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.