The USMNT’s World Cup run ended with a thud against Belgium, a 4-1 loss that felt uncomfortably familiar to anyone who’s spent years watching the Dallas Cowboys in January. And almost immediately, the internet made the connection — not politely, either.
Belgium poured in three goals before the hour mark. The American defense looked lost on set pieces and cross-field runners. A goalkeeper misread a long ball. Sound familiar? Cowboys fans felt it in their bones.
NFL insider Ari Meirov put it bluntly on X: “This game so far has felt like showing up as a Cowboys fan before a playoff game against the Packers.” He was referencing the 2024 NFC Wild Card disaster where Green Bay hung 48 points on Dallas and Dak Prescott threw two picks. It was the kind of specific, painful analogy that only lands if you’ve lived through it.
Zero-for-Everything Streaks That Won’t Die
The numbers are ugly in a way that feels almost designed. The USMNT is now 0-6 in the Round of 16 since 2002. The Cowboys are 0-6 in the NFC Divisional Round over the same stretch. Jeff Kerr of 97.3 FM ESPN threw the Philadelphia 76ers into the conversation too — they’re 0-8 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals since 2002. It’s like a cursed trio of underachievement.
At least the USMNT can point to youth. Most of their core players are under 25. The Cowboys don’t have that excuse. They’re old, expensive, and still finding ways to lose playoff games to teams that should be beatable. Or in Green Bay’s case, teams that absolutely demolished them.
Defense Collapses in Real Time
NFL correspondent Annie Agar posted a photo of Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer with the caption “USA defense right now.” It was brutal but not inaccurate. Dallas allowed a league-worst 30.1 points per game last season. Against Belgium, the US gave up four goals, including two in the first 33 minutes.
Leandro Trossard chipped one over goalkeeper Matt Freeze early. Charles De Ketelaere won a physical battle against Tim Ream in the box and finished cleanly. Later, Freeze came off his line to intercept a long ball but left the net empty for Hans Vanaken. Each goal had a different shape but the same root problem: miscommunication and hesitation.
The Cowboys have that same problem. It’s been years of defensive breakdowns at the worst possible moments. And now that pattern has a soccer equivalent.
One difference: the USMNT can rebuild through young talent and a new coach. The Cowboys have to figure out the same old questions about Prescott’s contract, Mike McCarthy’s replacement, and whether this roster is actually good or just good enough to lose dramatically. Maybe both fan bases can bond over that much. Misery loves company, and right now there’s plenty to go around.
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