ASN: Ideas and Participant Scores: Reyna & Wright lead USMNT to a dramatic win over Jamaica

America nationwide crew didn’t have a very good recreation for over 90 minute however a dramatic equalizer adopted by a dominant extratime interval noticed the USMNT via to the Nations League remaining. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the sport together with his ideas and participant rankings. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
March 22, 2024
1:05 AM

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PART OF IT was luck, A part of it was deserved. A part of it was the implications of their very own making. However the US is thru to the Nations League Ultimate once more after a dramatic 3-1 extratime win over Jamaica on Thursday evening in Dallas.

The field rating laid out the fundamentals. Jamaica scored 31 seconds into the sport when Greg Leigh put Jamaica up 1-0 when he headed residence a cross delivered by Bobby Reid. The U.S. crew didn’t reply till the fifth minute of stoppage time, after the sport was set to finish. A Miles Robinson header off a nook was redirected by Cory Burke into his personal internet for a 1-1 equalizer. On the time, U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner was moved into the field out of desperation.

— U.S. Soccer Males’s Nationwide Crew (@USMNT) March 22, 2024

The U.S. crew then received it comfortably in additional time by way of substitutes with Haji Wright scoring two good objectives that have been each assisted by Gio Reyna.

Listed below are some ideas on the sport.

Possession with out function

The U.S. crew dominated this recreation in lots of regards. Jamaica took a 1-0 lead into the half regardless of solely finishing 41 passes within the first 45 minutes. It’s commonplace for a crew to be profitable towards the run of play. However Jamaica was connecting lower than one cross a minute at a fee of 54%. That is in contrast with 342 passes accomplished by the USMNT at 90%. The possession edge was 83-17% in favor of the U.S. crew.

That’s about as dominant a half in possession as you will discover. But it surely’s not as if the U.S. was lacking nice possibilities with that possession, the U.S. wasn’t creating a lot of something.

The U.S. crew improved within the second half. Reyna got here in on the half instead of Joe Scally, who had a poor half (and was principally at fault for the aim) and this bolstered the assault.

Then the tripled sub within the sixty fourth minute actually helped as Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi, and Tyler Adams got here into the sport. Along with Reyna’s creativity, he now had different gamers to attach with on the sphere.

Sure, it took till the loss of life for the U.S. crew to equalize but it surely had been coming. A part of the dramatic equalizer was luck, however the U.S. crew had been incomes that luck.

Extratime was merely a greater crew with momentum steamrolling an crew that was fatigued from chasing the sport.

However the U.S. crew has critical questions on why a Malik Tillman, Yunus Musah, and Weston Mckennie crew couldn’t create extra and why the entrance line was not often ever capable of transfer into harmful positions frequently.

Tillman and Balogun have been off

Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun got here into this recreation with questions. Balogun is having a subpar season with Monaco and his final outing with the U.S. crew within the loss to Trinidad and Tobago was additionally weak. In the meantime, Tillman got here into this recreation amid a very good season with PSV, however continues to be but to see his membership kind translate over to the USMNT with any type of consistency.

Neither participant answered the query we had about them affirmatively. Balogun nonetheless didn’t present ample chemistry together with his teammates and extra creativity was wanted out of Tillman enjoying the No. 10.

It’s only truthful to level out that different gamers additionally didn’t have good video games. Yunus Musah remaining ball typically lacks, and when that occurs he’s liable to having ineffective video games. That was the case right here. Joe Scally began instead of the suspended Sergino Dest and the Monchengladbach proper again had a primary half to neglect. Tim Weah was additionally lackluster.

Reyna and Wright

Surely, Gio Reyna and Haji Wright received the sport for the U.S. crew. They have been what lastly gave the U.S. crew some tooth behind its huge possession edge. Wright was making the suitable runs and Reyna was making the suitable passes.

For these two gamers, it meant two various things.

— U.S. Soccer Males’s Nationwide Crew (@USMNT) March 22, 2024

For Reyna, he got here into this camp now in the direction of the tip of yet one more irritating season. His mortgage to Nottingham Forest will not be giving him the minutes he wants and it’s unclear what’s going to occur this summer season. But, regardless of him in his third straight season that can doubtless finish with lower than 1000 minutes performed, he nonetheless performs effectively frequently for the U.S. crew.

That is nonetheless not a very good place for Reyna to be in as a result of, in some unspecified time in the future, he might want to play effectively for his membership. However for now, he’s exhibiting he’s nonetheless an vital participant.

However for Reyna, this was an excellent 75-minute shift. For somebody who has performed so little together with his membership, it is usually a query of how lengthy he can go in a recreation on Sunday? Can he begin and play one other lengthy shift on simply two days of relaxation?

Participant rankings
The Beginning lineup

Matt Turner: The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper made two saves, one first rate. Was the aim savable? Sure. However it will have been an amazing save. Ranking: 5.5

Antonee Robinson: The Fulham left again was a tireless employee on the left aspect and obtained up and down the sidelines. However he might have finished higher defending the cross on Jamaica’s opening aim. He additionally struggled together with his personal remaining ball. Ranking: 5.5

Chris Richards: Wasn’t examined a lot defensively, however he was excellent passing out of the again. He was additionally on the ball loads, serving to to keep up the possession edge. Ranking: 6.5

Miles Robinson: Whereas not fairly as sharp in passing as Richards, Robinson was dominant within the air defensively after which late within the recreation, obtained concerned offensively when his shot was redirected into the aim for a dramatic equalizer. He received 11/13 of his aerials.  Ranking: 7.0

Joe Scally: Robust day on the workplace for Scally who was overwhelmed on the opener from Leigh. He additionally didn’t assist a lot within the assault earlier than being changed on the half. Ranking: 4.5

Yunus Musah: Musah dribbled effectively, helped in possession, however didn’t create a lot and his remaining ball wasn’t there. Ranking: 5.5

Weston Mckennie: The Juventus midfielder began within the midfield after which shifted to proper again after Scally was subbed out. He was the simplest midfield starter for the U.S. crew as he was usually efficient getting the ball into the attacking third. He additionally used his spectacular passing vary to unfold Jamaica’s protection skinny. It was additionally his 50h cap for the USMNT. Ranking: 6.5

Malik Tillman: The PSV attacking midfielder had three pictures however usually didn’t get on the ball sufficient or create sufficient to assist the U.S. crew flip possession into aim scoring possibilities. Ranking: 5.0

Christian Pulisic: It was clear Jamaica revered Pulisic and have been intent on doing something to cease him. Consequently, Jamaica fouled Pulisic six occasions. However Pulisic nonetheless was harmful with 4 pictures and a variety of possibilities created. Even when he didn’t rating, Pulisic helped apply stress. Ranking: 7.0

Tim Weah: The Juventus proper winger/again had two pictures on this recreation, however wasn’t as threatening as he must be earlier than he was subbed out within the 63rd minute. Ranking: 5.5

Folarin Balogun: The Monaco ahead had two pictures however solely 21 touches as he didn’t get on the ball almost sufficient. Ranking: 5.0

The substitutes

Gio Reyna: The Nottingham Forest playmaker got here on within the second half and was a recreation changer in additional time together with his two stylish assists to Wright. All all through the second half and extratime, he was serving to the U.S. crew simply play higher. Ranking: 8.5

Haji Wright: The Coventry Metropolis ahead did what he has been doing in his large season within the Championship. He doesn’t get on the ball loads and he doesn’t join usually together with his teammates together. As an alternative, he’s very direct and makes essentially the most of restricted touches with unbelievable effectivity. On this recreation, it was two objectives in lower than 20 touches. Ranking: 8.0

Tyler Adams: The USMNT captain made his first look with the crew because the 2022 World Cup getting into the sport within the sixty fourth minute and leaving within the one centesimal minute. He added extra than simply easy possession. He appeared to assist encourage his teammates and he brough some composure and maturity on the sphere. His return will get misplaced amid the opposite tales of the evening, however he did effectively. Ranking: 6.0

Ricardo Pepi: The PSV ahead wasn’t terribly efficient however he gave the crew one other level of assault in a 57-minute shift. Ranking: 5.0

Brendan Aaronson: The Union Berlin attacking mid/winger introduced some power and spirt to the sport however didn’t join on a lot offense. Ranking: 6.0

Johnny Cardoso: The Actual Betis ahead was sharp over the ultimate 20 minutes because the U.S. crew took management and noticed out the win with a dominant exhibiting through the extratime durations. Ranking: 6.0