We may never know exactly why the United States men’s national team no-showed the biggest match of this generation on Monday.
Belgium was better. Key American players failed to deliver on the sport’s biggest stage. And the United States’ development system continues to produce questions that resurface after every major tournament defeat.
All of those things can be true.
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But as the postmortems continue following the United States’ 4-1 loss in the Round of 16, the defining story of the American team at this World Cup continues to be downplayed in favor of more comfortable debates.
Regardless of whether it affected the result, the unprecedented political controversy that engulfed the Americans in the 36 hours before kickoff will become the lasting memory of the U.S. team at its home World Cup.
It was an undeniable storyline in the Americans’ worst knockout-round performance of the 21st century, delivered in front of the largest television audience ever to watch a soccer match in the United States. The Belgians even treated the controversy as part of the spectacle, referencing it in their celebrations and post-match comments.
Since the final whistle, the conversation has predictably revolved around tactics, player development and the same structural debates that emerge after every American setback. Some blame the “pay to play” youth soccer model, which requires families to cover coaching, travel and facility expenses. Others point to MLS. Still others insist it was simply “not our night.”
There are kernels of truth in those arguments. But they miss what made this specific debacle unique.
World Cups are about narratives as much as results. We’ve spent decades chasing moments like Landon Donovan’s dramatic goal against Algeria in 2010, the quarterfinal run in 2002 and the optimism surrounding the 1994 home tournament.
Four matches into the tournament, the Americans appeared well on their way to adding to that list. An energetic, attacking underdog playing on home soil, the Americans won over casual fans and attracted admiration from much of the soccer world. Even rival fans viewed the United States as one of the tournament’s feel-good stories.
That changed Sunday afternoon.
FIFA decision to overturn Balogun’s red card suspension was damaging
FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s suspension and make him eligible for the Belgium match immediately became one of the tournament’s biggest controversies. The subsequent revelations that President Donald Trump and U.S. Soccer officials had involved themselves in the process only intensified the backlash against perceived corruption.
Whether the decision was technically permissible is almost beside the point. The reputational damage was already done.
What followed was nearly as revealing as the decision itself. Many Americans were understandably thrilled to have our best striker back and were far more concerned with the benefits of the unprecedented outcome than with grappling with why so much of the world viewed the episode skeptically. Former U.S. national team star Alexi Lalas vehemently defended the reinstatement on national television. A New York Times opinion headline declared, “Hate us for it if you want, but the U.S. did what was necessary for Folarin Balogun’s return.”
Of course, Americans do not have to agree as to whether the process was corrupt. But the eagerness of so many to dismiss the skepticism it provoked around the world is worthy of introspection.
Conversely, many Americans felt sheepish rooting for our team Monday night. Fans who have slogged through countless chaotic CONCACAF matches in Central America and the Caribbean over the years were more likely to feel frustration as the team suddenly found itself facing accusations of favoritism ahead of a World Cup knockout-stage match.
A victory would inevitably have been viewed through the lens of controversy. Fairly or unfairly, many around the soccer world were already questioning the legitimacy of the process before the match even began.
Belgium did not beat the United States because of a FIFA controversy. The Americans were more than capable of losing 4-1 with backup strikers Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright leading the line.
But the historical image of this U.S. team will no longer be its exciting young stars, the thrashing of Paraguay or the steadfast victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Instead, this team will be remembered for the 48 hours surrounding the Belgium match, when the host nation transformed itself from an uplifting World Cup story into the villain at the center of the tournament’s most polarizing debate.
That is the definitive failure of a tournament that should have been remembered for so much more.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.
