SouthernWorldwide.com – Soccer analyst Taylor Twellman did not hold back his criticism of the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) following their disappointing 4-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16.
Twellman expressed that the team failed to execute basic fundamentals, leading to a performance that was difficult to watch.
The USMNT had entered the match with significant expectations, boasting a squad with many players in their prime, including Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Sergino Dest. Folarin Balogun, considered one of the best strikers the US has had recently, was also available after a controversial postponement of his red card suspension.
Belgium was perceived as a beatable opponent, having struggled in earlier matches and with an aging core of players. Their star forward Jeremy Doku was also notably absent from the starting lineup, which was expected to be an advantage for the US defense.
However, the game unfolded in a starkly different manner. The USMNT was outplayed and outclassed by a more organized and aggressive Belgian side.
Despite a strong free-kick goal from Tillman that tied the match, the USMNT conceded again less than 70 seconds later. A significant error by goalkeeper Matt Freese, who kicked the ground instead of the ball, led to Belgium’s third goal, effectively sealing the win.
The final score of 4-1 reflected a comprehensive defeat, with little positive to show for the USMNT’s efforts.
Twellman, speaking on “The Cooligans” podcast, stated that this match was the team’s first true test of the World Cup, and they failed to meet the challenge.
“That was the first real test of the World Cup,” he said. “What’d we get? Yeah, I mean, what’d we get?”
He emphasized the critical nature of avoiding mistakes at the highest level of international football.
“And listen, we’ve done stuff, right? We did stuff…[but] you can’t make mistakes at the highest level. You can’t miss fundamentals.”
Twellman specifically pointed to the first two goals conceded by Belgium as examples of these fundamental errors.
“The first two goals from Belgium. They make you want to…it’s not an easy watch guys. That’s not an easy watch…That’s a 50-50 ball inside the 18 that Dest just looks around, lets it bounce. Run through it.”
He expressed a preference for players who demonstrate a willingness to fight and give their all on the field, even if they are not the most technically gifted.
“And listen, everyone on social media talks about, oh, Sebastian Berhalter this…Give me 10 Sebastian Berhalters,” Twellman stated. “They’ll run through the wall, at least.”
The core of Twellman’s critique revolved around the team’s failure to grasp the importance of basic footballing principles.
“You cannot forget fundamentals. The little things, that is gonna be, for that group of players, the most difficult pill to swallow.”
He elaborated on the ease with which Belgium scored their goals, highlighting a lack of defensive awareness and effort from the USMNT.
“Because when you watch the tape, when you watch, the tape, it’s not my experience, I watched it, that’s a difficult one to swallow. Those are simple fundamentals and we missed all of them tonight. All of them.”
Twellman cited specific instances, such as the defensive lapse on Belgium’s opening goal in the 10th minute. He noted that despite having multiple US players nearby, a Belgian player managed to break through and provide an easy assist.
The goalkeeper’s error and the defensive disorganization on subsequent goals further underscored Twellman’s point about fundamental breakdowns.
“Freese’s error was compounded by Ream jumping to try and deflect an open shot on goal by Hans Vanaken, only to mostly whiff and see the ball roll directly into the net. On the second goal, De Ketelaere just outjumped two US defenders, while two other stood around helplessly.”
Ultimately, Twellman concluded that these were inexcusable and indefensible mistakes that cannot occur at the international level.
“These are fundamental problems that cannot happen at this level. Inexcusable, indefensible mistakes.”
He also touched upon the common debate regarding the influence of managers versus the quality of players in international football.
“There’s a focus on managers and coaching in the international game, when managerial importance pales in comparison to having better players.”
Twellman’s assessment suggests that, at this moment, the USMNT lacks a sufficient number of truly high-quality players capable of consistently performing at the highest level.
