U.S. Fans Respond With Anger, Sadness as Team Eliminated From World Cup

Following the Netherlands vs. United States World Cup match, which resulted the U.S. team's elimination from the global soccer tournament, fans took to social media to express anger and sadness over the team's defeat.

The Netherlands defeated the U.S. 3-1 during the high-stakes match on Saturday, knocking the U.S. team out of the tournament completely while the Dutch team advanced to the quarterfinals. The U.S. team has not reached the quarterfinals since 2002.

The defeat means the U.S. failed to advance past the round of 16, as they did in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments. Despite the loss, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said the team made "some progress," according to the Associated Press.

"When people look at our team, they see a clear identity. They see guys that go out and fight for each other. They see the talent on the field. We made progress, but on this particular night we came up short," he said.

The soccer team wrote in a tweet that they "fought til the end." They added: "Thank you for your unwavering support, from a grueling Qualifying journey to the Knockout Round here in Qatar. It's a privilege to represent the United States of America, and we can't wait to play in front of you all on home soil in 2026."

Fans took to social media to express their disappointment with the U.S. team's loss, throwing jabs against the Dutch soccer team.

"Can't Biden just call FIFA and say 'I just want to find 3 goals which is 3 more than we have,'" tweeted comedian Pete Dominick.

"I hope all the windmills in the Netherlands squeak extra loud tonight so nobody can sleep," tweeted journalist Zach Covey.

WTVT reporter Paul Dellegatto quipped: "I like our chances here if the Dutch would wear wooden shoes."

"I expected more with that talent pool. The biggest wins in this process were against one of the worst Mexican teams in history. The standard must be higher with this generation. There should be a lot of pressure in 2026 to be successful. Whatever that means to all," tweeted Miguel Gallardo.

Many others praised the U.S. soccer team for their performance, noting that the U.S. soccer team was among the youngest and most inexperienced teams on the field this year.

President Joe Biden, who offered the team words of encouragement before the game, wrote: "Fellas, you made us proud. We get up and keep going. Here's to a bright future and 2026 back here at home."

"Team USA came into this as underdogs. They are a young team playing against an elite class. They got abused out there but predictable. There's always next year," tweeted Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross.

"The U.S. had chances to finish. We didn't. The Dutch had chances to finish. They did," tweeted U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat. "But our team is young, super talented, and just entering their prime. Can't wait to follow these guys over the next four years. USA! USA! USA!"

Others mocked the U.S. team's defeat.

"The USA will rebrand this defeat as a tactical setback," tweeted architect and satirist Karl Sharro.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team for comment.