da wazamba： The USMNT fell woefully short at Copa America, and serious soul-searching required as World Cup beckons

da premier bet： Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne recently went viral for his response to a reporter questioning the failures of his country's "Golden Generation."

"Stupid", he scoffed at the reporter. Rather than point a finger at his own team, he instead pointed to the talent of England, Spain, Germany and France as reasons why his generation have never quite lived up to expectations. His point was clear: the pressure of being part of a supposed "Golden Generation" isn't easy.

That feels even more true right now for the U.S. men's national team, who just learned their own lesson in generational failure. For all of their talent, for all of their individual successes, this USMNT group was severely humbled this summer. This "Golden Generation" fell short and there's no denying it.

Let this summer's Copa America serve as a reminder: tournament soccer is really, really hard. It's a lesson that De Bruyne and Belgium have learned time and time again. Come tournament time, talent alone is rarely enough; it all comes down to moments.

The moment that defined the USMNT's Copa America run wasn't a goal, assist or a save, but a punch. Tim Weah's individual moment of madness derailed this U.S. run, and they were never able to get it back on track. However, to say that a split-second decision from Weah was the only cause of the USMNT's demise is unfair; it was the turning point, for certain, but there were plenty of pain points.

With just two years until the World Cup, the USMNT feels no closer to achieving their lofty expectations than they've been before. In fact, it feels as if this team has regressed, falling further away from the benchmark that even their predecessors set. These players have now reached a moment of truth. This "Golden Generation" needs a long, hard look in the mirror and – as important – there needs to be major changes if they want to realize heir own incredible potential.

GettyThe makings of a 'Golden Generation'

A quick glimpse at the USMNT squad shows a list of players featuring at legitimate dream clubs. AC Milan, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco… all substantial global teams. For each of the USMNT's three Copa America games, Gregg Berhalter called on entirely European-based XIs, a testament to the in-roads American players have made across the pond in recent years.

Those players have achieved things, too. Christian Pulisic won a Champions League title at Chelsea and was arguably AC Milan's best player this season. Weston McKennie has played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus while getting his hands on three trophies. The U.S. team's PSV trio of Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest nearly went unbeaten in the league this season.

However, for all of their individual success and achievements on the club level, this team still fell dreadfully short against a Panama team that doesn't have a single player with those caliber of global resumes. And that leads us to the big question: why?

As always, the answer is a bit complicated. There are a numerous reasons why this summer went so wrong, so quickly for the U.S.

AdvertisementGettyA lack of form

It's great to be featuring at the highest levels of soccer in Europe, but this summer's USMNT group had too many players that weren't doing enough of the actual "playing" part.

Yes, Pulisic was in the form of his life at AC Milan. Yes, McKennie completed a resurgence at Juventus. But a look up and down the U.S. roster shows too many key players who weren't getting the minutes they needed at the club level.

Matt Turner, the starting goalkeeper, was benched by Nottingham Forest in January. Tyler Adams had played just a handful of games in the last year and a half. Gio Reyna had spent much of the last two seasons struggling to get minutes in both the Bundesliga and Premier League. The ageless Tim Ream saw his involvement at Fulham drop as the season wore on.

Too many of the USMNT's key players didn't get the games and minutes needed to stay sharp, and it was clear this summer, particularly in the attack. This was a team that simply lacked form and cohesion, and it was evident throughout Copa America.

It's a point that 2014 World Cup veteran Matt Besler brought up leading into the Uruguay game: not enough USMNT stars are key pieces for their clubs. Not enough lead actors, too many supporting roles.

"Myself, captain of Sporting KC, Kyle Beckerman, captain of Real Salt Lake, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Alejandro Bedoya – talent-wise and team-wise, I don’t think the 2014 team stacks up against today’s squad," Besler said. "However, the roles these players held in their club teams, being there every single day, that is what defines them.

“I think what we need to see is more players growing into these roles, becoming captains, leaders, and carrying that weight from their club teams to the national team. Right now, at the club level, the teams and names are great, but there are too many supporting players.”

Getty'Intensity falls through the cracks'

For much of the program's history, the USMNT has emphasized mentality. This team was often underdogs, particularly against the world's elite, but they would scrap and claw their way to results by doing whatever it took to get them. That mentality led to several program-defining wins, but that fierceness appeared to be absent in several program-defining losses.

Ream, the USMNT's one true veteran, summed it up best.

"This is a fantastic group as everyone knows, but sometimes the intensity falls through the cracks," Ream told Univision. "If we start to think that we are a finished product then guys are going to stagnate and just stay at the level they are at."

Those words are damningly accurate. For a veteran to admit that this group doesn't always bring the right mindset to the fight is yet another indication that major revisions are required.

Berhalter, too, has pointed to struggles with intensity. It showed itself in the pre-tournament humbling by Colombia. The fact is that this team doesn't always show up ready and willing to do what it takes – and when they do, it can often be too late.

Many of the prior iterations of the USMNT thrived on that intensity. For years, American players were overlooked, which in part cultivated that mentality. What would have happened if modern scouting methods had been in place for those USMNT legends of the past? Could they have ended up with European heavyweights, similar to the current US stars? Could they have done more with their talent than this group has with theirs?

It's impossible to know. What we do know, though, is that there has been a lack intensity, a lack of desperation, among the current players. Going to Europe was supposed to make them mentally stronger, but there are few signs of that with this USMNT.

Getty ImagesLack of discipline

Tim Weah's red card was a shock. Anyone who has followed Weah or this team knows that the USMNT winger is typically as calm as they come. For him to get sent off for such a brash act? No one could have expected it.

However, Weah's red wasn't the first time this U.S. team lost their cool, as discipline has been a legitimate problem for this group.

It arose last year when Sergino Dest was sent off against Trinidad & Tobago, forcing his team to defend a lead short-handed. It was an issue when Dest and McKennie were sent off for brawling against Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League. And, in many ways, it was an issue this tournament as numerous questionable officiating decisions caused the U.S. to lose their heads and futilely argue with the referee in the final two group-stage games.

Too often this U.S. team has been dragged down by external factors, be it opponents or officials. Panama expertly turned their clash with the USMNT into a CONCACAF game – physical, intense, baiting – and they were rewarded by Weah's punch.

Good teams simply don't do that. Good teams don't self-destruct. Good teams force opponents to beat them – and in multiple moments in multiple games of this Copa America, the UWMNT instead found their toughest opponents to be … themselves.