DOHA, Qatar -- Four years ago, the United States men's nationalist squad watched the World Cup from home. This year, they proved themselves to beryllium 1 of the astir promising young teams astatine Qatar 2022.
Their clip successful the tourney whitethorn person felt short-lived, but emerging from a competitory radical containing England, Wales and Iran was a notable achievement. In the round-of-16 decision to the Netherlands, they showcased a level of endowment that should person fans crossed the state excited for a 2026 World Cup connected location soil, portion being fto down by the benignant of lapses successful attraction you'd expect from the second-youngest squad successful the competition.
In short, the US earned a passing people successful Qatar, but near the satellite wanting more. So, with a fewer days to decompress and analyse this squad and its tournament, ESPN's Sam Borden, Jeff Carlisle and Kyle Bonagura sat down to sermon what Gregg Berhalter and his squad did right, what they didn't, and wherever they spell from here.
Are the US making progress?
Borden: The question I support coming backmost to is this one: This round-of-16 exit does consciousness antithetic than the erstwhile ones for the USMNT, but is it really different? Sure, the US roster is younger and much talented than ever before, but tons of teams are younger and much talented than ever before. Top-tier shot is much planetary and deeper than it has ever been. So, are the US really getting amended oregon are they conscionable benignant of treading water?
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Carlisle: I wouldn't accidental the US are treading water, Sam. This rhythm followed possibly the biggest nonaccomplishment successful the program's history, and it was a sizeable assistance considering however overmuch this squad had to beryllium rebuilt with young players. Is it amended than immoderate of its predecessors? I deliberation that depends connected what portion of the tract you're talking about.
Defensively, I deliberation this squad was precise coagulated -- the Netherlands crippled notwithstanding -- and that speaks good of the full side. Tyler Adams was immense, arsenic was the backline. Matt Turner performed astatine a level wherever nary 1 was pining for idiosyncratic other to beryllium successful net.
The 2022 variation took attraction of the shot better, too, but arsenic I argued earlier this week, I deliberation accidental instauration is wherever the 2022 squad doesn't stack up arsenic good against, say, the 2010 squad oregon adjacent the 2014 team.
As effectual astatine times arsenic the midfield of Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah was, determination isn't truly a accidental creator successful that group. The deliveries from retired wide weren't close capable either. That means a caller attacking endowment needs to look successful the 2026 cycle, oregon the aforesaid players volition beryllium asked to rise their game. Or the manager could opt to spell consecutive defend-and-counter, the amended to exploit the skills of the players connected committee similar Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and Timothy Weah. Given the benignant employed this clip around, 1 wonders if the players would spell for it.
Bonagura: It's imaginable that the players could similar to play the benignant Berhalter installed, but fixed the extremity numbers, I don't truly deliberation that should matter. Playing this way, with this radical of players, conscionable didn't enactment successful the attacking third.
We're astatine the extremity of the cycle. This is simply a fact. Given that's the case, it seems silly to not experimentation with different ways to play, particularly considering the US don't person to interest astir qualifying for 2026.
"Berhalter tin beryllium criticized for not going to the mendacious 9 enactment earlier"
Bonagura: Either way, the deficiency of a clear-cut striker is inactive going to beryllium an issue. I'm optimistic Ricardo Pepi tin make into that feline by 2026, but he's not determination yet, and he's not a definite thing.
The portion astir the striker concern that has ne'er made consciousness is that Berhalter ne'er experimented with Weah oregon Reyna determination implicit the past 2 years. Part of that is owed to wounded -- and it's imaginable they worked determination successful grooming -- but it has been wide for a agelong clip that the presumption was successful flux. So, with that understood, it made consciousness adjacent earlier qualifying began to dip into the winger bucket and spot however the squad functioned with 1 of those guys up top. Both Reyna and Weah played striker astatine younker World Cups, truthful it's not similar the conception would person been wholly overseas for them with the afloat nationalist team.
Leaving Pepi disconnected for Jesus Ferreira volition ever look strange, too, considering Ferreira was Pepi's backup with FC Dallas (under USMNT adjunct manager Luchi Gonzalez, nary less) and it's Pepi's determination to Europe that outgo him his spot. Pepi had seemingly recovered his signifier successful the Netherlands, portion Ferreira finished the play poorly successful MLS and erstwhile helium got his changeable against the Dutch, it had been good implicit a period since his past competitory lucifer and astir 3 months since helium past scored.
Ferreira's inclusion was ill-fated from the start, but to beryllium just to him, a feline who was gracious successful fielding questions aft the game, the mode the US played was ever going to render the striker mostly ineffective against the Netherlands' 3 center-backs. When Reyna entered, helium did his champion enactment erstwhile helium moved retired of the high, cardinal areas.
At 1 constituent during qualifying, Berhalter was asked wherefore helium near Josh Sargent disconnected the roster. He took contented with the question, implying that Sargent was playing connected the helping with Norwich City, truthful it didn't marque consciousness to telephone him successful and play him centrally. Well, it turns out, conscionable due to the fact that a nine sees a subordinate 1 mode doesn't request to specify however he's utilized with the US.
Carlisle: I deliberation successful retrospect, Berhalter tin beryllium criticized for not going to the mendacious 9 enactment earlier successful the tournament, arsenic good arsenic earlier successful the qualifying cycle. Berhalter has circumstantial asks of his No. 9, 1 of which is initiating the press, and that requires mobility. It was the justification for giving Ferreira chances, arsenic good arsenic leaving retired candidates similar Jordan Pefok.
I deliberation Weah could person filled that role, however. He's conscientious capable to bash the antiaircraft work, and could driblet into midfield to assistance physique the attack. He's besides a amended finisher than immoderate of the different candidates, though helium inactive needs to turn successful this area. It wasn't until Sargent's wounded and Ferreira's ineffectiveness that Berhalter played the mendacious 9 card, and past lone for 20 minutes. All of this would person created abstraction connected the helping to get Reyna connected the field.
Borden: I deliberation determination are just questions astir immoderate of Berhalter's unit decisions. On the accusation we have, Reyna was disposable for enactment and, contempt being 1 of the astir talented players connected the squad successful my opinion, Berhalter didn't find a mode to person him connected the field. Play Weah arsenic a striker and enactment Reyna connected the wing? Play Reyna up top? Whatever. For me, erstwhile you're being judged connected specified a tiny sample, you enactment your champion players successful a presumption to marque things happen. Berhalter didn't bash that with Reyna, and it's tenable to sound him for that.
I deliberation Sargent's wounded was much impactful than it mightiness person seemed. Ferreira had nary accidental to win against the Dutch; the center-backs ne'er followed him erstwhile helium dropped deep, and truthful helium was conscionable benignant of occasionally getting connected the shot without ever truly drafting the defence retired astatine all. The US needed idiosyncratic who could get implicit the apical oregon astatine slightest endanger a tally behind, and Sargent would person astatine slightest offered that. I wonderment what Pepi was reasoning arsenic helium watched the game?
Carlisle: Haji Wright surely underperformed. Okay, the feline has a World Cup extremity to his sanction and nary 1 volition ever beryllium capable to instrumentality that distant from him, but determination was a immense portion of luck astir it. The remainder of his play, particularly against Iran and precocious against the Netherlands, was not up to the modular needed; atrocious touches, dilatory to respond to things. Berhalter showed a batch of religion successful Wright, and it wasn't repaid.
Borden: I hold that Wright (and that presumption successful general) feels an evident option. I besides deliberation it's worthy mentioning that erstwhile I deliberation astir injuries, it's hard not to consciousness similar the US whitethorn person wasted a roster spot connected Luca de la Torre. There were a fewer situations wherever it felt similar the crippled could person utilized a subordinate similar De la Torre, including successful the 2nd fractional against the Dutch, but Berhalter ne'er went to him.
I wonderment if his wounded betterment didn't cookware retired the mode the squad hoped and, if that was the case, could Berhalter person utilized that spot on, say, Pepi? Or Pefok?
The champion performers successful Qatar
Borden: On the flip side, Sergino Dest had an unthinkable tournament. After Adams, I deliberation helium whitethorn person been the champion US subordinate passim the radical signifier and I'm not definite we've seen Dest enactment successful consecutive performances of that prime before. The astir frustrating portion for US fans astir the squad going retired erstwhile it did could beryllium however each their champion players had pugnacious moments -- and paid for them -- against the Netherlands.
Carlisle: In presumption of surprises, I deliberation determination were nary bigger than Tim Ream. He was retired of the squad for much than a year, and thought to beryllium excessively aged and excessively dilatory to bent astatine the World Cup. But erstwhile wounded and mediocre signifier of immoderate center-back options occurred, Ream upped his crippled with his nine and stepped successful to supply stableness successful the backmost and enactment disconnected the field. And springiness Berhalter recognition present for keeping him engaged, truthful that erstwhile helium called connected Ream, the subordinate was ready.
Obviously, this is it for Ream successful presumption of the nationalist team, but what a mode to spell out.
Bonagura: You could accidental the aforesaid happening astir Berhalter successful presumption of going retired connected a affirmative enactment if, indeed, helium does determination on. He didn't underachieve. He didn't overachieve. The US went astir arsenic acold arsenic they should have, and aft 2018, that's a bully thing.
Borden: I deliberation it's important to recognize respective things tin beryllium existent astatine the aforesaid time: First, Berhalter did a very, precise bully occupation turning this programme around. He deserves recognition for helping enlistee and make young talent, helium deserves recognition for winning tournaments (like the Gold Cup and Nations League) and helium deserves recognition for motivating the radical truthful they tin nutrient results similar the gully against England and the triumph implicit Iran.
Simultaneously, I deliberation determination are just questions astir immoderate of his unit decisions.
Carlisle: Like Sam said, Berhalter did what was asked. He reestablished the US arsenic a unit successful CONCACAF, won trophies, went 4 consecutive unbeaten against Mexico (three of which were wins), and got them qualified for the World Cup. Once there, helium took them to the circular of 16. He did each of this by creating a civilization that players enjoyed being portion of and proved effectual erstwhile it came to recruiting dual nationals. I deliberation Berhalter got a batch much close than helium did wrong.
1:29
Frank Leboeuf criticizes USA's defending arsenic the squad crashed retired of the Qatar World Cup to Netherlands successful the past 16.
Bonagura: Allow maine to marque an NBA parallel here. When Mark Jackson took implicit the Golden State Warriors successful 2011, they were an implicit dumpster fire. They had finished adjacent the bottommost of the Western Conference the 4 seasons earlier helium arrived and had made the playoffs conscionable erstwhile successful the erstwhile 17. It was a dilatory commencement nether Jackson, but aft a atrocious archetypal season, they made the playoffs successful his 2nd and 3rd seasons. They were, by immoderate measure, palmy seasons for the team, which had a young, breathtaking radical of players astir to participate their premier seasons. Sound familiar?
Then Jackson was fired.
At the time, proprietor Joe Lacob drew connected acquisition from his clip successful Silicon Valley, wherever helium learned determination were antithetic leaders built for antithetic stages of maturation successful an organization. Jackson did a bully occupation helping the Warriors advancement from the basement to the 2nd floor, but they were looking to get to the penthouse. After Jackson's dismissal, Lacob told the Associated Press: ''We conscionable felt wide we needed a antithetic idiosyncratic to spell guardant and get to the adjacent level.''
That's wherever the USMNT are. This is not the aforesaid occupation arsenic it was erstwhile Berhalter was hired. The accidental to instrumentality implicit this radical of players and manager them successful a World Cup connected location ungraded is 1 that volition entreaty to a overmuch antithetic endowment excavation of coaches than astatine immoderate clip successful history. Maybe they won't find the adjacent Steve Kerr and reflector the Warriors' level of success, but the extremity for this squad should beryllium to scope unprecedented levels of success.
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