'Maybe we had unrealistic expectations' - USMNT players abroad get reality check from Alexi Lalas after World Cup

• Supposed to be golden generation
• But several USMNT players benched for club
• Lalas suggests patience is needed

WHAT HAPPENED? When USMNT players Christian Pulisic, Brendan Aaronson, Sergino Dest and many others first broke onto the scene with European clubs, there was a sense among some fans in the United States that a golden era across the Atlantic would immediately follow. It hasn't quite worked out that way, with Pulisic set to leave Chelsea, Dest unwanted at Barcelona and Aaronson not consistently starting.

Lalas said that American supporters perhaps set up these players for disappointment with high expectations. Still, he said he's not worried about their talent for the 2026 World Cup.

WHAT THEY SAID: "It didn't kick on in the way that a lot of us thought it was going to with this incredible generation we have, and all of this talent," Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. "While I think it was a successful World Cup, I don't think it had the stirring effect internationally that we thought it was going to have, [with players] using the momentum and the positive experience to do better things [with clubs].

"I'm not concerned. Maybe we had unrealistic expectations of what was going to come out of a World Cup. I can't think of somebody whose reputation was dramatically enhanced by what happened at the World Cup [besides maybe Tim Ream]."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Even if some of the current crop of USMNT players in Europe wind up needing to move down to slightly smaller clubs, there are plenty of other young Stars and Stripes talents who could eventually take their places with Champions League contenders, such as Paxten Aaronson and Caden Clark.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT? The team will play Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador later this month.