Can USMNT's run be labeled a 'success' yet?
The Dan Le Batard Show debates whether the USMNT needs to defeat Belgium in the Round of 16 for its World Cup run to be viewed as a success, and highlights the new level of expectations placed on this team.
Video Transcript
That I'm surprised by.
And Mike, you weren't here when we were having this argument because everyone here was hopeful and everyone here was saying, not unlike, Landon Donovan had given some voice to and some other people had given some voice to, when they said it's not ridiculous to think that the United States can win the World Cup.
And then Tim Howard said, "It is ridiculous.
It's totally impossible."
I happen to agree with Howard.
However, and, and I still agree with him because I believe that once this gets into the deeper stages, they're really outclassed and that's no indictment of them.
The part that I can't believe is we're headed into our fifth game of the World Cup.
So this now classifies as a run.
Whether you think it's diluted or not, it classifies already as a run.
But this is the most surprising thing to me and it's just not a place that I had American soccer and it's certainly not how we've been talking about American soccer for 20 to 40 years, which is they've been favored in all five of the games.
They're gonna be favored against Belgium.
They are- They are slightly favored they, they have- Not as much as they would've been if Balogun was available.
No, they're -130 on DraftKings Sports and, and Belgium is +105.
But still, to have the United States favored four, five straight games and then meet the expectations and exceed the expectations makes this already better than anything I thought they were gonna do.
And they have already exceeded expectations for what American soccer is because they've turned themselves into a team that has the respect of being the favorite when they've never been that.
Like, that's j- that's just not a position in the sport they have ever occupied, that they could play five World Cup games when I'm guessing in their history they probably haven't been favored.
In the entire history of United States soccer- Probably I'm guessing in the World Cup they probably have not been favored five times.
They, they do have a fortunate round of 16 draw though.
They do.
I mean, Belgium, Senegal was gonna be an easier draw than a lot.
They could be pa- playing France right now.
I mean, it's, it's, it, they, they lucked out in that sense.
Agree, but still.
Yeah.
Given the placement of American soccer and the way everyone's talked about American soccer.
Right.
And to my dad's point of, like, undercutting your point a little bit, the host nation does get a favorable group.
Yes.
So whereas if they weren't hosting, they'd be in a tougher group- True and probably wouldn't have been favored.
Guys, we were talking about this team probably having trouble qualifying- Yeah, but Pochettino- for this tournament over the last four years Pochettino's already the winningest manager in US World Cup history.
Th- th- th- I love that guy it's a whole new world.
He's good.
Love his outfit.
Over here, I, I- What a vibe I understand why people are like, "Wait, man, we're feeling good.
Tim Howard, why are you taking away our feel-good?"
And I do think that, hey, when you're a host nation and you look as good and as threatening as the United States do, all the cards are o- on the table, anything is possible.
But while they've had a favorable draw thus far, and Belgium counts even though they're a name brand, once they get past that you're looking at either Spain or Portugal.
Yeah.
And then France in the semifinal.
Yeah, whatever.
Again, pack it, 100,000 people.
Jerry World.
You're already in the semifinal against France.
I mean, this is beyond our wildest dreams.
Let's go for it.
Let's shoot for the moon.
Wow.
But the, the, the fortune- I just got goosebumps the fortune if it didn't end with Balogun's red will end beyond Belgium if they get that far.
Yes, that's wh- yeah, I, I agree with you because then the, the opponents get super tough.
For me, France is far and away the best team in this tournament.
You take away France and I think the US is in the mix with anybody else.
But I don't agree it's already been a successful- No, Grant, Grant tournament.
I think that- Grant no, th- they've been here before.
Keep in mind this is a 48 team tournament, not 32.
They have been here before.
They were expected to beat Bosnia.
It's an even match up, I don't care what the odds say, with Belgium.
If they beat Belgium, which is a name brand higher ranked than them, if they beat Belgium I think that qualifies this as a, an unequivocal successful tournament for the US.
If they lose the next round, I think it, it, it, the feeling is gonna be one of, of great deflation.
My dad, he's not wrong.
I agree.
If you look at, if you look at their world ranking, it's about where they're at right now.
15, 16, 14, so like- You're talking about the Coca-Cola FIFA Men's Rankings?
I'm saying, so like- Yeah.
All right based off those rankings, they should be in the top 16.
No, this, this is, this is where I disagree with him though because, the idea that the United States is playing for round of eight and you have the expectations that make you disappointed if they don't win is the United States as a soccer power is further along than it's ever been when they've created the expectation, not the hope, the expectation that will leave you dispirited if they don't beat Belgium.
Like, don't tell me that's not a success because it's a success right now.
It's, it, they can lose and I understand the idea that it's disappointing and I understand that you're between hope and belief, but I've never expected anything from the American team.
So when you're talking about historic power and, and you guys are sitting here with what I believe is the delusion of saying that what comes after that isn't monster after monster after monster that would and should be heavily favored against the United States.
The idea that you guys are already beyond hope and b- hope into belief, into belief where you're gonna be disappointed 'cause you got expectations, that is a seismic difference in how you're viewing US Soccer
