The U.S. team lost to the Netherlands in their final game of the 2022 Fifa World Cup last week. The team started the World Cup with a tie against Wales and England, before they defeated Iran 1-0. The goal that won their match against Iran was scored by star player and attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic, who left the game with an injury.
When the U.S. faced the Netherlands, they lost 3-1. Haji Wright, another star player and forward player for the U.S team who had previously missed a golden opportunity to score on a misplay, later scored the one and only goal for the Americans. This was the fifth time that the U.S. made it into the Round of 16 at the World Cup. The team has only advanced to quarterfinals once, in 2002, after beating Mexico.
The U.S. team arrived in Qatar as the second-youngest team at the tournament and had not qualified for the World Cup in eight years. But the team outplayed Wales and stood its ground with England, one of the most celebrated teams in the tournament. The U.S then delivered a victory against Iran in a politically-packed match.
The U.S. coach, Gregg Berhalter told the New York Times he sees potential in the team and hopes to “nurture and shape the squad before the 2026 World Cup.” ESPN suggested that Berhalter is in discussions with the U.S. Soccer Federation about a new contract. Soccer has grown in popularity since the last time the U.S. team qualified for the World Cup. According to a new Morning Consult survey, about one in three adults consider themselves soccer fans, and that 32 percent is younger and more diverse than the average U.S sports fan.
Despite the social media jokes about U.S fans going back to football, fans already expressed enthusiasm for 2026, when the World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. This will be the first time North America hosts the tournament since 1994.
The quarter-finals are set to take place this weekend, Dec. 9-10. With Qatar as the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup, this World Cup certainly had an unusual variety of winning teams. Morocco made history with its defeat against Spain, becoming the first Arab team to make it to quarterfinals. This Friday, Croatia will play against Brazil and the Netherlands against Argentina. Morocco will play against Portugal on Saturday, followed by England against France. There will be four winners left standing, set to play in the semifinals.