It was a well-known scoreline because the USMNT defeated Mexico 2-0 to win its third straight Nations League title. Tyler Adams marked his triumpant return to the staff with a tremendous goalazo and Gio Reyna was an offensive star. However one of the best a part of the win was the staff’s full protection. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks all of it down.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 25, 2024
9:55 AM
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THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL TEAM has received all three editions of the CONCACAF Nations League and the streak continued after Gregg Berhalter’s staff defeated Mexico 2-0 within the last behind objectives from Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna.
The primary half noticed the U.S. staff with a affected person strategy within the first half and Berhalter got here out with an fascinating beginning lineup that included Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, and Tim Ream – three gamers who haven’t been taking part in a lot for his or her respective golf equipment. Adams was making his first begin at any degree in over a 12 months.
By now, everybody has heard concerning the 32-yard wondergoal from Tyler Adams simply earlier than the half. Then it was Reyna who doubled the lead within the 63rd minute when he pounced on a poor clearance and despatched a shot within the close to publish previous Guillermo Ochoa.
What a banger from Tyler Adams!! 1-0 #USMNT pic.twitter.com/wkZdy3Ofl5
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) March 25, 2024
However listed below are some huge takeaways from the sport.
Stellar defensive exhibiting
Everybody will probably be watching Tyler Adams’ objective repeatedly – for good cause. However the high takeaway for the USMNT on this sport was the protection. It was completely methodical the way in which the staff fully shutdown Mexico’s entrance line. Mexican wingers Chucky Lozano and Uriel Antuna had two of probably the most ineffective performances by attacking gamers within the fashionable historical past of this rivalry.
Particularly, Antuna’s numbers had been horrific. In his 65 minutes, the Cruz Azul proper winger had simply 11 touches and was 3/7 in passing with 0 pictures. He was 2/6 in duels, 0/1 in tackles, he accomplished no dribbles, and drew no fouls whereas committing one. Then on high of that, he was skinned alive by Christian Pulisic on the play which create an opportunity that ultimately led to Reyna’s objective. He was then subbed out minutes later.
Lozano was barely higher than Antuna, however he was nonetheless very poor. He performed all 90 minutes and was 12/25 in passing with two pictures. He additionally drew three fouls and labored tougher on the defensive outing. However nonetheless, the PSV winger was not good.
In shutting down the wings, the USMNT additionally shut down Mexico’s ahead Henry Martin who was starved for service and was simply 5/11 in his duels.
For lengthy durations, it appeared as if the sport might have been 500 minutes lengthy and Mexico would haven’t any hope of scoring.
On the coronary heart of this had been nice aerial performances from central defenders Tim Ream and Chris Richards. Richards received 5/6 of his aerials and was 4/4 in floor duels. Ream was 7/7 in successful aerials (and simply 1/1 in floor duels. Mixed, they had been 12/13 in aerials, 5/5 in floor duels (17/18 in all duels mixed).
The defensive outing the USMNT confirmed was an entire staff efficiency. Everybody placed on defensive shift, even gamers like Reyna the place that facet of the ball shouldn’t be seen as a power.
Credit score Berhalter with protection
Berhalter was underneath criticism for the staff’s efficiency towards Jamaica within the semifinal the place the staff wanted a miraculous equalizer in stoppage time earlier than successful 3-1 in additional time.
Towards Mexico, the script was flipped and Berhalter acquired the sport plan spot on – at the very least defensively. Here’s what Tim Ream instructed ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle after the sport.
“”We knew they were predictable anyway. It’s the most direct Mexico team that there’s been, and that was discussed yesterday and today,” Ream said. “And so, we expected exactly what they did, and it played right into what we knew and what we were aware of. So, it may have looked predictable, but again, that’s because it was. We knew exactly what was coming and we knew exactly how to make the game ours and how to hurt them.”
The U.S. staff was flat out ready for this sport and so they knew the right way to shut down El Tri’s assault. Ream makes this clear and provides proof of how this staff was ready.
The assault nonetheless a piece in progress
Defensively, the U.S. staff was good. Then within the assault, the staff relied on particular person performs and Mexican errors to ultimately discover the breakthrough. Neither objective for the U.S. staff got here on nice mixture play or via passing and runs. The U.S. staff performed properly offensively in additional time towards Jamaica, however towards Mexico the ultimate ball was nonetheless missing.
— U.S. Soccer Males’s Nationwide Crew (@USMNT) March 25, 2024
The U.S. staff nonetheless must click on extra on offense. That’s robust with a variety of uncertainty with the gamers proper now. Tyler Adams is barely within the preliminary levels of his comeback and, regardless of his lovely objective, was solely in a position to go 45 minutes. Johnny Cardoso nonetheless has to translate his membership kind to the USMNT. Gio Reyna is proficient however remains to be within the abyss so far as his membership scenario goes. Malik Tillman is stable on the membership degree however isn’t there internationally. The middle ahead place in the meantime has a number of choices when it comes to gamers who’re performing properly for his or her membership, however nobody has taken agency grip of the beginning job for the U.S. staff. After a terrific outing off the bench towards Jamaica, Haji Wright didn’t get a lot completed towards Mexico. In the meantime, it’s been a troublesome season on all ranges for Folarin Balogun. In the meantime, Yunus Musah nonetheless wants so as to add a harmful last ball to place all of it collectively.
The assault within the midfield and the middle forwards place want work and chemistry among the many entrance six isn’t nice, but when the protection can play in addition to it did towards Mexico, then the U.S. staff can have a shot in most video games. It creates a excessive ground for this staff.
USMNT inventory watch
When it comes to the ever-shifting USMNT participant pool, these two video games give us some proof on gamers – for each good and unhealthy.
Gio Reyna: Ultimately his membership scenario might want to enhance. He’s heading in the direction of his third straight sub-1000-minute season. However this camp reminded us of the expertise that’s there and that he can nonetheless assist this staff.
Malik Tillman: Tillmann remains to be a part of the USMNT, however remains to be but to make a transparent breakthrough regardless of his success at Rangers and now PSV. He’ll nonetheless get possibilities, however this camp was a missed alternative for him. Ultimately, he’ll want extra manufacturing or else may very well be in bother as extra youthful choices emerge.
Yunus Musah: Musah has a variety of expertise and he’s terrific with the ball at his ft. However as we noticed with this window, he’s in danger with dropping his beginning job as a result of he’s not persistently harmful with a shot or a last move. He can play the No. 6, however now the U.S. staff has two choices with Johnny Cardoso and Tyler Adams. With Reyna additionally giving two lengthy shifts this previous camp, it exhibits that Musah is underneath stress to offer extra offense. He leaves this camp needing to enhance.
Tyler Adams: Adams nonetheless has a methods to go together with his restoration, however that objective was superb. It will likely be talked about in the identical method as Benny Feilhaber’s 2007-strike towards Mexico within the Gold Cup last. He leaves this camp on an emotional excessive and with a variety of momentum at his again. He means a lot to this staff. The deserves for his call-up had been questionable given his lack of minutes and few anticipated him to play as a lot as he did. However Berhalter was proper with Adams and the captain left as an enormous winner this camp.
Folarin Balogun: If there was any hope that Balogun would use this camp to snap out of a troublesome season, it by no means occurred. He began the sport towards Jamaica and he got here off the bench towards Mexico. He had just a few good runs right here and there, however it by no means amounted to a lot. That is robust for him as a result of so many different American forwards are chasing him (Sargent, Pepi, Wright, Vazquez, Pefok).
Haji Wright: Wright was sensational off the bench and he was fed excellent passes from Reyna. Towards Mexico he was unable to get going. With simply 18 touches, 5/8 passing, and 0 pictures over 66 minutes. The positives outweigh the negatives, nonetheless, and he gained floor on the competitors. Sure, he performs quite a bit on the wings at Coventry, however he nonetheless cuts centrally a lot that it most likely doesn’t change Berhalter’s view that he’s a No. 9. He hasn’t sealed the deal for Copa America spot, however he’s within the combine.
Joe Scally: The Monchengladbach proper again is Dest’s backup proper now. However he had a troublesome outing towards Jamaica and didn’t play towards Mexico. He’s nonetheless on the U.S. staff, however he’s within the place the place he should enhance or he may very well be in jeopardy down the highway at being changed by an rising possibility.
Participant RatingsThe beginning lineup
Matt Turner: Turner wasn’t examined a lot, however he made the saves he needed to make and safely dealt with balls into the field: Score: 6.0
Antonee Robinson: Defensively, he made life depressing for Uriel Antuna. Labored laborious to cowl floor and open the sport up for others: Score: 6.0
Tim Ream: The Fulham central defender received all of his aerials and was nice at defending Mexico’s direct play. His passing was not distinctive, however his defending was and he was mistake free: Score: 7.0
Chris Richards: Had a troublesome mistake with a turnover in a nasty spot (which Mexico didn’t punish) however was stable regardless in coping with crosses and lengthy balls up the center. Like Ream, his passing wasn’t at all times as sharp, however defensively he was stable: Score: 6.5
Sergino Dest: The PSV proper again returned from suspension and used his slick ball expertise to place Mexico on their backfoot. His protection practically let him down within the second half on certainly one of Mexico’s greatest possibilities (which was missed) however Dest was very aggressive offensively to the U.S. staff’s benefit: Score: 7.0
Tyler Adams: It was shocking to see Adams get the beginning given how a lot time he has missed. Everybody will discuss his incredible objective, however he additionally did properly to neutralize Mexico’s capacity to assault up the center. It was an excellent 45-minute shift: Score: 7.5
Weston McKennie: The Juventus midfielder was a category above all the pieces Mexico needed to provide within the center as he was sturdy on either side of the ball – creating possibilities and defending properly over 90 minutes. Score: 7.5
Gio Reyna: Sporadic membership minutes haven’t but affected Reyna who capped a terrific worldwide window with a second half objective to seal a 2-0 win. However Reyna was harmful all through and even defended successfully, which he’s not usually recognized for: Score: 8.0
Christian Pulisic: Mexico had their fingers full defending Pulisic who practically scored within the first half, after which skinned Antuna within the build-up to the second objective. Pulisic undoubtedly threw Mexico off their sport: Score: 7.5
Tim Weah: Weah was quiet early however then pressured two saves within the second half to see the U.S. staff keep constant stress: Score: 6.5
Haji Wright: Wright by no means actually acquired going on this sport as he solely had 18 touches, no pictures, and was 5/8 in passing over 66 minutes. However he did trouble Mexico, drawing 4 fouls and serving to within the buildup to the second objective: Score: 5.5
The Substitutes
Johnny Cardoso: The Actual Betis midfielder changed Adams for the second half and the staff didn’t lose a beat: Score: 6.0
Folarin Balogun: The Monaco ahead had a 24 minute shift and solely stood out as soon as, when he was fouled throughout a run: Score: 5.0
Yunus Musah: Musah performed the final 11 minutes and solely had 3 touches. The sport was totally disjointed when he entered with delays and fouls stopping any form of circulate: Score: NR
Malik Tillman: Made a late cameo however wasn’t concerned: Score: NR
Brendan Aaronson: Like Tillman, additionally got here in late however not sufficient to earn a score: Score: NR
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