ClapThe Gold Cup isn’t exactly considered to be amongst the biggest and best international tournaments in world football, but given how things have transpired over the course of the last few weeks, it seems as if that’s not the best of assessments. The Gold Cup has been producing some of the most entertaining games over the course of the summer, and that looks set to continue as fans prepare for the final four.
As reported by ESPN and MLS Soccer, the United States aka USMNT will indeed be playing in those semi finals after they were able to edge past a stubborn Curacao side in Philadelphia.
Edging through
it’s not exactly a secret that the last few years have been tough for the Americans when it comes to their men’s team, as they haven’t really been able to get a foothold in, well, anything. They failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and some would argue they haven’t actually made all too many improvements since then. Clearly they’re getting better results in the Gold Cup, but the level of competition is nowhere near as high and that much is obvious.
Weston McKennie was able to ease any lingering tension in the stadium after just 25 minutes, putting the USMNT into the lead. From that point on, though, they were just kind of going through the motions until the end of the game – which is hardly what you want to see from your national team in a game of this importance.
Sure, it may have been a good way in which to secure the result, but they should’ve been going for the kill against a team like Curacao. They’ve definitely come on leaps and bounds which is obviously great to see from the perspective of improving the Americas’ impact on world football, but they still shouldn’t have given the US anywhere near as many problems as they did.
When you go and take a look at some of the analysis surrounding this game, it’s hardly positive. In the comments section for MLS Soccer, one fan had the following to say.
What next?
“It seems unfair to just point out how bad Zardes was when there is so much else wrong. Berhalter’s decisions are off on almost everything. I know a new coach isn’t going to fix everything but it would be nice to be able to watch the US play without cringing.”
This guy doesn’t exactly speak for everyone, but he’s right in suggesting that it’d be nice to watch a USMNT team with something about them – kind of like what we saw in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup.
The Americans have a rich pedigree in soccer that a lot of fans don’t realise exists, and with the 2026 FIFA World Cup being set to come around sooner than most of us would expect, it’s time to see someone act on it.
In the semi finals the US will need to be playing at the top of their game, because if they aren’t, they’re going to get punished by Jamaica.
