In the waining hours of Wednesday night, the United States was once again pushed to its limit. Just like this past Sunday against Canada, the Americans fell behind in extra time. Then similarly the US clawed its way back, ultimately equalizing to force a penalty shootout. However, unlike Sunday, the shots from the spot weren’t quite as kind to the Americans. As a result, the US Men’s National Team lost to Panama 5-4 on PK’s, and were subsequently bounced from CONCACAF’s premier competition. It marked the first time since 2015 that the United States failed to reach the Gold Cup Final. That within itself is disappointing. Couple this statistic with the possibility of the US equaling rival Mexico’s record of eight Copa Oro titles, if the Americans were to win this 2023 edition of the tournament, and the sting of yesterday’s loss becomes that much greater. Compound that info with the fact that America is ranked #11 in the world compared to Panama, who’s ranked 57th, and this result should have simply never occurred. But why did this upset happen? The answer to this question is what’s most upsetting about the loss, and more importantly the reason why the US failed to continue its recent run of CONCACAF dominance.
The why is simple. Neither the United States Soccer Federation nor the US players themselves thought that this competition was important enough to field a legitimate squad, an “A” team if you will. Rather the roster was largely comprised of MLS players, many of whom had little to no experience. Yes, there were some exceptions, such as Matt Turner and Jesus Ferrera, however this squad was far from its finest, and as a result the US missed its chance at another trophy.
Now many will say, well the US competed and won the CONCACAF Nations League earlier this summer with its strongest squad, thus the players needed a break. I’d retort by saying that the Nations League is supposed to be regarded as a secondary tournament, weighted less than the Gold Cup. Therefore, if a “B” or “C” team were to ever be fielded, then it should have been in the Nations League instead of the Gold Cup. In addition, the “A” team only played two matches, the semifinal and final of the Nations League during this international window. Thus, it's not like Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Brendon Aaronson, Timothy Weah, and the list goes on, had played an entire tournament (group stage, quarterfinal, semifinal, final) prior to the start of the Copa Oro. Many would then counter by stating that these players had just finished their club seasons and need time to rest. Sure, that'd be ideal, however, there's still the preeminent CONCACAF competition to be played, therefore, the players should strap up their boots and get out onto the field. Let’s face it, would Leo Messi pass up a chance at an international trophy to rest, especially that of the Copa America (South American equivalent of the Gold Cup)? Unequivocally, the answer is NO. No elite player, certainly from Europe or South America, would ever pass up that chance, especially if you’re going to be the favorite in said competition, like the US were.
These actions, these omissions of top American players from this Gold Cup is an admission of a lack of desire for one’s country, for soccer in this country. It's an example of the gap that remains between the United States and its fellow competitors from Europe and South America. If the US is to ever reach the levels of an Argentina, France, Spain, Germany, England, Brazil, heck even much smaller countries such as Croatia, Netherlands, Belgium, Uruguay, etc., then the players need to exhibit the hunger, the unwavering desire to win for the Red, White, and Blue. The “A” team could have easily participated in this edition of the Gold Cup and then rested afterwards, arriving late to their respective club camps, which is customary for top internationals by the way. Instead however, the Americans chose their club over their country. Chose to get aquatinted with the city of Milan or the new surroundings of Torino or Berlin. These are the decisions that were made by the players from what’s supposed to be the golden generation of US soccer. And heck, even the US’s reappointed manager, Gregg Berhalter, didn't even want to participate in this competition as he sat the tournament out, and will instead rejoin the team in the fall. It’s a lack of ambition, from the top on down.