I hardly know where to start; so much has happened, friends. Last time I checked in with you, the Group Stage had just wrapped up, and the USA was about to play Bosnia and Herzegovina. I was riding high off what was a wonderful start to the tournament, basking in the glory of underdog stories that captured hearts around the globe, and generally shifting my opinion on the expanded format. 

A lot has happened since then, though. Eight teams remain, all of the hosts are out, and my dreams of a drastically new world order seem to have been dashed once more. My bracket was busted before the knockouts even started, and my hopeful heart is being tested. 

But that’s what the World Cup is all about, isn’t it? If you don’t feel all sorts of things while you’re watching the games and following the tournament as a whole, you aren’t doing it right. It’s always an emotional rollercoaster, and I’m reeling just a bit from the whiplash. 

We’ve got two rounds of knockout soccer to reflect on now, because there’s plenty that needs recapping before I move on to predict the quarter-finals. Bear with me while I vent, rue, and eulogize — this is gonna be fun. 

Looking Back: The Round of 32

First things first: The first-ever Round of 32. With an expanded field comes more games, and the first edition of FIFA’s Round of 32 didn’t disappoint. Results aside, this additional knockout game gave more nations a chance to taste an extra layer of success at the World Cup, leaving more players and dreamers something to hold onto in the years to come. Regardless of who you support, I think we can all get behind any opportunity to show the next generation that there’s a reason to dream big. 

Let’s make that a little less abstract, shall we? From Paraguay’s upset over Germany to Morocco’s hard-fought triumph over the Netherlands, we saw deviations from the traditional script. The likes of DR Congo and Cape Verde pushed giants of the sport to the very brink, giving us one final dose of hope that David might still, in fact, slay Goliath on the biggest stages. All three host nations did their job, advancing to the Round of 16 to build up a head of steam and give their countrymen a reason to get a little rowdy. 

It was everything you want to see from this tournament: hopeful, exciting, diverse, and memorable. There were comebacks and real stakes. Despite my frustration at third-place teams making it through (all of whom have been eliminated now, I might add), I found myself paradoxically glad to see them get one more bite at the apple. All in all? I approve of the Round of 32, FIFA. You can keep it. 

Brighter Lights: The Round of 16

And herein lies the chaos that truly gave me whiplash. Where the knockouts traditionally started, the stakes felt higher than ever. We saw the clashing of vastly different styles in France vs. Paraguay, saw the host nations crumble together, and witnessed the end of eras for the Portuguese and Brazilian national teams. There has been palpable emotion in every round of this tournament, but it hasn’t felt this strong until now. 

The game of the round has to go to Mexico and England’s battle in Mexico City, which produced a match so chaotic and wonderful that I’ll have to rewatch it when the tournament comes to a close. Egypt’s exciting start against Argentina was only equalled by Argentina’s epic comeback win, breaking hearts and drawing tears from both fanbases for wildly different reasons. 

Before I focus in on the matchup that tugged hardest at my own heartstrings, a word on some of the legends we may have seen the last of. Whether you were rooting for their nations or not, I think we can all join together for a heartfelt thank you to Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, James Rodríguez, and the rest of the superstars who may have played on the biggest stage for the final time. You made us smile, cry, and dream. The impact you’ve left on this sport — and those of us who love it — will last a lifetime. 

Watching all of those national heroes take their last steps on the field got me all emotional, and it reminded me of my own fandom. So — if you will — stay with me while I work through the USA’s elimination.

Final Thoughts from the USMNT

Every World Cup, there’s a moment when the announcers think they’re smart by saying, “There are levels to this competition,” or “It’s all about execution in the Round of 16. Some teams just aren’t ready for this.” It’s usually when a hopeful, emerging underdog falls heavily to a traditional powerhouse, seemingly justifying the way the world sees both of them: the former as nothing more than an annoyance to the latter’s inevitable dominance. 

News flash, announcers: Reducing underdogs to nothing more than naive upstarts misses why these matches matter. That narrative serves no one. And, as a passionate supporter of the USMNT since I was just a boy, I have some thoughts. 

Yes, I know that the likes of France, England, Spain, Argentina, and (ugh) Belgium have all been to the later stages of the tournament far more often than the teams they dispatched in this year’s competition. I know that the next generation of players from each of those nations deserve to be inspired and find joy in this tournament just as much as anyone — but flash back to 2014 with me for a moment. 

I’m home alone — too young to drive and enjoying a tournament that’s making me fall in love over and over again with the beautiful game. I’m wearing my bomb pop jersey, ready for the USMNT to take down Belgium in their first knockout game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Tim Howard puts on the performance of a lifetime, seeing us through an agonizing 90 minutes to earn the right to extra time. We’re pushing Belgium’s golden generation to their very limits, and hope springs eternal. My eyes are glued to the television, my heart rate is through the roof, and nothing else matters. 

Kevin De Bruyne scores. Julian Green equalizes. Romelu Lukaku scores. Chris Wondolowski doesn’t. Time slows down as the ref blows the final whistle. I’m sorely disappointed, but for some reason, losing doesn’t make it feel like we don’t belong.

It made me want to prove that we do. 

Because when David swings at Goliath, every underdog is suddenly allowed to let their belief turn into determination. They’re free to turn “what if” into “what now,” and there’s something infinitely beautiful about that. 

Yeah, I’m talking about a game. Yes, I know the USMNT lost in what was, to be perfectly honest, somewhat humiliating fashion this time around. But any chance a young Mexican, American, Canadian, or a fan from any other eliminated team has to see their nation rise to the challenge is a chance for them to see something inside themselves that’s capable of doing the same. 

So maybe there are levels to this tournament, and obviously execution is what separates the wheat from the chaff. But this competition is for dreamers, dang it, and dreamers never lie down in defeat. They get back up. And four years later, they arrive at the same stage, battle-tested and ready to try again. The boys didn’t lift the trophy, but they stood up. Now, the next group can climb on their shoulders and reach a little higher. 

Onward. Forward.