A quick look back at 2024

Happy New Year, everyone!

We’re minutes away from a brand new year. Before it greets us, I wanted to document a few moments I’ll remember from 2024.

• Broadly speaking, for the US Women’s National Team, I’ll remember 2024 as a period of revitalization and wide-ranging fun. American soccer fans were treated to one of life’s most precious stories— the comeback.

• On the men’s side, I’ll remember this year for its gigantic fumbling of the Copa America. For years, we understood hosting the 2024 edition of international football’s oldest tournament to be an unmissable opportunity. In the aftermath of unmitigated failure, Gregg Berhalter was fired and Mauricio Pochettino was hired. We end the year with a very, very short runway to prepare for the main event.

The inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup

Reader, I did not expect to enjoy this tournament as much as I did! But watching Concacaf’s newest international tournament from the confines of a wintry attic was a highlight of my year.

Like the best of Concacaf competitions, it had character and chaos. A historic loss against Mexico. A fierce physical battle to win the next game against Colombia, replete with Trinity Rodman dropping expletives caught on broadcast, and Alex Morgan chest-bumping Catalina Usme in the box. Then, the infamous (ridiculous) rain game against Canada, capped off by Alyssa Naeher’s penalty heroics, in a year defined by Alyssa Naeher heroics. It ended with the year’s first trophy against Brazil.

I think we all lived several cathartic lifetimes together while watching it unfold.

The SheBelieves Cup

The same day that a solar eclipse was promised (alas, I did not see) I hopped in a car and drove to Ohio to see the USWNT’s second trophy of the year. I stopped for a night in West Virginia, taking a slightly longer and scenic route. Columbus is a fun place. And it has a deep-seated role in the soul of American soccer.

The USWNT were still working with an interim coach, Twila Kilgore. They were working through generational transitions, with tough roster decisions looming for Emma Hayes.

But after another penalty triumph against Canada, and two consecutive comeback victories en route to their second trophy of the year, I started to believe.

The end of Gregg Berhalter and Joe Biden on one simultaneous evening in Atlanta

Premonitions of Copa-catastrophe set in early. A 5-1 warmup loss against Colombia was, unfortunately, a sign of the times. A respectable 0-0 friendly against a legendary but recently rudderless Brazil couldn’t salvage the sense of stagnation and apathy in the US Men’s National Team.

Things officially kicked off with a 2-0 win against the worst team in the tournament: Bolivia. Bravo. On a fateful evening in Atlanta (with Trump and Biden squaring off mere minutes away), Tim Weah’s red card set them back against Panama in a game they should have won. They lost 2-1. A few days later in Kansas City, they battled against Uruguay, but it wasn’t enough.

Two of three 2026 World Cup hosts (USA and Mexico) shuffled off shamefully after the Copa America group stage.

Gregg Berhalter was fired as a result.

American soccer-aspirations in Marseille

The Olympics were a rejuvenating time, especially for the US Women’s National Team. I traversed the tournament starting in Marseille, where both the U.S. men and women launched their Olympic aspirations.

With Emma Hayes newly in charge, the women came out of the gate with statement wins, beating Zambia, Germany, then Australia to top Group B. On the men’s side, which fields a U23 team for the Olympics, a hodgepodge group of young talents and carefully selected veterans advanced from Group B behind France.

In between back-to-back men’s and women’s Team USA soccer games, I wandered about a distinct southern port city, became invested in swimming rivalries, marveled at cascading red roofs, ate cheese.

The girls win gold

Looking back, en route to Olympic glory, I remember the Japan game most fondly.

The young U.S. lads had lost 4-0 to Morocco in the men’s quarterfinal the previous day. That was my first time writing from the press tribune at the Parc des Princes. Back again less than 24 hours later, finally in the swarm of Paris mid-Olympics, the US women were seriously tested against Japan.

It was 0-0 in extra time and penalties looked almost certain. Then with a chop and a strike of the ball, Trinity Rodman broke through. Those are my favorite games in major tournaments: tense tests when victory is uncertain, and some unforeseen force of glory propels them forth.

Trinity’s wonder-strike propelled them to a semifinal in Lyon. They beat Germany 1-0 in a game ingrained into my brain as defined by Emma Hayes’ pain caves. This time, also in extra time, Sophia Smith broke through. “We didn’t ever drop off”, she told us in the mixed zone after.

A few days later, in Paris, they won gold. It was the program’s fifth gold medal, but the first for every member of this year’s Olympic team. Mallory Swanson scored a team-high fourth goal of the tournament to seal it 1-0 against Brazil.

2024 was full of other moments worth noting.

Upon the ashes of Copa America catastrophe, Mauricio Pochettino got the job. I saw Brenden Aaronson score against Sheffield Wednesday, early in his return for Leeds United. I also saw Gaga Slonina and Donovan Pines start for Barnsley and cursed them personally, I think. Gotham was honored at The White House, and I got to go along. This December, yet another USWNT legend retired, marking the fifth starter from the 2019 World Cup final to hang up the boots this year.

Happy New Year, everyone.