USA at the World Cup so far...

If you’re anything like me, then the USMNT has caught you by surprise in their group stage matches. I hate to say it but I am used to being disappointed by the US men's soccer team. They don’t win tournaments and traditionally there has been very little excitement or success. However, as an avid sports fan and a supporter of all things U.S.A., I have been cheering them on throughout this World Cup. 

As we head into the round of 32 match later tonight against Bosnia-Herzegovina, it feels appropriate to take a minute to look back on their group stage matches. In their send off matches prior to the start of the WorldCup, it was evident that this team was clicking and had chemistry that had been lacking in previous tournaments and other matches. I was pleasantly surprised to see this continue when they started the World Cup. They came out pressing, playing high and  put the pressure on Paraguay. This tactic paid off early when the press created a good chance and lots of chaos in Paraguay’s own box, leading to an own goal in the seventh minute. They were able to capitalize and put two more in the back of the net courtesy of Flo Balogun before the end of the first half.

The USMNT celebrate a Flo Balogun goal - Photo by John Dorton/Getty Images

Paraguay was able to get one back at the start of the second half. However at the end of the game with great passing from the US players, ultimately Gio Reyna was able to put one more in and seal the game with a final score of 4-1. Not only was it a very dominant win, but the team also played with joy, and were all ecstatic for each other after each goal. For maybe the first time in a long time, the USMNT played like an actual team versus just as talented individuals trying to make it happen on their own. Some might have thought this win didn’t hold a ton of weight since the team was expected to win. However, I think that their ability to do so in such a dominant fashion set the correct tone for the rest of the tournament to follow. Additionally, it was such a united group of players, which was very enjoyable. 

For their second group stage match the US played Australia. The US got their first goal once again from an own goal, which was created by the US playing aggressively and putting a lot of pressure on Australia. And right before the halftime break, Alex Freeman scored a goal.

The team celebrates with Alex Freeman - Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

They entered half-time 2-0. While I had hoped that they would be able to put a few more in the back of the net, this ended up not being the case. The second half was more defensive and scrappy, but the US was still able to get the job done. There were definitely a few close calls but ultimately the back line held their own and we were able to come away with a clean sheet, the first one in a long time. This game besides being another great win was historical, only the second time that the US men’s team has won their first two group stage matches. The last time that this happened was in 1930. This win qualified them for the round of 32, ensuring that their World Cup journey would continue. Additionally, in their group Paraguay beat Turkiye, which meant that the US won their group, and had the top spot coming out of their group. 

The final group stage game was very different from the first two. For the first time in a long time the coaches were able to rest players, give bench players some minutes and, most importantly, keep players from getting a second yellow card and having to miss the round of 32. This was only possible because the team had already qualified for the knock out stage. As a result, the starting line-up was very different from the previous two. They had nine new starters, including a new goalie, with only two starters being the same from the previous matches. They once again started off with a bang, scoring in the third minute by Austin Trusty.

Austin Trusty runs to celebrate with the team - Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Our backline was not as reliable as it had been in previous matches with a visible lack of coordination and chemistry. Turkiye scored two goals in the first half, one of which was a sloppy give away on the part of the U.S. Had the lines been cleared more efficiently, it probably would’ve been tied going into half time. Instead, for the first time in the tournament, the U.S. trailed. However, the U.S. came out with some fire and Sebastian Berhalter tied the game up in the 49th minute. It looked like this game would end in a tie, but in the last seconds Turkiye scored one more. While the result was certainly disappointing, it would have been incredible to win or tie, it was still a good match. We saw the U.S. struggle and come back and still put up a fight. Additionally, they were able to mostly keep a very tough Turkiye team at bay. Turkiye is a very good team and they were predicted to potentially top the group, but certainly to qualify to the round of 32. The fact that they didn’t was very shocking. A lot of good came out of a disappointing loss. I think it's an important reminder that our stars mostly were not in the match. Christian Pulisic got a few minutes in after being out due to injury, which was very positive. However, the team did well despite not being the usual crew. 

I am excited to watch the next match and cheer on the boys! GO USA! Let’s make history!