ASN: USMNT – Wales preview: the important thing storylines and gamers to observe in Swansea

The US nationwide staff will play its first recreation since February and its first recreation on a global in a 12 months. Lots has modified over the previous 12 months and ASN’s Brian Sciaretta is right here with an enormous preview – with quotes from camp.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
November 11, 2020
5:30 AM

SHARE THIS STORY

THE UNITED STATES nationwide staff will return to the sphere on Thursday when it visits Wales in Swansea and it’ll finish the longest hole the staff has gone with no recreation within the trendy period. The staff has not performed since early February and since November 2019 in a global window.

When mixed with the hole in time together with a roster that consists of 10 newcomers trying to earn their first cap, it’s laborious to know what to anticipate. Additionally it is laborious to know what to construct from this recreation as first-team membership minutes are questionable for some and others are nonetheless very new to the first-team, skilled recreation.

Wales, in the meantime, is an honest staff to face though it possible has an eye fixed to the 2 coming Nations League video games it has this window towards Eire on Sunday and Finland subsequent Wednesday. 

Listed here are a number of ideas on the U.S. staff forward of Thursday’s recreation towards Wales.

Reyna’s arrival

Gio Reyna’s arrival is among the most enjoyable and most anticipated debuts in current reminiscence for the U.S. staff. At simply 17, and because the son of a U.S. nationwide staff legend, Reyna’s progress at Dortmund is actually particular. He’s even forward of the place Pulisic was at his age at Dortmund.

Gregg Berhalter has recognized Gio Reyna his total life as Berhalter wasn’t only a World Cup and Copa America teammate with Claudio Reyna on the nationwide staff, he was additionally a highschool classmate and teammate with the elder Reyna at St. Benedicts in Newark, NJ.

There are such a lot of storylines for Reyna’s arrival into the total nationwide staff that it will likely be fairly a debut.

“It’s Gio very first time in here,” Weston McKennie mentioned. “He’s had experience with the youth teams. He’s had great experience and exposure with Dortmund side as well. We try to say it and I experienced it myself, even though you may play for a very talented club, it’s always a different environment here, playing for the national team. And he’s adapted really well. You can see it in training. I can play combinations of them. He is quick on the ball. He’s doing what he’s what he’s meant to be doing and he’s excelling at it as well, which is really amazing for a kid of his age.”

Berhalter on Gio Reyna: Gio and his dad have a really related grace to the way in which each moved across the discipline… they’re each additionally actually aggressive #USMNT

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) November 9, 2020

For Reyna, he’s excited for his arrival each due to the coach – but in addition the teammates and the model they wish to play.

“Of course, I know him really well and I have almost my whole life,” Reyna mentioned of Berhalter. “It just makes you feel that much more comfortable and super easy to talk to you if I need anything. He’s always there for advice and will help in any way possible. But that and the system kind of fits the players that we have. We like to play faster, we like to be attacking, have the ball, create, run – really some entertaining stuff. So, I think with the guys we have, and the style we want to play, it’s perfect for myself and the team.”

Who stays within the pool?

Gregg Berhalter was blunt when talking with the media on Monday when he mentioned there shall be gamers on this roster who we gained’t see once more with the USMNT for awhile. He added that these gamers may shift to the U-23 nationwide staff or the U.S. U-20 staff for the primary half of 2021 because the Olympics and the U-20 World Cup are each targets for U.S. Soccer.

It’s straightforward to attract cheap conclusions that he’s speaking about younger gamers who’re nonetheless combating for restricted membership minutes or who haven’t even made their debut. Whereas very promising, the chance to steer one of many high youth groups has confirmed to be an efficient springboard for U.S. Soccer to assist its high younger gamers to make the transition from youth to grownup ranges.

On the present roster, Uly Llanez, Konrad de la Fuente, Johnny Cardoso, Chris Richards, Richard Ledezma, Owen Otasowie, Chituru Odunze, and Sebastian Soto are candidates for the U-23 or U-20 staff and may make that shift to the youth groups in 2021. Even a extra skilled participant like Tim Weah must get on the sphere extra and stays U-23 eligible.

These gamers may all play in these two video games – and for all however Weah and Llanez it might be their first cap. However transferring ahead, remaining with the nationwide staff heading into March and summer season 2021 will come all the way down to performances on this video games, however extra importantly performances – which shall be performed out within the months forward.

However thus far, integrating them into the staff hasn’t been laborious.

“It’s been good so far,” midfielder Weston McKennie mentioned. “I’m definitely watching training. You play with them – there’s a lot of talent, there’s a lot of quality. There’s a lot of people that we haven’t seen before that have come in and made good impressions so far, in my eyes. Obviously, it doesn’t matter in my eyes, it matters in the coach’s eyes and the staff’s. They’ve integrated pretty well. It’s so many new players that I feel like it’s not so difficult to really integrate into the squad – as if you’re just one or two guys that are new trying to integrate into the squad that’s been together five, six years. So it’s pretty easy for them to integrate in here.”

Constructing the core

There are 5 younger gamers who’re all common first-team gamers within the UEFA Champions League: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest, Gio Reyna, and Tyler Adams. That places these 5 gamers possible into a distinct class than the remainder of the gamers in your complete pool.

Berhalter mentioned that two of the hallmarks for a profitable soccer nation are a profitable and thriving home league together with the variety of Champions League gamers a rustic has

A few of these gamers have performed collectively earlier than however some are utterly new to one another. Tyler Adams has by no means performed with Sergino Dest. Gio Reyna has performed with not one of the gamers.

Increase chemistry inside these key 5 gamers is essential. Whereas Christian Pulisic gained’t play and can quickly go away camp, it was nonetheless helpful to having him in camp for management and comradery functions.

However any probability to have them on the sphere collectively continues to be key. However with Pulisic, Adams, and McKennie, it has been uncommon to see them on the sphere on the identical time.

“It’s frustrating for us,” McKennie mentioned. “We actually wish to be on the identical discipline and we wish to play on the identical time. Nevertheless it hasn’t been that approach. We have had accidents up to now. Tyler had a very lengthy harm. Christian has been unfortunate with the current accidents and simply up to now as nicely, I’ve missed a camp as nicely. So it is one thing that we’re nonetheless trying ahead to and it is one thing that we’re positively getting towards to have the ability to accomplish – hopefully sooner quite than later.

“We kind of know we have a chemistry and we have an understanding of how we play and how each one of us contributes of how to play off of each other,” he added. “So that’s why it makes it a bit nerve wracking for us, because we know that we could possibly have a really, really good connection on the field as well.”

The core of the staff gained’t essentially be solely these gamers. Zack Steffen, John Brooks, and others have robust resumes however competitors in central protection and goalkeeper may enhance within the years forward.

Musah’s expertise

Yunus Mussah is a younger participant at simply 17 who appears to have each a really excessive ceiling and the power to assist the staff instantly. His involvement on this camp was extraordinarily shocking provided that he left the USA shortly after his delivery and was raised fully in Italy and England. He has additionally been concerned with England’s youth nationwide groups up to now.

Berhalter has finished extraordinarily nicely to get Musah up to now of at the very least contemplating the USA. However the U.S. supervisor can be clear that long-term, Musah’s worldwide future is undecided. His present kind for Valencia in Spain (the place he’s a first-team starter) will solely preserve England very .

Clearly for Musah to proceed to contemplate the USA an choice, a constructive expertise for him on this camp is a precedence. Having Pulisic concerned (whilst he gained’t play) is a big assist.

“I know John (McDermott, assistant FA technical director) has spoken with the family and they know where we sit with it,” Southgate mentioned. “But additionally we wish to get that stability proper of not simply pushing him up the age teams faster than we predict is correct as a result of we’ve obtained different boys within the system as nicely, and we don’t wish to promise issues that we will’t fulfil.

“It sounds as though he’s going to meet with America this time and experience that,” Southgate added. “That doesn’t rule him out of being with us moving forward. So, we’ve just got to make sure that the boy and the family know that we think he’s a good player, that he’s on a good trajectory. We’re monitoring him. He’s been with us in the last couple of months and we’d very much like his future to be with us.”

In the meantime, Berhalter was stuffed with reward for Musah in his first U.S. camp.

All of the intel we had about Yunus was that he was an absolute nice man and nice professional. And, you realize, I can say that is completely all true. It has been a pleasure having him in camp. He is such constructive vitality, such a pleasant, good individual. And he is participant. He is an excellent participant. He is a particular participant. You will get to see that tomorrow, I am certain. When you concentrate on high quality and for his age and his profile, every thing is top of the range.

Goalkeeping and backline

“John Brooks, I haven’t seen him in awhile either, but he’s definitely, alongside Tim Ream, the veterans on the team,” McKennie mentioned. “I feel they’re crucial as a result of on the identical time, I’ve had my experiences right here, Tyler Adams had his experiences right here, Christian Pulisic had his expertise right here.

“But, at the same time, we’re so close to the ages of the kids that are coming in that it’s a little hard for them to look at us as like an authority figure – as a person that they really have to pay attention or listen to whenever they try to give them advice or say something,” McKennie mentioned. “Tim Ream and John Brooks, they’re a little bit older than us, so they have a little bit more experience and a little bit more like: ‘OK, this guy is older then me. Let me show him some respect.’”

With all of the profitable U.S. nationwide groups of the previous, there has all the time been an excellent management out of central protection – whether or not it’s Carlos Bocanegra, Eddie Pope, Matt Besler, or Jay DeMerit. Whereas he was a veteran of the 2014 World Cup staff, he was totally on the bench. Can he be the chief this cycle on a a lot youthful staff?

Berhalter likes his probabilities with Brooks.

“John is steady as they come,” Berhalter mentioned. “He is a very steady player in terms of his mentality, his personality, he’s a very calm person. Our job is to let him play how he plays. He is a very physical, dominant player. He can be very good on set pieces, very good pass through out of the back. He’s a good guy to have in the team. The thing I like about John is that when the level steps up, I think that’s where he can step up as well. He’s a guy that shows he can adapt to the demands of the game.”

The remainder of the backline is comparatively straightforward to determine.

Matt Miazga in all probability will get the beginning at proper central defender as he’s enjoying often for Anderlecht. Chris Richards is prone to get minutes over these two video games however he’s nonetheless on the youthful and inexperienced aspect, for now.

There are solely three fullbacks in camp proper now (with Tim Ream as a possible back-up left again). There are three possible formations for Berhalter. He may go along with Sergino Dest on the suitable, Antonee Robinson on the left. He may additionally go along with Dest on the left and Reggie Cannon on the suitable. Lastly, he may go along with Robinson on the left and Cannon on the suitable – though this appears the least possible given Dest’s rise at Barcelona.

The almost certainly situation within the strongest pairing is Dest-Robinson provided that Robinson is now a starter for Fulham. Cannon, nevertheless, has very robust defensive and bodily talents that might be helpful relying on the method the U.S. staff makes.

Goalkeeping is nearly actually going to see Zack Steffen because the starter for these video games. Transferring ahead, nevertheless, nothing is obvious for the time being and neither Steffen, Horvath, and even third-string Chituru Odunze are starters for his or her golf equipment.

Predicted XI

In a 4-3-3:

        Steffen- GK
        Dest – proper again
        Miazga – proper middle again
        Brooks – left middle again
        Robinson – left again
        Adams – defensive midfield
        McKennie – No. 8
        Musah – No. 10
        Reyna – left wing
        Weah – middle ahead
        Llanez – proper wing

Most of the decisions are apparent however there are few choices. Does Reyna begin out extensive or the center? In the event that they wish to get Musah into the sport – and Berhalter has mentioned he needs Musah within the center – that possible places Reyna out extensive.

The absence of Pulisic and Sargent in addition to high MLS gamers lacking (like Altidore and Morris), and the drop in type of gamers like Tyler Boyd, means the wing and middle ahead positions are up for grabs. That continues to be probably the most unpredictable space of the sphere for the U.S. staff towards Wales and Panama. For now, Llanez in all probability has the within observe by advantage of enjoying there in January camp.

Weah may consider at wing however extra possible he’s at middle ahead. Nicholas Gioacchini is enjoying extra first staff minutes than many attackers, so he may see important minutes. Seabastian Soto in addition to the U.S. staff won’t wish to lose him to Chile. Konrad de la Fuente hasn’t performed first staff minutes however his rise inside Barcelona ought to see his debut occur in these video games – in addition to a attainable begin.