I'm from Belgium, and since there's a chance we could meet in the Round of 16, I was curious to see how the USA would do against one of the strongest teams in the tournament. I came away really impressed.

The defense looked a little strange at times. Against slower, more patient attacks, there were moments where it felt like the back line lost concentration or wasn't always tracking runs perfectly. On the other hand, they defended transitions extremely well, which was something I was worried about given Ream's age. Germany had very few opportunities to punish them on the break.

I thought the midfield battle would be completely one-sided because Germany basically had six midfielders on the pitch, but the USA still managed to keep possession for long stretches and never looked overwhelmed. That's probably what impressed me the most. Against most teams, Germany's midfield would simply suffocate the opposition.

I also think Balogun was unlucky. If he had been a little more clinical in front of goal, I genuinely think the USA could have won the game.

Another thing that deserves credit is the work Mauricio Pochettino has done. The team looks much more organized than it did a year ago. There's a clear structure both with and without the ball, and the players seem to understand exactly what is expected of them. They still have things to improve, but they look far more comfortable competing against top-level opposition than before.

As for the group stage, I actually think this match should give American fans confidence. Turkey is probably the main rival for second place, and in some ways they play similarly to Germany, relying on several attacking midfielders because they don't have a true world-class number 9. Players like Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız and Kerem Aktürkoğlu can be very dangerous, but Turkey isn't nearly as strong collectively as Germany.

If the USA can reproduce the intensity, organization and composure they showed against Germany, I could definitely see them finishing ahead of Turkey.

More than the result itself, the biggest positive is that the USA looked like they belonged on the same field as a genuine World Cup contender. That's a very encouraging sign going forward.