Jordan
@natfan9
Professional spreadsheet merchant
Lastly, fans were emphatic about who on the team outperformed expectations, with Malik Tillman garnering 75% of responses. Freeman, Balogun, and Berhalter also earned significant votes in this category. Christian Pulisic led the way the other direction with 71% of fans saying he underperformed.
When it comes to players, there was a wide variation of opinion. Tillman and Balogun were the biggest standouts, with nearly 90 of fans rating them above average. On the other hand, Tim Weah unfortunately found himself as the lowest rated player for the second tournament in a row.
Overwhelmingly the most important factor in what fans would like to see in the next coach is a track record of getting more out of less, with 48% of responses saying it's their most important priority. Others include a familiarity with American soccer and maintaining the locker room culture.
When asked who they'd like to succeed Pochettino only about half of respondents gave a name, but among them BJ Callaghan led the way by far, followed by Pellegrino Matarazzo, Brian Schmetzer, and Wilfried Nancy
As a result, more than 65% of fans believe US soccer should offer him a contract extension and more than a quarter definitely wanting him back. 17% of respondents were indifferent on an extension with only 27% wanting to move on.
As for Pochettino, fans broadly approved of his performance in the World Cup, with 75% giving him a rating of 4 or 5 out of 5. Particularly positive for him was his lineup selection, with 87% 4s or 5s. On the other hand, fans found Poch's in game adjustments (43%) and substitutions (34%) lacking.
Of course, the biggest controversy surrounding the US' exit was Balogun's red card and the ensuing firestorm of him being allowed to play. 90% of US fans think it had some impact on the US' performance, but were divided on how much, with 30% each saying it had a slight, moderate, or major impact.
Despite being split on the performance, the fanbase is largely united on expectations heading into 2030. Two thirds of poll respondents think a round of 16 exit is the most reasonable expectation for the next World Cup, with another 22% expecting a quarterfinal appearance.
With the home World Cup being a generational stage for this team, lots of meta-discussion was about how the wider American public would view the team. Poll respondents were generally of the opinion that the US' run was favorable in that respect, with 43% saying it improved perception.
Nearly half of US fans (49%) left the tournament feeling about the same about the direction of the program as they felt going in. Among those whose opinions had changed, more felt better (34%) than worse (18%). Compared to the 2022 World Cup though, nearly half (48%) say their outlook is better.
Unsurprisingly, fans were most disappointed in the performance against Belgium in the round of 16, with 76% rating it very poor. The best game was against Paraguay, with 83% rating it excellent and another 16% rating it good. Fans were most split on the Turkiye game, where 55% rated it average.
On the big question of how the US performed, the response was mixed with the most common response (44%) being that that team met expectations, however, more people erred on the side of missing expectations (33%) than exceeding them (23%)
IMO the US does have a signature look though. White with red and blue accents, often paired with navy shorts and white socks have been the home kit design for decades, with the Waldos being the most significant departure. I get it if people don’t like it or say it’s boring, but we do have one.
MLS has their own cooling break rules during extreme heat www.mlssoccer.com/about/compet...
This is what happened to one of the other ones in contention. Isn’t handing space flight to the private sector great
But honestly I don’t see how people say wind turbines are ugly. The contrast between old and new in this photo is just so cool
After 230 hours 38 minutes and 28 seconds of 24/7 broadcasting, the official Artemis II stream has concluded
They’re showing iPhone pics of the moon on the live stream in space, 2026 is so cool.
