USMNT sees opportunity in World Cup knockout round - The Washington Post

“From here, thing tin happen,” Berhalter said. “It’s a large opportunity, but it’s not thing that we’re going into it reasoning it’s an honor. We merit to beryllium successful the presumption we’re successful and we privation to support going.”

Fielding the youngest starting lineups successful the 32-team contention and featuring 1 subordinate with World Cup acquisition — defender DeAndre Yedlin has made 1 quality arsenic a sub — the Americans are playing with location money.

Though the FIFA rankings suggested (accurately) they would decorativeness 2nd down England successful Group B, determination were genuine questions astir subordinate maturity and Berhalter’s coaching chops connected the planetary stage. Failure to beforehand would not person been a catastrophe but would’ve been profoundly disappointing and perchance marked the extremity of Berhalter’s tenure. (His declaration is up aft the tournament.)

By advancing, however, the U.S. squad restored dignity aft missing the 2018 World Cup — its archetypal lack from the sport’s premier lawsuit since 1986 — and continued to grow.

“The bigger representation is to marque it arsenic acold arsenic we tin successful the tournament,” midfielder Weston McKennie said. “Look backmost connected what it took to get here. Not conscionable the past 4 years, but the past game, this crippled against Iran. We’ll decidedly look backmost and spot what it took, retrieve it and usage it arsenic fuel.”

The Americans volition request each the substance they tin unearth against a Dutch broadside that won Group A with a 2-0-1 grounds and carries some expansive shot past (three-time finalist, including 2010) and current-day excellence (a star-dotted roster captained by Liverpool’s mammoth defender, Virgil van Dijk.)

What the U.S. lineup volition look similar remains unclear pursuing injuries to 2 starting forwards against Iran. Christian Pulisic suffered a pelvic contusion aft colliding with Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand portion scoring successful the 38th infinitesimal and Josh Sargent near the lucifer successful the 77th infinitesimal with an evident ankle injury.

Sargent, who started the archetypal and 3rd matches, was being evaluated Wednesday, a squad authoritative said. Haji Wright and Jesús Ferreira are the different strikers connected the roster. Wright, who started the 2nd game, looked mislaid arsenic Sargent’s sub Tuesday. Ferreira has yet to play.

Asked days agone whether helium has considered utilizing wingers successful the cardinal role, Berhalter said helium was blessed with his existent options. So successful each likelihood, Wright oregon Ferreira would regenerate Sargent connected Saturday.

Pulisic was taken to the infirmary for tests portion the 2nd fractional proceeded and returned to the squad edifice successful clip to greet his teammates returning from the stadium. The U.S. Soccer Federation has listed him arsenic day-to-day, a presumption that seems improbable to alteration earlier Saturday’s lucifer to support the Dutch successful the dark.

Teammates who spoke to him aft Tuesday’s match, though, said Pulisic is readying to play. They marveled astatine however helium connected with Sergiño Dest’s headed transverse arsenic Beiranvand forcefully came retired for the ball. Pulisic got determination first, half-volleying it an instant earlier the dense collision.

“Just shows his bravery,” midfielder Kellyn Acosta said. “I mean, you privation it truthful bad. I’m gladsome helium was yet rewarded with a goal. He’s ace bare [and] pugnacious arsenic nails.”

The Americans person besides displayed unity and combat this tournament, appearing afloat invested successful the cause.

That is what Berhalter was going for erstwhile helium finalized the roster, filling respective slots with what helium calls “glue guys” — players who heighten squad chemistry and clasp their reserve roles, adjacent if they weren’t the apical endowment options.

Those connected the tract successful the past nervy minutes Tuesday fought for 1 different successful repelling Iran’s unrelenting pressure. When the last whistle sounded, players fell to their knees, stomachs and backs — exhausted from the carnal and intelligence value of winning astatine the World Cup.

“That was 1 of those games wherever you tin look to the near and look to the right,” Adams said, “and you’ve got idiosyncratic battling for you.”

Effort, though, volition lone instrumentality a squad truthful far. Good shot helps, too. The U.S. extremity was conscionable that. It began with Turner controlling the shot with his feet and driving it to midfield. Tim Weah one-touched it to Yunus Musah, who supplied Adams with space. Something was brewing.

Three passes later, McKennie delivered a superb walk to Dest for a header that met Pulisic charging afloat unit into the six-yard box.

“The guys executed it perfectly,” Berhalter said.

The extremity made imaginable a triumph that requires humanities perspective. Only 1 different clip had the United States won the 3rd crippled successful World Cup radical play, successful 2010 erstwhile Landon Donovan scored successful the dying seconds against Algeria to crook looming elimination into definite advancement.

This triumph was besides the archetypal for the United States since the 2014 opener against Ghana and conscionable the ninth successful the program’s 11 World Cup appearances — the aforesaid fig of triumphs France achieved successful conscionable 2014 and ’18 combined. The lone times the U.S. squad has won 2 matches successful a World Cup were 1930 and 2002.

Onto the knockout round, the Americans person small clip to heal and reset. Opportunity awaits.

“There’s nary request to adjacent task however acold this squad tin spell due to the fact that the adjacent lucifer is against Holland, and that’s our main focus,” Berhalter said. “It’s large to beryllium successful this knockout format. We relish this. It’s an accidental for our guys to support grinding and to instrumentality unneurotic and bask this experience.”