The U.S. men’s national team suffered a surprising loss to the Dominican Republic in a 2027 World Cup qualifier on Thursday, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.
The Americans failed to hold a lead at any point and fell behind by as many as 19 points during the contest.
After the win, Dominican head coach Nestor Garcia praised his team’s commitment and national pride.
“Now I am very happy because every player that comes to the (Dominican Republic) national team, they feel love for this country, for this flag,” Garcia said.
“In our country, the people support us. This is for the Dominican people.”
As Vardon points out, the U.S. squad does not feature many marquee names given that the NBA season is ongoing, though it does include players with recent league experience such as James Wiseman and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
Despite the setback, Team USA sits at 2-1 in qualifying play with nine games still to be played, leaving it in a stable position to secure a World Cup berth.
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