Team USA fans at Morristown’s Famished Frog can’t believe what they are watching, as Belgium ends their World Cup dreams, July 6, 2026. Photo by April Stelle.

 

By April Stelle

Even before the second half started on Monday night, soccer fan Brandon Shotwell was sure Team USA was not going to win the World Cup. Yet despite the team’s disappointing 4-1 elimination by Belgium, he hoped fans will keep watching the tournament to marvel at the sport’s magic.

“I hope that it’s going to inspire a young generation to realize it’s a beautiful game,” Shotwell, an Army veteran who has crisscrossed the country attending World Cup matches, said at the Famished Frog in Morristown.

Shotwell’s wish already has started to come true. Twenty-eight year-old Parsippany resident Sarah Fiedler came out to her second Frog watch party. She wanted to take in the energy.

All eyes were on Team USA at the Famished Frog in Morristown, July 6, 2026. Photo by April Stelle

“I really enjoyed seeing the camaraderie of the World Cup in general. Watching different parts of the world come together, the sense of community and going out and watching games with people. I wanted to be a part of that,” Fiedler said.

The U.S. is not the only team Fiedler has grown fond of. She knew nothing of Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland before the tournament. Now, she can’t wait to tune in for his quarterfinal matchup against England on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Miami.

“He’s just an absolute beast,” Fiedler said.

Mendham resident Monica Carrero and her four kids lost power in their house during Friday’s powerful storm and were not able to get it back, even after driving to Brooklyn for a new generator. So the family came to the Frog, in full USA attire.

“A lot of fun. Yeah, good food, fun atmosphere. It’s always good,” Monica said.

Arianna Carrero wearing her Team USA headgear. Photo by April Stelle

The Carreros have been watching every game of the World Cup, even during through the power outage — her son was able to tune in on his phone over the weekend.

Sixteen-year-old Mendham High School soccer forward Arianna Carrero has played the sport since she was 3. She attended the June 16 France-Senegal match at MetLife Stadium with tickets gifted from her dad.

“It was really cool, all the people cheering, especially for France. It was really loud,” Arianna said.

She added to those cheers, mostly because of France star Kylian Mbappe, who she also follows on her favorite club team, Real Madrid. She saw him play last summer in the U.S.-hosted FIFA Club World Cup, a quadrennial tournament similar to the World Cup but with club teams, and in a Real Madrid – Barcelona game in the Premier League.

Even though Arianna saw the writing on the wall for Team USA on Monday, she was frustrated when U.S. star Folarin Balogun blew a chance in the 81st minute. She thought she could have done better.

“I wouldn’t have hit it right at the goalie,” Arianna said.

Reactions after Malik Tillman free kick goal for Team USA vs. Belgium. Photo by April Stelle

For the first time in the tournament, the red, white and blue did not score first. Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere tapped in a cross in the seventh minute. U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman responded on a free kick in the 30th minute. But less than two minutes later, De Ketelaere struck again, putting the Belgians up 2-1. They never looked back.

And fans’ reaction to Belgium’s answer less than two minutes later. Photo by April Stelle.

A dark cloud loomed over the match long before it began. FIFA, the sport’s governing body, on Sunday rescinded Balogun’s one-game ban, a decision reportedly influenced by a call from President Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The two presidents have had a close relationship for years, and the unusual reversal sparked outrage among international soccer fans who alleged political meddling.

Shotwell was aggrieved with the backlash from the decision, which he saw as a blemish on an otherwise spectacular tournament.

Brandon Shotwell wearing flag signed by his Army platoon. Photo by April Stelle.

“It was nice to see all the positivity of people falling in love with America, Americans falling in love with the world. A lot of that was lost here in the last couple days,” said Shotwell, 42, who served in a tank in Iraq in 2003.

He thought the Trump controversy also hurt Team USA’s play.

“It’s become a political story, which was my number one concern going into this World Cup,”  he said.

From star forward Christian Pulisic’s low impact to defender Antonee Robinson’s worst performance yet, Shotwell said, not a single U.S. player had a good match on Monday. He was especially upset with Belgium’s third goal, caused by an error by U.S. goalie Matt Freese in the 56th minute.

Shotwell has been a World Cup fan since the USA first hosted it in 1994, when his father took him to his first match. He was a teenager, and the experience was “life-changing.” He’s attended three World Cups since.

He fell in love with Team USA after seeing it play in the 2006 World Cup hosted by Germany, where he was stationed with the U.S. Army. He also traveled to Brazil for the 2014 tournament.

Shotwell has attended six matches so far this year, in Seattle and Kansas City and Boston. The Chester resident said his job as head of sales for Biocodex, a Bedminster-based pharma company, kept him from going back to Seattle for Monday’s match. So he came to the Frog to surround himself with fans.

ALL EYES TO THE HEAVENS…and Team USA’s uphill battle, July 6, 2026. Photo by April Stelle

He scored tickets through FIFA’s lottery system, which he accessed via the American Outlaws, a group that supports the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams; and as a donor to Team USA. He also snagged some tickets the old-fashioned way — by spending “more money than my wife would have liked.”

The memories are priceless, after all. And Shotwell believes the World Cup should be on everyone’s bucket list.

To show his support for Team USA on Monday, he brought a flag that had been draped over his tank. It was signed by his platoon.

Now the action really heats up for the quarterfinals. France plays Morocco at 3 pm on Thursday, Spain plays Belgium on Friday at 4 pm, and Saturday features a doubleheader: Norway vs. England at 5 pm and Argentina vs. Switzerland at 9 pm.

Fox is carrying the broadcasts in English; Telemundo or Universo on Peacock has Spanish coverage.

Shotwell doubts he will live to see Team USA hoist soccer’s greatest trophy. But future generations?

“I hope there’s people who will see the U.S. win a World Cup,” Shotwell said.


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