The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team has been eliminated from World Cup competition in a hard 4-1 loss Monday evening to Belgium in the Round of 16 of the global soccer tournament.
Belgium defeated the U.S. in a match held before a capacity crowd at Seattle Stadium. The game is expected to deliver NFL-level ratings as viewership in the U.S. as viewership of the World Cup tournament has steadily increased for Fox Sports and Telemundo/Peacock. The 39-day competition began June 11 and is set to conclude on July 19.
The U.S. Men’s team had been hoping to advance into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The team’s July 1 victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina helped generate buzz for the tournament and drive interest among U.S. viewers as the tournament unfolds across 11 U.S. cities plus venues in Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. Men’s team had high hopes for making big strides on behalf of the men’s game. U.S. women have claimed Women’s World Cup victories four times, in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.
Commentators were quick to praise the U.S Men’s team for capturing the public’s imagination and fielding stars including Malik Tillman, who scored Team USA’s only goal of the game, as well as Folarin Balogun, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, among others.
Mauricio Pochettino, coach of the of U.S. team, was blunt in his post-game interview with Fox Sports. He said the team that played Monday night did not show the same skill and coordination that allowed them advance past the Group Stage rounds last month. Belgium jumped out with an early lead and retained the momentum through the rest of the match.
“It’s not to find excuses or an argument. We didn’t show up like the team that had showed up [earlier in the tournament]. That is a reality,” Pochettino told Fox Sports. “We need to assess the game and why we didn’t approach this game the same way.” He added that ultimately he is “the person responsible.”
Fox Sports commentator Carli Lloyd, a member of Women’s World Cup winning teams and a retired pro soccer player, echoed the coach’s sentiments about the team’s struggle on Monday.
“They lost the game before they even stepped out on to the pitch, and I’m not sure why,” Lloyd said. “This is a real disappointing loss to go out on.”
(Pictured: Youri Tielemans of Belgium and U.S. player Malik Tillman, who scored the game’s only goal for Team USA)