{"id":2515,"date":"2026-06-20T10:38:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T10:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2515"},"modified":"2026-06-20T10:38:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T10:38:47","slug":"usmnt-inching-closer-to-golden-generation-world-cup-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2515","title":{"rendered":"USMNT inching closer to ‘golden generation’ World Cup reality"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SEATTLE \u2014 The soccer old heads \u2014 the veterans who paved the way for this World Cup squad \u2014 hate the term \u201cgolden generation.\u201d That\u2019s a title won, a sobriquet earned.<\/p>\n

Read more Scotland denied penalty kick in controversial no-call during heartbreaking World Cup loss<\/a><\/p>\n

The current team hasn\u2019t gotten there yet \u2014 hasn\u2019t reached a World Cup quarterfinal \u2014 but Friday\u2019s 2-0 victory over Australia at Lumen Field made the road a lot easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to keep believing and approach every single day that we were approaching from Day 1, believing that we can win,\u201d said Mauricio Pochettino. \u201cKnowing that we need to work really hard, but at the same time, enjoying the time together, building every day our journey and into the next game.\u201d<\/p>\n

This had all the makings of a trap game \u2014 a potential letdown off an opening win, playing without star Christian Pulisic and facing a physical, underrated opponent. But the U.S. didn\u2019t fall into the trap. They rose above it.<\/p>\n

No Pulisic? No problem.<\/p>\n

They won two group stage matches for only the second time ever \u2014 and first since their inaugural tourney way back in 1930. It\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve won their first two matches, clinching advancement to the knockout stages.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve won two games, and now we\u2019ve been consistently winning and consistently playing well,\u201d said goal-scorer Alex Freeman. \u201cFor us, our confidence is above the roof. And I feel like for us it\u2019s, how can we give more and more and more?\u201d<\/p>\n

And the U.S. not only advanced on Friday afternoon, but won the group later in the night.<\/p>\n

Thanks to 10-man Paraguay holding on to beat Turkey, the U.S. clinched a first-place finish. They\u2019ll host a Round of 32 knockout game on July 1 in San Francisco, expected to be against an easier third-place team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve not used \u2018the golden generation\u2019 at all. I hate it until you\u2019re the golden generation,\u201d said 1994 captain Tony Meola. \u201cWhat I\u2019d like to do is come out of this World Cup and say this is the golden generation of the U.S. national team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to put this moniker on this group. They\u2019ve got to earn it \u2026 So yeah, I\u2019d love to see them become that. They\u2019ve got six weeks here to become that.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a high bar, but this team is raising it.<\/p>\n

To the point even Zlatan Ibrahimovic \u2014 working for Fox \u2014 said they can win the whole thing. And the players don\u2019t disagree.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery game, every tournament we play in, we want to win. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ridiculous to say that we want to win,\u201d Chris Richards said. \u201cWe want to win a trophy at the end of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Fans in Seattle provide USMNT \u2018extra motivation\u2019 in forever World Cup atmosphere<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why U.S. Soccer made Pochettino the highest-paid manager in its history, and one of the highest-paid international soccer coaches on the planet.<\/p>\n

Friday, he pulled the right strings, starting Ricardo Pepi for Pulisic on the left wing. They dominated possession early, then made their most dangerous runs down the left after he slid Flo Balogun over to the wing and after they switched from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-5-2 late.<\/p>\n

Balogun\u2019s cross got bundled in for an own goal and the opening tally. And the in-form striker isn\u2019t looking at historical precedent as much as hardware.<\/p>\n

Every match of the FIFA World Cup will air on either FOX or FOX Sports 1. If you don\u2019t have cable, you can take advantage of a DIRECTV free trial to stream it all.<\/p>\n

Prefer to check out the action live and in person? Shop World Cup 2026 tickets on SeatGeek and make sure to use promo code NYPOST10<\/strong> for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout if you\u2019re a first-time SeatGeek user.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me growing up, history is always the winners are remembered,\u201d said Balogun. \u201cI\u2019m aware the country is supporting us and the country is proud of us and each game we are doing things. For me, I\u2019m just focused on the prize.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Challenged physically, they looked like a team ready to compete. In a bout that saw seven yellow cards \u2014 the most so far in the tourney \u2014 they came out on top.<\/p>\n

Freeman, minutes after a crushing head-to-head collision with Paul Okon-Engstler, got up and headed in a deflected Sergi\u00f1o Dest shot for their second goal. One that put a dagger in Australia and put the U.S. through.<\/p>\n

But their goals are higher. Aiming for gold.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no golden generation. The golden generation comes after the fact. You have to prove you were a golden generation,\u201d said former World Cup keeper Kasey Keller. \u201cSo, this is that first step.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be pivotal \u2026 That draw in the Round of 32 is significantly different if you do the job in the group stage and win that group and then go on from there. That starts today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more USA makes World Cup history not seen since 1930<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The soccer old heads \u2014 the veterans who paved the way for this World Cup squad \u2014 hate the term \u201cgolden generation.\u201d That\u2019s a title won.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-world-cup-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nUSMNT inching closer to 'golden generation' World Cup reality - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2515\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USMNT inching closer to 'golden generation' World Cup reality - 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