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"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"- Dempsey Keeps It Real On USMNT's Growth originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
USMNT legend Clint Dempsey doesn’t know what to expect from the current squad going into the 2026 World Cup. After the 2022 performance—where they drew against England and Wales after a win over Iran to qualify for the Round of 16—Dempsey feels like the team has taken “two steps back.”
While the USMNT focuses on its schedule against CONCACAF national teams, other countries like Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Argentina face tougher tests leading into major tournaments through Copa América, friendly matches, and World Cup qualifiers.
In Europe, the gap is even bigger. With the creation of the UEFA Nations League, most national team call-ups are now for Nations League fixtures, making international friendlies harder to schedule.
These tournaments and high-level friendlies place other national teams at a level the USMNT hasn’t yet reached, helping those teams perform better in major competitions. Keeping that in mind, Clint Dempsey has been vocal about the limited opportunities the USMNT faces compared to its competitors.
"There’s still chapters to be written and read. You think back to 2022—a lot of young guys going into the World Cup, it’s their first World Cup for the U.S., and they were able to get out of the group, put in some good performances. Especially the game versus England, where they drew."
"And then you think, 'All right, we’re going to take another step forward'… and we’ve almost taken two steps back, I feel like, in terms of Copa America and Nations League. But I still think there’s optimism, in terms of—if you can’t get excited or get motivated for having a World Cup on home soil and trying to do something special…"- Dempsey said in the podcast of Men In Blazers.
The 2026 World Cup will take place across three countries—Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This will mark the first time three nations host the tournament, but it will be the second time the U.S. plays at home.
In 1994, the USMNT was drawn into one of the tournament’s toughest groups, facing Colombia, Switzerland, and Romania. The United States drew 1-1 against Switzerland, then defeated Colombia 2-1, before losing 1-0 to Romania in the final round.
Ultimately, Switzerland topped the group with 6 points, followed by Romania in second place with four—tied with the USMNT but advancing due to a better goal difference.
Even with the excitement of hosting the World Cup again, Dempsey remains realistic about the challenges ahead.
"I’m gonna hold on to hope that they’re going to get things right. The best players are going to come in. We’re going to get some of these players that are fit—like Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, hopefully Balogun—get Christian motivated and back in the team. And hopefully Pochettino and them do a little bit of damage control there." - Dempsey said.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
USMNT legend Clint Dempsey doesn’t know what to expect from the current squad going into the 2026 World Cup. After the 2022 performance—where they drew against England and Wales after a win over Iran to qualify for the Round of 16—Dempsey feels like the team has taken “two steps back.”
While the USMNT focuses on its schedule against CONCACAF national teams, other countries like Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Argentina face tougher tests leading into major tournaments through Copa América, friendly matches, and World Cup qualifiers.
In Europe, the gap is even bigger. With the creation of the UEFA Nations League, most national team call-ups are now for Nations League fixtures, making international friendlies harder to schedule.
These tournaments and high-level friendlies place other national teams at a level the USMNT hasn’t yet reached, helping those teams perform better in major competitions. Keeping that in mind, Clint Dempsey has been vocal about the limited opportunities the USMNT faces compared to its competitors.
"There’s still chapters to be written and read. You think back to 2022—a lot of young guys going into the World Cup, it’s their first World Cup for the U.S., and they were able to get out of the group, put in some good performances. Especially the game versus England, where they drew."
"And then you think, 'All right, we’re going to take another step forward'… and we’ve almost taken two steps back, I feel like, in terms of Copa America and Nations League. But I still think there’s optimism, in terms of—if you can’t get excited or get motivated for having a World Cup on home soil and trying to do something special…"- Dempsey said in the podcast of Men In Blazers.
Dempsey Recalled the Difficulty of the 1994 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will take place across three countries—Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This will mark the first time three nations host the tournament, but it will be the second time the U.S. plays at home.
In 1994, the USMNT was drawn into one of the tournament’s toughest groups, facing Colombia, Switzerland, and Romania. The United States drew 1-1 against Switzerland, then defeated Colombia 2-1, before losing 1-0 to Romania in the final round.
Ultimately, Switzerland topped the group with 6 points, followed by Romania in second place with four—tied with the USMNT but advancing due to a better goal difference.
Even with the excitement of hosting the World Cup again, Dempsey remains realistic about the challenges ahead.
"I’m gonna hold on to hope that they’re going to get things right. The best players are going to come in. We’re going to get some of these players that are fit—like Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, hopefully Balogun—get Christian motivated and back in the team. And hopefully Pochettino and them do a little bit of damage control there." - Dempsey said.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
