Shannon Sharpe says Belgium did USMNT a favour by ‘dismantling us’ at World Cup
· Yahoo Sports
The Pro Football Hall of Famer believes that Belgium reminded the USMNT of their place in the global football pecking order.
Belgium decimated the United States 4-1 in their Round of 16 tie that had been marred by controversy due to the situation surrounding Folarin Balogun.
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And former NFL star Shannon Sharpe believes this devastating loss actually helps the USMNT going forward, as it shone a light on some key problems.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty ImagesShannon Sharpe says USMNT needed to be reminded they are ‘not close’ to football’s elite
Taking to X to react after the USMNT’s loss to Belgium, Shannon Sharpe claimed Belgium did them a huge favour in the grand scheme of things
He believes that this loss allowed the United States to know exactly where they stand in the global football space and the gap in quality between them and the elite teams.
“Belgium actually did us a FAVOR [sic] by dismantling us like this. Let’s us know. We’re not nearly as close as we thought. This was awful.”
Coming into the game, there was a belief that the USMNT could upset Belgium, given that their squad isn’t as good as they were during the heyday of their golden generation.
But even with an ageing core, Belgium were able to fend off the United States with relative ease, showing that they are still a class above them.
USMNT must assess their future after World Cup humiliation
The USMNT were not considered favourites entering the tournament by any means. But as the host nation, they were expected to be a dark horse.
Their first two wins against Paraguay and Australia showed that they can play high-level football. However, their shock loss to Turkey, who had underperformed in the first two games, showed that there are still some glaring weaknesses that the team had to address.
And even with their impressive performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was a sense that the team hadn’t been tested at the tournament.
The loss to Belgium must serve as a turning point for the USMNT, who must evaluate where their players are lacking and work on these issues ahead of the Gold Cup next year.
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