You can't go deep in a World Cup if you can't score goals; the USA were doomed

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Every 4 years, erstwhile the United States men's nationalist team are eliminated from a World Cup -- astatine slightest the ones they suffice for -- the refrain is predictable: "We proved we belonged," oregon immoderate saltation thereof.

Except this clip astir it rang truer than successful the past. Over the people of 4 games successful Qatar, the US went toe-to-toe with their opponents, pressed them efficaciously and defended stoutly. Doing truthful with the second-youngest squad successful the tourney besides bodes well.

So, with Netherlands having dispatched the US 3-1 successful a World Cup round-of-16 matchup, a somewhat antithetic spirit of the aforesaid sentiment could beryllium heard. As US manager Gregg Berhalter said: "We acceptable retired with a extremity to amusement the remainder of the satellite however we tin play soccer. I deliberation we partially achieved that, adjacent though we fell abbreviated of our goals."

The US fell abbreviated due to the fact that of, well, a shortage of goals. And that was yet the quality betwixt the 2 sides connected Saturday.

"They were objective successful their [scoring] opportunities successful the archetypal half," Berhalter said astir the Dutch. "Other than that, determination wasn't overmuch separating the teams." But you tin record that past remark under, "An inch is arsenic bully arsenic a mile."

While determination was advancement successful immoderate areas, determination is 1 wherever the Americans inactive person sizeable catching up to do. The sanction of the crippled -- and the hardest portion of the crippled -- is scoring goals, and for each of the awesome play by the US successful this World Cup, the Americans recovered the backmost of the nett conscionable 3 times successful 4 games. In presumption of expected goals per game, the US were successful the bottommost fractional of teams that reached the circular of 16 (tied for 12th), and besides the tourney arsenic a full (23 retired of 32.)

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So, for each the speech astir however this is the astir talented squad successful the past of the US men's program, determination is 1 country wherever you could reason that, say, the 2010 broadside was amended -- astatine slightest comparative to the competition: that squad had extremity scorers and this 1 doesn't. Sure, that 2010 broadside didn't get capable extremity accumulation from forwards astatine that World Cup, but extremity scorers tin beryllium positioned elsewhere connected the field. In Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, that squad had a brace of extremity scorers that gave the US anticipation they could triumph against anyone.

On this existent USA team, the crushed for specified content has yet to look with capable consistency to truly instrumentality the Americans to the adjacent level, wherever they tin genuinely endanger to bushed the champion teams capable times to spell deeper astatine a World Cup.

Against the Dutch, immoderate chances were there. Christian Pulisic's effort successful the 3rd minute, erstwhile helium was enactment cleanable done by Tyler Adams -- lone to spot his changeable saved by Netherlands keeper Andries Noppert -- is 1 helium rues.

"It hurts, man. It hurts," Pulisic said of the miss. "I thought I was mode offside erstwhile it happened, but I inactive deed it, and helium made a bully save. It's going to wounded for a while."

Fixing the US scoring occupation

Berhalter acknowledged the quality successful prime -- and acquisition -- erstwhile it came to finishing disconnected chances, particularly astatine the guardant position. "We don't person a Memphis Depay close now, who is scoring goals successful the Champions League, and playing astatine Barcelona and has been an planetary for years and years," helium said.

The US don't person a Denzel Dumfries oregon a Daley Blind delivering pinpoint passes into the container either. For the US excessively often successful this tournament, the last shot into the container wasn't bully enough. It wasn't conscionable astir the strikers and mediocre finishing, but besides astir not creating capable high-quality chances.

For each the speech of expected goals successful this game, wherever the Netherlands (1.67 xG) hardly had the borderline implicit the US (1.49 xG), determination were conscionable 3 large chances for the US wherever the xG was greater than 0.19. One of those, Haji Wright's extremity has to beryllium considered a fortunate fluke, coming arsenic it did connected a deflection disconnected his bottommost that helium seemed to cognize small about. The remainder of the USA's chances were low-percentage shots.

True, this is the World Cup, and goals are hard to travel by, but the US simply indispensable amended successful creating prime chances and successful finishing the chances they bash get. With the adjacent World Cup to beryllium hosted successful the US, Canada and Mexico successful 2026, the Americans person 4 years to hole this.

In presumption of helping play, the US person endowment successful this portion of the field, to beryllium sure, with Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Giovanni Reyna. Outside backs similar Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson, who had stellar tournaments up until the Netherlands game, origin into this equation arsenic well. And implicit the adjacent 4 years they'll request to proceed the maturation they showed successful this rhythm -- they cannot spend to tread h2o if the US are to progress, and determination is each crushed to beryllium optimistic they volition physique upon this tournament. There are nary guarantees though.

Yet, a accordant center-forward remains this team's elusive unicorn. Would Ricardo Pepi oregon Jordan Pefok person done amended astatine this World Cup? It's hard to ideate them performing worse than Wright and Jesus Ferreira did, and that is simply a determination that Berhalter is going to person to unrecorded with. But the hunt goes on.

Pepi, conscionable 19 years old, figures to get plentifulness much chances successful the adjacent cycle, though it remains to beryllium seen however galore competitory games await the US fixed the likelihood that arsenic a big the US volition automatically suffice for 2026 World Cup. The aforesaid volition beryllium existent for Josh Sargent, inactive conscionable 22, who was coagulated but incapable to find the nett astatine this World Cup.

More candidates undoubtedly volition look to situation those already determination -- astatine least, the US should anticipation so. The perfect script is that the competitory situation wrong the nationalist squad and astatine the players' clubs volition rise the corporate level of the American team. Fixing the USA's deficiency of goals mightiness instrumentality time, but it has to beryllium a priority.

Otherwise, erstwhile it comes to World Cups, the US volition again find themselves talking astir however they hung with the large boys alternatively of beating them.