Echoes of the Pitch: How 'Can We Kick It?' Exposes the Cracks in US Soccer After a Bitter 2026 Exit

The 2026 World Cup was supposed to be a coronation for soccer in the United States. Instead, it ended in familiar heartbreak. Following a brutal Round of 16 collapse against Belgium, the US Men's National Team is once again searching for answers. But according to filmmaker Akbar Majeed, the solutions to American soccer’s persistent struggles require a much deeper look in the mirror than a simple tactical review. As detailed in a recent feature by *Guardian Football*, Majeed’s timely new documentary, *Can We Kick It?*, arrives at the exact moment the nation is mourning its World Cup exit. The film serves as a critical audit of the American soccer landscape, examining the game through a uniquely Black lens. For Majeed, the US team's disappointing performance against Belgium is not just a stroke of bad luck; it is a symptom of systemic issues that have plagued the sport stateside for decades. “Unfortunately, that performance in the last game did not help at all,” Majeed told *Guardian Football*, taking a deep breath as he reflected on the immediate legacy of the 2026 tournament. His documentary refuses to gloss over these on-field failures, using them instead as a springboard to ask hard questions about the barriers preventing the sport's true breakthrough in the US. Central to Majeed's exploration is the destructive nature of the 'pay-to-play' youth model. For years, critics have argued that gating the beautiful game behind expensive club fees and travel tournaments systematically prices out working-class families. This model disproportionately sidelines Black and Brown communities, actively draining the talent pool of dynamic, explosive athletes who could change the trajectory of the sport. *Can We Kick It?* pushes back against the erasure of Black contributions to US soccer history, reminding fans that the roots of the game in America are incredibly diverse. It argues that until the sport dismantles its exclusive, classist infrastructure, embarrassing collapses on the world's biggest stages will continue to happen. As a journalist covering the 2026 World Cup, the raw emotion of the Belgium defeat still lingers in the air. But Majeed’s documentary provides a necessary context to that pain. It is a stark reminder that until US Soccer addresses its institutional blind spots, the promise of the beautiful game will remain unfulfilled on American soil.