One casualty of America’s shock… and reverse cynicism about Trump’s decision

USA fans blamed a large percentage of the blame for Tuesday’s heavy defeat by Belgium in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, with their lackluster performance at the tournament one of the most obvious reasons for the hosts’ campaign to end.

The American exit came despite the local federation’s success in regaining the services of striker Folarin Balogun after the suspension was overturned in a rare move that saw US President Donald Trump intervene, but the national team could not keep up with Belgium.

The American team seemed to be far from the level it appeared in the first round, and the criticism of the fans was aimed at the leader of the defense Tim Reim.

Fans saw the 38-year-old defender unable to cope with Belgium’s attacks after losing control of De Kettelaar in the first goal and the aerial battle in the second goal, which wasted the impact of Malik Tillman’s equaliser.

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According to the website Sports BibleBarstool Sports host Jeff Delo said on social media. “Tim Rheim had one of his worst matches ever. They completely outclassed him.”

One of the fans wrote: “I don’t follow much football, but is Tim Reim really the best defender the country of 300 million can find?”

Another fan mocked Trump’s previous intervention in Balogun’s case, saying: “Can we step in to give Tim Reim a red card this time?”

Ream has 85 caps with the U.S. national team, but his advanced age limits his opportunities to represent the national team, especially with the search for more solid defensive solutions.

Reim wasn’t the only one to come under fire, as Chris Richards was also blamed after a mediocre defensive performance, adding to fans’ concerns about the future of the US national team’s backline following its exit from the World Cup.

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