ASN: Evaluation & Participant Rankings: Dest, Weah, Reyna, & Balogun impress in 4-0 USMNT win over Ghana

The USMNT ended the October window with a convincing 4-0 win over Ghana in Nashville behind two targets from Gio Reyna, and one from Pulisic and and Balogun. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta provides up his ideas and participant rankings. 

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Brian Sciaretta

Posted
October 18, 2023
7:00 AM

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THE UNITED STATES nationwide crew rebounded from Saturday’s loss to Germany with a convincing 4-0 rout over Ghana on Tuesday night time at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The U.S. crew scored all of its targets between the tenth and thirty ninth minutes in a relentless offensive show earlier than coasting towards a Ghana crew that was very poor on the night time.

For U.S. supervisor Gregg Berhalter, it was an effective way to finish camp.

Gio Reyna scored the opening and last U.S. targets. The primary got here on the finish of a livid rush up the sector led by Sergino Dest. The PSV proper again performed Folarin Balogun into the field and his cross was blocked by Ghana’s Nicholas Opoku and fell proper to Reyna for a detailed end.

The second purpose was a penalty after Gideon Mensah tripped Tim Weah within the field. Christian Pulisic took the following penalty and hit it up the center previous Abdul Narudeen.

Three minutes after conceding a penalty, Ghana conceded once more. Opoku was stripped of the ball deep in his personal third by Weah who then fed Balogun within the center for a relaxed however highly effective end from shut vary.

Then within the thirty ninth, the U.S. crew was a awarded an oblique free kick inside its personal field on a violation from Opoku. Reyna tapped it to Pulisic, Pulisic tapped it to Reyna who powered it into the highest shelf.

Within the second half, the U.S. continued to regulate the sport albeit with the depth notched down a bit. The 4-0 scoreline held, and the U.S. concluded its October window with a win.

Listed here are some ideas.

Dest & Weah lead the precise aspect

The U.S. crew greatest line of assault was the precise aspect of the sector. That’s the place a majority of the crew’s scoring probabilities got here from.

Neither Sergino Dest nor Tim Weah scored or straight assisted on this recreation, however they have been the 2 greatest gamers within the recreation. Each carved Ghana aside attacking the precise aspect by making efficient dribbles, discovering areas for by balls, drawing fouls within the attacking third, and drawing consideration from defenders to create house for others.

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— U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Group (@USMNT) October 18, 2023

Dest has had some high quality moments on the left aspect, however he’s much more snug on each side of the ball whereas enjoying on the precise aspect. After he struggled towards Germany, this recreation was a superb recreation for him to showcase his skill and head again to PSV extra assured.

— U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Group (@USMNT) October 18, 2023

As for Weah, he simply must get on the sector for Juventus. It doesn’t matter if he’s a proper wingback for his membership and a pure winger for the U.S. crew. He can modify superb. The query is simply getting on the sector.

Reyna caps sturdy camp

Reyna was very harmful on this recreation, and he ended camp in a terrific place. In complete, he performed 90 minutes over two video games and the U.S. crew outscored its opponents 5-1 with him on the sector. The U.S. crew was outscored 2-0 with out him on the sector. That’s not by chance.

It’s greater than the targets. Each of the targets he scored towards Ghana have been pretty fortunate – a fortuitous bounce off a nasty block and an oblique free kick contained in the field aren’t spotlight targets. However the revealing nature is what Reyna does for different gamers. He opens the sport up offensively. He’s that crucial connection between the midfield and the assault that permits Balogun, Pulisic, and Weah to be much more harmful.

 Discovering Balogun

It was crucial that the crew discover methods to make Balogun extra harmful. This was harassed repeatedly in camp. Berhalter stated that the majority of Balogun’s targets on the membership degree come from nice actions within the field that his teammates determine and are in a position to get him the ball. It’s tougher to develop that chemistry on the worldwide degree as a result of groups aren’t collectively practically as a lot, however it may be performed. It’s only a longer course of.

The Ghana recreation was an enormous step in the precise route. Balogun’s purpose wasn’t the most effective indicator of that as a result of that was a nasty turnover. However the opening purpose was stronger proof the crew is discovering out the best way to decide him up. Dest had a good suggestion the place Balogun was going to be within the field and bought it to him for the damaging cross that was blocked to the toes of Reyna.

However a revealing stat is solely the whole variety of Balogun photographs. On this recreation he had 5 photographs in simply 45 minutes of motion. That’s certainly a livid tempo, made doable by teammates who’re getting a greater concept of the best way to get him the ball.

Ghana’s horrible night time

The U.S. crew performed nicely, however it could even be honest to say that Ghana was merely horrible on this recreation. It was extra than simply getting out-played. Ghana was making errors that have been nearly beginner in nature.

Mensah’s foul on Weah for the penalty confirmed a whole lack of information. It was pointless and Weah was within the field however was not in a harmful place to create a scoring likelihood. Opoku had a nightmare efficiency and was at fault for the primary, the third, and the fourth targets. Then conceding an oblique free kick from 10 yards was additionally utterly unavoidable.

It wasn’t lengthy into the primary half when Ghana regarded like they didn’t wish to be there. They have been fouling carelessly as a result of they didn’t wish to defend correctly. Their fullbacks have been continually caught up the sector and out of possession. And solely as soon as might they muster a shot that examined Turner.

— U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Group (@USMNT) October 18, 2023

Questions unanswered

The U.S. crew performed nicely towards Ghana and made progress in key areas – corresponding to making efficient use out of Reyna and growing chemistry with Balogun.

However some key questions have been left unanswered. For instance, did Berhalter study sufficient about central protection mixture? The reply might be not. The Germany recreation wasn’t nice by any means, however central protection was additionally frolicked to dry by the midfield. Towards Ghana, Miles Robinson and Chris Richards (adopted by Cameron Carter-Vickers) simply didn’t have loads to do. They weren’t dangerous in any respect. However Ghana’s poor outing left the central defenders with extra of an incomplete grade.

There’s additionally the query about enjoying with out Tyler Adams. Adams was sorely missed towards Germany as all three German targets got here up the center of the sector. Adams doubtless would have been an enormous assist.

Johnny Cardoso bought an sudden begin towards Ghana. His 34/36 passing was a optimistic for the crew, however once more protection is the query at this place and Cardoso was untested. Lennard Maloney likewise had loads of questions on what he might provide the crew by way of his foot velocity, his progressive passing, his skill to carry the ball, and so on. However the depth of the sport was utterly dialed again when he got here into the sport for Cardoso within the sixty fifth minute. It was exhausting to inform both method.

Lastly, Kristoffer Lund had a reasonably good recreation as nicely at left again, however a lot of the attacking got here up the precise aspect. It’s exhausting to say but that he’s clearly the crew’s backup left again behind Antonee Robinson however Berhatler is giving him a stable look.

Transferring ahead into November

The U.S. crew will now solely have CONCACAF Nations League video games and January camp by the summer season. Due to that, gamers might want to preserve a excessive degree with their golf equipment. The U.S. crew received’t be significantly examined till a doable Mexico recreation or Canada recreation in March.

For now, it’s price keeping track of sure gamers. Can Weah discover his method again into the beginning XI for Juventus regularly – and by extension can Weston McKennie stay as a central midfielder?

The dearth of enjoying time for Richards is a large concern and it hurts his skill to play constantly nicely for the U.S. crew. Will he push for a mortgage or switch in January? In that case, what will probably be his probabilities to begin along with his new membership? The identical with Robinson who appears very more likely to transfer in January as nicely. As with all participant heading in the direction of a transfer, there are pure dangers related to enjoying time.

Tim Ream continues to impressively maintain off Father Time, however ultimately he’ll lose that battle – like everybody does. The query is how for much longer? He appears to be a participant who goes month-by-month.

Then there may be the lengthy record of these outdoors of the crew who’re pushing to get into the combo. Brandon Vazquez has been nice for Cincinnati and is pushing for a transfer this winter. How does he compete with Ricardo Pepi who performs restricted minutes at PSV? The identical with Josh Sargent when he returns from damage or Haji Wright.

Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Walker Zimmerman are nonetheless within the central protection pool. Maybe one or two of them emerge as overage candidates for the Olympic crew?

Participant rankings
The beginning XI

Matt Turner: The New Jersey native made an enormous save within the forty first minute on a shot from Mohammed Kudus. However other than that, it was a comparatively simple night time. He did the whole lot that was requested of him. Ranking: 6.5

Sergino Dest: The PSV proper again was the most effective gamers on the sector as his dribbling and passing opened the precise aspect of the sector. Defensively, he was ample. Ranking: 8.5

Chris Richards: Together with Miles Robinson, Richards was in a pairing that didn’t need to do a lot. However what they did, they did nicely. Ghana had one shot on this recreation that examined turner and that was from distance. Ranking: 6.5

Miles Robinson: Was the identical as Richards, solely he went the total 90. He helped include Ghana, who generated little on the day. Ranking: 6.5

Kristoffer Lund: The Palermo left again wasn’t flashy and made no noticeable errors. He attacked nicely, however wasn’t as explosive as Dest as a lot of the U.S. crew’s greatest probabilities got here from the precise aspect. Ranking: 6.0

Johnny Cardoso: Defensively he was untested however with the ball, Cardoso was efficient getting the ball to the attackers and being that hyperlink between protection and offense. Ranking: 6.5

Yunus Musah: The AC Milan midfielder had a quiet night time however he was nonetheless helpful in his 75 minutes to maintain possession and hyperlink the defenders to the midfield – one thing that was an issue Berhalter needed to repair from the Germany loss. Ranking: 6.0

Gio Reyna: It wasn’t both of his fortuitous targets that made Reyna nice on this recreation. It was how he opened the sport up for his teammates. 30/31 passing with seven passes into the ultimate third, efficient runs. He made the offense run. Ranking: 8.0

Tim Weah: Was additionally the most effective U.S. gamers on the day as his proper aspect was the place nearly all the targets and probabilities originated. He drew a penalty. He offered the steal and help on Balogun’s purpose. He made runs that put Ghana on their heels. He was instrumental within the successful effort. Ranking: 8.0

Christian Pulisic: He wasn’t as lively from the run of play over his 45 minutes as the opposite attackers, however he made essentially the most of his penalty and on the trade off the oblique free kick. Ranking: 6.5

Folarin Balogun: The Monaco ahead performed to his strengths and made a big impact within the recreation. His actions helped create the primary purpose and rating the third. It was an excellent 45 minutes for Balogun who continues to develop inside this crew. Ranking: 8.0

The substitutes

Ricardo Pepi: Performed the second half however was hardly noticeable with 14 touches, three accomplished passes, and no photographs. Ranking: 5.0

Weston McKennie: Performed the second half and did nicely to attach lengthy balls to modify the purpose of possession. He additionally defended nicely to maintain Ghana off the board. Ranking: 6.0

Brenden Aaronson: Had one harmful second, however in any other case was quiet in enjoying the second half – finishing all seven of his passes. Ranking: 5.5

Lennard Maloney: The Heidenheim defensive midfielder made his U.S. debut and performed conservatively with the ball and sat in entrance of the backline to assist hold the clear sheet. Ranking: 5.5

Cameron Carter-Vickers: The Celtic central defender changed Richards within the 72nd minute however didn’t have a lot to do by that time to see out the win. Ranking: 5.5

Luca de la Torre: Changed Musah within the seventy fifth minute and regarded to get the ball ahead into the attacking half, however the U.S. crew was merely centered on conserving a clear sheet to finish the sport by that time. Ranking: 5.5