The article discusses the US men's national soccer team's (USMNT) performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team was expected to advance to the knockout stage, but ultimately lost in the Round of 16 to the Netherlands.
Berhalter acknowledged that the Iran match "took a toll on the guys mentally" and the Round of 16 clash with the Netherlands "came really quickly." He also pointed out that the US lacked experience playing in big moments, as they were upstart team compared to the Netherlands' extensive World Cup history.
Despite their disappointing exit, the USMNT has made significant progress in recent years. In 2010, the team met expectations by advancing to the knockout stage for the first time since 1930. This year's performance was seen as a step forward, but not enough to surpass the Netherlands' level of experience and quality.
The article also highlights the importance of setting higher expectations for the USMNT in the future. With the team hosting the 2026 World Cup, there is an opportunity to build momentum and make a deeper run in the tournament. Robinson emphasized that the key will be to compete more and fight harder than their opponents, which would allow their quality of play to shine through.
The article provides insights into the USMNT's performance at the 2022 World Cup, including their mental preparation for the tournament and their inability to cope with the increased aggression and experience of a World Cup.
Berhalter acknowledged that the Iran match "took a toll on the guys mentally" and the Round of 16 clash with the Netherlands "came really quickly." He also pointed out that the US lacked experience playing in big moments, as they were upstart team compared to the Netherlands' extensive World Cup history.
Despite their disappointing exit, the USMNT has made significant progress in recent years. In 2010, the team met expectations by advancing to the knockout stage for the first time since 1930. This year's performance was seen as a step forward, but not enough to surpass the Netherlands' level of experience and quality.
The article also highlights the importance of setting higher expectations for the USMNT in the future. With the team hosting the 2026 World Cup, there is an opportunity to build momentum and make a deeper run in the tournament. Robinson emphasized that the key will be to compete more and fight harder than their opponents, which would allow their quality of play to shine through.
The article provides insights into the USMNT's performance at the 2022 World Cup, including their mental preparation for the tournament and their inability to cope with the increased aggression and experience of a World Cup.
I think Berhalter's comments are kinda on point tho 
. The guys did seem pretty rattled after that Iran match and it showed in the Netherlands game. But you gotta wonder if the USMNT was ever gonna pull off that deep run, considering they've been considered upstart teams for years... 
Still, I'm kinda surprised they didn't take more risks with their formation or strategy. They did have some good moments, but it felt like they played pretty safe most of the time... 
The key to making a bigger impact in 2026 is gonna be to build on that momentum and not be so afraid to try new things 
. If they can get their mental toughness together and start fighting harder, I'm sure they'll be able to take on the best teams and give it a shot 
.
It's like they were expecting to make it further but didn't quite have the experience to pull it off. Still, gotta give 'em credit for making progress over the years - remember when they actually made it out of the group stage in 2010? 
That was a big deal! Now, with them hosting the World Cup in 2026, there's definitely an opportunity to build some momentum and make a deeper run... but gotta stay focused and compete more, you feel me? 
... berhalter makes some great points about mental preparation, which is so true - playing in big games takes a toll on guys mentally 
... and yeah, experience does count for a lot, especially when it comes to dealing with pressure and adversity... but i gotta say, 2026 world cup hosting duties should give them an extra boost of motivation 
... if they can just build some momentum and confidence, who knows what they could achieve! 
I'm literally shook by how fast our team went from being on fire to getting destroyed by the Netherlands 
... I mean, we thought we had it in us this year but Berhalter's got a point - mental toll was real and we just couldn't bounce back 
.
Hosting the 2026 World Cup is a huge opportunity for us to finally step up our game & make some noise 
!
like he's trying to be the coach and the psychologist at the same time 
. And yeah, Berhalter's right about the mental toll - it can't be easy going into the biggest stage like that without being expected to do something crazy 
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The thing that really gets me, though, is how mental preparation played a big role in their loss. I mean, you can't just wing it on the biggest stage and expect to win. 
They gotta find a way to push through the tough moments and come out swinging. 
. Hostin' the 2026 World Cup is a huge deal tho!!! 
Can't wait to see them compete in front of our own fans 
.
. It's time for us to step up our game and show the world what we're capable of 
. I mean, coming in as underdogs against the Netherlands was always gonna be tough, but you'd think they'd at least make it to the semis by now. Mental toll from the Iran game? Come on, that's just an excuse 
. But on the bright side, they're already setting their sights on 2026 and wanna host that World Cup 
they were so hyped coming into that world cup but it was like they got caught off guard by netherlands' skill and experience 
.
. Let's not put too much pressure on ourselves just yet, though – we still gotta prove it 
) and let our quality shine through, maybe, just maybe, we'll make some noise 
!