The USMNT leaves the World Cup. Was their run a success or disappointment?

It was a riveting start and a crushing finish for the U.S. men’s national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Does a knockout-stage win qualify as progress? How did the Bay Area handle its duties as one of 16 host regions at the first-ever 48-team tournament? The Standard’s Kevin Nguyen joins the “Section 415” podcast to analyze the U.S. performance and the atmosphere at the six local matches. 0:00 Intro 0:29 Was this a successful World Cup for the USMNT? 1:24 The good: Group stage dominance under Pochettino 4:28 Trump, FIFA, and the Balogun red card controversy 7:18 The bad: US falls to Belgium in the round of 16 10:06 USMNT's goalkeeper and defense questions going forward 12:22 How did the Bay Area fare as a World Cup host? 16:37 Levi's Stadium's best atmosphere yet 18:59 World Cup fans and soccer as a mirror to the world Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices