One doesn’t simply go from coaching a team to a 5-1 loss to Columbia, then drawing 1-1 with Brazil days later. Well… Gregg Berhalter does. The U.S. Men’s soccer team will begin their quest Sunday at Copa America to prove they’re serious contenders for the World Cup in 2026.
The Copa America is based in the United States and features the best of North and South America. Regarding the USA’s chances of winning this tournament, they are fifth favorites, behind Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Columbia.
The USMNT is at a crossroads. The U.S. game against Columbia and Brazil both feature 11 Europe-based players. This is to say, the USMNT is as talented as it has ever been.
However, our coach neither elevates nor gets the most out of these talented players. This is a problem for a team that has never had this much talent at one time, yet the federation could’ve replaced him but didn’t.
Many U.S. soccer fans are angry about the situation the team finds itself in as they enter this tournament.
Key Players
There is anxiety among fans about players in certain positions. Some of this is due to players coming in to replace injured players. This is also down to players who may start in a position despite having rough seasons for their club team. These are the players that fascinate me the most due to their uncertainty in the team.
Yunus Musah, Center Midfield
I should admit that I have a massive Yunus Musah bias. I’m a huge fan of the 21-year-old. He played in 39 games for AC Milan this season. Many who watched believed he stagnated a bit in his performance. This is harsh criticism. Musah is an all-action midfielder who possesses incredible technical ability.
Musah can beat an opposing press all by himself. He’s able to carry the ball through the midfield and into attack. Few if any USMNT players can do this as effectively as Musah can. This makes him valuable in the team against better teams that will look to press high. The assumed midfield trio of Reyna–McKennie–Adams means Musah will have to make an impact from the bench.
Matt Turner, Goalie
To say Matt Turner had a poor season with Nottingham Forest is like saying the Chicago White Sox are having a bad season. It’s a known fact. Turner only played in 21 games for the Premier League side. He wasn’t all that impressive, only keeping three clean sheets. Until the friendly against Colombia, in which he conceded five goals, he last played on March 24th. For his club, his last appearance came on February 28th. Goalies need game time and Turner hasn’t got enough reps for USMNT fans to be comfortable with him starting and doing well in goal.
Turner gave the ball away led to Brazil’s first goal against the U.S. in a Copa America warm-up game. Then, he followed that up with 11 saves and a man-of-the-match performance. Despite the lack of game time, Turner is our best option and when he’s on it, he’s incredibly talented. In general, Turner has been great for the U.S. and we’ll need him to be great if we want to go far in Copa America.
Joe Scally, Right Back
Joe Scally graduated from the school of unknowns in the last two friendlies against Columbia and Brazil. He went up against Luis Diaz (Columbia) and Vinicius Junior (Brazil). The two combined for 51 goal contributions last season. Scally held Diaz and Vini Jr to zero goals and zero assists.
Scally is playing due to the injury to Sergino Dest. Dest is incredible going forward and starts and finishes attacks for the USMNT. Dest is average at best in defense. Scally is the opposite of Dest. A hard-working defender who doesn’t have the technical quality in attack to show up on an opposing manager’s game plan. This will benefit the USMNT at Copa America when they play teams with great wingers as Scally will have to be solid in defense.
The Manager
Is Gregg Berhaulter a great coach? No. Is Gregg Berhaulter a horrible coach? No. He’s somewhere in the middle of that. Even that last sentence evokes rage from USMNT fans. Indeed, Berhaulter is not an elite tactician, just like it’s true that he knows how to inspire his players to perform. The team responds to him (for some reason) which can’t be said for every international manager. Berhaulter has cultivated great personal relationships with many players and has been able to recruit dual-nationals to play for the team. Is Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, and Yunus Musah a part of the USMNT set-up if not for Berhalter? Maybe. Maybe not.
Berhalter is in a tough position. He has a talented, yet still young squad. He is now expected to do something that this team has historically not done, beat teams better than us. Yes, the USMNT has had its runs in major tournaments and had impressive victories, but they’ve never consistently beat better teams. Is it coaching? Many believe so. Lots of fans see this tournament as a win-win no matter what happens.
If the USMNT goes far at the Copa America, then Berhalter has proved himself. However, if the USMNT fails miserably, then Berhalter must go.
Prediction
I believe the USMNT will do well at Copa America. They’ll beat Uruguay in the final group stage to set up a quarterfinal matchup against Columbia. The US beat Columbia but ultimately lose to Brazil in the semifinals.
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Featured Image: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill
