Q:  How is the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) similar to the Palestinian national movement?

A:  It never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Consider the situation. The United States was playing a World Cup on home soil in front of huge supportive crowds. The starting eleven featured ten players–all except the goalkeeper–who had logged significant minutes in the top five European leagues. The coach was a first rate international coaching talent, who after a year or so of tinkering with lineups and tactics had forged a team culture and performance standard which appeared to all come together during the pre-World Cup friendly matches against Senegal and Germany. The good vibes continued through the group stage, as the Yanks dominated their first two matches, playing with confidence and evident skill which no previous edition of the USMNT had ever displayed in a World Cup. Over the course of their first four matches, this squad scored ten goals. By comparison, the 2022 squad managed to tally only three goals in their four matches.  The team featured potential American sports legends such as Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, not to mention “Captain America” Christian Pulisic. They were slotted into a winnable contest against a strong, but suspect Belgian team which had limped along to this point in the tournament. The entire attention of a grateful sporting nation was properly........

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