5 Lessons We Learned From The USMNT October World Cup Qualifier Matches
The good, the bad, and the ugly...you live & you learn
With the USMNT most recent victory over Costa Rica on October 13th they are now sitting in second place right behind Mexico with 11 points. All things considered 11 points through 6 matches isn’t exactly where US fans wanted to see this group, but they aren’t in a bad position to qualify...and overall I am pleased.
The US has a lot of work to do in preparation before their November 12th matchup vs. Mexico but before then let’s take some time to reflect.
Here are the ‘Five Lessons We Learned from the USMNT October World Cup Qualifier Matches’ (in no particular order):
5) Tyler Adams - Weston McKennie - Yunus Musah Midfield, Works!
You could argue that the inclusion of Gio Reyna would call for his positioning at the no. 8 position but with Reyna not being an option (plus Berhalter seems to refuse to play Reyna at a CAM position), Gregg was dealt with formulating a new midfield-trio. The trio of Tyler Adams at the #6 and Weston McKennie/Yunus Musah as dual #8’s works! This was apparent in both of the US wins vs. Jamaica & Costa Rica. In fact in their loss vs. Panama neither Weston McKennie nor Tyler Adams started. Moving forward this can’t happen.
If there is an additional lesson…within this lesson…it is that Tyler Adams could be our most valuable player. He is our surefire #6 and needs to play every World Cup Qualifier match if we want a real chance to earn 3 points.
4) You Always Go For 3 Points!
When the US kicked off against Panama on October 10th it was evident that Gregg Berhalter was only concerned about getting a point on the road. There are two sides to this argument…I understand that part of being a manager is controlling work load especially when there are 3 matches in a week, but these are the World Cup Qualifiers! You always go for 3 points especially in Concacaf when you never know what will happen. World Cup Qualifiers are a completely different animal. An away match in Panama, Costa Rica, or wherever doesn’t equate to a Gold Cup match on U.S. soil.
So listen up Berhalter, US Soccer Federation, or whoever is pulling the strings…do better. Play our best players, I’ll leave it at that.
3) Brenden Aaronson Is The Real Deal.
Brenden Aaronson can play. No one will doubt that the former Philadelphia Union man is a great player but what we’ve learned is that he is also incredibly consistent. Whether Brenden is suiting up for Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League or the USMNT, he will bring us his all every match. Brenden Aaronson makes life for any defender extremely difficult. He might not be the most skilled player technically but his positioning, work ethic, and attitude always keep the U.S. in the game out on the wing or in the midfield.
I am interested to see how Gregg Berhalter includes Aaronson with the return of Reyna & Pulisic. One thing is for certain at the very least…he is at worst a viable super-sub’ a player that could impact any match, at any time. He is also capable of being in the true best XI for the US. Either way…keep up the incredible work, Brenden!
2) This Team Has The Right Attitude
This young team has the right attitude towards winning. It’s apparent that this group of players are very unselfish, and committed to the betterment of the team. Now of course I am not in the locker-room or in training, but the way this squad bounced back from a 1-0 scoreline against Costa Rica show that they have a true winning spirit. For this you of course give the players all of the credit, but also Gregg Berhalter…yes that’s right, Gregg has done a great job keeping this group of players together/hungry, no one can dispute that. This might be our ‘golden generation’ but that could of course be uprooted at any time with selfish players. And of course there was the situation with Weston McKennie but I was really impressed with how Berhalter, this team, and McKennie handles the entire situation. It is so important that this squad’s camaraderie continues to flourish…without that no team has a chance to compete.
1) Here’s The Preferred USMNT XI
We of course know that Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, etc. were missing for these three matches but even without their inclusion, I think we have finally truly nailed down the preferred ‘complete’ USMNT XI:
One might ask ‘where is Yunus Musah?’ Following his performance against Jamaica & Costa Rica this is a good question. I just personally feel that Aaronson is more valuable to have on the field at this point in time. Everyone wants to see Reyna in more of a CAM position…well at least most USMNT fans would like to see this, so here there he is. If not Reyna at the #8 then it will be Musah, and Reyna as the RW. If at at any time we have to fallback on an Adams-McKennie-Musah midfield we know that can work too!
As for the back-four the inclusion of Dest & Robinson is solidified. I still think John Brooks and Miles Robinson is the best duo at CB. Chris Richards and Walker Zimmerman are both solid backups, but these two should remain on the bench for now due to the Brooks-Robinson partnership.
What do you think of this starting XI for the United States Men’s National Team? Let me know in the comments below!
So until next time…support your local club and GO USMNT!!