In the week leading up to Saturday's friendly against Germany, the U.S. men's national team discussed what an opportunity this was. It was a chance to make a statement, a chance to prove they can hang with the big boys of international soccer.
And hang they did, at least for a while. For the first 45 minutes, the USMNT went toe-to-toe with the Germans ina n open, attacking game. Both teams scored a goal, the USMNT through a stunning Christian Pulisic finish and Germany on a Ilkay Gundogan goal following a mazy Leroy Sane run. Both teams were also content to play on the front foot.
It was a half that showed, in some ways, how far the USMNT has come. The second half, though, showed how far the USMNT still has to go.
Niclas Fullkrug and Jamal Musiala scored goals within three minutes of one another, dooming the USMNT to a 3-1 defeat. While the USMNT was able to go toe-to-toe with Germany for stretches, they couldn't maintain it as individual errors doomed the U.S. to defeat.
Aside from Pulisic and Matt Turner, few USMNT players will leave Saturday's game feeling happy about their efforts as the U.S. squandered a friendly that everyone felt meant much more.
GOAL rates the USMNT's players fromPratt & Whitney Stadium...