For USA, the focus now shifts to 2026 World Cup

DOHA, Qatar – Tyler Adams put his fingers on his knees and hung his head. Teammates came to visit, one after the other, to pat their fearless captain on the again or give him a hug. After a few seconds, Adams kneeled on the turf at Khalifa Worldwide Stadium, head nonetheless down, as ideas rushed by his thoughts.

The ultimate whistle had simply blown on america males’s nationwide staff’s 2022 World Cup. The journey was over after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.

“For me, frustration to start with,” Adams stated, explaining what he was considering throughout these moments. “It is the primary time in a very long time folks will say, ‘Wow, this staff has one thing particular.’ There have been so many ups and downs the previous three years and once you put 4 performances like that out on the sector, it actually offers folks one thing to be enthusiastic about with the potential for this group.

“Potential is simply potential. But when we maximize it in the proper method, we will do one thing.”

Tyler Adams discusses how a lot progress is to come back for the younger USMNT staff

The U.S. needed to win the World Cup. The staff wasn’t happy simply making it out of Group B and incomes a spot within the Spherical of 16. Different U.S. squads have completed that, together with the latest squads that performed within the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.

The gamers needed to tackle Lionel Messi and Argentina within the quarterfinal subsequent week. They needed to face Brazil within the semifinal and France within the last. That is what this younger and bold group needed to do in Qatar.

The Individuals got here up wanting their objectives and have been glum and disheartened within the aftermath. A dejected Christian Pulisic embraced his mother and father. Gio Reyna declined to talk with reporters, strolling by the combined zone saying, “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.” Tim Ream, the oldest participant on the roster at 35 years previous, had tears in his eyes figuring out he’d probably performed in his first and final World Cup.

And whereas battling each emotion, the traditionally younger USMNT nonetheless had the foresight and maturity to look ahead and have perspective.

“I imply, we had a standard purpose 4 years in the past, a mission we set out on which was to alter the way in which the world views American soccer,” midfielder Weston McKennie stated. “I feel this event restored plenty of perception, restored plenty of respect to U.S. Soccer and soccer in our nation.

“We have proven that we could be giants, ultimately. We is probably not there but, however I feel we’re positively on our method.”

‘We did not need the journey to finish’ – an emotional Weston McKennie discusses USMNT mindset transferring ahead

The U.S. not solely had the second-youngest roster in Qatar, however performed the 4 youngest beginning lineups within the event. It is a squad of rising expertise, most of whom will probably be round in 4 years when america co-hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighbors Mexico and Canada. In truth, the majority of that staff nonetheless will not even be 30 years previous. Adams, McKennie and Pulisic will all be 27. Sergino Dest and Brenden Aaronson will probably be 25. Reyna will probably be 23.

By then, they’re going to have 4 extra years of taking part in on the highest stage of the game within the high European leagues. Perhaps a few of them will play in a Champions League Remaining. However maybe most significantly, they now have World Cup expertise to hold with them.

Coming into this event, solely defender DeAndre Yedlin had ever been to or performed in a single as a part of the 2014 staff.

“The largest factor on this group is studying what it feels wish to lose in a World Cup,” Yedlin stated a pair hours after the Netherlands match. “Now you go into the following one and just about everyone in that group, most likely, can have performed within the World Cup. So now it is an entire completely different story. Now they know that feeling of what it is wish to lose after placing a lot into it and the sensation of defeat.

“The previous can solely gas success sooner or later.”

There’s this notion throughout the USMNT that issues occur for a motive. Had it certified in 2018, possibly they would not have had the chance to construct a particular brotherhood as many of those gamers earned their first senior staff call-ups within the aftermath of that qualifying catastrophe. 

Over the previous 4 years, the majority of the squad constructed a basis, an identification, a tradition and have become shut pals. Through the pandemic, guys stayed in contact from all world wide, speaking on headsets whereas taking part in video video games. At their staff resort in Doha, there have been 15-20 gamers at any given time taking part in pool or playing cards or consuming collectively slightly than being alone of their room on their telephones.

Then once more, what if the Individuals had certified and performed in Russia 4 years in the past? Adams, McKennie and Pulisic would have had that World Cup expertise earlier than 2022. Perhaps a couple of different gamers as nicely. Would issues have gone in a different way this 12 months? 

Regardless, there’s hope for the longer term. Not simply due to the youth and expertise that may solely get higher with time, however due to the strong relationships and chemistry they’ve developed.

“The idea we’ve in one another and the bond that we’ve off the sector is completely different,” defender Walker Zimmerman stated. “It is completely different than any staff I have been part of.

“The love that we’ve for one another and the way in which that the blokes who did not play a single minute supported the blokes who performed each minute. That is distinctive. And it isn’t straightforward to do figuring out that half the blokes are giving up their dream of taking part in in a World Cup simply to help [the other] guys in a World Cup. And to really have guys that imagine in that, imagine within the course of as a staff, that is what makes this group completely different.”

To make this all price it in 4 years, although, the group has work to do. For one, it wants a correct, dependable striker. Coach Gregg Berhalter stated after