The US men’s national team is hoping to defend their Concacaf Gold Cup title this summer, but expectations from the fanbase seem to rest elsewhere.
Results are in from MLSsoccer.com’s Club & Country Predictor game, which ran before, during and after what ultimately was a 4-0 win for the USMNT Tuesday night over Guyana. One question posed was as such: What would be an acceptable finish in the Gold Cup for the USMNT?
Fifty-one percent of respondents said being runners-up would do the job, while only 28 percent are holding out for a seventh Gold Cup title belonging to the US. Meanwhile, 16 percent would be fine with a semifinal exit and two percent say a quarterfinal departure would be OK.
Finish |
Percent of vote |
|---|---|
Champions |
28 |
Runners-up |
51 |
Semifinalists |
16 |
Quarterfinalists |
2 |
Group stage |
0 |
While not representative of the entire fanbase, the breakdown speaks to the transitional period the USMNT is still mired in after failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. With former Columbus Crew SC manager Gregg Berhalter at the helm, there’s nearly an entirely new starting XI, with veterans such as Toronto FC duo Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore still in the mix. This is Berhalter's first competitive tournament in charge.
Another way of breaking down the results is nearly 80 percent of respondents say that only an appearance in the July 7 final at Chicago’s Soldier Field would be acceptable. The silverware might held elsewhere, though, with Mexico holding a record seven titles and Canada winning in 2000.
The Club & Country Predictor will soon return, with another set of questions ready for the USMNT’s second game of Group D, a Saturday match (8 pm ET | FS1, Univision, UDN, TSN) against Trinidad & Tobago.
Infamously T&T bounced the US from World Cup qualifiers back on Oct. 10, 2017.
