AL RAYYAN, Qatar — The heart was willing.
In their fourth World Cup match in 13 days, in the unforgiving crucible and rarified air of the knockout stage, the young American men gave everything. And as they promised, they stood tall and toe-to-toe with the favored Netherlands without fear or reservation. They forged forward, out-possessed, out-passed and outshot the Dutch by a significant margin, and never sagged in the face of adversity. The U.S. tried everything. Walker Zimmerman, the 6’ 2”, 196-pound center back, even attempted to score on a bicycle kick in the 86th minute.
The heart was willing. But the legs and brain seemed spent. In those small but critical moments that decide the toughest games against the most seasoned, skillful opposition, the U.S. faltered. And so it's headed home, 3–1 loser to the Netherlands, ranked eighth in the world and unbeaten in 17 months, here at Khalifa International Stadium.
