Cameron Carter-Vickers put in a strong shift against Peru, but the US are looking for more consistency across the backline.
By Sanjay Sujanthakumar
Just over a year after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the US fell to Colombia 4-2 in Tampa, but bounced back to draw Peru 1-1 in Connecticut five days later.
Three thoughts on this month’s friendlies in the context of The Process:
DEFENSIVE CONCERNS
The current best back four – or so we thought – of Antonee Robinson, John Brooks, Matt Miazga, and DeAndre Yedlin looked far from convincing against Colombia. Los Cafeteros targeted the left side in particular, constantly exposing Robinson for his poor positioning and defensive technique. But Kenny Saief’s discipline and effort defensively was equally troubling, so much so that he and teenager Tim Weah switched sides. Closer to the goal, an overly cautious John Brooks afforded Colombian attackers far too much space and was accordingly punished on the James Rodriguez opener. Both Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin are 25 and now considered veterans and cornerstones of a backline in desperate need of stabilization entering this new cycle, but their lack of consistency and concentration at the international level is still worrisome. It is even more surprising to see from Brooks, who by most measures has been one of the most dominant defenders in the Bundesliga this season.
Against Peru, the US received solid performances from debutants Reggie Cannon at right back and Aaron Long at center back – and another encouraging 90 minutes from Cameron Carter-Vickers. These displays served as reminders of depth and even competition in the back for Yedlin and Brooks. But Ben Sweat’s shaky first start – especially his first half – was a reminder that left-back remains unsolved.
ATTACKING PROMISE
Despite the conspicuous, continued absence of Christian Pulisic for all but 89 minutes ever since the Catastrpohe in Couva, Tim Weah and Josh Sargent have ignited optimism in a fan base starving for it.
Weah’s breatthaking assist to Bobby Wood on a counter that briefly put the US ahead of Colombia in the 53rd minute surprised everybody, except for him. The whole sequence was arguably the best American goal in a couple of years.
Weah has made no secret of his career ambitions, and plays with the audacity and swagger he exudes in an interview as well an intelligence beyond his years. After impressing in preseason, Weah chose to stay with PSG and continue to train with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, telling Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, “In January, I’ll be ready to go on loan and take my talents to another team and see what I can do for the next half of the season.”
Josh Sargent made the most of his start against Peru, showing the intelligence off the ball and the deft first touch that has made him a coveted prospect in Europe.
Josh Sargent has taken a different professional path.
The Missouri native rejected offers from the Bundesliga’s biggest clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, opting to join Werder Bremen instead in early 2018. Sargent has six goals and two assists in 10 games for Werder Bremen II this season, and first team coach Florian Kohfeldt just admitted to the Bundesliga’s official website that Sargent has finally graduated from the U23s. That is not a surprise to anybody. Sargent’s composure and confidence with the ball when under pressure and in tight spaces, his speed of thought, and ability to impact the game without much service against Peru, is peerless in the player pool. He’s physically ready for this level, and if we can actually keep the ball in the middle third his link up play will be further weaponized to create real chances from the run of play. If and when Sargent emerges as a regular for Bremen, there is no doubt who the starting 9 for the Red, White, and Blue will be.
PIECES FALLING INTO PLACE
Circumstances – injuries or the MLS playoffs – will probably preclude the best possible lineup from being available next month in Europe vs. England and Italy. But in a perfect world – if US Soccer can finally hire Gregg Berhalter, he is on the sideline at Wembley, and has the whole pool to pick from – it’s time to see a Weston McKennie-Tyler Adams double pivot in Berhalter’s preferred 4-2-3-1. Their return will hopefully enable the US to win the ball more frequently, higher up the pitch, and maintain more than the meager 31.7% possession (according to ESPN Stats & Info) managed vs. Peru.
Figuring out what to do with Wil Trapp will be critical for the US in the coming months, especially if Gregg Berhalter is hired as expected.
Regardless of the style of play the next coach aims to establish (a strong argument for 3-5-2 also exists), the US will obviously not want to concede possession for two-thirds of games. That’s simply not a sustainable path to victory.
As a trusted Berhalter disciple Wil Trapp may have a role in this cycle, but in his extensive international audition under Sarachan he’s been too slow, too soft defensively, and too safe in his distribution. Michael Bradley proved against Colombia – I hear the groans – he’s still a better option than Trapp. He was among the top three Americans in both passes intercepted and passes completed on the night, even if he was partly to blame for the final Colombian goal. But if the US are serious about moving past Bradley as a full-time starter, the next 6 from MLS deserving a look is undoubtedly DC United’s indispensable Russell Canouse, who will bring the bite that no coach can teach to Trapp, even if hat coach is Gregg Berhalter.
Sargent and Weah belong in the XI for now, regardless of whether or not they’re playing for their clubs. Club form doesn’t necessarily translate to the international level, and if a national team coach selected players and lineups mainly based on their club form, they’d endlessly be playing Jenga. Jonathan Amon acknowledged he needs to adjust to the speed of play following his 55 minutes against Peru but there were flashes of the dangerous blend of pace, quickness, and skill he offers wide, especially on the left, going 1 v 1.
Berhalter (it’s gotta be him, right?) will have to decide where Christian Pulisic will operate, or at least start from. If it’s centrally, in front of McKennie and Adams, then Weah could start wide right but float closer to the goal, where he clearly prefers to be, supporting Sargent and allowing Pulisic to gravitate wider where he’d have more space to take people on. TYAC has also confirmed that Fabian Johnson is willing and interested in playing internationally for the US this summer; he’d be an option at the Gold Cup that would be hard to refuse and would give Berhalter the ability to move Pulisic around more as a floater. Kellyn Acosta and Kenny Saief could also merit looks at the point of a midfield triangle.
In the back, Yedlin, Miazga, and Brooks will likely retain their places but don’t have much margin for mistakes given the depth that’s waiting for its chance. At center back, expect Tim Parker, Tim Ream, Auston Trusty, Erik Palmer-Brown, and Chris Richards – who weren’t in this camp – to eventually push into the squad. Left back is waiting for George Bello (or as Jurgen Klinsmann said, anybody). Between the sticks, although he probably he had his worst game for the MNT vs. Colombia, the No. 1 spot is still Zack Steffen’s to lose.