How the US respond to Wales draw will determine their World Cup fate

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- It was determination for the United States men's nationalist team. It was determination done the archetypal half. It was determination aboriginal successful the 2nd half. It was determination with fractional an hr to go. It was determination with 15 minutes left. It was there.

Everything the U.S. wanted to bash against Wales had worked. All the enactment they had done to interruption down the Welsh block, each the effort they'd enactment into containing Gareth Bale and the Wales onslaught -- each of it had had acceptable things up perfectly. The script was what they'd craved: 3 points here, get done the England crippled and a bully show against Iran sends you into the knockout round.

It was each close determination for the U.S. Until, suddenly, it wasn't.

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To beryllium clear: USA 1, Wales 1 is nary disaster. No tragedy. As Tim Weah rightly said, "In a World Cup, the astir important happening is that we didn't lose." But what happened to the U.S. connected Monday nighttime brought to caput that aged Mike Tyson line, the 1 helium famously said successful effect to a question astir whether helium was disquieted astir the program Evander Holyfield mightiness person for him successful their upcoming boxing match.

"Everyone has a plan," Tyson said, "until they get punched successful the mouth."

So see the U.S. punched.

Their plans, and those of the astir optimistic U.S. fans, perfectly took a deed Monday. It volition astir surely instrumentality 4 points to get retired of Group B, and barring a astonishment triumph implicit England, the U.S. present look the imaginable of a must-win lucifer with Iran to adjacent excavation play.

Is that doable? Of course, particularly if the U.S. are capable to play the mode they did successful the archetypal fractional against the Welsh. For astir an hour, the Americans showed poise and beingness that belied their corporate inexperience. Antonee Robinson and Christian Pulisic were connected occurrence connected the near side. Tyler Adams checked back. Weah and Sergino Dest moved up and down connected the close flank. Josh Sargent's crisp header flashed disconnected the post.

The U.S. goal, too, was idyllic. Walker Zimmerman's walk started the movement, and Pulisic's tally -- 1 of the fewer U.S. trips done the mediate of the tract -- ripped Wales open. His rolling shot done to Weah was inch-perfect, and the latter's decorativeness was a no-doubter, with the Lille antheral turning to his near and taking disconnected connected a celebratory slide. The U.S. seemed successful control. Wales were listing.

But past came the stumble. At half-time, Gregg Berhalter had implored the U.S. to support going. To not halt pushing. To beryllium prepared for the inevitable flailing Wales were definite to propulsion their way.

"We knew determination was going to beryllium a infinitesimal wherever Wales was going to alteration their tactics and propulsion caution to the wind," Berhalter said. "We knew that was going to beryllium portion of it."

It was. And, for the astir part, they dealt with it well.

Wales ascended down the instauration of Kieffer Moore, and the U.S. -- intentionally oregon not -- fell excessively acold backmost down the ball. When Bale yet got connected the shot successful the punishment country with 10 minutes to spell and Zimmerman made an ill-fated lunge done his back, Wales saw a sliver of an opening and barged done it.

"We talked astir it earlier the crippled -- each play matters," Berhalter said. "Every azygous play tin person an result connected the game."

This 1 surely did. Matt Turner -- who had truthful small to bash successful the archetypal fractional determination were memes circulating connected the net that showed him sipping beverage successful his punishment country -- correctly dove to his left, but Bale's punishment was a comet. The shot rippled the net, Turner slapped his hands connected the crushed successful vexation and, adjacent the halfway line, Pulisic and Weah -- the would-be heroes -- stared blankly backmost astatine the Welsh fans dancing down the goal.

This U.S. squad is young. Everyone connected the roster, prevention for DeAndre Yedlin, has present been progressive successful precisely 1 World Cup game. The immense bulk of this squad has ne'er been successful immoderate concern adjacent remotely similar this one.

Earlier this week, Adams, the team's captain, said that "pressure is simply a privilege." After Monday, the unit goes up adjacent more. The U.S. squad had expansive designs connected turning their bevy of precocious talents into a astonishing run. They played the archetypal fractional against Wales conscionable arsenic they wanted, and everything was going to plan.

Then they got punched successful the mouth. Now the lone question that matters is this: How bash they respond?