The US Men’s National Team has botched its World Cup run at the hands of the Netherlands. The Dutch side may have had fewer possessions and shot attempts. But it still seemed much stronger than their American opponents.
To the Dutch credit, Louis van Gaal came out and said the US didn’t adapt or adjustGreg Berhalter stuck to the same formula both offensively and defensively in his younger squad. And despite many players trading in Europe, Berhalter added that he doesn’t have a “Memphis Depay” at his disposal. Memphis scored the opening goal and the daily blinds reflected his goal just before halftime.
It’s always been hard work getting to the top OrangeMemphis Depay is the top talent in his game. Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world. Frenkie De Jong is a game-changer in midfield for both club and country.
Still, elimination from the World Cup showed something else. It demonstrated the need for the United States to play in elite competition.
It could be the USMNT’s entry into the UEFA Nations League or Copa America, as it has done several times in the past. opportunities are extremely important.
need the best experience
Mexico and Canada are good teams. Costa Rica is aging, but it has certainly posed challenges to the United States over the past decade or so. The constant opposition to these CONCACAF sides has worked well to make the US the best team on the continent.
But what it failed to do was prepare the United States for an important and meaningful match against a team brimming with world-class talent. Poland and Wales played ‘warm-up’ games in the Nations League, while the United States played Nations League games against Grenada and El Salvador in June. In those two countries, he has made a total of two World Cup appearances, and he has not made one in the last 40 years.
In addition to their talent on and off the field, the Netherlands will have to adapt to different playing styles with these opponents. Belgium, Poland and Wales are other teams with players who can play against the Netherlands. For the US, its talent surpasses Grenada and El Salvador. That being said, Verhalter’s team held El Salvador and he only drew 1-1, with Jordan Morris saving him one in stoppage time.
USMNT Appearance in the UEFA Nations League
Jumping from CONCACAF to UEFA and joining the Nations League might seem like a far-fetched idea. To be fair, there are no Nations League intercontinental jumps. The closest thing to this outside of a friendly is Finalissima, most recently contested between Copa America winners Argentina and Euro 2020 champions Italy.
However, South American teams could soon qualify for the UEFA Nations League for the same reasons as the United States. All 10 CONMEBOL teams are under consideration Join the UEFA Nations League 2024 and beyond. To match them, the top six teams on the World Cup qualifier table will enter the top division, League A. This means that Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia will participate in League A, while the remaining four teams will participate in League B.
All games will be played in Europe with restricted travel to South America.
The reason CONMEBOL partnered with UEFA is FIFA’s plans for the biennial World CupHowever, it also offers more interaction and practice between elite teams. Argentina and Brazil are solid contenders at each World Cup. Still, this allows teams like Ecuador, Peru and Chile to play against top European teams on a regular basis.
How USMNT integrates into top teams
For the first time in its history, USMNT deployed an all-European-based line-up, as we saw in the USA-Iran World Cup.
With the majority of USMNT players playing in Europe, it makes more sense for national teams to play competitive games in Europe than in the US or South America. Players will travel less, providing the United States with a tougher away test against European competitors.
We’ve seen how competitive European teams are in the UEFA Nations League.
Moreover, if you look at the last four World Cup tournaments, the winners have all been European teams. Facing European competition will be a tougher test for the United States. That experience is priceless.
Logistically speaking, it may be difficult to see USMNT competing in the UEFA Nations League. That said, the inclusion of South American teams provides a precedent. An unfortunate case for the United States is a missed opportunity to create a Nations League for North and South America. Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador. , playing against Uruguay would go a long way for the experience of the increasingly young USMNT side.
However, they still have a chance to qualify for the Copa America, a South American tournament that often sends invitations to other teams. The United States has qualified for the Copa America Tournament four times since his 1993. Two of those were eliminated in the group stage. In his two remaining matches, he actually reached the semi-finals, losing to Argentina and Brazil.
Additionally, they hosted the 2016 tournament, which they lost to Argentina. The USA played Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay in the group stage with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. The Stars and Stripes then defeated Ecuador in the quarterfinals. The 2016 tournament was the only Copa America example No It’s happening in the CONMEBOL country.
USMNT reporter Grant Wahl said:absolutely must play” at the 2024 Copa America. Wall even said the tournament should be considered. Wall added Ecuador had lost interest in hosting the 2024 Copa America. It could present an opportunity for the host city in 2026.
On that topic, the 2026 World Cup means there will be no World Cup qualifying games. These, as is the case with many teams, were the best competitive games this batch of USMNT players had. Qatar, for example, did not play a competitive match in preparation for the World Cup. It is the first time a host country has failed to score a point in the group stage, and his second to fail to reach the knockout stage.
fighting game
Whether these competitive games are the Copa America or the UEFA Nations League, they are of paramount importance to the USMNT. Going into 2026, the expectations for the current team will be even higher. Fans not only expect better quality, they expect better tournaments.
Until then, if Greg Berhalter remains in charge, he will have to experiment with different tactics and player selections against top teams. He made a mistake against the Netherlands, but as one of the three host nations he could not afford to fail.
Photo: IMAGO / Colorsport
