If the U.S. crew was going to rebound in time for a breakthrough on the 2026 match on dwelling floor, it will achieve this with many gamers not but of authorized age to buy a beer.
“A few of these guys had been infants,” Berhalter mentioned, reflecting on coaching camps early in his tenure. “Eighteen years previous, 17 years previous, and now they’re outstanding members of the crew. They’ve grown up, and we’ve seen their journey. It’s been unbelievable actually to be part of seeing them undergo that stage of life and actually mature.”
However gamers who’ve developed on and off the sector, who’ve competed within the UEFA Champions League and within the 2022 World Cup, who’ve introduced hope to a rustic rising from soccer’s backwater, perceive they should develop up in different methods this summer season.
Resulting in the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. crew will face no larger check than Copa América, a fabled match unspooling over three weeks at 14 U.S. venues and that includes South America’s most interesting, plus six North American company.
“Now it’s time to show ourselves,” star ahead Christian Pulisic mentioned. “We’ve realized so much. We put in some good performances within the World Cup. We’ve proven folks this crew can play, and now it’s about not simply placing in these performances however discovering a method to get leads to the most important matches. That’s the following step for us.”
Step one in that pursuit comes Sunday with the Group C opener towards Bolivia in Arlington, Tex., adopted by matches towards Panama on Thursday in Atlanta and group favourite Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas Metropolis, Mo.
As a result of it’s not an imposing group — neither Bolivia nor Panama is a championship contender — something wanting a top-two end and a spot within the quarterfinals for the U.S. crew could be rendered an abject failure. With passage into the knockout stage the naked minimal, Berhalter and his gamers acknowledge the time to topple a world energy, reminiscent of Uruguay in group play or Brazil or Colombia in a potential quarterfinal, is drawing nearer.
“There’s no level hiding from it: Soccer is judged on outcomes or outputs,” ahead Folarin Balogun mentioned. “So it will be naive to say the performances are the one factor that issues. Performances, after all, are essential, however we want outcomes.”
It’s a pivotal second for a crew that has grown up collectively — 20 of 26 on the Copa América roster vary between ages 21 and 26 — and calls itself a “brotherhood.”
Private progress has been marked by fatherhood (midfielder Tyler Adams, 25, is a brand new dad), engagement (midfielder Gio Reyna, 21, proposed final month) and marriage (defender Mark McKenzie, 25, tied the knot throughout a break in coaching camp final week).
“I feel my first call-up I used to be single and I hadn’t even met my spouse but,” mentioned goalkeeper Matt Turner, a 29-year-old late bloomer on the younger squad. “And now I’m married with two youngsters.”
Skilled improvement has come by strikes to golf equipment in outstanding European leagues and rising affect throughout the nationwide crew.
The People have dominated their rivalry with Mexico and earned notable attracts, such because the impasse with England on the 2022 World Cup. However it has not crushed a outstanding South American or European crew in official competitors because it shocked top-ranked Spain within the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinals.
After the primary two Copa América matches, the People will get their probability.
“Everybody inside our camp is aware of it’s one other alternative to compete with groups we don’t get to usually compete towards,” Adams mentioned. “After all, we’re making an attempt to advance in knockout video games. We’re not going to place strain on ourselves in that matter, however displaying that below large strain conditions we come by is essential.”
Pre-Copa América assessments towards South American brawn introduced each warning indicators (a 5-1 loss to Colombia) and encouragement (a 1-1 draw with Brazil).
“We acquired a style of [South American soccer] within the friendlies, however now that the lights are actually on, it’s essential for us to place our foot down and put out a very good efficiency,” Turner mentioned.
It’s additionally essential for Berhalter, whose future may hinge on the crew’s efficiency. Early elimination would undoubtedly sound alarms at U.S. Soccer Federation headquarters and lift the specter of a training change.
Berhalter achieved his early objectives of reestablishing the crew’s basis and instilling a robust tradition.
“I bear in mind our first Gold Cup in 2019,” he mentioned. “We’re having to remind them about curfew. They’re younger youngsters. Now it’s fully completely different; the entire program has developed. The issues we’re speaking about now are particulars. We’re making an attempt to get each element proper, whereas earlier than it was: What’s the massive image? How are we going to maneuver these guys?”
Because the evolution continued, Berhalter took as a lot inventory within the performances because the outcomes. Alongside the best way, the crew loved successful continental trophies, too.
Copa América is “an excellent alternative to check ourselves, to play towards the very best in South America and a very good probability for us to see how far we’ve come prior to now three to 4 years,” defender Tim Ream mentioned.
Berhalter calls Copa América a “constructing block” for the World Cup. However together with his gamers coming into their prime years, outcomes — and, particularly, outcomes towards sturdy opposition — are starting to weigh extra closely on the operation.
“It’s an enormous alternative for us,” Reyna mentioned. “There’s a lot high quality all through the match. … It’s at all times good to play in these video games and to do nicely, however collectively as a bunch, it’s extra essential we will actually present the world what we will do.”
