The destination was pretty much expected, perhaps even predictable, despite the plot twists, close calls and a high-profile pelvic contusion suffered along the way. The 16th-ranked U.S. men’s national team was eliminated in the Qatar World Cup’s round of 16.
The precocious Americans had the talent to finish above Wales and Iran in a tight group topped by England, and they did. But the U.S. didn’t have enough to win a second knockout match in 92 years, or to defeat another European power (there’s been one win in 20 World Cup meetings since 1990). They were who we thought they were.
Instead, the shocks came once the U.S. lost to the Dutch and left Qatar. From the controversy, revelations and subsequent investigation concerning former coach Gregg Berhalter and Gio Reyna’s parents, to the departures of men’s GM Brian McBride and U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart, one shake-up after another has left the national team in limbo a bit more than three years out from the North American World Cup.
