Naive USA exposed by desire to play in nothing but top gear

The United States conceded one goal, and then another, but the drumbeat never slowed in the stands of the Khalifa International Stadium, where the American supporters pounded away with the same wide-eyed restlessness as Gregg Berhalter’s players.

The endless pummeling of the drum felt like a metaphor for this USA side, a high-intensity team desperately trying to play high-intensity football. They are young and energetic, an all-action group from the land of chest-pumping and fist-bumping, but what they offer in spirit they lack in rhythm. Top gear, it seems, is currently their only gear.

If knockout matches were decided by enthusiasm and willingness, USA would have swept past Netherlands here. But this was instead a day for cool heads and experience, and the up-and-comers in American white were soon exposed as naive by the shrewd operators in Dutch orange.

The timing of the goals said it all for USA. To concede on the stroke of half-time is near-criminal at this level, as is allowing a third goal just five minutes after scoring one of your own. Rather than building on Haji Wright’s strike, USA became over-excited. Their structure disappeared, and the Netherlands promptly scored again.

Was it a Dutch schooling? Not quite. Such a description would be unfair on Berhalter’s team, who impressed for large spells of this contest and had periods of dominance. But there are certainly lessons that must be learned: how to read the game, when to speed it up and, crucially, when to slow it down.

“Team USA did not adjust and did not adapt,” said Louis van Gaal, the Netherlands head coach. “We based our plan on that, and that probably allowed us to win.”

Now for the encouraging bit: this USA team should only improve after this defeat, and indeed because of this defeat. Berhalter’s side is one of remarkable youth and considerable promise, and it seems inevitable that they will be a formidable force in 2026, when the World Cup returns to the United States. Soccer’s going stateside, and these players will be older, stronger and better when it does. “They are a close-knit group of guys,” said Berhalter. “You just want more for them.

Only Ghana had a younger squad in Qatar, which means USA were the youngest team to progress from the group stage. The average age of their front six against the Dutch was just 22 years old, while there were only two outfielders – centre-backs Walker Zimmerman and Tim Ream – over the age of 25.

The midfield trio of Tyler Adams (23), Weston McKennie (24) and Yunus Musah (20) has all the required talent and physicality for international football. They showed as much against England, when they largely won the midfield battle. Up front there is the creativity of Christian Pulisic (24) and the speed of Timothy Weah (22).

The development of footballers does not always go as planned, of course, but it is hard to believe the core of this team will not be stronger in four years. And that is before one considers the players on their bench here: 22-year-old Brenden Aaronson is rapidly adjusting to the Premier League, with Leeds United, while 20-year-old Gio Reyna is one of the Bundesliga’s brightest talents.

“To be fielding the youngest line-up in the World Cup, four games in a row, and still be playing the way we are… the American public should be optimistic,” said Berhalter. “We can play against anyone in the world, the way we want to. Now it is about taking it to another level.”

Pulisic, who missed an early chance, was among the players who seemed close to tears at the end. The expectations of him were enormous, but that will be nothing compared to the pressures of 2026. He, and the rest of his country, can only hope this tournament marked a forward step on the road to success back home.