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American soccer fans look to 2026 as Dutch cheer win

STORY: "(The) atmosphere was really good, and the U.S.A. played really well. I feel sorry for them but I'm glad Netherlands won," said Marli Boucher, a South African of Dutch heritage living in Qatar.Ewoud Roosje from Amsterdam echoed the sentiment, saying he thought it was an exciting game.A 10th-minute effort by Memphis Depay and another from Daley Blind with the last kick of the first half paved the way for the Dutch to set up a last eight clash with Argentina, who beat Australia later on Saturday.Substitute Haji Wright gave the Americans hope with a goal in the 76th minute, but Denzel Dumfries's volley sealed a seventh quarter-final appearance for team Netherlands.While upset about the loss, American fans said they were proud of their team's accomplishment and were hopeful for a bright future in men's soccer in the U.S."I still feel very proud of our team. We weren't supposed to make it to this round. And so I'm just excited. I'm happy for them. They played their hearts out. They never gave up. They fought the whole match. Hey, 2026, hopefully they're in Levi's Stadium, Bay Area, so we'll see them there. I'm really proud of them," said Maurice Williams from San Francisco, referencing the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host along with Mexico and Canada.Sherry McPeak from Idaho told Reuters she thought it was an "incredible game", saying the players exceeded expectations for such a young team.