USMNT – The Ocho Window 2 Review

Another window is in the books. And just like the first window it was a mixed bag of results. Subscribing to the mantra to win at home and draw on the road gets you to Qatar, the US once again had a slight slip up. Winning both home matches but losing on the road was unfortunate in the hope that this was one away match that they could steal a victory. Still as shown the US is in fine shape thus far.

The next window is huge for the US for several factors. First, its their first leg against Mexico and its at home at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. If you want tickets, its sold out so you have to buy second hand market tickets. Looking at Ticket Master the cheapest verified resale seats located in the corners are over $300. Still if you have ever wanted to see a WC qualifying match in person this would be a good one! Secondly, there are only two matches in this window meaning the potential to play a more stable and stronger lineup (more on this later). And lastly, this is another window where we hope to steal points on the road. As highlighted in the standings, our next away match is in Jamaica. Whom we played very well against last week. In this next window while you shoot for 6 points, would gladly take 4, 3 won’t be all bad.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Here are the current +/- standings using the win at home and draw on the road format:

After Window 2:
Mexico +2
USA -1
Canada -2
Panama -4
Jamaica -5
Costa Rica -6
Honduras -9
El Salvador -9

So as it was after the first window the US still sits in second place. Comfortable in regards to the current standings but less so from the play on the field. With that lets take a look at the last three matches.

US vs Jamaica

With both Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna out for this window the US started a pretty strong lineup in from of the home crowd. And it didn’t take long for the fireworks to erupt. In the first minute Ricardo Pepi slotted a one touch through ball to a streaking Paul Arriola who had gotten behind the defense. The Jamaican defender Kemar Lawrence pulls Arriola down from behind. The textbook definition of Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) which is an automatic red card. But after some consultation with his assistant referee, the referee issues a yellow card. Then in the 34th minute Brenden Aaronson is through and is taken down from behind by Damian Lowe at the edge of the penalty area. This time the referee immediately pulls out ….what for it…..another yellow. Two clear DOGSO that should have had Jamaica down two players. Two major faults with this situation. First, to not have Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for World Cup Qualifying (WCQ) is just unacceptable. Secondly, this is too high a level of a match to assign a junior official for his first every qualifying match. Certainly CONCACAF needs to expand the pool of referees but starting a junior official from Grenada at this point is unacceptable. Wait until the later stages of the Ocho and put them in a match like El Salvador vs Honduras when both teams are out of the running.

So while there was plenty of excitement in the first half it still stood scoreless. But it didn’t take long in the second half for that to change when in the 49th minute Ricardo Pepi put the US on top 1-0.

✌️ Games. ✌️Goals. @Ricardo_Pepi9, full speed ahead.

Second career assist for @sergino_dest 👏 pic.twitter.com/Axa3Ab2jxL

— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) October 8, 2021

At that point it was all US the rest of the way. Pepi found the net again in the 62nd minute and the US had numerous other chances the rest of the way finishing off a nice 2-0 win in what could (should) have been a rout. A comment often made to excuse a ref from not pulling out a red card early in the match goes like this “don’t want to see the ref make such a huge impact on the match that early.” The problem with that thought process is that its just wrong. The fact is the ref DID make a huge impact at that point in the game by not showing red. The US won so the only thing that makes a real difference is at the end in goal differential. Hopefully that won’t come in to play anyway.

US at Panama

What a difference three days made. As good as the Jamaica game was, this one was awful across the board. Given that this was the middle game of the three match window manager Gregg Berhalter opted to go with a heavy rotation making 7 starting changes from the Jamaica match. Fans were very mixed on this approach. Some follow the thinking that you play the game in front of you and with less worrying about down the road. The other approach (put me in this camp) say that this is the deepest team the US has ever fielded. The best way to keep players fit and in form is to rotate for the middle match. Weston McKennie was out with an slight injury and Antonee Robinson didn’t travel to Panama due to the UK’s restriction on travel to Covid “red listed” countries such as Panama. Still the lineup should have been strong enough to earn a result. The problem is they didn’t and they looked flat and uninspired from the get go. And at the end of the day it still took a blunders by three US players to fall 1-0. In the 54th minute Tyler Adams attempted to clear a ball he should have been able to put out of touch or downfield instead putting it out for a corner. Strike one. On the ensuing corner, Panama once again hit a corner right into the face of the goal as they had been doing all game. Rather than taking control of his 6 yard box, keeper Matt Turner stayed on his line. Strike two. Instead Gyasi Zardes attempted to head the ball clear. A hard thing to do when moving toward goal (you know, that’s why the attackers move toward goal) and as almost as if it was scripted, off his head and into the net. Strike three. We’re out. Brenden Aaronson had given a bit more energy to the team when he came on at the half. In the 67th minute Ricardo Pepi, DeAndre Yedlin, and Cristian Roldan all came in but just never got really going. Several times when the US started to mount some momentum Panama players were hurt and down on the grass for minutes at a time. So the referee added 7 minutes extra time at the end (which was a bit short but ok). However, during that extra time twice Panamanian fans pulled shenanigans. Once they threw a ball out on the field and then a fan ran out on the field and it took a full two minutes to get him off. But the referee not only decided to not add even more extra time as would be expected, he blew the final whistle at exactly the end of the extra 7 minutes. Concacafery at its finest was on full display. Didn’t change the outcome. The US got the result it had earned. A big fat zero.

US vs Costa Rica

The US entered this match with its backs against the wall coming off that dreadful showing in Panama. But the good news is that since they rotated heavily for the Panama match they could send out the horses for this one. And McKennie had been cleared to play. No excuses for this one. Get it done. Well the good news didn’t last long. With the roster announcement came lots of groans when fans saw that Zach Steffen was in goal. Having only played a couple of matches over the last several months many were worried he’d be a bit rusty. And their rants increased in volume in the first minute. Some sloppy defending left Keysher Fuller alone just outside the 6 and put the ball past a seemingly flat footed Steffen. The pitchforks were out with the general theme being how terrible Steffen was on that play and that Turner would have saved it. I could write an entire page on the defending of that play and why it was a much more difficult position for Steffen to be in but just suffice it to say this. While it was certainly not a good play by Steffen it was not near the howler many are making it out to be. But here we go. First minute of the match and needing a win badly and down 1-0.

So now the question became how would the team respond? The lineup was the youngest team the US had ever sent out in a WCQ match. Not this window. EVER! Well they didn’t fold. They didn’t even wilt. They came to play and get it done. And did they. Take a look at this shot from Sergino Dest. No overstating this. No hype. That was pure world class with his “off” foot no less.

Please watch this angle and shot of @sergino_dest's golazo. You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/ycbUZt0wUi

— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) October 13, 2021

It was all US after that. Sure, CR had a couple of chances but the US had control. 64/36 possession, 12/4 shots, and 5/3 shots on goal. The game was not as close as the 2-1 score might indicate. Ending on a positive is always a good thing!

Composite Player Ratings

Matt Turner – 5. A mixed bag. Handled the Jamaica match with ease and had very little to do. Solid performance. But against Panama was a different story. Can debate all day long about how much ownership he should have for the goal but his staying home hurt. And he as poor with the ball at his feet the entire game. Playing out of the back is so important in soccer now that this is clearly an issue. Still the best shot stopper but is that enough?

Zach Steffen – 5. Hard to say how much of the goal vs Costa Rica is on him. How much was he screened? But it wasn’t a good effort for sure. But the rest of the way he controlled his area like a keeper should. And was very good with the ball in distribution. Can see the entire team reacts differently when he has the ball for an outlet pass compared to Turner. So important for the US’s game. Moving forward I think the starting goalkeeper decision will boil down to what we expect to see from the other side. If they are going with a high press then Steffen may be the better choice. If they are going to sit back and counter then probably Turner.

Antonee Robinson – 6. Didn’t have his best game defensively against Jamaica but was adequate and didn’t need to do much defensively against Costa Rica. But his threat down the left flank is just so good. Needs to polish up his crossed a bit but as they play together and get their timing down look out. Pretty well the left back starter if he’s available.

Miles Robinson – 7. Solid pretty much both matches he played. Very good in the air and has the build and athleticism to recover if he does make an error and get beat. Clearly in the starting rotation for our center backs.

Walker Zimmerman – 6. Just so good in the air and positionally that he is clearly in the staring center back mix. Not flashy but he rarely makes an error and he plays smart.

Sergino Dest – 7. If he’s fit he’s the starting right back. What he lacks a bit defensively is more than made up for his attacking play. He is so so dangerous with the ball. Got a superb assist against Jamaica and that critical goal last night. He is never going to win any awards for his defending but the center backs and d mid know that and provide cover. The biggest thing he showed this window is that he still displayed his incredible skills with the ball but looked more for his open teammates than last window. If Pulisic and Reyna go that as well then this team is going to be impressive.

Shaq Moore – 5. Played the entire field but just never seem to get connected correctly with the attack. Mostly adequate in the back but didn’t have much pressure either as most of Panama’s pressure came in the middle. Did look better in the attack in his sub minutes against Jamaica so maybe we an write off the Panama game as they all stunk.

George Bello – 5. Led the team in interceptions against Panama but didn’t go much defensively. A few nice but nothing really got an effective attack going.

Mark McKenzie – 4. Only played in the Panama match and was not good. Was very poor in 1v1 duels winning only 11% and was poor in the air. Did fine on ground clearances but he didn’t help his cause for future callups with this one.

Chris Richards – 7. Got his first WCQ start against Costa Rica showed why many have been calling for him to start. Very solid defensively and was calm and effective with the ball. Not as good 1v1 duels as he could be but wasn’t bad. Did only win 33% of balls in the air so needs some work there. But certainly has earned future callups and starts.

DeAndre Yedlin – 5. Two appearances starting in Panama and as a sub last night. Not much to show for it. Did fine against Costa Rica but then he didn’t really have much to do. Just a depth for right back at this point.

Tyler Adams – 7.5. Two starts and played half the Panama match. Guy is a team leader on the field. Terrific defending and just excellent with the ball. He isn’t flashy but he just doesn’t make mistakes and is always here he should be. Critical to this team for playing out of the back and building the attack. Has the vision to quickly see if a wide or middle attack is the best at any given moment.

Weston McKennie – 7.5. The big question for McKennie was how he would respond on the field from his two game suspension. Well he came to play and put that behind him. Against Jamaica he helped Yunas Musah in transition and was always a threat on set pieces. Then there was last night. The kid was on a mission. He was all over the field and led the team in touches and passes. He played direct and made numerous passes to set up dangerous attacks. He’s back!

Yunas Musah – Started all three matches and showed why this 18 year old kid might be something special. Struggled a bit against Jamaica in the first half with his positioning and passing out of the back but McKennie kept backing him up and getting him straight. Much better in the second half and almost scored. Played the first half in Panama and didn’t get anything going. But then came Costa Rica and we saw the flair the kid has with the ball. Made defenders look silly and was decisive and insanely accurate with his passing. Over 90% for the match and never missed a pass in the final third. Lots of starts coming for him.

Kellyn Acosta – 5. Started in place of Adams at Panama and only completed 75% of his passes. Not going to cut it as the defensive midfield when the team is so reliant on them as a connector to the attack. Still likely the main backup for Adams but the team needs to find another dmid.

Sebastian Lleget – 4. Only played in Panama and didn’t do himself or the team any favors. Normally at least steady and consistent but like most everybody in the match not even an adequate performance. Ok depth but when all the players are healthy he may not see the field much.

Paul Arriola – 6. A tale of three matches. Started against Jamaica and should have drawn a red card in less than a minute except for an incompetent referee. High energy and moved up and down the field like we expect. Then started again in Panama and showed high energy but just couldn’t get anything going and came off at the half. Then was slated to start against Costa Rica and was “injured” in the pregame warm up and subbed out. Really injured or a bit of gamesmanship from Berhalter???

Tim Weah – 6. Looked terrific in his 25 minutes against Jamaica earning a start against Panama. But couldn’t get anything going in that match (ok nobody did). Then got a late call to start against Costa Rica when Arriola was pulled and he made the most of it. Up and down the flank and worked especially well with Dest. Scored the game winning goal (ok they officially ruled it an own goal but he hit a rocket shot and counts in my book). Well in the rotation for starts on the wing and second half subs needing a goal.

Brenden Aaronson – 6. Slow first half against Jamaica and his first touches were off but the second half was a different story and he earned an assist with a wonderful ball into Pepi. Subbed in at the half in Panama and like everyone, just chased the ball and not much doing. Then started again versus Costa Rica and showed his usual high work rate and willingness to try things. Played on both wings and showed fine albeit a bit quiet for him. Still well in the mix on the wing.

Christian Roldan – 4. Has been playing quite well of late for his club team (Seattle Sounders) so with Pulisic and Reyna out with injuries got the call up and start against Panama. Not a good showing at all but temper that with the team’s display across the board. Will likely get future calls but like Yedlin at this point more depth than real quality.

Ricardo Pepi – 7. Terrific against Jamaica scoring both goals. Dangerous when he subbed on against Panama but didn’t score his one chance. Then started again versus Costa Rica and got three shots including one that was blocked just outside the 6. Did have a couple of header chances he should have done better with. One in particular he should have flicked on instead of trying to score. The film will show it clearly and he’ll learn. Still likely the #1 on the depth chart at the #9 position. And also only 18!

Gyasi Zardes – 4 (to be nice). Got 25 minutes against Jamaica and was a tad late on a run or would have scored. Started in Panama and didn’t get any service, his runs were flat, and he scored the own goal. Didn’t help his cause. Still likely in the mix but look for Dike, Pefok, and/or Sargent in November.

Luca de la Torre – Only played 13 minutes against Jamaica and got a lot of excitement generated. High energy and smart with the ball. One of the older player on the roster at all of 23. Earned some more call ups but a bit behind on the depth chart. But sure valuable to have him around.

Matthew Hoppe – 7. Only got 23 minutes against Costa Rica but showed why he’s there. Made superb overhead flick off the endline to Pepi who almost scored. Hopefully he works his way into more playing time in Mallorca (La Liga). Just needs to get match fit but certainly a good player for game day rosters.

Gianluca Busio – 6. Only got 15 minutes against Costa Rica but was so creative in that short time. Several good passes into the final third and one shot. Fans will get plenty looks at him in the future. Oh and he just turned 19 in May.

Gregg Berhalter – 7. Chose a good lineup and tactics for Jamaica and the game should have been a route. Chose a questionable but understandable lineup for Panama but the team did not look ready to play. Flat and unsure of what they were supposed to do. But he did make adjustments at half time and substitutions that were good. Then chose a great lineup and tactics for Costa Rica. And when the team went down 1-0 it was clear that he had them prepared and confident in what they needed to do. The next window should make lineup selections a bit easier since there are only two matches and there won’t be a need for such large rotations. Plus hopefully Pulisic will return. Word is Reyna suffered a setback and may not be ready. Still at the end of the day he needs to have the team playing more consistently every match. Some of that is assuredly due to the youth and inexperience of the players. That will improve over time but he needs to get them closer and the sooner the better.

Bring on Mexico and lets get this done right!