The U.S. Men’s National Team has constantly been overlooked in the world of international soccer. In recent years, they have failed to qualify for major tournaments like the Olympics and the 2018 World Cup.

However, the USMNT had the chance to prove themselves to soccer fanatics all over the world as they entered the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Going into the tournament, it was questionable if the U.S. would make it beyond the group stage.

The team’s World Cup journey got off to a difficult start. They faced Wales on November 21. The U.S. performed well in the first half, earning a goal. Forward Timothy Weah perfectly placed the ball in the right corner of Wales’ goal thanks to an assist from Christian Pulisic.

In the 80th minute, U.S. center-back Walker Zimmerman clumsily fouled Wales’ captain Gareth Bale in the 18-yard box. Wales was awarded a penalty kick, and Bale tied the score 1-1, which is where the game ended.

Arguably, the team’s toughest match was against England on November 25. The U.S. performed better than expected and had multiple opportunities to win the game. Ultimately, the match ended 0-0 with both teams disappointed that they could not put away a goal.

In their final group stage match, the U.S. played Iran. It was an all-or-nothing game. If the U.S. lost or tied, they would be sent home; however, if they won, they would advance to the round of 16.

The U.S. had a strong first half and scored in the 38th minute. Right-back Sergiño Dest crossed a ball to Pulisic as he crashed the goal. Pulisic was able to tap the ball into the net, but he suffered a collision with Iran’s goalkeeper and was unable to play in the second half.

Despite Pulisic’s absence in the second half, the team held onto their 1-0 lead for the rest of the game. With their first win of the tournament, the U.S. finished second in Group B and clinched a spot in the round of 16.

On December 3, they faced Group A winners, The Netherlands.

The Netherlands capitalized early in the game and just before the first half concluded. A goal from Haji Wright in the 76th minute gave Americans a sliver of hope, but all dreams of moving onto the quarterfinals were quickly shattered when the Netherlands scored a third goal minutes later.

After the loss, many of the athletes took to Instagram and Twitter to express their disappointment and thank the fans. Captain Tyler Adams said, “Thank you everyone for the support in the past weeks…We’ll be back.”

Despite this World Cup loss, some fans believe that the USMNT have a promising future. Fans are excited to watch the team, with an average age of just 25, continue to improve and participate in more world-class tournaments.