I don't know... I think we can't ignore HOW we looked and played to win the group. That's a new high for the program. Also, the win against Bosnia wasn't chopped liver. I'd be delighted if he came back as head coach. Problem is, I'm not sure how this next cycle will look in terms of players hitting their prime. We might have some very young players ready to contribute, but a lot of guys on the team are going to be past their peak. I honestly don't see Pulisic or Weah ever contributing in a world cup in 4 years. Just isn't going to happen. Jedi? I love the guy but don't see his body holding up for another four years. Weston is going to slow down... That engine can't go forever. Maybe I'm wrong, but 2030 feels to me like a rebuilding cycle, no?
That's why Poch is the perfect coach to take this program forward. He's not going to rely on the same core group, he's going to develop the next Alex Freeman and the one after that and so on.
I think you’re always going to lose guys from the older group but 2030 will be the first cycle where we no longer are having a missing generation.
We were in a low block for three of the four goals. We didn't get caught out on a counter, and even the third goal is only a goal because Freese had a massive brainfart. So how are we better if we're in a low block all game? It was our low block defense that failed, over and over. Our gameplan didn't cause us to have shitty clearances, not attack a ball in the box, completely fail on a header or kick the ball directly to the opponent in the box. We had a chance with our gameplan. We played poorly. Nothing to do with gameplan. Every time we lose to a better team, people act like bunkering is some guaranteed better gameplan. No, it's not. It fits some teams better than others, and some just simply need to do it. But it's not magic upset juice. And it's a terrible fit for our team, which concedes at an absurd rate every time we are in any kind of passive defense, especially a low block. The path to winning this game was not to turn over the ball every 10 seconds. We needed to control the ball, apply pressure and score 3+ goals. No one I knew ahead of time thought the US could win a 1-0 game against Belgium. We needed to play a gameplan that had us scoring multiple goals because we're not a good defensive team. We needed to keep the ball more often so they had less time to score. Instead, our attackers gave the ball away constantly. And so Belgium had the ball a lot and that's the kiss of death for our defense. ---- Also, the Ream focus is off base The reality is that Richards was worse than Ream this match and Freeman and Jedi were no better. While Ream is at fault for the second goal, it had nothing to do with his pace or getting caught out. Ream never got caught out for pace across five games in this World Cup.
Any lies here? - A mediocre Belgium team, weak relative to Belgium 2014 and Netherlands 2022 - Belgium 1 - 1 Egypt, Belgium 0 - 0 Iran, down 2-0 to Senegal - Belgium didn't start household names like Doku, Lukaku, de Bruyne - Onana left with an injury after only 21' - US basically lost to guys like Charles De Ketelaere from Atalanta and Hans Vanaken from Club Brugge and Nicolas Raskin from Rangers - We had our full A team and were not only WC hosts but with a massive pro-US crowd in Seattle - We lost 4-1 and it never looked all that close - One of the most embarrassing losses in modern USMNT history - Poch's captain 38 year old Tim Ream was absolutely horrific, one of worst performances ever - Poch's starting GK Freese (statistically the worst on the roster) had the biggest blunder ever - The most lopsided loss of any Round of 16 game - Round of 16 exit exactly the same as in 2010, 2014, 2022, but just in a more humiliating way - This was after failures in both the Nations League (losses to Panama and Canada, outcoached by Christiansen and Marsch) and Gold Cup (loss to Mexico, outcoached by Aguirre) - Three failed tournaments all on home soil including the most important opportunity in US Soccer history - All for $6 million a year the third highest salary for any national team coach
I think that United States would be best off to consider a change. I’m not sure who the decision-makers are, at this time. Certainly, they are keeping under the radar. A good time to start over, I’m thinking. Let’s move on and see what’s next.
yikes BREAKING: Folarin Balogun will not play in the quarterfinals, per Tim Ream and Matt Freese pic.twitter.com/PUfegpDJ2R— Underdog (@Underdog) July 8, 2026 People are going to be meme-ing this s*** for years Hans Vanaken becomes Belgium’s oldest goalscorer in the Knockout Stage pic.twitter.com/ve2bD2Xn1N— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
This was a feature, not a bug. The opposing coach chose younger, faster, stronger, more athletic guys over two old guys and a guy recovering from an injury. That was one of the reasons they were able to overwhelm us physically, IMO.
'Setting a low block' was shorthand for a way of playing, not just the setting of the backline at any given time. The US was certainly playing that kind of system. Ummm, no. Poch vs the current elo top-20 1-4 Belgium 2-3 Turkey 1-2 Germany 0-4 Switerland 1-1 Ecuador 2-0 Japan yayyyy! 1-2 Mexico 1-2 Turkey 0-2 Mexico Bunkering isn't the same thing as setting a lower block to play on the counter. Being a lower block isn't tantamount to being 'passive'. If the team is passive, that's Poch's choice. It doesn't work. It hasn't worked for 8-plus years. Try something else. Poch vs the current elo top-20 1-4 Belgium 2-3 Turkey 1-2 Germany 0-4 Switerland 1-1 Ecuador 2-0 Japan yayyyy! 1-2 Mexico 1-2 Turkey 0-2 Mexico Well, we know the US isn't a good defensive team when trying play on the front foot against almost any decent opponent. Belgium had 53% possession in the 1st half. 1st goal: the scorer slipped in behind Ream who was covering...no one. 2nd goal: the scorer had simply been standing next to Ream. The cross came in. He took a couple steps then dunked on Ream. 3rd goal: well, we know what happened there And 1/5 in duels especially horrific for CB. It's nice he didn't caught out for pace. Unfortunately, he has additional weaknesses.
I didn't say it was a bug, I said they're household names. As far as what you're describing, it sure sounds like Poch getting outcoached again? Like vs Panama in the Nations League semifinal, like vs Canada in the Nations League third place game, like vs Mexico in the Gold Cup final... so in the important knockout games Poch is 1 for 5 having been outcoached in the other four besides 61st ranked Bosnia?
Poch was taken by surprise. Then he adjusted and we started to come into the game. Then we gave away two stupid goals. Watch and learn.
this is a very good video and analysis. as a coach, the first thing I look at is to see what formation the other team is playing. then I consider how that might affect our team and where to keep an eye on these factors. even as a fan, It was interesting to me to consider why DeBruyne and Jeremy Doku were not starting. “What’s going on here, exactly?” it is suggested in the video that Poch makes some adjustments at the first water break. And, it could easily be suggested, by that time, it was too late. The United States did not look like the same team that performed so admirably in their first four matches. The midfield did not support the defenders defensively. They always looked like they were on their back foot. And, assuredly, the third goal was the killer. and rarely do you see that happen at this level. That blooper will be played until the end of time and the United States is back to looking like a developing Soccer country. Fans across the world will remember the Belgium match, the 4-1 defeat, and forget the others.
We were only a goal down at the hydration break and we don't know what changes he called in real time before that. It is difficult to switch tactics unless you have a predetermined plan B and even after knowing De Bruyne and Doku weren't starting it's hard to anticipate Trossard starting on the right to exploit the hole behind Jedi and Tim Ream's lack of mobility.
Well, you included it with a laundry list of reasons why you think we should have beat this Belgium team, so I was pointing out it wasn't a weakness, but a strength. I'm not sure that team selection is out coaching anybody if you have the better talent to choose from on your bench. The real coaching coup was the choice to play long ball, to negate our press, but the only way to rebut it is to have all players able to handle it better, and I'm not sure that's a coaching thing. The CBs on our bench, were perhaps better in the air, but had so many other weaknesses, which have often been demonstrated, that not playing them is pure second-guessing. Let's not overlook the fact that Richards was just as bad as Ream, everybody's whipping boy, at this in this game.
I didn't read the entire thread, but a Head Coach is more than just an X and O guy. There is cohesion and systems. They must meld together. An overlooked aspect is motivation. There was a stark contrast between how they played in the previous 4 games and the final game. In the final game, they were tentative and uncertain. There was little confidence or conviction. They did play better in the second half. So did the players play poorly because the coach was uninspiring, or despite the coach's best efforts, he could not inspire them to play their best? Talent-wise, it would have been a modest upset if we had won. You could argue that Belgium has not played well, but that just proves that the US lacks the quality to pressure Belgium into "mediocre" performance.
To paraphrase what of that I listened to, Meola says that, basically, it's on the players. No different or better tactical setup would have made us win the game with the endless slew of mistakes--small and large--that EVERY player made in that Belgium game.
I'm done with pochettino Problem is it really could be worse Of course I don't want a worse manager than pochettino but getting a new manager comes with that risk..... But pochettino failed. Time to go, pal I want a different manager that keeps the same general playing style But isnt clueless about player selection (ream being his lock starter was inexcusable) And a manager who isnt condescending af in press conferences....one who actually answers questions that are asked I want a usmnt manager who doesn't overvalue "vibes" like most of them have And also a manager who doesn't feel the need to prop up the domestic league.....a manager who vets each and every player in europe before digging in the mls bargain bin And also a manager smart enough to know you can't use the exact same game plan every frigging match in the world cup and not get embarrassed at some point You know, basic stuff
I like Poch and appreciate the job he did in the challenging context of less than half a cycle. But his post-Belgium comments struck me as an effort in excuse-making and changing the subject. 'Hey, we lost but the future is bright!' bespeaks the participation-trophy mentality of all things USMNT. I want a commitment to being the '26 version of Belgium at the next WC. At the fringe, that is, of the world's elite. Good enough to have taken the field yesterday v. Spain without getting the doors blown off (as obviously would have happened to us). Good enough to win decisively in the round of 16. If Poch leaves, he'll claim his tenure was a success. It wasn't.
So what is a realistic plan to actual have that occur? Most of our best players will have moved into their post-prime ages We do have some prospects but many of the high end one will still be very young There are some dual nationals to recruit but not a material amount To me, there's player work to be done in the short term, but you start with a declining core and the replacements, even if the USMNT Coach contributes strongly with recruiting and scouting, will need some good positive luck to break even on face, if nothing else. In order to be better next cycle, then, we need to focus on being better at defense due to organization, cohesion, etc., rather than simply player personnel. We need to try to extract more value from tactical considerations -- which means not just being smarter but likely having more time together. And we need to work on our experience and mental discipline -- which means more tough experiences if we can swing it. And maybe more personnel change than we want to admit. But the US coach can't do much in talent development, much less talent development that needed to start five years ago.
On that point, the average age of the Belgian and Swiss squads is almost 30. I don't believe that 31 or 32 years old is necessarily "post-prime".
I don't think all of our players are going to be bad, or replaced, or gone. Maybe not any of them. But it would be silly to think that on average, the collective group of Pulisic, McKennie, Jedi and Adams will be as good as they are today. Whereas from 2022 to now, we could have expected them to improve as players, they are almost certainly collectively going to decline. I think Belgium is an illustrative example. They aren't as old as their averages say -- they've been playing Lukaku 30 minutes a game and deBruyne has been coming off the bench in about half the games. Those guys are there, but the mantel has been passed down. They have replaced it with guys like Doku, and they still have guys like Courtois. Could the roster be better in four years? Yes. Our older players could hold on better than expected and guys like Sullivan, Kochen, Banks, Gozo, etc., could have a high hit rate and also perhaps be a bit more mentally tough. But the '97-99 crew is going to be hitting the part of the aging curve where you really start to decline, and the '05ish area simply isn't that strong.
Ultimately a coach has a limited impact and the it always comes down to the player pool. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and hire the best coach you can but no coach is going to completely change the trajectory of the team.