We woke up this morning still feeling the sting of the USMNT’s tough loss to Belgium, and we knew there was only one man to call to sort through the wreckage. Missouri State University soccer coaching legend Jon Leamy—who racked up 309 wins over a stellar 30-year career on the Bears’ sidelines—joined us on The Starting Lineup to bring some expert analysis to a wild 48 hours in American soccer. From fundamental blunders on the pitch to massive political interventions off it, we dig deep into where the national team stands.

Soft Goals and Fundamental Blunders

We didn’t hold back on the defensive breakdown that cost the U.S. team so dearly. Leamy called the first goal allowed a “horrendous” and “really soft goal,” pointing directly to a poor clearance in front of the net that left our keeper stranded. The second goal wasn’t any better, with Leamy noting it was simply “real poor fundamentals.” For a national squad looking to compete on the absolute highest level, Leamy made it clear: we shouldn’t expect these types of mental errors from a team trying to challenge for a World Cup.

“Captain America” and the Blue-Collar Identity

Is Christian Pulisic truly in the upper echelon of world soccer stars? We asked Jon straight up, especially after Pulisic’s tough tournament was capped off by a first-half ankle injury. While Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi have put their respective countries on their backs this tournament, Pulisic hasn’t quite reached that world-class impact. Leamy noted that while the talent is undeniable, this American squad might need less marketing fanfare and more of that old-school, blue-collar grit reminiscent of guys like Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, or Landon Donovan—players who took the pitch with a massive chip on their shoulders.

The White House Intervention and the Hornet’s Nest

Perhaps the strangest story leading into the match was the political drama surrounding striker Folarin Balogun. After receiving a red card via VAR review, a direct phone call from President Trump to FIFA resulted in the governing body placing the red card on a probationary period, allowing Balogun to play. While Leamy respected the President standing up for his country, he acknowledged it created an absolute hornet’s nest. The European governing body (UEFA) publicly disagreed, and it handed Belgium ultimate bulletin-board material that fired them up before a single minute was played.