What Went Wrong For Team USA?

Charles Boehm to talk about where it all went wrong for the national team. Charles, welcome to the show. We just got to start with it. It seemed like a completely different team yesterday. They just seemed like they weren't ready to take on Belgium. What happened? You know, the players themselves didn't have any answers when we asked that question post-game. They all felt that they were ready for this match. They insisted over and over again that the controversy around Fulharn-Balligan's red card being rescinded didn't affect them. But the vibe around the team had just changed so dramatically from those first few games where they were so confident, so dominant, so fluid. So, the team and those around them are going to spend months, maybe years, picking up the pieces from this day. So, there are a lot of new World Cup watchers. You know, I think every four years when this comes around, the sport picks up and a lot of new fans. And for those who don't know the history here, Charles, explain to, you know, making it this far, making it to where they got. Belgium knocked them out the last World Cup. Can you explain the history here and why this was so important for Team USA and the significance of it? Yeah, look. On the one hand, you can say that a national team that was an afterthought for decades has reached the final 16 of the World Cup, which means they're one of the top teams in the world. However, this is the same level of the tournament that we were knocked out in in 2022, 2014, 2010. In very similar circumstances, established countries just having more talent and being more prepared on the day. So, as much progress as has been made over these decades, getting over the hump and joining the world elite, that's been the final hurdle for the U.S. men's national team. It's been a real challenge. And even with a coach like Mauricio Pochettino in charge now, who's got the biggest contract of any coach in program history, they still can't seem to find a way. And this is a team with so many players playing at elite European clubs, playing in UEFA Champions League, doing big things at club level. This really seemed like this would be the year to get over that hump, playing on home soil. And it all fell apart so quickly yesterday. Charles, I got to ask about the story of that game. Of course, it's being talked about so much. Is that goalie flub and, you know, us getting down by just too many to come back from? I got to ask about our captain now, Christian Pulisic. A lot should be said about the fact that we were looking to this captain to lead us through. And he finished the tournament with no points. Yes, he was dealing with injuries. What do you take away from his performance at this FIFA World Cup? Really, really troubling question. This is Captain America. Even though he's not actually the captain of the team, he's been sort of branded as that. He's been the savior. He's been the golden boy of the program for the better part of a decade now. And he's doing amazing things at one of the world's biggest clubs, the AC Milan in Italy. But he simply hasn't put it all together at national team level in these big moments. It's shocking. It's honestly depressing. He's had to come out injured in many of the World Cup matches, the two World Cups he's played in. He just hasn't stepped up in the big moments. It's tough because he's not a character who really loves the spotlight. But the thought was always that his ability, his quality would come through and clutch. And it simply hasn't. And understandably, that leads a lot of fans to ask maybe he's not quite the iconic player that he was thought to be. All right. We appreciate your time, Major League Soccer writer Charles Boehm. Thanks so much for joining us here. Pleasure to be with you. Of course. And the U.S. men have been bringing in record viewers. According to FIFA, the Round 32 win over Boston and Herzegovina was the most watched soccer match in U.S. history. That record is expected to be broken. Once we get the official numbers for the U.S.-Belgium clash, hopefully all the U.S. viewers stick around because we've got so much more.