"Bitterly disappointed" US team suffers total loss at Copa
The USA is part of the hosting trio for the 2026 Football World Cup, but two years before the major event, there's a grim mood in US soccer: The National Team was knocked out of the Copa America in the group stage.
Two years before the Home-World Championship, the US Soccer National Team failed in the group stage of the Copa America on their own soil. Against Uruguay, the team, consisting of former Bundesliga professionals Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Chris Richards, lost 0:1 on a Monday evening (local time) in Kansas City.
In Group C, the USA finished in third place after two losses in three games. Uruguay won all three group matches, and Panama advanced to the quarterfinals in second place. A win against Uruguay was crucial for the USA to make it to the knockout stage of the tournament.
"We had a good start with a lot of energy, but in the end of the day, the quality just didn't cut it," said former Dortmund professional Pulisic on US television. Coach Gregg Berhalter and the team were heavily criticized in US media right after the elimination. "We're bitterly disappointed with the result. We know we can do better. We didn't show it in this tournament. We should have done better," said Berhalter.
"Fire Gregg!"
The coach, who returned to the job after a brief resignation in 2023, is now facing a fresh breeze on the way to the Home-WM: During the second half on Monday evening, the spectators began to chant: "Fire Gregg." The CBS experts had already predicted before the game that Berhalter "had to win to keep his job."
The US broadcaster NBC misses the development under the former Bundesliga pro (Energie Cottbus, 1860 Munich): Since Berhalter's return, "nothing has changed. Berhalter hasn't managed to lead the USA to victories against stronger teams, most successes were against smaller teams." On FOX, former national player Clint Dempsey complained: "I'm at a loss for words. Where have we made progress since 2002? We haven't made any!"
Despite the USA's hosting role in the 2026 Soccer World Cup, their preparations were tainted by a disappointing performance in the 2023 Copa America. In the group stage, the USA Soccer National Team, featuring players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Chris Richards, lost to Uruguay and failed to advance.
Change in atmosphere is evident in US soccer fandom, as fans in Kansas City chanted "Fire Gregg!" during the Copa America match, putting pressure on coach Gregg Berhalter ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the USA.
