In a couple months, the U.S. men's national team should be back on something resembling a level playing field, kicking off a new four-year cycle just like everybody else. The World Cup is a culmination. When it’s over, win or lose, most participants experience some sort of changing of the guard, as a new generation of players knocks on the door and management gets a refresh (except for Germany, where Joachim Löw apparently will preside forever over the planet’s premier talent refinery).
For some national teams, summer’s end means a turning of the page. For others, an entirely new chapter.