The USMNT faces a critical match on Monday evening against Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, needing a win to stand any chance of advancing to the Copa America quarterfinals.
Even with a victory, the USMNT could still be eliminated if Panama scores more goals against Bolivia. Given Uruguay’s strong performance in the competition, prospects are not optimistic.
At an event in Kansas City on the eve of the match, hosted by Men in Blazers, Matt Besler discussed the golden generation in comparison to the much less celebrated 2014 USMNT World Cup team.
Matt Besler on USMNT’s Golden Generation
In a round table discussion with Rog Bennett, guest co-host Brendan Hunt (of Ted Lasso), and Kansas City native and fan Eric Stonestreet, Besler pointed out significant differences between the two squads.
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“The 2014 team did not have players playing in top clubs in Europe. We did not have players on top teams, and we took a lot of criticism for that. But what we did have were roles of power, responsibility, and accountability within our teams.”
"We did not have players playing in Europe...or on top teams. And we took a lot of s**t for that. But the roles that we had on our teams were positions of responsibility and accountability. Of captains." Matt Besler on what made the USA 2014 World Cup team so special. 🇺🇸❤️💪
Besler then highlighted the leaders in the 2014 squad, stating, “Myself, captain of Sporting KC, Kyle Beckerman, captain of Real Salt Lake, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Alejandro Bedoya—talent-wise and team-wise, I don’t think the 2014 team stacks up against today’s squad. However, the roles these players held in their club teams, being there every single day, that is what defines them.”
“I think what we need to see is more players growing into these roles, becoming captains, leaders, and carrying that weight from their club teams to the national team. Right now, at the club level, the teams and names are great, but there are too many supporting players.”
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The 2014 USMNT World Cup squad reached the round of 16 in Brazil, where they were eliminated by Belgium in a match that saw Tim Howard make the most saves by a goalkeeper in World Cup history.
