Questions, Answers, And More Questions From The USMNT's 3-2 Win Over Senegal.
The USMNT excelled in the first of two World Cup tune-up matches, winning 3-2 over Senegal. The performance answered some burning questions while creating a few more in the process.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has been under scrutiny since a disastrous March window left plenty of questions about the program’s future. Did the roster experimentation lead anywhere? What was the point of the formation shift? Does form even matter?
Well, Christian Pulisic and company quickly answered those questions Sunday in Charlotte when they knocked off the AFCON Champions (on the pitch, anyways) 3-2 in the group’s first World Cup tuneup match, and then raised a few more.
Let’s talk about it.
Question One: What was the point of the March formation shift?
The losses to Belgium and Portugal were marred by shifts to a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, respectively. Tim Weah lined up at fullback, Johnny Cardoso shared the double pivot with Aiden Morris and Tanner Tessman, and the USMNT were completely overran.
Come roster reveal, neither Tessman nor Morris was included, along with Johnny Cadoso, who needed ankle surgery after a training injury earlier this month. Then, the USMNT came out in the 3-4-2-1 that has become the calling card of the Pochettino era.
OptaJack
So, what was the point?
The USMNT looked fluid and dynamic back in the 3-4-2-1. Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest pushed high into the wings, but come there was even more flexibility in the 2nd half. McKennie, Balogun, and Weah transformed the positional responsibilities. Weah pushed high, but the defensive responsibilities were backed up by Sebastian Berhalter – and then Alex Zendejas – looking more like an asymmetric 4-3-3 with Joe Scally hugging the touchline.
Was the flexibility worthwhile? At first, Senegal took control of the momentum. First, Sadio Mané took advantage of the spacing between the CBs and wingbacks, then he took advantage of Miles Robinson’s poor run of form… and then Chris Brady’s apprehension in challenging the turnover.
However, the USMNT snatched back control. Weah, Balogun, Cristian Roldan, and Malik Tillman were effervescent in the press, transitioning quickly into the attacking third, and despite no (official) shot attempts between halftime and Balogun’s go-ahead goal, the USMNT’s fluid attack remained steady.
Ben Wright
So, if the USMNT can continue to change games by morphing their shape after the inclusion of Weah – and the striker’s slight change in position – then the March experimentation will have been worth the pain.
Question 2: Will Christian Pulisic’s poor form at AC Milan this season hurt the US?
That’s a big N.O. on that one.
Pulisic instantly combined with Robinson and Pepi down the left to throw Senegal’s backline out of sorts. Pulisic ran free into the box and found Dest’s attacking run in front of goal. He quickly followed that up with a goal of his own in the 20th minute when Pepi’s run in behind opened up the attacking space for Pulisic to slot home a goal of his own.
“In his 45 minutes, he was really, really good,” Pochettino said. “I think he still has potential to prove, but my thing is that the way he has been training from day 1, and we can feel it.”
So, if Pulisic can string that together consistently like he was at Milan before the winter break, then the US will be in a much better position than the perception immediately post roster reveal. It’s a competitive group, but it’s also a winnable group if the USMNT is in form and fluid like they were against Senegal. Obvious Caveats that Senegal wasn’t operating at max capacity in their first friendly stateside, but the crowd in Charlotte had this group energized.
“First of all, the fans and the energy of the stadium really carried us through in the beginning of the game,” Pulisic told reporters afterwards. “I was really impressed. I do not remember many better venues playing in America. I felt like the energy in the stadium was there, and that helped us so much. We were pressing and on the front foot right away – it felt good.”
Question 3: Will Gio Reyna’s Fitness be a problem?
Reyna’s inclusion in the starting XI was the first time he played over 35 minutes since BMG’s December 19th loss at Dortmund.
Reyna was perfectly serviceable in this appearance, completed a key pass, and won ⅘ duels. It wasn’t his most impactful performance, but it didn’t need to be as he floated underneath Pepi and Pulisic.
Question 4: Where is Weston McKennie’s role?
Pochettino hinted at some rotation and minutes restrictions through these two friendlies. McKennie was, unfortunately, a casualty of a rotation that saw him paired with Balogun to lead the 2nd half changes. However, there were some hints at his future role in how both Reyna was dispatched, and how McKennie occupied the right channel after the flex to the 4-3-3.
Weston McKennie is the X-Factor in this squad. He’s flexible, but his flexibility can lead to managers not knowing where to best use his skillset. That’s a blessing and a curse, but in Sunday’s win over Senegal, that saw him play the role of a connector while the US continued to overload the right side.
We’ll see what Saturday brings in Chicago.
“I think that we are conscious now about things that we need to improve.” Pochettino finished. “Things that we were talking about for nearly one year and a half and I think now it's about time to see the reality, and when you talk, and you talk, and you talk, and sometimes it's difficult to accept what you are selling. Today is a good point, we saw the commitment of everyone there, if with that attitude and commitment.
We have the talent. We have players that have enormous talent, but the important thing, more for us, or more for us to continue improving, is also for the fans that really believe in us that the good feelings know with that victory I think it's more important for the environment than than for us, but for us it's important.”
Question 5: Did Pochettino make the right call at CB?
When the roster was revealed last week, the Miles Robinson inclusion was already a head-scratcher in light of the exclusions of Tessman and Morris. Robinson has not lived up to expectations in MLS this season, and that form continued into his second-half appearance on Sunday.
Robinson’s error led to Mané’s tying goal early in the second half, and while he certainly settled into the match, his inclusion in the roster continues to look questionable.
There’s no turning back now, but if the US needs to go 6 deep at CB, can Pochettino truly count on the depth?
The USMNT will have some new questions to answer when they host Germany in Chicago next weekend.
Can Pulisic carry this form forward? Can the defensive structure bounce back against a Germany that has proven it can score in bunches? Will the formational flexibility have the same impact now that squads will be expecting it? What will McKennie’s role look like? Is there competition between Pepi and Balogun?
Those answers and more next time on Talkin’ Soccer.
