NEW YORK (PIX11) -- That thud you heard late Monday night was the United States Men's National Team falling to Uruguay one-nothing and failing to exit the group stage of the Copa America tournament.
No other way to cut it, the performance was disastrous. This was the last chance for the American team to face really quality competition before being one of the host countries for the 2026 World Cup.
They opened up the competition with a two-nothing victory over Bolivia before losing 2-1 to Panama and the one-nothing loss Monday night in Kansas City to Uruguay.
Now, the question is direction. Same one after they lost to the Netherlands 3-1 in the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup.
Head Coach Gregg Berhalter was rehired in June 2023 after the World Cup, and now similar questions remain. Is the United States men's national team growing and getting better, or are they regressing?
Soccer is the world's game. It may not be the most popular sport in the United States, but the event in two years is of prime importance for the growth of American soccer, and it is now on US Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker to make the correct decision.
Switch things up, or stay the course. Berhalter has been on the job for five years, and the team has underperformed. In their last two big international competitions, over seven games, the United States team has scored just seven goals.
Not enough.
His best two results as a head coach were draws against England and Brazil.
Put simply, the United States men's national team is not the most talented team in the world, but it might be the most talented team that we have ever seen put together for the US. They are good enough to expect better, and there needs to be accountability for the way the team played in the Copa America.
As defender Tim Ream said, we need more intensity and have to be more demanding of each other.
Will Berhalter get that out of this team? The results say no.
Until next time, New York, I'm Marc Malusis.
