USMNT McKennie’s World Cup qualifying lesson is key, defense has depth, but will the play hurt them?

For the United States men’s team, the recently concluded World Cup qualifiers are the same as the previous two. There are more positives than negatives even when there is a nagging feeling that the point is still on the table. In this case, the 0-2 loss to the opponents on Friday Mexico provides its usual gain, but like most top line levels, the buzz is off. Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Jamaica disappointing as the Americans were expected to perform better, and in the end, the USMNT found themselves lucky to exit Kingston with a draw.

The most encouraging sign of progress has come through Tim Weah. NS Lille The attacker is an absolute threat against El Tri, clinging to the right wing with persistent, aggressive runs and made an important assist Christian PulisicThe opening goal of the match. He followed that up with a penalty kick against Jamaica that gave the US a short-lived lead.

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Weah’s performance built on his performance from the previous window in which he was forced to score the game against Costa Rica, and it was the wingers’ play that the United States didn’t really feel the absence of injured attacker Gio Reyna. In a team where effective wing play is highly valued, Weah has cemented his place in coach Gregg Berhalter’s rotation and looks like a solid bet to face. Qatar, if the United States qualifies.

Another source of comfort came from the team’s central defenders – in particular, Walker Zimmerman. This is a player who was dropped from the initial roster for the October window, then called up for do John Brooks‘back injury and then looking sharp in games against Reggae Boyz and Panama. In this window, Zimmerman made the most of extra game time and was a dominant presence in both games, although he considers himself lucky to be saved from a foul. . Damion Lowe that wiped out what would have been a late, winning Jamaican goal.

Miles Robinson solid against Mexico, despite his late red card, while Chris Richards performed well in both of his World Cup qualifying starts. The central midfield position has been seen as an area of ​​power and depth, and it becomes so apparent in this window that Brooks, long thought to be a padlock for the starting lineup, is believed to have There is considerable work to be done to regain its place.

The progress shown by the likes of Weah and Zimmerman shows that there is indeed depth in the American pool of players, but like every team on the planet, the depth is uneven and there are some individuals that America does. indispensable.

One of all Weston McKennie. NS Juventus The midfielder has recovered from two games, Berhalter is suspended internally, and he remains the emotional center of this team – so much so that his absence was evident in the game against Reggae Boyz. Currently, there is simply no other player that offers two-way play like McKennie, which is all the more reason why he needs to play with more discipline. Getting a yellow card for a tactical foul is one thing; It’s another warning to be given to have an argument with an opponent, which is what happened with Mexico.

Christian Pulisic’s value also remains great, as his substitute performance against Mexico has been reaffirmed. The only concern is his durability. USMNT fans will be hoping that two months from now to the next window will see Chelsea The winger builds on his fitness and gets into games with his club, which is no easy task given the talent around him.

The striker position also has some questions surrounding it. Ricardo Pepi spent the last two games essentially contributing to the team and he organized relatively well, assisting Weah’s goal on Tuesday. But it looks like the US could benefit from having another (read: more physical) form of transition at its disposal. Berhalter likes his strikers to be mobile, which is better than supporting attack from the front. That’s also why currently, a player likes Jesus Ferreira stay in the mix while Daryl Dike are not. But there may be a time when the USMNT will need a worse type of target, and Dike seems more likely to elicit that playstyle than Ferreira or even Josh Sargent.

Through all of this, eight games in the World Cup qualifying campaign and six coming in early 2022, the US finds itself about where it had hoped, in second place. Achieving this while missing some key players like Reyna, Pulisic and McKennie in the long stretches resulted in a lot of half-glass views. Compare and contrast four years ago, when the USMNT was regularly vulnerable and eventually slipped out of the top four.

However, there is also an uneasy feeling about deja vu because Americans can’t seem to connect the dramatic performances together. When the United States made it through to the final qualifying round of the 2014 cycle, the team sealed that qualifying campaign with a three-game winning streak; a similar form did not materialize four years later. It is easy to identify this inconsistency in the youth of the team, but selecting young players is not a must for Berhalter – it is an approach he has purposefully chosen for a long time.

The fact that the Octagon is turning into a four-horse race with the United States challenged by Mexico, Canada and Panama. Only two points separate the two sides, while Costa Rica still has a heartbeat after a dramatic victory at home Honduras. A place where America does Not want to finish fourth on the leaderboard, which will force an intercontinental playoff. Circumstances can also change rapidly – look at how Mexico has gone from first to third in this window – and the US not wanting to advance into the final qualifying window in March needs a result against Mexico or Costa Rica.

The year 2021 is one of the achievements of the US side. It won two titles and produced a rare three-game winning streak against Mexico. Along the way, this group of players is also maturing, but for all of this team’s growth, the USMNT needs to find more of a killer instinct on the road in World Cup qualifiers that will create some divide. between themselves and other candidates. Doing so will bring America to its ultimate goal.

Jeff Carlisle’s Latest World Cup Expected Lineups (assuming everything goes well)

Goalkeeper (3): Zack Steffen (City of Manchester), Matt Turner (New England Revolution), Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Woods)

Defender (8): Sergino Dest (FC .) Barcelona), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), John Brooks (Vfl Wolfsburg), Chris Richards (TSG Hoffenheim), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Midfielder (6): Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Gianluca Busio, (Venice), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy)

Striker (6): Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Tim Weah (OSC Lille), Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)