Key events
Preamble
Hey, I want to play too! The US will… Yes, the quarter-finals sound good.
The US has questions about goalkeeper. And right back. And possibly in the middle back. And midfield. And striker. And especially with coach. Apart from that everything is good.
But they better win this one. This isn’t the Bolivia you remember from 1994 and the early days of MLS, when Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno tore apart every defense in this hemisphere.
Hopefully for the US, Bolivia won’t be as lucky as England was in cricket earlier today. Earlier in the T20 World Cup, England played as if they weren’t really sure what the aim of the game was (a bit like their football team). Those players were apparently recalled to their home planets and replaced by people who had telekinetic control of the ball and spoiled the fun showdown potential between Aaron Jones and Jofra Archer. How brutal. Look for us to invite them back to the US and West Indies soon.
Beau will be visiting soon. In the meantime, here’s how far our writers see the US getting in this tournament:
The US will…
The quarter-finals. The draw against Brazil in their last match provides at least some evidence that the Colombia blowout was a hiccup. But beating any of these teams, the most likely quarterfinal opponents, in a knockout match could be a bridge too far for an American team still figuring everything out. Jon Arnold
The quarter-finals. If the US had been placed on the easy side of Group A/B instead of the brutal side of Group C/D, things might have been different. The USMNT will emerge from their group. But with Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay in the way? A semi-final is just a bit too far. Joseph Lowery
This summer’s Copa is a test run of sorts in the run-up to the next World Cup, and if successful – both on and off the pitch – the tournament could boost the sport’s growth and popularity ahead of the 2026 showpiece. Oh, and the US will be the quarter-finals. Julia Ranney
The quarter-finals. The US will become one of the top eight teams in America. They face a complicated group stage. Uruguay is the toughest team on the schedule, but they will also face a tough rival in Panama, which has become one of the most competitive teams in Concacaf. Despite the challenges, the US will make it to the second round. Raul Vilchis
You can read their full breakdown of predictions here: