Christian Pulisic and the US are firmly the kings of Concacaf after routing Mexico and soundly beating Canada. The question is what comes next.
Sanjay Sujanthakumar
LAS VEGAS – The question was floating in the air all week in Vegas, the press – especially the Mexican portion – smacking it around like a balloon. Is the United States “el gigante de la Concacaf?” That doesn’t need translation, and after the United States Men’s National team defeated Mexico and Canada by an aggregate score of 5-0 to defend its Concacaf Nations League title, neither did the answer.
The Americans had carefully avoided providing any bulletin board material to their neighbors all week, but following their 2-0 win over Canada in the final on Sunday, it was safe to acknowledge the obvious. The USMNT is ahead of the pack.
“I’d probably say so,” Chris Richards said. “I don’t wanna come off as cocky but I think that we’ve shown over the last – even though qualifying was a bit tough for us – we showed quality throughout the last week and I think if we continue this way in this journey we can definitely be a powerhouse.”
Richards was one of the standouts during a week that will be remembered for the re-introduction of Gregg Berhalter as head coach as much as any of the action on the pitch. Berhalter will not return to the sideline until September, leaving interim manager BJ Callaghan to lead a very different squad at the Gold Cup. Here are a few thoughts on what we learned in Vegas from the victories over Mexico and Canada, the Gold Cup roster, and last but not least, the re-hiring of Gregg Berhalter.
Richards, Reyna and Weah are indispensable
Injuries prevented Richards from representing his country since January 2021, but his imperious performances in Vegas cemented his status atop the center back depth chart, and his first senior international goal was the exclamation point. Richards reads the game superbly, he’s solid in the air and he’s not only key to regaining possession, but incredibly important on the ball at LCB. Tim Ream lasting until 2026 and John Brooks’ exile ending both seem unlikely, so Richards’ smooth left-footed distribution in the build up is essential. The Richards-Miles Robinson partnership on display against Mexico looked very promising.
“We talk about our desire to be able to compete against the top teams in international football. That starts with your ability to control build up, and when you have two center backs that are comfortable on the ball, that can play a variety of passes – I think you saw Chris Richards make multiple passes into Balo, so center back all the way to forward and having that vision – it allows our identity as a team to come out,” BJ Callaghan said before the final, which Robinson missed due to hamstring tightness. “And at the same time, I think it makes us even more unpredictable and more difficult to prepare against… now all the players on the field who want the ball are engaged because they know there’s two center backs out there who can find them.”
Gio Reyna is back. And he should never be on the outs again.
In addition to Richards and Balogun, who also unlocks a different dimension for this team with the ball, Gio Reyna shined. Instead of a double pivot with Reyna as the No. 10, Yunus Musah was clearly the deepest midfielder in possession in this window, tugging Reyna back to more of a No. 8 than 10 role, particularly in the Mexico match. And Reyna’s ball retention, elegance and vision as well as his excellent set piece deliveries guarantee that, when he’s fit, he’s undroppable.
“I don’t want to speak for him [but] when he’s inside there, I like that position a lot for him. I think he’s dangerous [there], he causes a lot of problems, and you could see that today,” Christian Pulisic said after the final.
Tim Weah is also now borderline undroppable. His verticality and intelligence on the right side – on and off the ball – can’t be replaced, in fact the only contingency there if he’s not available appears to be Pulisic.
The debate about which one to drop if/when all of Musah, McKennie, Adams, Reyna and Weah are available – an inevitable byproduct of this expanding player pool – is probably pointless because of injuries, but it’s worth noting that there’s variables to it. An obvious one is the opponent: their system, style and personnel could certainly influence the choice here. Another factor could be who else is available for the US. For example, if it’s an athletic, speedier center back pairing like Richards and Robinson, Berhalter may be comfortable enough with their defending in transition to drop Tyler Adams. But if the US aims to maintain a higher line with defenders who are not as fast or positionally reliable, the security Adams offers may be necessary.
Who to watch at the Gold Cup
There are several names worth highlighting on the Gold Cup roster with an eye on 2026.
John Tolkin, who turns 21 next month, has a chance to climb into the varsity left back conversation and he’s surely headed to a European club within the next six months. Jalen Neal wasn’t released for the U-20 World Cup, but the composed, ball-playing center back is now set to build on an encouraging January camp and MLS campaign thus far. And right back Bryan Reynolds, who turns 22 next week and whose club future is unclear, has more potential than arguably any fullback in the pool other than Sergiño Dest. Tolkin, Neal and Reynolds all starting in the back is realistic, although Callaghan may favor the experience of Aaron Long and Matt Miazga against a Jamaican side that includes Premier League forwards Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey and a newly recruited Demarai Gray.
At least one of defensive midfielders Aidan Morris and James Sands will surely be in the lineup, with both in the mix for depth spots on the A team (I prefer Sands, and his versatility on a tournament roster is very valuable). I’m very disappointed there weren’t any U-20 midfielders called up – there were worthy prospects at the U-20 World Cup, such as Jack McGlynn, as well as others who weren’t in Argentina, like Noel Buck and Brian Gutierrez – and I’d be pleasantly surprised if Djordje Mihailovic or Alan Soñora emerge from the Gold Cup as an A team depth option as a No. 8/10. This is a crucial month for Mihailovic: can he prove he belongs in a varsity squad then jump into his AZ Alkmaar preseason in good form?
“This is my chance to make a point that I belong in the big competitions with the national team… the other side, this is basically the start of my season,” Mihailovic said. “My club starts preseason in a week and a half, and I need to fight for a starting spot in my club team. This is where I begin to do that. [If] I have a good time in this Gold Cup, and I carry that over to club season, and I think I’m gonna be happy with the rest of this year.”
Winger Alejandro Zendejas didn’t feature at all during the Nations League final four, but he’ll be expected to have a significant impact in this tournament. While Jordan Morris is also in this squad, Cade Cowell should have an opportunity to prove on the heels of a positive U-20 World Cup that he can produce against adults on the wing.
Jesús Ferreira (10 goals in MLS so far) is in better form than Brandon Vazquez (4 goals and one assist) but he also has 15 more caps than Vazquez, and I’m still not convinced Ferreira has a future as a lone striker at the international level. The decision at the striker – or if Ferreira starts as a second striker – will be interesting.
Berhalter is back. Perhaps we should wait before we pass too much judgment.
Berhalter is back, and takes are flying
The news broke shortly after kickoff against Mexico, and combined with what transpired on the pitch, it was a lot to process. The re-hiring of Berhalter ignited a predictably chaotic debate. But now that the dust has settled, I’ll briefly dissect the decision to bring back Berhalter by addressing a few of the natural reactions (italicized).
These seven months, including the Gold Cup, have been a waste of time and resources
The initial phase of this search was focused on finding the next sporting director. It was led by the consultancy Sportsology until they completed “their initial review of potential candidates,” then US Soccer hired Matt Crocker and handled the head coaching search, according to The Athletic. So while the most visible and likely consequential result of this whole process was Berhalter being rehired, it did yield Crocker, who has a very impressive resume. The alternatives to Berhalter appeared to be Jesse Marsch and Patrick Viera. Per Michele Giannone on the U.S. Fútbol Podcast – and this was a rumor in Vegas – core players told Crocker they preferred Berhalter to Marsch.
On the pitch, now that Berhalter is back, the fact that his assistants were at the wheel during this interlude doesn’t seem negative at all. In fact, their slightly less rigid interpretation of his system may rub off on Berhalter, who was already evolving by leaning into the team’s strengths in transition offensively.
BJ Callaghan said during Friday’s pregame press conference that he’s not getting instructions from Berhalter for the Gold Cup. As long as minutes for the young players mentioned earlier are prioritized, I don’t believe it matters who’s coaching at the tournament.
Berhalter was the safe pick
The continuity aspect suggests so, but if the USMNT doesn’t make a deep run in 2026 – when the American public is actually engaged and anticipating a semifinal or quarterfinal appearance – this whole search process will be relitigated.
That said, if Berhalter is still the boss in 2026, that should mean he at least met expectations – a semifinal or final – at the 2024 Copa América. Yet even if that tournament is deemed a success, fairly or unfairly, Berhalter’s legacy likely still hinges entirely on 2026.
Berhalter doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt from many fans, and it’s clearly not just due to the circumstances under which he was hired and re-hired. Christian Pulisic says it best here:
Tonight’s #FutbolAmericas is an absolute show stopper. ?
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) June 22, 2023
Christian Pulisic joins the show and talks USMNT dominance, Mexico, Gregg Berhalter, Club future, and why he’s investing in underserved communities across the US. #USMNT @ESPNPlus
8:30PM EST pic.twitter.com/L79X3u9wQb
I think the vast majority of fans have a reasonable take about whether or not they wanted Berhalter to continue. There’s a vocal minority who refuse to admit that the culture he’s built and the dual-nationals he’s recruited outweigh any roster or lineup selection issues, which should barely exist in this cycle.
But can he build on that progress? Regardless of how players develop at their respective clubs, can Berhalter unlock a new collective level for this pool? A few friendlies will provide hints before we can earnestly assess that next summer.
I think the vast majority of fans have a reasonable take about whether or not they wanted Berhalter to continue. There’s a vocal minority who refuse to admit that the culture he’s built and the dual-nationals he’s recruited outweigh any roster or lineup selection issues, which should barely exist in this cycle.
But can he build on that progress? Regardless of how players develop at their respective clubs, can Berhalter unlock a new collective level for this pool? A few friendlies will provide hints before we can earnestly assess that next summer.
Sanjay Sujanthakumar is a longtime contributor to TYAC. His writing has appeared in a variety of outlets, including Backheeled, and he is a common guest on The Scuffed Pod, among other spots. He recently coached soccer at the University of Southern California. Follow him on Twitter @tha_Real_Kumar.