USA fans have been dealt a harsh piece of reality by Gary Lineker, who warned new supporters how cruel football can be.
Netherlands have progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals after beating USA 3-1 on Saturday, but although they were never leading the game, there was a moment where American fans thought they were back in it. The Dutch went into the break 2-0 up after goals from Memphis Depay and Daley Blind, but the USA did finally pull one back after 76 minutes,
Haji Wright managed to spectacularly bundle one in for USA and ensure it was game on, which sparked wild celebrations across the nation. But just four minutes later their hopes were wiped out as Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries made it 3-1, and Lineker, has told new football fans "It's the hope that kills you."
After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, USA were back with a point to prove. They managed to make it out of the group stages after finishing runners-up to England, but their tournament is now over after falling at the first knockout hurdle.
USA will be hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, and the sport of football, or soccer as it's known across the pond, is certainly becoming more popular in America each year. The rise of Major League Soccer has helped welcome more fans to the sport, but Lineker has warned them to expect upsets if they are going to continue watching.
"Those Americans that are new to our game, you’ll soon learn that it’s the hope that kills you," Lineker tweeted. And with England only winning one international trophy in their history, it's certainly something Lineker is aware of.
English fans have suffered upset in recent years after reaching the World Cup semi-final, and then losing the final of Euro 2020 to Italy on penalties. Fans continue to manifest 'It's coming home' regardless, as they hope this could finally be England's year.
USA may be heading back on an early flight home, but they've definitely earned respect this tournament. They only conceded one goal throughout the group stages. but unfortunately their defence was breached on Saturday.
Before the World Cup began, USA's star man Christian Pulisic claimed that a successful tournament would help them change the way people view American soccer. "Maybe it hasn’t been the top sport back in the States and we want to change the way that the world sees American soccer – it’s one of our goals," Pulisic said.
"We haven’t been at the level of some of these world powerhouses in recent decades, but we’ve had good teams with a lot of heart. We can take it to the next step – a successful World Cup would change a lot."
There's certainly a momentum gathering over in America, with more and more fans getting into football and taking it more seriously as a sport. And they'll want to stand out at the next World Cup as hosts.
