Back to the Top News Newsfeed

USMNT Looks Forward in World Cup Qualifying Despite External Emphasis on Past Failure

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — If you’re looking for something symbolic that represents the burden this new U.S. men’s national team isn’t carrying into 2022 World Cup qualifying, midfielder Weston McKennie provided it this week.

Asked to share his memories of the Americans’ spectacular failure to advance to the 2018 tournament, the 23-year-old warned that his answer was going to be brief.

“I didn’t really tune in last time to the World Cup qualifiers,” he said. “I watched highlights of the [decisive] Trinidad game, I think like everyone else did. But yeah, I don’t really watch sports so I didn’t really catch a lot of it.