American dream ends: USMNT out of World Cup

Futbol

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DOHA, Qatar — The devastating blow that knocked the U.S. men’s national team out of the 2022 World Cup was a 21-pass Dutch masterpiece. It was class and ruthlessness personified, clockwork orange from front to back to front. It crushed American optimism that had swelled throughout two weeks in Qatar, and eventually sent the American team trudging toward their traditional exit.

It led to Netherlands 3, U.S. 1 here at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday, and to a game during which the USMNT crashed head-first into its current ceiling.

“The silence is deafening,” U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner said after the game. “Everyone’s disappointed, everyone is in a somber mood.”

The Americans recovered from a two-goal halftime deficit, and pulled a goal back with 15 minutes remaining. Haji Wright’s wicked, fluky finish awoke 44,846 fans from a slumber, and rekindled dreams.

But Denzel Dumfries answered a few minutes later. The fightback wasn’t enough. In the end, Dutch quality was.

The Americans were confident and eager, and for eight whole minutes seemingly superior. Then they were struck while snoozing by soccer royalty. The Netherlands lulled them into a trance, then pounced with talent unlike any the U.S. had seen at this World Cup. Memphis Depay picked them apart at midfield, then punished Tyler Adams and his midfield teammates for lagging.

On the stroke of halftime, Daley Blind made it two, sneaking inside a half-step-slow U.S. defense. And with that, although there were 45 minutes still to play, a campaign that had offered so much hope essentially ended with a dud.

The U.S. arrived at the Khalifa buoyed by an excruciating yet captivating 1-0 win over Iran. It energized America, and felt like a breakthrough, capital-M Moment. To the USMNT, though, it was simply the completion of one tournament within the World Cup, and the start of a second one.

Christian Pulisic’s goal, to many, felt akin to Landon Donovan’s versus Algeria in 2010, but when asked about those comparisons a couple days later, Pulisic said: “I’m hoping I haven’t had that moment yet, to be honest. I’m hoping it’s in front of me.”

The Netherlands, though, had other ideas — and had something the U.S. didn’t: finishers.

The U.S. had one glorious chance to write a different script. A pingponging ball bounced to an onside Pulisic all alone in the penalty area after just three minutes. But his third-minute shot was saved. Other promising attacks, like so many from the U.S. throughout the group stage, were wasted.

And in midfield, the very players who’d induced so much optimism, for the present and the future, made costly mistakes. Perhaps their legs had gone after three herculean group-stage efforts. Perhaps they were paralyzed by the moment. Whatever the reason, Adams and Weston McKennie were spun around in midfield, and lost track of Depay as the Barcelona forward advanced to the top of the box, found a soft spot between midfield and defense, and scored the very first goal from open play against the U.S. all tournament.

USA's Christian Pulisic reacts after a World Cup Round of 16 loss to Netherlands at Khalifa International Stadium on Dec. 3, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
USA’s Christian Pulisic reacts after a World Cup Round of 16 loss to Netherlands at Khalifa International Stadium on Dec. 3, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

But two more would come, with Dumfries the chief menace down the Dutch right side. The U.S. had plenty of possession, and at times control. But it was constantly vulnerable, and almost caught by surprise by the technical ability and tactical awareness of its opponents.

It was then deflated by the very last kick of the first half.

“That was brutal. To give up that extra goal was brutal,” Turner said in a postgame interview. “It was off a throw-in. There’s no real excuse for it. Everything that coulda went wrong on that play did.”

U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter threw on Gio Reyna at halftime, for Jesús Ferreira, who’d started ahead of an injured Josh Sargent, but who looked overpowered and outclassed by a world-class Dutch defense.

The defeat, though, was not about individuals. It was perhaps about fatigue. But it was mostly about a level that the Netherlands rose to, and that the U.S. hasn’t yet reached.

On paper, it leaves the USMNT precisely where it was in 2010 and 2014, with a single World Cup win and a Round of 16 exit. The optimistic outlook is that this one was accomplished with the youngest team at the tournament. This run was fueled by progressive soccer, and by players fueled by a reformed youth development system that has only gotten better over the decade since it produced the team’s current stars.

Those stars, meanwhile, will be in their prime when the men’s World Cup comes to home soil less than four years from now. Pulisic, McKennie and Adams will be 27. Tim Weah will be 26. Brenden Aaronson and Sergiño Dest will be 25. Reyna and Yunus Musah will be 23.

But that is then. Here and now, at the Khalifa, Adams keeled over, then dropped to a knee, then sunk into a crouch, then onto his butt, deflated, defeated.

Here and now, there was only a stark reminder that, for all the USMNT’s progress, there is still much more to make.

Memphis Depay of Netherlands celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's first goal against the United States in the World Cup Round of 16 match at Khalifa International Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Memphis Depay of Netherlands celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s first goal against the United States in the World Cup Round of 16 match at Khalifa International Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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