World Cup: To advance, the U.S. will have to end its five-year European curse

Key Points:

• The U.S. men's national soccer team has struggled against European opponents, losing 10 straight matches and securing only one World Cup win against Europe since 1990, a 3-2 victory over Portugal in 2002.
• Despite strong performances in the current World Cup, including scoring more goals than in previous tournaments and topping their group, the U.S. has yet to overcome its historical difficulties against European teams.
• The U.S. faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, a team they last defeated in a friendly in 2021, but Bosnia has proven competitive by advancing from its World Cup group and defeating strong teams like Italy in qualifiers.
• Key U.S. players, including Christian Pulisic, are expected to be fit for the knockout stage, and the team aims to break its losing streak against European opponents as it potentially faces tougher European teams in later rounds.
• Defender Chris Richards highlighted the technical skill of European teams compared to the mentality-driven play of South American and African sides, suggesting a possible reason for the U.S.'s struggles against Europe.