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INGLEWOOD, Ca. — The best thing you can say about this U.S. men’s national team lineup is at least they’re not the starters.
And if they get thrown into starting roles later in this World Cup, Lord have mercy. Except Sebastian Berhalter. You understood the assignment, setting up Auston Trusty's opening with a perfectly placed corner kick and scoring the equalizer.
There was absolutely nothing at stake in the Thursday, June 25 game against Turkey. The USMNT had already clinched the top spot in Group D and Turkey was already eliminated. With four indispensable starters – Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson – all risking suspension for the round of 32 game if they picked up a second yellow card.
So USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino starting a lineup full of backups, and Weston McKennie, made sense. In theory.
In reality, it was rough. Like, this is what every USMNT fan feared the World Cup was going to look like before the tournament started, rough.
Gio Reyna set the tone when he punted the opening kick and bonked it off the corner flag. Auston Trusty's goal in the third-minute was the USMNT's second-fastest at the World Cup -- with Clint Dempsey in the house, no less -- and it seemed as if the B team was going to be as dominant as the starting XI has been.
But with the exception of maybe France, there aren't a whole lot of teams that can wholesale rotate lineups -- again, except McKennie -- without there being a dropoff. The USMNT was never going to be the exception to that rule.
The USMNT looked slow – Tim Weah was aging before our eyes – and Turkey sliced through the backline as if the Americans were playing a game of statue. It’s at this point I need to remind you that this same Turkey team came into the game not only having yet to win but having yet to score.
Alas.
But there is a reason there have been few quibbles with Pochettino's preferred starting lineup. They're the best the USMNT has and, as we've seen so far, they're pretty darned good.
That doesn't mean Pochettino's decision against Turkey was wrong. Far from it. No team goes through a World Cup unscathed. Players get injured and pick up yellow cards. Some one from the bench, probably many ones, is going to have to play a significant role at some point during the tournament. Better they get the butterflies out now, when it doesn't matter, than throw them in untested when it's win-or-go home time.
To be fair, the team seemed to settle down after the half. A goal will do that for you. So, too, the return of Christian Pulisic for the first time since the first half of the Paraguay game.
They created chances; Reyna's pass to Pulisic at close range was sweet, even if Pulisic couldn't convert. Berhalter almost had another goal. Pulisic scared the bejeezus out of Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir another time.
And when Sergino Dest and Alex Freeman came on, the USMNT's intensity went up yet another notch.
This column will be updated throughout the match.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA looks rough vs. Turkey, but it's going to be OK. We hope.
Continue reading...
INGLEWOOD, Ca. — The best thing you can say about this U.S. men’s national team lineup is at least they’re not the starters.
And if they get thrown into starting roles later in this World Cup, Lord have mercy. Except Sebastian Berhalter. You understood the assignment, setting up Auston Trusty's opening with a perfectly placed corner kick and scoring the equalizer.
There was absolutely nothing at stake in the Thursday, June 25 game against Turkey. The USMNT had already clinched the top spot in Group D and Turkey was already eliminated. With four indispensable starters – Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson – all risking suspension for the round of 32 game if they picked up a second yellow card.
So USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino starting a lineup full of backups, and Weston McKennie, made sense. In theory.
In reality, it was rough. Like, this is what every USMNT fan feared the World Cup was going to look like before the tournament started, rough.
Gio Reyna set the tone when he punted the opening kick and bonked it off the corner flag. Auston Trusty's goal in the third-minute was the USMNT's second-fastest at the World Cup -- with Clint Dempsey in the house, no less -- and it seemed as if the B team was going to be as dominant as the starting XI has been.
But with the exception of maybe France, there aren't a whole lot of teams that can wholesale rotate lineups -- again, except McKennie -- without there being a dropoff. The USMNT was never going to be the exception to that rule.
The USMNT looked slow – Tim Weah was aging before our eyes – and Turkey sliced through the backline as if the Americans were playing a game of statue. It’s at this point I need to remind you that this same Turkey team came into the game not only having yet to win but having yet to score.
Alas.
But there is a reason there have been few quibbles with Pochettino's preferred starting lineup. They're the best the USMNT has and, as we've seen so far, they're pretty darned good.
That doesn't mean Pochettino's decision against Turkey was wrong. Far from it. No team goes through a World Cup unscathed. Players get injured and pick up yellow cards. Some one from the bench, probably many ones, is going to have to play a significant role at some point during the tournament. Better they get the butterflies out now, when it doesn't matter, than throw them in untested when it's win-or-go home time.
To be fair, the team seemed to settle down after the half. A goal will do that for you. So, too, the return of Christian Pulisic for the first time since the first half of the Paraguay game.
They created chances; Reyna's pass to Pulisic at close range was sweet, even if Pulisic couldn't convert. Berhalter almost had another goal. Pulisic scared the bejeezus out of Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir another time.
And when Sergino Dest and Alex Freeman came on, the USMNT's intensity went up yet another notch.
This column will be updated throughout the match.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA looks rough vs. Turkey, but it's going to be OK. We hope.
Continue reading...
