US goalkeeper Brad Guzan walks with a ball during a training session in Sao Paulo on June 11, 2014, ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SamadJEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 530608397
Kartik Krishnaiyer
As has been the case for eleven months now, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has come through another international break with an experimental squad led by a caretaker manager. But this break seemed to illustrate where the USMNT stands in more vivid detail than the previous friendly matches. In both the loss to Colombia in Tampa and the draw with Peru in Hartford, we got a clearer sense of what the US needs and what is going well. Understanding the Americans’ position at this point in time has as much to do with players who were absent as with those who actually played
In this camp, thanks in large measure to the absences of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, we saw less players out of position than in past camps; it’s become highly fashionable for fans of the USMNT to critique coaches who opt to place players in unnatural roles. But fans need to understand the limitations in the current player pool have prevented Dave Sarachan, Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann the luxury of playing players, particularly midfielders in preferred positions.
Having fewer guys in unnatural roles than any set of recent matches provided for more cohesion in the attack when the US gained possession unexpectedly in midfield. In transition, the US looked very dangerous at times and while in many cases the end product is still missing, the lack of ideas we saw in earlier friendlies are now being replaced with some confident counter-attacking movement.
All of this having been said, it’s critical fans realize this particular set of players remains a work in progress and most have shown a lack of consistency.
Take, Kellyn Acosta for example.
Freed from a midfield where Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams force Acosta out of position, he mixed moments of genuine quality and creativity with large stretches of ineffectual play. Acosta isn’t getting any younger and while he probably will still prove to be a valuable squad player for qualifiers and tournaments, it’s proving a risk to rely on him to control tempo and possession in midfield. He’s not a wholesale international disappointment, but his ceiling internationally may be more of a mixed bag, such as a Darlington Nagbe, instead of a higher-end caliber international midfielder like Jermaine Jones (who presented his own challenges, obviously).
Other takeaways:
- Brad Guzan should still be the number one keeper
The hype around Zack Steffen is becoming borderline insufferable.
I like the kid a great deal and he’s got some incredible natural shot-stopping instincts. The playoff win over Atlanta was spectacular and this summer’s performance against France was inspiring. But if the United States is going to emphasize trying to win the Gold Cup next summer, Guzan’s superior reading of the game, including his decisiveness when judging crosses and set pieces has to give him the clear edge over Steffen for the foreseeable future. And Taylor Twellman’s commentary about the way Guzan has improved his footwork under Tata Martino shouldn’t be lost on anyone. He’s just a better goalkeeper right now.
- Left back remains a major problem
The two decade plus bugaboo which began when Jeff Agoos got sent off in a 1998 World Cup Qualifier against Jamaica at RFK Stadium continues to this day at left back. Whether it was hurriedly naturalizing David Regis, moving Carlos Bocanegra out to the left, or taking standout wingers in Frankie Hejduk, DaMarcus Beasley and Eddie Lewis out of the attack and to left back, this positional problem has never been solved for the United States.
Against Colombia and Peru, Antonee Robinson and Ben Sweat both had some terrible moments mixed with a few real instances of smart defensive play. Positioning remains a challenge for both. The bottom line is that we are no closer to a solution today than we were six months ago before Robinson had been handed his first senior cap.
Kellyn Acosta was among the US midfielders who were “up and down” in the Colombia and Peru friendlies.
- Tyler Adams sorely missed in midfield
Despite all the hype around other players in the pool who ply their trade in Europe, it’s hard to make a case against Adams being the best young star on this side not named Christian Pulisic. (And I write this with apologies to TYAC editors Jon Levy and Neil W. Blackmon, unabashed Weston McKennie fanboys).
Adams absence was evident in both matches this break, with the US unable to control tempo- or even keep the ball- for most of the match against Peru and critically incapable of exploiting space in midfield against Colombia. The debate as to what Adams’ best position for the national team will remain but no debate can any longer be had as to whether he starts – irrespective of what league he might feature in. He does need to leave for Europe sooner rather than later though as he’s gotten all he can out of MLS.
- Michael Bradley can still contribute, but so can others
Will Trapp’s performances in recent friendlies have given whomever the next USMNT Manager is a lot to ponder. Trapp’s movement of the ball and recycling of possession isn’t quite as sharp and fluid as that of Michael Bradley, but that’s a high standard to meet for any US player. But Trapp’s positioning sense and ability to help organize what is at times a chaotic back four has been laudable. Assuming Tyler Adams is deployed further forward, Trapp will be fighting Russell Canouse and Bradley for playing time in the Gold Cup and beyond. Bradley is still a slight cut above both, as his outstanding first 70 minutes against Colombia demonstrated. But Trapp is younger and seems to have finally developed into the international caliber player we expected from the first moment he laced up for Akron in 2011.
- No Pulisic = lack of creative cutting edge
Big surprise: the lack of Christian Pulisic was evident once again in these matches.
The United States lacked the attacking guile and creative cutting edge necessary to break down opposition with good defensive shape while in possession. Probing passes from the midfield were limited against Colombia and were often late and labored against Peru. As we saw in the friendlies versus Brazil and Mexico in September, crossing of the ball is a hit or miss proposition with this group.
Julian Green has an ability to play probing balls and find pockets of space than other American attacking players not named Pulisic, but quite honestly isn’t quick enough to play wide or defensively disciplined enough to play centrally. As for Tim Weah, he continues from my vantage point to be very far from the required standard needed to play regularly in competitive matches – he is we must remember an 18 year-old who has featured more for the senior national team than in league matches for his club, PSG. Weah is an exciting talent and it is terrific Sarachan has played him repeatedly. He has offered some splendid moments too, such as this one.
Gorgeous stuff from Tim Weah to Bobby Wood on the 2nd USA goal pic.twitter.com/QrrJNQjByy
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) October 12, 2018
He also isn’t necessarily ready for high-level competitive international soccer. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is where the US is at this point.
- Style evolving?
Finally it seems the US is able to press more effectively in the past, though gaps defensively open up when the midfield in particular try and close down passing lanes quickly in the opposition half.
Still, it’s becoming obvious that the US cannot rely on sitting deep and counter-attacking because the current crop of American defenders, particularly at the fullback position (yes this includes DeAndre Yedlin) just aren’t positionally savvy enough. Playing a fluid two-touch possession game is also out because the United States doesn’t have enough good technical players – basically we would need a midfield full of Tyler Adams’ and Christian Pulisic’s to even contemplate the level of ball retention needed to play this way. So where does that leave us? Selective pressing mixed with good shape and a number six like Trapp who can quickly recycle the ball. It’s not my personal preference or that of most fans but it’s where we are.
Kartik Krishnaiyer is a lifelong lover of soccer, the beautiful game. Krishnaiyer has been watching the US Men’s National Team closely for well over two decades. He served from January 2010 until May 2013 as the Director of Communications and Public Relations for the North American Soccer League (NASL). Raised on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the old NASL, Krishnaiyer previously hosted the American Soccer Show on the Champions Soccer Radio Network, the Major League Soccer Talk podcast and the EPL Talk Podcast. His soccer writing has been featured by several media outlets including The Guardian and The Telegraph. He is the author of the book Blue With Envy about Manchester City FC. He serves on the Executive Board of the North American Soccer Reporters.