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USMNT will play for 3rd place in Copa America

They might have gone down to Argentina, but it was further than they were expected to go at all

By Stephanie Yang
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

If you're not first, you're last.

Well pack it in Ricky Bobby, because the USMNT achieved what it set out to do. If you'll remember, this is where Jurgen Klinsmann wanted to be.

"The goal, then, is really to get to the final four. We want to get to the final four."

Never let it be said the man was guilty of pie-in-the-sky rhetoric.

The MNT made it to the final four and for a brief, shining moment, people were even picking them to advance past Argentina with several starters out for card accumulation. Foolishly patriotic optimism aside, there's something to be said for both advancing this far and hitting some positives along the way.

So the United States lost to Argentina 4-0. Leonardo Lionel Messi did this to them.

Now what?

Now the MNT play for third place against the loser of Colombia vs Chile. It's not an unimportant game; there's still things to evaluate, including how this team will bounce back from being so thoroughly handled and so critically underperforming.

That game will be Saturday, June 25 at 8 PM ET in Glendale, Ariz, broadcast on FX. Tune in - or don't, it's up to you to decide if you're too disappointed to continue on. But you can't say it hasn't been an interesting ride.

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