MARSEILLE, France — These have not been fun times for the U.S. men’s soccer program, what with the Copa América debacle resulting in a coaching change and renewed introspection, followed by the Olympic squad losing its opener by three goals.
On Saturday, less than 24 hours after the cauldron was lit at the Paris Olympics, a young gang tasked with restoring faith in the men’s game in their country faced the prospects of making seat assignments for a premature flight home. With the World Cup two years away, U.S. soccer could not bear yet another international pratfall and another round of questions about the program’s future.