There was a lot of excitement surrounding the USMNT ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The team hadn't played in the World Cup since 2014 after missing out on the 2018 tournament, and with young players such as Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams leading the way, there was hope that the Americans could make some noise in the tournament this year.

While the US did end up advancing out of the group stage and into the knockout rounds, they were quickly eliminated by the Netherlands on Saturday by a score of 3-1. It was a tough way to get sent home, but the Netherlands simply proved to be too much for the USA to handle. After the loss, Pulisic and Adams delivered a message of gratitude to the USMNT's fans for their support throughout their run in the tournament.

“Thank you guys so much for all the support. It really meant a lot to us. We’re sorry. We wanted it so bad, and I hope we gave you some kind of excitement and showed you what this country is about, what this team is about. Just thank you guys.” – Christian Pulisic, Fox News

It was indeed a tough way for the US to exit, as they put up a good fight against a strong Dutch side. But in the end, it wasn't to be, and the Americans simply didn't have the experience needed to make a deep run in the tournament this year.

Despite that, this side clearly has a lot of talent, and they should be able to make a deeper run when the tournament returns in 2026. Pulisic and Adams may be upset about the result now, but it's clear that the USMNT has a lot of potential to develop into a strong squad over the next few years.