Should USA Have ‘Higher Expectations’ As World Cup Co-Hosts?

Less about being an underdog, and more about achieving some lofty goals. That should be the narrative surrounding the U.S. men’s national team ahead of this summer’s 48-team World Cup. FOX Sports analyst and former USA star Alexi Lalas joined Colin Cowherd on Monday’s edition of “The Herd” to discuss why the baseline for American soccer should change heading into this tournament following a friendly victory over Senegal. ‘Given Absolutely Everything’ When Cowherd pointed out that previous USA squads relied heavily on counter-attacks, set-pieces, and goalkeeping – Cowherd summarized by calling the U.S. a “hands country” — Lalas agreed that this modern roster represents a complete break from the past. Because of that evolution, Lalas argues, the fans should not view the team as underdogs. “This is a generation that has been given absolutely everything from a very, very young age. I’m happy about that. I’m proud about that,” Lalas explained. “But with that should come higher expectations. Incredibly talented generation. Is this the best team? I don’t know, but they have been given everything to succeed, and so we should expect this team to…win this group.” Lalas added that given the strength of the group, which includes Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye, as well as the tournament format allowing third-place teams to advance, “there’s no excuse for not only not getting out of the group, but I expect them to win the group.” Furthermore, Lalas pointed out a historic milestone waiting for this team in the knockout phase: “Then in that round of 32, [it will be] for the first time in World Cup history where we are the favorite, and that’s something very, very different.” Strengths And Vulnerabilities Emerge This shift from underdog to favorite comes down to the talent depth available to manager Mauricio Pochettino. Cowherd questioned who would step up if opposing defenses aggressively double-and triple-teamed Christian Pulisic, who has a history of battling physical play and nagging injuries. Lalas countered that the U.S. now possesses “champagne problems” up top, highlighted by a battle at the striker position between Folarin Balogun and a surging Ricardo Pepi, alongside scoring threats on the wing like Tim Weah and Sergiño Dest. However, playing with the ball and being expected to dictate the tempo of a match comes with its own problems. The U.S. will lean on 38-year-old captain Tim Ream for his experience and leadership, despite fair criticisms regarding his speed against potential counter-attacks. On top of this, one of the USA’s strengths at previous World Cups now has major questions. Unlike past generations that boasted great goalkeepers such as Tony Meola, Brad Friedel, Casey Keller, or Tim Howard, the current goalkeeping core is a question mark. Lalas noted that incumbent 2022 starter Matt Turner hasn’t yet had a signature moment with the national team. “He has yet to have that big game, he has yet to make the save that he shouldn’t make,” Lalas said. “And this summer he is going to have to make the save that he shouldn’t make.” Nothing Like ‘A Home World Cup’ Despite defensive uncertainty and questionable performances in goal, Lalas remains incredibly “bullish” on the USA, citing the unique energy of playing a World Cup on home soil. “There’s nothing better than a World Cup, except for one thing,” Lalas said. “That is a home World Cup. And there is some magic that I hope that they are able to harness that takes them through into places that we haven’t been before.” With elite resources compared to generations past, a world-class manager, and a group they are expected to not only get out of, but win, the time for the USA to breakthrough is now. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as well as the USA’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).