United States men’s national team that is competing at the 2022 World Cup and all those that previously qualified for the tournament in the modern era: 1) the members of this group have been places and accomplished things their predecessors did not have the opportunity to do, and 2) these Americans are so young they might even believe they can win this thing.
Some of that might be their unique circumstance, which is a product of their elders’ failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and introduction of “Nations League” tournaments in various federations, most notably in Europe. That has limited the opportunity for the U.S. to play against such teams as Spain, Germany and Portugal.
So they don’t know what they don’t know, but they know what they know.
MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)
McKennie called it a “swagger”, but you can see from their performances to date that is a product of confidence, not overconfidence. Maybe they don’t know what’s out there, really, but they believe what they’ve encountered in other forums has prepared them.
The USMNT will face the Netherlands, the world’s No. 8 team, in Saturday’s World Cup Round of 16. If they win that game, they will have gone as far as any modern American men’s team, matching the achievement of the 2002 squad.
“We’re not done,” Berhalter told the team in the locker room following the 1-0 victory over Iran to close Group B, which advanced the U.S. to the knockout rounds. “That’s the mentality that we need to have — and not that we’re happy to be here.
“We’ve got to flip the switch and get into competitive mode. Knockout — anything can happen. It’s about survival now, and I’ll take you guys all day.”
Can anything happen, really?
- In 2018, Croatia — with a population of slightly less than four million, which is how many reside in the city of Los Angeles — reached the World Cup final with an extra-time victory in the semifinals over England.
- In 2014, Costa Rica — with a population of slightly more than five million — advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Greece in a penalty kick shootout.
- In 2002, Turkey reached the semifinals in their only tournament appearance, ever.
“We’re a fearless group — brave, relentless, diverse,” captain Tyler Adams told ABC’s Good Morning America. “We have all the qualities of a team that can go out and win this thing. So we have confidence in our group and now it’s about going out and executing it.”
Those words were echoed by his USA and Leeds United teammate Brenden Aaronson, with nearly the exact words.
“We don’t want to celebrate too much and think: ‘Oh, we just did it. We won.’ Like we didn’t win anything yet. The ultimate goal is winning the World Cup,” Aaronson told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So we want to keep a calm mind, and just know that we got to give our all against Netherlands.
“We have so much bravery and intelligence. We’re diverse. We’re fearless. We go out there, and we do it all.”
MORE: Can the USA beat the Netherlands in the World Cup Round of 16?
Here’s what McKennie wrote in a piece for Newsweek: “I think winning the World Cup is within reach for us. We are a bunch of young players with high spirits and high energy, and being the youngest you always want to prove something. Especially playing against big teams.”
Next up, defender Walker Zimmerman: “We’re not finished yet,” he told CNN’s This Morning. “I think the narrative continues, we’re still going to try and do that and accomplish our goal of winning the World Cup.”
Can the USA beat the Netherlands?
There’s no question it will take a tremendous performance for the U.S. to defeat the Netherlands, who have not lost in 18 consecutive games, and that will be more true if star forward Christian Pulisic is limited by the pelvic injury he suffered in the Iran victory Tuesday. He has pledged to be ready to play, but there will be reasonable doubt about his effectiveness until he’s on the team sheet and out there performing with his customary energy and flair against the Dutch.
And there’s no doubt the greatest obstacle to advancement is the continuing struggle to create and convert scoring opportunities. The USMNT have only two goals after three World Cup games, enough to win a game and draw two others. But they’re not creating chances, with an expected goals number under 1.0 xG in two of the three games.
This is not new. The U.S. scored 21 goals in 14 games of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, an average of 1.5 goals even though more than half those games were against opponents that did not qualify for Qatar. They were shut out five times in 14 qualifying games, and in three of their four pre-World Cup friendlies.
MORE: Why USMNT’s Sergino Dest chose to play for USA instead of Netherlands
The absence of a goal-scoring striker has vexed this program since Jozy Altidore faded from the team picture. Josh Sargent has been effective at holding up the ball and often distributing for others, but has not been able to find dangerous positions with the ball.
The combination of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tyler Adams — the “MMA midfield”, as it’s come to be known — has excelled at possession and progressing the ball up the field. It’s an essential element of what has become an assertive, flexible, resilient defense. None of them, though, is an accomplished creator. Musah may become that, but his ability to go past defenders on the dribble has not yet translated to generating scoring opportunities. And the U.S. have not established the prowess on set pieces to supersede the weakness of creating goals in live play.
So the team will have to survive and advance on limiting opposing chances and stealing a goal here or there, or perhaps neither team scoring and then performing in penalty-kick shootouts. There are no draws in the knockout rounds. It’s 30 minutes of extra time, no sudden death, then penalties if the game remains tied.
If it comes to that, success is partly about technique, but mostly a matter of belief.
It’s where “swagger” can come in handy.
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