Tim Weah, the comet in cleats, spoke for his American teammates after the great win.
"I always say it's us against the world," he said, on FOX Sports, from the World Cup in Qatar. "Because no one believed that the U.S. could play good football."
Much has been made of late, thanks to a current ad campaign, of the debate regarding soccer vs. football. The celebrity-sprinkled commercials make it out like it's a matter of linguistics. But if we're doing this, it's really a matter of status. Essentially, football refers to the beautiful and sophisticated game played internationally, while soccer refers to the game played inferiorly by Americans, notably the high school athletes who didn't go out for the actual football team.
But Weah was right. With his team drawing a tie against mighty England and then defeating Iran, the U.S., indeed, played good football. And maybe that's been the issue right there. For some of the past eight years, our national team was playing soccer. This year, ultimately, finally, the Americans were football players.
Their play popped. The U.S. team — bookended out there by St. Louisans Tim Ream and Josh Sargent, both of St. Dominic High School — showcased confident and creative possessions, especially in the first halves of their three games. During one play in Tuesday's win against Iran, American Yunus Musah unleashed a step-over move — and then, another! — to bypass a dumfounded defender. On the FOX broadcast, Stu Holden could only say: "Goodness, gracious!" That's how good they were at times — goodness-gracious good.
And the U.S.-Iran game was played, fittingly, on Musah's 20th birthday. He was born in 2002. The last time the U.S. played in the World Cup, he wasn't yet a teenager. The U.S. team is the second-youngest in this World Cup (and our town's Ream, at 35, skews the average age more toward the older side than it would be otherwise). So, that's the thing about this year's American squad. Other teams have made it to the knockout stage of the World Cup, be it 2002, 2010 and 2014. But this American group got so good so fast, most of the same fellows could be back for 2026 (and even then be considered young).
As for the current World Cup, the United States indeed succeeded by reaching the round of 16. Though, if you simply go by FIFA world rankings, the U.S. entered the winter ranked 16th. So the team essentially did what it was supposed to do by making the final 16. Regardless of your perspective, Saturday gives the team its chance to overachieve and to make imaginations run like Weah in the open field.
Can the U.S. beat the Netherlands?
Well, you know what the Dutch say — Aanval is de beste verdediging!
That is to say — the best defense is a good offense.
The U.S. scored only two goals in the first three games, and it might take two goals to win this lone game. Christian Pulisic, of course, was a part of both goals, distributing the gorgeous pass for Weah's goal against Wales and netting the winner against Iran. It's unclear whether Pulisic will play Saturday.
After being hospitalized for precautionary reasons following his collision with the Iranian keeper, America's No. 10 did return to the team hotel to greet his teammates. And he posted on social media that he'll play, but that's not necessarily the official word from the team. Brenden Aaronson, 22, would be a serviceable replacement for Pulisic. The youngster has some magic in his boots. But Pulisic is the pulse. The boys need him.
In the FIFA world rankings, the No. 5 side is England, while No. 8 is the Netherlands, called the "Oranje," though not to be confused with baseball's Rusty Staub (referred to in Montreal as "Le Grande Orange").
No. 8, however, looked a bit wobbly in games against Uruguay and Senegal. And, like America, the Netherlands also missed the 2018 World Cup. Though, that's about where the comparisons end with the red-white-and-blue and the "Oranje." That nation's bright soccer history includes a third-place finish in 2014 and, in the great 2010 tournament, finishing as runners-up to Spain. The Dutch have never won the whole thing, though also played for the championship in 1974 and 1978, back in the days of Johan Cruyff and "total football."
The U.S.'s greatest World Cup triumph was its only win in the knockout round, 20 years ago, defeating Mexico by the famed score, dos a cero (2-0). Brian McBride, the former St. Louis University star, scored one of the two. He is now the general manager of the U.S. men's national team.
The odds predict America will lose. Logic and reasoning say the dream dies Saturday. But the Americans are playing good football. The Americans belonged out there with England that day. One wants to think, if anything, they'll make Saturday's game a game.
But here's thinking the U.S. won't win in the knockout stage until 2026.
