Preamble
Hello again, USMNT obsessives. It’s been a minute. If you just want the grades and soccer stuff feel free to scroll on past this part.
I’ve been working on a career change for a couple months now and much of the time I would ordinarily put into soccer/the site has been devoted to that process. I accepted a new position as an instructional designer for a medical company on Tuesday, so I think I’ll be able to repurpose those evening hours spent learning new skills and applying/networking for new positions back to the USMNT again. 😁
Spending 17+ years as an educator was a wonderful experience. That kid had no idea what he was getting himself into and grew in so many ways. Teaching takes a lot out of you though and I wasn’t interested in turning into a mediocre teacher just going through the motions. It was time. Please forgive this self-indulgent ramble. Now, to the soccer.
Back to Soccer
The US performance against El Salvador was a little weird. It didn’t feel quite as dominant watching it the first time as the numbers portray it.
Watching it back is less frustrating than live since the outcome isn’t in doubt, and the second viewing really drove home how toothless El Salvador was. They had the one shot on the counter from the top right of the box and an unmarked glancing header in the second half. Those were the two best chances in the match, and both of those would have taken something very special to be at all dangerous.
El Salvador isn’t an especially talented attacking side, but the US didn’t allow them any chances either. So good job smothering a helpless attack, I suppose.
Grading Beverage: Coffee (light roast, Ethiopian) and mini cinnamon rolls – Sorry, booze fans. Graded/wrote the majority of this on Saturday morning/afternoon. A bit early for whiskey for me.🤣
If you haven’t read one of these USMNT (+/-) Player Grades articles before click here for an explanation of the system.
Grades
MOTM – Weston McKennie (+12)
There’s no arguing that Weston is our best player right now, right? He’s oozing confidence, he’s trying stuff (it’s working too), and he’s even pretty secure with the ball now. El Salvador couldn’t handle him. He was shaking guys and playing incisive passes all game long. He also had more “events” than the other 2/3s of MMA combined (25 to 20).
McKennie is the straw that stirs the drink in the American midfield and I hope this vein of form continues for a good long time.
Other Positive Performances
Jedi Robinson (+9.5)
FYI – I’ll respect Robinson’s wishes and use Jedi from here on out instead of Antonee.
Jedi was excellent on the left wing against El Salvador. His crosses weren’t always pinpoint, but he did find guys in and around the box with them. I couldn’t find the stat on this one, but I believe he also had the most shots (there were at least 3 on target) of anyone on the team. He’s fast, physical, and technical enough. He didn’t need to do much defending and was on the ball frequently (was +10 In Possession). Take a look at this ball he played to Aaronson in the 70′.
I don’t want to jinx anything, but the US looks set at left back for a few years now. A quality backup would be nice, but that feels like getting greedy after looking back at the historical left back situation.
Musah/Ferreira (+7)
Both of these players were solid. I wish Musah had been a little more aggressive about getting involved because when he tried things they generally worked. This could have been an all-timer of an assist if he hadn’t under-hit the pass a little.
People probably remember a couple near misses from Fereirra (16′, 19′), but there were several other good moments in there that weren’t nearly as glaring. His movement was pretty good, and I really like his passing vision. He didn’t always hit them exactly right, but the ideas were good.
Room to Improve
Christian Pulisic (+1.5)
This could have been even a little worse because two of his points come off service from three corners. If you remove points from set piece duties he comes out to -0.5. I’m not even sure what to say about Pulisic right now. There’s just times where you’d expect him to beat a guy or draw & dish where he’s losing the ball. For example:
If he’s in good form then he somehow breaks through the defense there, or at the very least, lays it off for Weah. It’s some consolation that Pulisic is hardly alone in this malaise though. Thomas Tuchel has managed to ruin the form of Kai Havertz, Romelu Lukaku, and Timo Werner (more?). That’s like half a billion dollars of attacking talent. Gotta hope he finds form for club and/or country soon.
Chris Richards (+1.5)
This is more of a “nothing to do” grade than a “played poorly” grade. He did have one pretty bad turnover in the 27th minute that knocked his grade down a bit, but I don’t think he played poorly overall.
Tyler Adams (+2)
It’s weird to have Adams in this section. He’s not always at the top, but he generally earns at least a solid grade every time out. This score is a Offense/Defense split. He came out +6 in the two defensive phases and -4 “In Possession.” I didn’t have him marked down for any notable positive passes and there were at least 4 turnovers of varying severity. Not worried about him, but I hope he’s better on the ball versus Canada.
On to Hamilton
Canada may not have the best roster in CONCACAF, but it certainly seems like they are playing the best of any side in the region. Our most important attacker being out (yeah – on current form Weah’s it) isn’t going to help, but no result would surprise me at this point. Honestly, playing a team that’s willing to send men forward and attack means more opportunities on the counter…and that’s the US’ best route to goals. I’m cautiously hopeful. See y’all on the other side.
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Not playing Pepi in this game or starting against Canada is simply ridiculous.