INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After the match, one that ended with a gut punch, a familiar huddle formed. Country Roads played over the speakers, albeit a bit more muted than last time. And, as the chorus hit, the U.S. Men’s National Team locked arms in a circle at midfield once again. The scoreboard above them read:Turkey 3, USA 2.
Because of that scoreboard, this wasn’t like the last two. This was no celebration. There were no screams or high-fives for the cameras to zoom in on. Smiles were nowhere to be found. Yet the huddle stayed the same, largely because it had to. In this moment, most of all, that gathering was even more important than before.
“For us, it’s not a matter of if you win or if you lose,” defender Mark McKenzie said after the defeat. “It’s a matter of being together and showing that togetherness. It’s not for optics. It’s not for other people to create their own narratives. It’s a moment for us to be together, for us to be able to regroup, understand that it’s going to be highs and lows, but the 26 men, plus all of our staff, are going to be the ones to help us accomplish what we want to accomplish in this tournament.”
Ultimately, that’s what Thursday was about: the USMNT setting themselves up to accomplish what comes next. In that sense, despite the defeat, it was mission accomplished. Several players made World Cup debuts, building confidence in the process. The performance, generally, was good right up until that last-second goal that sealed the defeat. Christian Pulisic returned and played well after an injury absence, and generally, the vibes built through the first two games continued on in Los Angeles as fans backed the U.S. right on through the match.
So, yes, while the loss will hurt, it won’t hurt too much. It surely won’t hurt at all as long as the U.S. do what the team is setting out to do against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32 next week.
“I think what we need to remember is that we won the group,” head coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all of the pressure and expectations quite well.”
He added: “I am very pleased with the players and the fans of the U.S. We qualified as No. 1 into the next round. What matters is going to the next match in your best condition.”
Onto the next match, then. That’s the one that matters. All the U.S. could do on Thursday night was put themselves in a better position to win that match, and they did. So, while the loss will sting, particularly the manner of it, the message in that huddle was surely to stick together as the real tournament begins.
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