It has been almost three and a half years since the darkest day in the history of the American men’s national team.
On 10 October 2017, the US fell to Trinidad and Tobago at the Alto Bolton Stadium and had their World Cup dreams.
The US team had not missed a tournament since Mexico ’86 and the Soca Warriors were on course to make a move. The game was supposed to be a coronation, not a disaster.
For many, the USMNT should have been seen as a regular CONCACAF qualifier. But this defeat came in the way.
The exit from the 2018 World Cup was not something accidental, but instead the results of a full circle of players never truly become what the US needed them to be.
What happened in the crow was the culmination of a steady decline that began years earlier. It was defeated in the Olympic qualification of the American Under-23s in Nashville and Frisco in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
Indeed, it was telling that there was not a single player in the senior side of Trinidad and Tobago losing 2–1.
Players who should have been in their prime were not in a position to contribute for the World Cup, leaving America with a combination of veterans like Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard to go along with young stars like Christian Pulisic For who was only making his national team debut.
The players of those 2012 and 2015 teams, for whatever reason, were not ready when they did not need to be. And the USMNT, which lacked key players in several key positions, was punished for that, leaving Korwa in tears.
And that brings us here and now, an era in which America has more U23 talents than ever before.
Pulisic is still in that group, such as Weston McKenney, Geo Reyna and Sergino Dest. But those players are not part of the latest panel of players expected to secure a place in this year’s Olympics.
The road to Tokyo begins Thursday against Costa Rica, the U23’s first game in a tough group that also includes Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
However, coach Jason Kreis has enough talent at his disposal to secure a spot in the Olympics and allows the US to put the pain of past failures firmly behind.
“I’ve had a few failures, but I think that led to such a great group coming together with the first team and the youth team,” Crisis said. “So, we are excited for this challenge.
“I think the message within the team has been to just focus on the moment. We’re not too worried about the past, not even about the future. We’re focused on the next game.”
He said: “I don’t feel any additional pressure on what has happened in the past, because, frankly, I think we are in a different place in our country in this game.”
These Olympic tournaments, generally, provide little margin for error, and this is what makes the meeting with Costa Rica on Thursday so important.
With a win over a traditionally awkward opponent, the US will be on the driver’s seat, a heavy favorite against the Dominican Republic in game two and as a result their group’s closing ceremony doesn’t need much against Mexico.
A loss on Thursday, however, would ease those feelings of doom and gloom, requiring America to win to advance to the tournament.
For example, in 2012, the team’s 2–0 loss to Canada in their second group game left them in need of a progress win against El Salvador. However, the US won a 3–3 draw on a 94th minute draw, which lifted them to third place in the standings.
Three years later, an accident occurred in the knockout round. Facing a do-or-die semi-final, America was routed by Albert Ellis and Honduras, out of their way.
That loss set up a playoff against Columbia, which once again knocked America down at FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium in the second leg to end the nation’s Olympic hopes.
It is a tournament and a field that is unforgivable. This is not an extended World Cup qualifying campaign, with little space. This is a sprint, not a marathon, and one wrong move can end it all.
This is a lesson this program has learned and this team understands in particular. Many have experienced similar games and situations.
Of the squad’s 20 players, 11 have earned the cap with the senior team, while 10 have previously won CONCACAF championships at the U20 level in 2017 and 2018. They’ve been through it, and they know what’s coming.
Asked about the program’s past failures in qualifying, defender Glenn Glade said, “It’s on our minds for sure.” “We saw what could happen if you’re not 100 percent focused and not 100% ready, and we don’t want to repeat the same mistakes.”
“I think I know about it, and realizing that it can be like this, you go down against a target and suddenly, your back wall,” Glad said. “We know that it can happen. So, we are ready and make sure it is not. We got the script to reverse. “
Most followers of football will say that the results of the young team are not always the best indicator of future success and, by and large, this is true. These tournaments are much more about micro than macro.
With luck, a handful of young players will become senior national team contributors to the Olympics, using this tournament and as a springboard for bigger and better things.
Countless players have benefited from the experience of playing in the Olympics, and Americans are sure to have plenty of young stars who can certainly use the risk.
This is a big deal from a developmental point of view and from a personal point of view, because let’s be honest, who wouldn’t like to represent their country at the Olympic Games?
But you don’t get that; You have to earn it. This is something the US has not earned in a long time, but something this group is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
“I think ‘can we play to the best of our ability?’ “This is our clear objective and this is what we are going to pursue.”
“I think we all know that we can and we should be qualified,” Glaid said. “We have quality, and anything less than merit is clearly a big disappointment in our eyes.”
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