ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the USMNT’s nightmare in Atlanta which leaves them needing an enormous effort towards Uruguay simply to advance out of their group.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
June 28, 2024
6:10 AM
SHARE THIS STORY
THE UNITED STATES males’s nationwide crew is on the point of failing to advance out of its group following a nightmare efficiency in Atlanta which noticed Gregg Berhalter’s crew fall to Panama 2-1. In a event which was met with nice enthusiasm for going down on house soil, two years forward of a house World Cup, the U.S. crew must get a outcome towards Uruguay in an effort to advance.
When breaking down the loss to Panama, it’s inconceivable to say something aside from this was a horrible sport. A part of the explanation this event was seen as vital for the U.S. crew is that it provided Berhalter’s squad a uncommon alternative to check itself exterior of CONCACAF in a serious event. However as an alternative, the U.S. crew discovered itself enjoying probably the most stereotypically dangerous CONCACAF-style sport. And it’s the efficiency in that sort of sport which could see the crew bounced early.
The efficiency towards Bolivia wasn’t nice, but it surely wasn’t dangerous both. It was a bit sloppy, and the ending was poor, however the outcome wasn’t unsure and the U.S. crew didn’t play all the way down to the extent of its opponents.
With that in thoughts, Berhalter used the very same beginning lineup. To be honest, the crew began off enjoying properly. Weston McKennie had a objective referred to as again, however the U.S. crew was on the entrance foot.
However issues unraveled shortly. Matt Turner was injured in a collision with Cesar Blackman within the twelfth minute. The goalkeeper from New Jersey took a number of minutes to rise up with a leg harm (and in addition a banged up shoulder from the look of replays). Blackman was not issued a card on the play.
With the sport nonetheless chippy and nasty, the U.S. crew misplaced its cool within the seventeenth minute when VAR upgraded a Tim Weah cheap-shot to Roderick Miller from a yellow to a crimson. This left the U.S. crew shorthanded early within the sport.
The crew’s shortly traded objectives with Folarin Balogun scoring on a spectacular particular person effort within the twenty second minute and Blackman responding minutes later.
From there, the U.S. crew struggled to search out the fitting shorthanded tactical method and finally opted to sit down deep. However within the 83rd minute, Panama took the lead for good on a objective from José Fajardo, who spent a part of 2023 in a quick, however unsuccessful stint with DC United.
From there, Panama was capable of see out the win regardless of an 88th minute crimson card to Adalberto Carrasquilla of the Houston Dynamo which noticed the sport finish 10v10.
The outcome left the U.S. and Panama with three factors getting into the ultimate matchday. The distinction, nevertheless, is that the U.S. crew has to face world-power Uruguay who has six factors. In the meantime, Panama has to face a Bolivian crew that isn’t mathematically eradicated at 0 factors, however is realistically out because of a -7 objective differential after two video games.
What a horrible sport..- brutally bodily – terribly officiated – the #USMNT misplaced it’s cool once more (Dest, now Weah)- they wanted an enormous play, didn’t get one – CCV didn’t help- they had been in search of the counterattack in the complete 2nd half however we’re very ineffective
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) June 28, 2024
There’s a lot to interrupt down.
Weah is accountable
Sure, the ways when down a person didn’t work. However that’s at all times an uphill climb, and the objective isn’t to get right into a state of affairs whenever you’re down a person for 70 minutes. There isn’t a excuse for Tim Weah and him shedding his cool. After all, Panama was baiting him and making an attempt to get underneath his pores and skin. However that’s a part of the sport, not simply in CONCACAF or CONMEBOL, however is locations like Italy too the place Weah performs his commerce.
Weah, 24, is never like that and it was a shock that he was not capable of management himself with the sport nonetheless 0-0. Afterward he apologized.
“Today, I let my team and my country down,” Weah stated. “A moment of frustration led to an irreversible consequence, and for that, I am deeply sorry to my teammates, coaches, family and our fans. Moving forward, I am committed to learning from this experience, not allowing an opponent to provoke me, and working to regain the trust and respect of my team and supporters. No matter what I will always fight for my team and my country till the day I’m no longer needed or capable to !! sincerely apologize to everyone My love for this team goes beyond just football and I’m so sad and angry at myself for putting my brothers through what they went through tonight.”
Weah completed with one of many worst shifts in current USMNT historical past. Along with his 18th minute crimson card, he had only one contact (the place he was dispossessed), he was 0/2 in floor duels, and 0/1 in aerials.
Weah is now out for the pivotal sport towards Uruguay, and he’s the individual most answerable for placing the U.S. crew in a foul place at this Copa America. He turned a wanted however seemingly win right into a loss. It was the most important letdown for a U.S. participant since Michael Orozco’s fifth minute crimson card towards Nigeria within the group stage finale towards Nigeria.
The fallout for this crimson card stays to be seen. Will there be any lingering belief points? How will this have an effect on Weah’s confidence?
Shedding their cool once more
One other difficulty with the Weah crimson card is that it’s the second time in 5 aggressive video games the place the U.S. crew has misplaced its cool, picked up a crimson card, and put his crew in a foul place. Final November, it was Sergino Dest who was despatched off in a 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago within the Nations League. The U.S. crew nonetheless simply superior on combination, however Dest was then gone for the Nations League semifinal. His alternative, Joe Scally, struggled filling in and the U.S. crew wanted a miracle to advance.
However now with the U.S. crew watching an early exit largely due to the crimson card, it begs the query why are we seeing a number of U.S. gamers (core USMNT gamers, to be particular) lose their cool? These are gamers who’ve now been with the crew for greater than a complete cycle. They’ve performed in large video games, they’ve performed in CONCACAF, and they’re not very younger. Why are we seeing gamers lose their cool as they develop up?
Ref misplaced management
Sure, Weah’s crimson card was deserved however referee Ivan Barton had a surprisingly dangerous efficiency. Largely, he misplaced management of the sport early by not giving playing cards to set the tone. Blackman was recklessly uncontrolled in his collision with Turner however was not given playing cards. There have been additionally instances when USMNT gamers had been fouled from behind on harmful counterattacks and Barton both referred to as no foul or simply blew his whistle for a easy foul. He wanted to indicate playing cards.
Barton didn’t present Panama a card till Eduardo Guerrero forty fifth minute yellow after which once more till Carrasquilla’s crimson within the 88th. He initially awarded Panama a crimson card within the second half for a foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers, however VAR confirmed it wasn’t even shut.
After the sport, Berhalter acknowledged this was a priority with Barton forward of the sport however his crew didn’t modify properly realizing his tendencies upfront.
“We talked beforehand about the tendencies of this referee. We knew what he’s capable of and to be honest I think we played right into his hands.”
USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter feedback in regards to the ref and Tim Weah’s crimson card vs Panama ?? pic.twitter.com/oIBewLSRAV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2024
It’s a part of soccer. All referees are completely different, and the USMNT ought to have identified what to anticipate from a CONCACAF referee from El Salvador. It’s unlucky that the sport can devolve into so dangerous as final evening, however that’s the fact.
Ways with 10 males
The crew’s ways with 10 males didn’t work. For the remainder of the primary half, it was a 4-4-1 with Christian Pulisic shifting again within the midfield.
However, actually, that 4-4-1 was higher than what occurred within the second half when the crew added Carter-Vickers to go along with a 5-3-1. The results of that was that the U.S. crew performed again and was solely left with attacking out broad.
The U.S. was capable of muster only a few possibilities with this formation. The perfect probability got here late when Weston McKennie’s cross discovered Ricardo Pepi whose header from shut vary was hit weakly on course.
The tactical change down a person is on Berhalter. It’s by no means a simple factor for a supervisor to make these sort changes, however the U.S. crew in all probability might have performed extra with Panama regardless of being down a person. As an alternative, the 5-3-1 noticed the crew pinned again. Johnny Cardoso and Weston McKennie simply couldn’t get on the ball almost sufficient.
In the complete second half, Cardoso had simply 13 touches. McKennie had 26 touches whereas enjoying the complete 90 minutes. Within the first half, Gio Reyna had 12 touches. It was full suffocation of the central midfield.
From there, the U.S. crew wanted somebody to step up and make an enormous play. However on at the present time, nobody did.
Enjoying down a person for an prolonged interval isn’t a simple state of affairs for a supervisor, but it surely went very flawed for Berhalter.
Participant Rankings
The starters
Matt Turner: The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper was by no means the identical after his harm within the twelfth minute. He was gradual to react on Panama’s objective and needed to be subbed out at halftime. Score: 4.5
Antonee Robinson: Pressured the turnover and assisted on Balogun’s objective however his crossing was off and wasn’t nice at clearing the ball when the U.S. crew was pressed deep down a person. Score: 5.5
Chris Richards: The Crystal Palace defender had a couple of powerful moments along with his passing however was good within the air. Score: 5.0
Tim Ream: Wasn’t efficient as an emergency defender pinned again. That’s not his type and it confirmed. Score: 4.5
Joe Scally: He wasn’t sharp along with his passing, however nonetheless arrange Balogun for an early possibilities and labored very exhausting to win balls and combat exhausting defensively. Score: 6.0
Tyler Adams: Was very helpful serving to to restrict Panama’s possibilities for many of the first half. The crew missed him when he was gone. Score: 5.5
Weston McKennie: He didn’t get on the ball that a lot, however he did arrange Ricardo Pepi within the 81st minute for the crew’s greatest probability after Balogun’s objective. Score: 5.5
Gio Reyna: The Dortmund playmaker was invisible as soon as the crew went down a person. Solely a part of that’s on him. Score: 4.5
Christian Pulisic: The AC Milan winger was defended closely by Panama however Pulisic nonetheless managed to create a couple of excellent possibilities. Score: 6.0
Tim Weah: The Juventus winger/wingback had a really poor 17 minutes the place he was dispossessed on his solely contact and misplaced every of his duels. Then he had the egocentric crimson card within the 18th minute. An absolute nightmare that value the crew any probability. Score: 1.0
Folarin Balogun: He had a superb objective and was a part of something harmful the U.S. crew musted down a person. Score: 7.0
The substitutes
Ethan Horvath: It might have been an enormous save, but it surely was attainable for Horvath to have stopped the winner. However the Cardiff Metropolis goalkeeper appeared rusty. Score: 5.0
Cameron Carter-Vickers: A really dangerous 45-minute shift from CCV who was overwhelmed on the winner and accomplished simply three passes. Score: 4.0
Johnny Cardoso: He labored exhausting defensively however wasn’t helpful in possession or in getting the ball ahead in counterattacks. Score: 4.5
Ricardo Pepi: He had an opportunity within the 81st however couldn’t get sufficient on a header. Apart from that, he didn’t do a lot in his 18-minute shift. Score: 4.5
Josh Sargent: It was too late for the Norwich Metropolis ahead to make an influence. He performed 4 minutes plus stoppage time and had two touches. Score: NR.
The coach
Gregg Berhalter: The USMNT supervisor had an efficient sport plan to start out, and the crew was on the entrance foot for the primary quarter-hour. However issues went south shortly. His 10-man ways didn’t work within the second half and the crew didn’t reply to his warnings about Barton as an official. This loss is totally on Weah and a few poor particular person moments, however Berhalter wasn’t capable of lead an uphill cost. Score: 5.0
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25800549/Screenshot_2024_12_21_at_10.58.15_AM.png?w=330&resize=330,220&ssl=1 "Faculty Playoff Thread 12/21")
