American Soccer Mediocrity On Full Display As USMNT Loses 4-0 To Morocco In Olympic Quarterfinals

The more I watch the U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) play, the less excited I am about the fact that we’re hosting the World Cup in two years.

Just last month, the Americans were hosting the Copa América, and they went out with a massive whimper. Despite playing in a favorable group (with Uruguay, Bolivia, Panama), the U.S. failed to reach the knockout round - a result that would eventually get head coach Gregg Berhalter fired.

The Moroccans (above) handed the USMNT a thorough defeat in the quarterfinals of the Olympics (Photo by John Todd/ISI/Getty Images)

Fast-forward only 32 days later, and the USMNT made some progress by getting to the elimination round of the Olympics. It was expected, since the teams in the group were France, New Zealand, and Guinea, but still nothing is guaranteed with this group (it’s worth noting that every team in the Olympics had a roster of players under 23 years of age, with only three exceptions). The American youngsters had to face Morocco to advance, which seemed like a doable task.

But wow, did they absolutely stink up the pitch today.

Morocco thoroughly destroyed the United States, scoring three goals after the break to run away with a 4-0 victory. It was another sign of the far-reaching drawbacks that Berhalter’s tactical philosophy has reeked among the men’s national team. 

Despite putting seven combined goals against New Zealand and Guinea, the results of the Olympics (and the Copa América) continue to reveal an unsettling trend: the Americans (usually) beat the team they’re supposed to, but as soon as they match up with anyone who is more talented than them, they crumble.

If the U.S. wants to take the next step into the upper echelon of soccer world powers, they need a lot of reform, starting at the top. Tab Ramos put it perfectly when he said that the next coach must be starkly different from Berhalter. 

Read: All American Sports Fans Should be Thrilled Gregg Berhalter Was Fired As US Soccer Head Coach

In 2026, the United States will have to show the world how good - or bad - they are. If they don’t want to get thoroughly embarrassed on their home turf, they better start making changes quickly.