SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador: The United States men’s team experienced exactly the kind of game against El Salvador they expected, even if it was not the result or the performance they wanted. And while the United States was away with something to tie 0-0 the Cuscatlecos, it could not be avoided that points were left on the table.
Some of the disappointments come from the time the United States has waited to replace the humiliation of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a happier memory. The twin wins of the CONCACAF League of Nations and the CONCACAF Gold Cup – not to mention an exciting generation of young players – also served to raise expectations. The reality remains that winning the qualifiers for the World Cup on the road to CONCACAF is as difficult as ever, but this was a match that was there for the dam, and the United States was not.
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You can count on American manager Gregg Berhalter among those who are not satisfied with the performance. He said postmatch: “[It was] a great learning experience for our group. From my point of view, there are many things to improve. I thought the fight was good, the intention to win the game was good, but we have to improve. We need to be more connected as a team and be able to finish our opportunities in a better way. “
The match was a baptism for some members of the American team, nine of whom were playing in their first qualifier for the World Cup. Weston McKennie felt comfortable enough during a pre-field walk to allow some fans to take some selfies with him. But any lingering sensation that the atmosphere was running in the mill evaporated when the Salvadoran anthem was played. Attendees, far beyond the 29,000 indicated by the authorities, shouted the anthem more than they sang it, causing the hair to stand on end and leaving the fireworks and confetti on display superfluous.
The United States still managed to start bright enough, with a dangerous look at the break and a good initial spell was scored by Miles Robinson’s eight-minute header that came just above the crossbar. After that, the United States lost its way in attack, allowing locals to begin threatening in the transition and probing the left side of the U.S. defense. The game became little more than a piece in which the United States had control, and that dynamic continued for the rest of the game. This was adapted to El Salvador, managed by former American international Hugo Pérez.
“There needs to be a calm that settles in after this initial period in which we start to take control, and we never had it,” Berhalter said. “We never had the calm. They were pieces in the second half, but overall it’s not enough.”
The game certainly featured the usual level of CONCACAF-y-ness, complete with tactical fouls (19 of the 30 fouls in the game were committed by the United States, it should be noted), and projectiles fired from the stands during the launches of corner of the United States, mainly to Giovanni Reyna, who for some reason has become a magnet for this abuse. For the United States, CONCACAF calluses have already begun to form. As US captain Tyler Adams said after the match: “Gio, going to make a corner, when he plays in Dortmund, he is not hit with bottles of water.”
Gio Reyna gained his first experience with qualifying for the CONCACAF World Cup at the USMNT 😳 pic.twitter.com/SXF7ViuYqE
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The United States managed to create the best chances of the game, including a 76th-minute header from substitute Kellyn Acosta that saved El Salvador goalkeeper Mario González. But too often the execution was missing in the third final, which gave more chances to the half than to the goal. The honor is due to the Salvadoran defense, which pressured the United States on its share of bills. But the United States needed a faster pace from Reyna, McKennie and Brenden Aaronson, as well as striker Josh Sargent. There was too much watering in the traffic instead of keeping the ball moving.
“When you get to the last third, this is where you just lived, do it,” Adams said. “Do what you’re good at, be a little selfish at times, make shots dangerous. I think in games like this, it’s important to try the goalkeepers, try the defense, bother them. Many times I think we played maybe between the lines in instead of running after and using our speed and our power, and some of our qualities that we have. “
Defensively, it was a night where the play of central Tim Ream and Miles Robinson stood out. The duo was a surprise partnership, as John Brooks was thought to be the holder of the left center-back role. But with the rotation of the squad in Berhalter’s mind, as the United States will play three games in seven days, he went with Ream and Robinson, and the pair were the two best American players on the field, playing with composure. by the back and extinguishing any fire this occurred to them. This has not always been Ream’s reputation internationally, as it was historically good for a massive error per game. But tonight was a good shout out for Man of the Party.
“We just tried to keep the lines of communication as open as possible,” Ream said of his collaboration with Robinson. “And really, sometimes, they were just visual cues. If he moved a lot, he knew he needed to slide and cover. But he worked well. He’s a strong, fast, physical kid and he plays really well. It was nice to play with him to end and it was a pretty good collaboration. “
The same could not be said of left-back Sergino Dest, who every passing game looks more and more like a defensive passive. The result was that Adams was basically trying to defend two positions, which made it easier for El Salvador players to play through the American press. Tonight Dest did not offer much in attack either. When evaluating Dest’s performance, Berhalter was reluctant to go into too much detail and stated, “It’s just the learning curve to do the job of the classifieds now.”
But Dest’s form is not a new development, as he also fought in the CONCACAF League of Nations in June. It seems that the next step is to remove Dest from the formation or move him to his usual right side. Antonee Robinson looked great 26 minutes into the match after stopping a shot by the visitors’ team.
At least Dest’s situation is relatively simple. What has to happen in the attack before the Canadian game is more complicated. Clearly, the possible return of Christian Pulisic would help things. He remains the most dynamic attacking piece on the team. But one cannot return to the archangel’s offense, where Pulisic is expected to resolve everything. There needs to be contributions from other people. Reyna has to stop trying to do it all himself, and Aaronson has to go more on the ball. While given the way he attacked the U.S. attack when Jordan Pefok and Sebastian Lletget entered the field, as well as the need for squad rotation, it might make sense to have these two players from the start.
The United States had made noise by removing a maximum of nine points from that window. This goal has already been reduced and will serve to increase the pressure in the face of Sunday’s meeting with Canada in Nashville. One can only hope that the lessons learned against El Salvador will be implemented quickly.