There might be no other sport that the U.S. is better at than American football. Being the country that created the sport and has been training in it since the late 1800s, the NFL was created, furthering the sport to become what it is today.
Though the NFL continues to expand its international reach, it would be safe to say that the U.S. is the proverbial “cream of the crop” when it comes to the game. However, there was a humbling experience that occurred during the IFAF World Junior Championships, which saw Japan defeat the U.S. in dominant fashion.
The final score of 41-20 saw Team Japan take down Team USA on its way to the gold medal for the first time in the country’s history. Losing a close game is one thing, but the U.S. lost by a staggering three touchdowns.
Current Miami Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer joined the Pat McAfee to discuss his time playing for Team USA and the current NFL superstars that also played for the team.
According to McAfee, “You [Poyer] were on the team … there are many others that we know that were on the team. Jonathan Taylor was on this team…”
McAfee’s cohosts also chimed in, revealing Mac Jones, Chase Young, and Kenny Pickett also played for Team USA.
Poyer finally jumps in and reveals he was part of Team USA in 2010, also stating, “When we played, we smacked everyone.”
It would not be farfetched to think the above statement would be the case every time this tournament occurred. But the U.S. has traded wins with Canada, which also makes sense given Canada is home to the CFL (Canadian Football League), which is arguably the next-best skilled league below the NFL.
The IFAF U20 World Cup began in 2009 and featured players all under the age of 20 years old. It was organized by the International Federation of Football to play host to different countries, along with several countries aiming to showcase their skillset in the game of football.
The United States won the initial tournament in 2009, and again in 2014. Canada won in 2012, 2016, and 2018. Though the tournament has not returned since 2018, Japan has now knocked the U.S. out of chasing its third gold medal.
The quadrennial tournament is likely to return in 2028, and that should give the U.S. enough time to reassess and come back stronger than ever. For now, the world will remain captivated by the fact that the states were bested in a game they should theoretically dominate.
