The Rondo: Euro 2024 predictions, TST recap and what does USMNT do now?

Tom Hindle: Sure? Berhalter certainly set up his side with a bit more attacking intent against the Selecao, and you could see that they were all a bit more fired up than in that damning 5-1 Colombia defeat.

Some of the individual performances were good, too. Yunus Musah was excellent, while Joe Scally handled Vinicius Jr well. Matt Turner also made loads of saves. What has been lost a bit here is that Brazil were fairly terrible. Their midfield was a bit all over the place, while they looked reasonably toothless once it came to the part when you have to put the ball into the net. Still, it's a good tie against a good team - which of course will make a group stage loss to Bolivia all the more impressive.

Ryan Tolmich: There have been overreactions to both results. The USMNT can’t be expected to be as bad as they were against Colombia, but it’ll be tough for them to be as good as they were against Brazil every game going forward, too.

So what does it mean? Well, the USMNT has the ability to contend against any team, no matter how good they are. They also have the ability to lose sight of themselves as a result, leading to those Colombia-type games. It’s a balancing act of pragmatism and bravery, something that the US did well in the draw against Brazil. If they can replicate that, they’ll have a chance every time.

Jacob Schneider: It absolutely does, particularly in the realm of right fullback. What a performance from Joe Scally, who has taken the spot due to Sergino Dest’s injury. He had a rough March, but he’s stepped up in two-straight games with top performances - and should be incredibly proud.

As for the USMNT overall, they have all the talent to compete with heavyweights like Brazil. As cliche as it sounds, they just need to realize and believe they can compete. Their next major test is Uruguay in Copa America, and based off their result against the Selecao, there are signs they can not only compete, but defeat La Celeste.

TH: Tyler Adams is pretty much a shoo-in. He might be the most effective - not the best - player in this U.S. team. So yeah, stick him at the base of a trio.

In front of him, you’d probably have to go Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie. Musah seems a well-rounded sort of guy - does a bit of everything well and can play out wide a bit. He’s not going to create loads - watch him finish the tournament with like 15 assists now - but the U.S. can only benefit from the sort of dirty-work-plus-crafty thing he brings to the table.

McKennie probably has to be the third, but it’s still unclear what exactly his best position is. Yes, he’s a center midfielder in some capacity, but does he attack? Does he defend? Does he have the legs to do it all? Not quite sure. There’s also an argument to be made for Gio Reyna here, or perhaps Johnny Cardoso if Berhalter is feeling a bit funky. But probably best to play it safe for now.

RT: It depends, largely, on opponent. For the Bolivia and Panama games, a midfield that includes Reyna makes infinite sense. However, for Uruguay and the other big boys waiting on the other side, its important to not overthink things.

The "MMA" midfield of McKennie, Musah and Tyler Adams got you here and, when healthy, that trio is still the go-to. You lose something by not playing Reyna, but, against a top dog like Uruguay, Brazil or Argentina, you sacrifice that for the stability that comes with MMA. You saw how well it worked against England at the World Cup, and there's no reason to think it won't work this time around.

It also depends on health, particularly for Adams. If he's fit, there's no doubt. If not, things do get interesting for the USMNT in the center of the midfield.

JS: McKennie, Adams and Reyna – assuming the Bournemouth star is fit. Adams is the biggest "if" for the USMNT this summer, and it comes down to fitness.

There are suitable replacements for all three, though, with Musah, Malik Tillman and Cardoso available. There’s room to rotate, sub and make sure you roll out the best formation with the versatility of the six. Really, it’s the deepest part of their roster and the one area of the pitch they won’t need to worry about.

TH: (**whispers**) England? They kind of have to at this point, right? In past tournaments, you could point to various excuses: defense, coaching, obsession with (insert washed Premier League footballer) here. But there aren’t really justifications as to why this shouldn’t happen.

Jude Bellingham is among the best in the world. Harry Kane just had the best season of his career. Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Trent Alexander-Arnold all come into the tournament in rip-roaring form. Manager Gareth Southgate has ditched loyalty and pragmatism for ballers and vibes.

Yes, there are concerns at left-back, but every team at this tournament is just a tiiiiiiny bit flawed. The rational answer here is probably France, but let’s go for misguided optimism now and total heartbreak later.

RT: It feels relatively tight at the top, with several countries having legitimate chances to win. And if there's anything to learn from past tournaments, it's to expect the unexpected - one of the tournament favorites may not be the team lifting the trophy at the end.

Still, it's really hard to look past this France team. Depth, talent, experience - Les Bleus have it all, and they also have a certain Real Madrid-bound superstar who will be eager to continue writing his name in history books. If France do win, Kylian Mbappe's legacy goes into overdrive, especially if he steps up once again.

Bet on Les Bleus this summer, even if it's hard to feel too good about any one team.

JS: The favorites are France and rightly so. However, other teams could make a run, specifically Germany and Spain.

Germany has been quiet for nearly a decade, but their new young generation is simply sensational. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala are two of the best attacking midfielders in the world, Kai Havertz is coming into his own, Jonathan Tah had his best season ever with Leverkusen - and they have veteran pieces surrounding them all. A run under Julian Nagelssman cannot be ruled out.

Spain, meanwhile, whew: Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Grimaldo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Zubimendi. It’s going to be exciting to see this team come into their own. It’s a big test for their young stars, but they have all the pieces to be contenders.

Shoutout to Ukraine, too. They’re a proper dark horse who seem to have the backing of all fans without a specific team competing. That could spark something special, and it could finally be the moment Chelsea’s Mykhalo Mudryk leaves his mark on the international stage.

TH: To be honest, not really sure. The whole thing was a bit wacky, and that’s kind of the point. As our esteemed colleague Jacob Schneider pointed out, TST is a bit frantic, a bit chaotic, but kind of fun, which is what American soccer should be. Do surprises even exist here?

The only real shock would be Sergio Aguero's squad not making it further in the tournament. It would have been nice to see him have a shot at a silly amount of money while we all refresh social media platforms for tiny clips.

RT: One thing that was fun to see was the adjustment from TST 1 to TST 2. Last summer, no one quite knew what to expect. This summer, you saw all of the indoor/arena influences that have now defined this style of 7v7 play.

The biggest surprise this time around was how well some of the ex-pro teams adjusted, even if they weren't the ones raising the trophy at the end. Team Nani, Concafa FC and Sire 7 were all loaded with ex-pros, and all adjusted to the unique way this tournament is played.

It will be interesting to see what teams can continue to win this competition and how the styles will adapt as as we head into the third iteration of this tournament.

JS: Honestly? How poor some of the European stars’ teams played. Aguero’s squad was abysmal, Borussia Dortmund left everything to desire, Bayern Munich didn't feature notable names and Inter were also eliminated in the group stage.

It was a proper wake up call for the heavyweights. It’s an incredibly competitive tournament, and it felt as though they all thought it would be a stroll in the park.

Shout out to J.J. Watt, too. The former NFL standout was far more capable than anyone thought, and he truly had a few remarkable footballing moments on the pitch.