Matthew Lichtenstadter
2017 was the US Men’s National team’s annus horribilis. Failure to qualify for the World Cup was cataclysmic, with aftershocks still being felt as the calendar turns to 2020. 2018 was defined by US Soccer trying to come to grips with the failure and what path to forge next, and 2019 was about beginning to walk that newly decided path with ginger, uncertain steps. What will 2020 be about? What should this program be expected to do, what should it be expected to accomplish and what if anything can be done to change the atmosphere around the team and fanbase?
In 2019, Gregg Berhalter tried to implement his ideal vision with mixed to negative results. He first tried to implement “the system”; a 4-2-3-1 with an inverted right back, a mid-block defensive line and playing out from the back at almost every opportunity. At best, the US showed it could be a decent team with the ball; at worst, they were wildly out of their depth against teams like Mexico and, most terrifyingly, Canada. By the end of the year, “the system” seemed out of favor entirely, or at least large chunks of it.
Berhalter needs to decide what pieces of his ideal style of play and formation are and try to crystallize them. Berhalter’s USMNT still doesn’t have much of an identity tactically or stylistically. In the lead up to the Hex, Berhalter must identify and install the principles of play and continuity he wants to forge. Is the US going to be a team that attempts to dominate the ball? Are they going to be a team that wants to play on the counter? What does the midfield look like? If by year’s end some of those questions are not answered, the US will have not progressed in the most basic of areas.
2020 also needs to be a year of streamlining the player pool. The spine of his team; the group that he will build everything else around must be identified. Is Zack Steffen the definitive number one goalkeeper? Are Aaron Long and John Brooks the incumbents at center back? Where does Tyler Adams fit into the midfield puzzle? Is Christian Pulisic now a full-time winger for his country? Is Jozy Altidore healthy and still capable of leading the line? By the end of the year, the Hex will be in full swing- and these questions will hopefully be answered. Once the spine of the team is solid, everything else, including depth, will fall into place naturally.
Unlike this point in the last cycle with the Copa America Centenario, the US doesn’t have a measuring stick moment on their calendar to truly judge their progress until the Hex begins.
The Nations League Finals will give the US a litmus test, but not like facing a team with Lionel Messi in a competitive setting. With that said, a reasonable goal for the US would be to re-establish their place as CONCACAF’s second best team. Many of their competitors, including Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama are undergoing generational shifts from their teams that defined the 2010’s. They don’t seem to be as strong as they once were. Usurping Mexico seems like a bridge too far but being second best in the Hex would mean certain World Cup qualification.
Still, US Soccer’s most important goal in 2020 should be cleaning up the toxic atmosphere around the men’s program.
In fairness to Gregg Berhalter, most of the toxicity around US Soccer culture has nothing to do with him; it’s a symptom of the dysfunction at Soccer House. What they can do is establish an identity and with that, hopefully results will come. Getting trust back from the supporters will not come easy and it may not happen quickly. More must be done to establish that rapport once again. The negativity on social media, empty seats and the cloud over the program translates onto the field. Berhalter and his players can’t change that on their own, but they can play a major role in doing so.
By this time next year, it will become clear whether the program has turned a page or is mired in the same bog that has subsumed it since Couva. They have ample opportunity to turn the page, and they have many ways of doing so. The World Cup isn’t that far away anymore, and time is not anyone’s friend.
With any challenge comes an opportunity. This is a needed opportunity for Berhalter and his team to leave the past behind. 2020’s ultimate goal should be doing just that.
Matt Lichtenstadter is a freelance journalist who has been a guest writer at TYAC. He is based in Pennsylvania. Follow him on Twitter @MattsMusings1.