ASN: Evaluation and Participant Scores: USMNT downs Uzbekistan 3-0 however present want for enchancment

At occasions it was ugly, however the USMNT defeated Uzbekistan 3-0 in a pleasant on Saturday in St. Louis. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta presents up his ideas and participant scores for the sport. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
September 10, 2023
2:05 AM

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THE UNITED STATES nationwide staff defeated Uzbekistan 3-0 on Saturday in St. Louis in pleasant which marked Gregg Berhalter’s return to teaching the staff after 9 months away. The sport noticed the U.S. staff begin sturdy, finish sturdy, however have lengthy stretches of issue in between.

Afterward, Berhalter acknowledged that the staff wanted to enhance from this sport.

“We can improve and we need to improve and we will,” Berhalter stated. “I think that it’s a good baseline for us to start and say this is what international competition from other regions looks like and so that we use as we go.”

Initially, it appeared as if the USMNT would roll by way of Uzbekistan after a really early 4th minute purpose from Tim Weah which was arrange by Weston McKennie.

Easy however efficient.. McKennie to Weah. 1-0 #USMNT pic.twitter.com/wL3T7nNZ1R

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 9, 2023

To Uzbekistan’s credit score, the staff dug in a fought a lot tougher. As the primary half progressed, it was the Asian visitors who had the vast majority of the higher probabilities – solely to be denied by a crossbar, misses, and goalkeeper Matt Turner. Proper earlier than halftime, the goalkeeper from New Jersey saved Eldor Shomurodov on a harmful 1v1.

The most effective probability over the rest of the half was a Folarin Balogun header which hit the body. However in any other case, Balogun appeared pissed off.

Within the second half, the U.S. staff barely improved its protection, however Uzbekistan had its probabilities. The U.S. staff almost doubled their lead within the 73rd minute when Sergino Dest dribbled into the field and had his shot blocked by a lunging defender close to the six-yard field.

Over the past 10 minutes, the U.S. took management of the sport with Uzbekistan all the way down to 10 gamers resulting from damage. At the start of stoppage time, Ricardo Pepi’s blast from simply outdoors the field lastly gave the USMNT a 2-0 lead. Two minutes later, substitute Malik Tillman was fouled within the field and Christian Pulisic transformed the penalty with virtually the ultimate kick of the sport.

RICOOOO SUAVEEEEE pic.twitter.com/GqVcUMois9

— U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Staff (@USMNT) September 9, 2023

Listed here are some ideas on the sport:

Bunker busting strategy wants work
 

The 2026 World Cup will function 48 groups, so there shall be an enormous drop off in high quality among the many group. This is not going to be merely a group of the very best nationwide groups on the planet. Groups like Uzbekistan will now be the varieties of groups the USMNT will should be ready to face. Specifically, groups that may not have lots of high quality, however defend with unbelievable tenacity, and search for offense to come back once they capitalize on turnovers.

The U.S. staff is effectively versed in CONCACAF play the place that is generally the strategy, however there are higher groups within the AFC which have this strategy – and the USMNT hardly ever faces groups like this. It was a superb lesson.

Over its final 15 video games, Uzbekistan has conceded multiple purpose solely twice. Over the past yr, the staff has conceded simply six targets.

Sometimes, the U.S. did what it needed to do towards these groups and rating early. Towards CONCACAF groups outdoors of the highest group, that’s the recipe for a blowout. However Uzbekistan was not thrown off its sport regardless of conceding early. It caught with its authentic sport plan, together with having a five-man backline – which appeared to take the U.S. without warning. In flip, this threw the U.S. staff off its sport.

The U.S. staff was stricken by the one factor it completely shouldn’t do towards groups like Uzbekistan, it turned the ball over in harmful spots.

“We gave the ball away in some tough spots. That was the first thing,” Berhalter stated. “The second factor is once we have been constructing, we have been methodical about our buildup attempting to draw the opponent. I believed then we lacked the dashing up the assault as soon as we broke by way of that entrance 5 and that might have been higher.”

The U.S. staff appeared content material with attempting to be possession dominant versus being ruthless in attacking Uzbekistan’s back-five formation.

“If we had to take our time to draw out their defense, and then find someone once we break their top five, then we need to speed up the attack,” Berhalter defined. “We need to have numbers getting forward, we need numbers entering the penalty box, we need runs behind the backline and I thought that’s what we lacked at times.”

Lacking Tyler Adams
 

This sport was a superb commercial that the U.S. staff nonetheless both wants Tyler Adams, or it must discover a participant who can do what Adams does. Towards Mexico and Canada within the Nations League, Yunus Musah stuffed in admirably for Adams. However towards Uzbekistan, Adams was missed due to the character of the sport. The U.S. staff was attempting to push ahead and management the sport however was left in unhealthy positions after turnovers. Adams is such an necessary participant in defensive transition and the U.S. staff was uncovered in transition too many occasions.

“And then the other thing I’d note is that our press after [we lost the ball], defensive transition, needs to get better,” Berhalter stressed. “I think we gave them too many opportunities to get behind us when we could have been positioned better to win the ball immediately after we lost it.”

Clearly, that is sometimes not as huge of an issue with Adams. However Adams has had damage issues and there’s at all times a query over who the backup for Adams is or shall be. Kellyn Acosta was the backup final cycle, and he wasn’t chosen for this camp. However video games like this additionally present why he’s nonetheless not out of the image both. It could be higher if he was a simpler passer, however he does get again and defend the transition effectively.

There are different choices after Adams that the U.S. staff is attempting to work with. Johnny Cardoso was known as into this camp however needed to withdraw due to an damage. There are different choices too. However it’s a concern as a result of defensive transition is an issue. It was an issue towards the Netherlands on the final World Cup (with Adams being the perpetrator) and Uzbekistan highlighted it’s nonetheless must be an enormous precedence for Berhalter to handle.

Substitutes labored
 

For essentially the most half, the substitutes for the U.S. staff performed effectively and helped elevate the sport. Ricardo Pepi scored. Brenden Aaronson assisted on that purpose. Malik Tillman drew a penalty. Kristoffer Lund, in his USMNT debut, pushed the sport ahead at left again after Uzbekistan switched from a back-five to a back-four in direction of the tip.

Sure, Uzbekistan was drained and was decreased to 10 gamers simply earlier than the tip. However the subs actually supplied a pleasant killer intuition to finish the sport.

It wasn’t an excellent sport for the USMNT however a 3-0 win will sometimes not be solely damaging – and this sport was not solely damaging for the U.S. staff. The killer intuition from the subs was each a superb factor and an necessary factor as Berhalter seeks to have a deeper participant pool that he can belief in necessary moments.

“I really, really liked the mindset in the last 10 minutes of the game,” Berhalter burdened to open his postgame media. “You could possibly see the blokes nonetheless needed to push. It wasn’t about holding onto the 1-0. It was about getting aggressive. As they moved to a again 4, we had extra space and I preferred that the blokes needed to assault it.”

Berhalter acknowledged loads of the weaknesses within the sport, but it surely was right to level out that the U.S. staff, led by the subs, sought the killer dagger to finish the sport.

The proof will come subsequent summer time in a significant competitors on the Copa America over whether or not Berhalter trusts gamers outdoors of the highest 14-ish with necessary roles in huge video games. It is going to be a course of to get to that time and this was a superb step in direction of constructing that belief.

Turner the MOTM
 

With out query, the MOTM on this sport was Matt Turner. I don’t at all times agree with whoever U.S. Soccer names as a MOTM in USMNT video games, however they clearly received it proper right here.

It’s onerous to make huge saves in video games the place your staff is anticipated to win, the sport is nearer than anticipated, and the goalkeeper has to maintain his favored staff atop. That’s the mark of a superb goalkeeper you possibly can construct your staff round.

— U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Staff (@USMNT) September 10, 2023

Because the U.S. staff’s transition protection deteriorated over the primary half, Turner was there to make sure his staff’s considerably unjustified 1-0 lead held up. Simply earlier than the worldwide break, Turner had his most necessary profession second on the membership degree when he stored a cleansheet for Nottingham Forest in an enormous 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This got here on the heels of Forest bringing in a keeper who may challenged Turner for the No. 1 spot.

However video games like this present why it will be significant that Turner maintain beginning on the membership degree. He got here into camp assured and centered. It’s no shock that’s how he performed on this sport.

On one other observe, Turner shall be leaving the USMNT camp as he awaits the beginning of his daughter in England. Both Ethan Horvath or Drake Callender will begin Tuesday’s pleasant vs. Oman.

Matt Turner has left #USMNT camp as he awaits the beginning of his daughter. Both Ethan Horvath or Drake Callender will begin for the #USMNT vs. Oman.

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 10, 2023

USMNT Plater Scores
The Beginning XI 

Matt Turner: The No. 1 goalkeeper made a bunch of saves that proved to be the distinction and he bailed out his staff’s poor transitional protection a number of occasions. Score: 8.0

Sergino Dest: The PSV fullback had efficient moments on this sport. He made a superb cross on a harmful first half probability, he was a part of the buildup to the second purpose, and he had a harmful shot blocked halfway by way of the second half. He labored onerous defensively too. Score: 6.5

Tim Ream: He had some good interceptions and tackles however was additionally crushed for tempo on good Uzbekistan probabilities. Score: 5.0

Chris Richards: The Crystal Palace defender confirmed his expertise and his rust. General, he was higher on the day than his companion, Tim Ream, however he had just a few avoidable fouls too. Finally was changed within the sixty fourth minute. Score: 5.5

Antonee Robinson: He improved defensively as the sport progressed and was an enormous cause why the U.S. staff’s protection began to restrict counter-attacks. Robinson received 8/11 floor duels, 2/2 of his aerials, 3/3 of his tackles. Offensively, he had 5 profitable dribbles, but it surely hardly ever led to something harmful. He didn’t appear to have nice chemistry with Pulisic – which shouldn’t be the case given their lengthy historical past collectively. However defensively, he was important. Score: 6.5

Luca de la Torre: The Celta Vigo midfielder had a pleasant begin to this sport earlier than an damage to his nostril pressured him out within the thirty fifth minute. He pressured a save and made a wonderful deal with within the field to forestall an Uzbekistan scoring probability. Score: 6.0

Yunus Musah: The brand new AC Milan midfielder was sturdy in possession however didn’t have a lot of a killer intuition along with his probability creation or aggressive dribbles to show possession into probabilities. Score: 6.0

Weston McKennie: The Juventus participant was important to the creation of Weah’s opener when he managed the ball deep within the field to arrange his teammate for each membership and nation. He almost had an help when he arrange Balogun’s shot off the put up. He wasn’t disposed over his 81 minutes and was the very best discipline participant on this sport. Score: 7.5

Christian Pulisic: The most effective USMNT participant may greatest be described that he was invisible for long-stretches but in addition had his moments. He transformed his penalty, he almost arrange Weah within the second half, and his cross discovered McKennie (who arrange Weah) on the primary purpose. Score: 6.0

Tim Weah: Completed his probability early to set the tone of the sport. He drew essentially the most consideration from Uzbekistan’s protection. Score: 6.5

Folarin Balogun: The brand new Monaco ahead was clearly rusty after not having a lot of a preseason through the switch window. He hit shot off the put up, that he would bury most occasions, and appeared to be pissed off earlier than his prearranged substitution at halftime. Score: 5.0

The Substitutes

Tanner Tessmann: It was a troublesome task for the Venezia midfielder from Alabama as a result of he needed to enter the sport as an damage alternative within the first half for de la Torre. He had a troublesome turnover that arrange a Uzbekistan breakaway. He improved as the sport wore on but it surely was clear he was nonetheless attempting to construct up chemistry with the group as he’s a newcomer. Score: 5.0

Ricardo Pepi: He changed Balogun on the half and appeared to be slightly extra comfy with the group. He didn’t have many touches however he had the very best one within the sport when he fired house an exquisite stoppage time purpose from outdoors the field for a 2-0 lead. Score: 7.0

Brenden Aaronson: Got here into the sport within the sixty fourth minute and was a part of the wanted killer intuition to ship Uzbekistan packing. He supplied the help on Pepi’s purpose and performed the ball to Tillman for his transfer into the field which drew a penalty for the ultimate purpose. Score: 7.0

Mark Mckenzie: He got here into the sport with Aaronson within the sixty fourth minute and changed Richards. He didn’t have that a lot to do because the U.S. staff had stopped most of their turnovers however he did accomplished all 18 of his passes. Score: 6.0

Malik Tillman: He got here into the sport within the 81st minute and solely had 9 touches however he drew a penalty to see off the sport. Score: 6.0

Kristoffer Lund: The brand new Palermo left again made his USMNT debut and did effectively to push the ball ahead into the assault when Uzbekistan shifted from a back-five to a back-four. The Danish-born Lund did effectively to reap the benefits of the added house. Score: 6.0