The process of trial and error, by its very nature, is an exercise in accepting that the results will not always be perfect, so much so that the US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino He preached patience at the beginning of a generational change. Inequality is to be expected, and after three days of lopsides attacking Peru, he began to suffer increasing pains every day. show. As the USMNT navigated a chaotic match against Chile on Tuesday, though they managed to keep the vibes high in a 4-2 tie, they threw a new series of challenges at the youth-focused version of the team.
Convicted Tuesday was the worst in many ways, especially the first half in which the USMNT’s lack of familiarity with each other was as easy as the youth in the half towards the start. Four starters have had 40 or fewer international appearances, with only six earning their first caps this year. A different balance than the one Pochettino struck Peruone that had flaws – the story was clearly disjointed, the attack of the national team’s spirit taking only three shots in the opening 35 minutes. The Chili press, meanwhile, was blowing through the US midfield with incoming anchors Adri Mehmet and Brooklyn RainesWorld Cup players Sebastian Berhalter and Gio Reyna playing in front of them. From there, the USMNT’s defense was often a sham – Nigel Peter and Miles Robinson he lacked stability in the middle back, while Frankie Westfeldt the right wing was not as dominant as it should have been. Goalkeeper Christopher Bradyin the meantime, someone is unstable.
For all their flaws, though, the problems to be solved and the USMNT, true to form friendships this fall, came in different forms. Julian Hall He was perhaps the only new face in the starting lineup who really showed his potential in the first half, taking three of the US team’s five shots and doing what he could to create opportunities for a team that was trying to string together. His composure and confidence on the ball was a shining spot in the odd first half for the team and when it came time to score the game’s opening goal in the 37th minute, his talent was also on display with a brilliant display. Sergino Destwith the help of Sebastiano Berhalter.
Chile, however, earned an equalizer courtesy of Diego Ulloa before the break and then the go-ahead goal in the 49th minute from Maximiliano Gutierrez. The hall, though, came out tired again – Gio Reyna delivered an impressive cross in the 51st minute perfectly to the 18-year-old, who scored his second goal in his second appearance for the national team. He assigned the only argument to the USMNT’s option in the present as much as in the future, even though it is still too early for any players – experienced or otherwise – to try to lock down roster spots or start roles in the biggest games later in the four-year cycle.
Hall was not the only one who played with a sense of urgency, showing his diamond quality despite the low stakes in the friendly, which is almost as far away from approaching the World Cup. During an international break that has been spearheaded by a generation younger than him, Berhalter is quickly becoming the story of the week. He now has a goal and an assist in back-to-back games, showing off his craft in solid pieces Christopher RichardsThe game-winner in the 72nd minute.
The midfielder now has four goals and two assists in the last five games for club and country, charting a steady upward trajectory since earning his first cap just over a year ago – and has found a sweet spot with the coach’s support. There are many details in his various skills, but his technique on the ball is an outstanding quality, all reflected in the mental toughness that defines his profile as a player. The reason was that he was the first player to come off the bench in the World Cup, but in the months since, Berhalter seems to have died, becoming a supporter on the pitch, and perhaps a movement in the midst of a welcome change in the foundation of the team.
“Strength and effort and everything he does to make a mark, for the national team, for his teammates,” said Pochettino. “Certainly in the end, it is for him but he is a very good role model for the players who arrive for the first time or the players who maybe watch from home. The way we expect the players [to] to behave, a function and then, of course, one part of it, and what we expect, but it is a different quality than that [has] to save the coast, scoring all goals from the second line. [He] he can play on the left, he can play on the right, he can play as a [box-to-box] but also a midfielder holding the midfield. He can play as No. 10, from different positions and is always, always happy to do something for the national team … To have a player like that is priceless.”
Check out the veterans
Pochettino tried to grasp the mix in experience alongside a group of talented young players, with an overall composition against Chile that was eclectic both from the start and with the replacement models. Much like their colleagues, though, the income is pretty much all over the place.
Berhalter had the main output, but next to him in midfield, Reyna was equally solid. He averaged 60 minutes in 71 minutes of contact, created five chances and provided an assist, while winning four of six duels and drawing three goals. The numbers are not dissimilar in the release against Peru on Saturday, a solid space player who has significant moments in the national team jersey, although throughout his career has been hit by injuries and limited playing time at club level. The post-World Cup period has Reyna like Berhalter, he has so far earned consistent minutes at his new club. Argentoratum.
Substitute Alex Freemanmeanwhile, the gap left at Westfield and the summit offered a stark reminder that the USMNT’s World Cup core isn’t just finished with notable figures. Like Berhalter, Freeman was a newcomer to the fold a year ago, but he’s as strong an option as any on defense, growing his confidence in these settings over the last 12 months and changing. The defender is still only 22, and like his younger colleagues, still has plenty of room for growth.
Robinson and Sergino Dest, though, offered reminders of their limited skills during a rough first for the entire team. Dest had a bright spot with the assist for Berhalter’s goal but didn’t pose much of a threat going forward despite the shrewd Pochettino preferring to use the player on the wings due to his loose defensive tendencies. Peter, meanwhile, may benefit from the presence of someone like Richards rather than Robinson at the start of his national career. Richards, though, arrived at camp with a minor injury that likely prevented him from starting on Tuesday.