That was fun? I guess. To be quite honest, I’m sick to death of watching the US play games against crap teams. I’m glad they won 7-0. It’s what they should do against Trinidad and Tobago’s B team…that hasn’t played in a year…at home.
To really get a better measurement of these players though, we need to see them against better competition, or at least playing in unfriendly environments. The US doesn’t usually struggle at home against meatball teams, but they do on the road.
With all that being said, some players still played better than others. Let’s take a look at the grades.
If you haven’t read one of these USMNT (+/-) Player Grades articles before click here for an explanation of the system.
Player Grades
MOTM – Paul Arriola (+15)
I’ve been hard on Arriola in the last couple years. It’s not because I don’t like him or something though. By all accounts he’s a dawg and a great guy to have on your side. My criticism has been that he lacks that little bit of skill that would make him a viable, international caliber, starting winger for the USMNT. I’m still have my doubts about that, but he played very well on Sunday.
He clearly comprehends the system and he still puts in the work that he is known for. As for that whole skill in the final third thing…how about a left footed goal from the top of the box?
That wasn’t my favorite play of the game from him either. We’ll get to that in a minute. Arriola and Herrera were all over the right side against T&T making committed, intelligent runs. His passing/crossing was also on point all night. I had him at +11 for passing/crossing events in his 65 minutes on the field. Look at this one:
It doesn’t end up in a goal but the weight on that ball was perfect for Herrera. They worked really well together in this game even if it was against a very poor opponent. Wing back might be the perfect spot for Arriola at Swansea. That’s how he got on the field with Tijuana in Liga MX back in the day too. I hope he kills it over there.
Other Positive Performances
Jesus Ferreira (+12)
Maybe FC Dallas should try Ferreira in a false 9 spot once in a while? Just spit balling here. T&T didn’t quite know what to do with him. When he dropped into midfield the CB wasn’t sure if he should follow or not. And if he didn’t get marked Ferreira is capable of plays like this:
I mean, maybe pressure the passer a tad more than this Trinidad? You can only play the team in front of you though and Ferreira’s movement was more than they could handle. He was also dangerous in and around the box as evidenced by his two goals. If Berhalter is committed to playing a false 9, Jesus is the player that has done it the best so far (he was even good against Costa Rica last February if you recall). I’d like to see Josh Sargent play in this system because I think he can play as a traditional forward and a false 9 better than Ferreira, but we’ve never had a chance to see it.
Aaron Herrera (+11)
Many times I look at the half time scores when I’m grading games. This time I didn’t, and when I saw Herrera’s final tally I was surprised. But if you look at the event log you’ll see quite a few positive events for Herrera (lots of crosses and good runs) and only one negative (misplaced pass). He reminded me a lot of Paul Arriola out there – running really hard and putting in good crosses. And you know what? If there’s one position where the US needed another guy to look good it’s at right back. lol
I know this is against some guy who probably sells insurance for his day job, but Herrera’s dribble then tenacious run is nice to see.
Kellyn Acosta (+10)
I’ve heard some confusion on Acosta. He was cut from January camp in 2019 and hadn’t been heard from since (until December anyway). The answer to that is pretty simple: profiles. We’ve heard Berhalter use the term “profile” several times since he’s taken over and it’s clear that the profile for the two most advanced midfield positions has changed. If you are looking for a slick passing, sort of creative midfielder that can play a hybrid 8/10 position…then Acosta ain’t your man. On the other hand, if you want a ground covering pressing machine that can add some offense here and there…he’s definitely an option.
It looks like Kellyn knows he’s got a shot too. Look at this clip:
That is in the 89th minute of a 7-0 beatdown of an inferior adversary in a meaningless friendly. You think Acosta might want another crack at the national team? This is a player who has played meaningful World Cup qualifiers and is still only 25 years old. Predicting who is going to develop is nigh impossible – let’s hope Acosta keeps grinding and plays well for club and country.
Room for Improvement
Jackson Yueill (+3)
There’s no one that played poorly in this game. I would just say that Yueill didn’t exactly impress given the low level of opposition. The #6 is also another position where I’d say Berhalter’s preferred “profile” for the spot has changed. It appears he is prioritizing pressing and ground coverage ability over tempo setting and passing. Just look at the #6 options now compared to 18 months ago (Adams, Perea, Yueill vs Bradley, Trapp, Yueill).
Yueill was fine, but not influential against a weak team.
Aaron Long (+3)
The US didn’t have a “distributing” style center back available in this game. Maybe Pineda is in that mold, but he wasn’t on the field. Long is at his best when he’s showing his range as an athletic defender. There wasn’t much opportunity to do that in this game since T&T were hopeless. Long did give distribution a try, but the results were mixed. A couple of nice diagonals, but also some wayward passing like this:
He’s a defensive asset and a minor to medium liability on the ball. Not much has changed. And if Long is your “floor level” center back, that’s not a terrible place to be.
Please Come, March
The March window will be a chance to have the whole team together. The European and MLS guys will be available (I know MLS will be out of season). I don’t know if there will be anyone worth playing open for scheduling, but for heaven’s sake play Mexico and Canada/Costa Rica if you have to. At least they will have full strength teams available. I’m not sure I can sit through another 6-0 game against an Antigua and Barbuda type. (Of course I’d watch it, but I’d complain again.)
We’ve found out about all we can beating the tar out of these teams. The USMNT needs to start being challenged before the games count for real. It’s good that the Nation’s League comes before WC qualifying. At least we can use that as a practice run before the September qualifying window rolls around.
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Another nice thing about Acosta is that he’s good service from dead ball situations. CO doesn’t use him so much because they’ve got Jack Price, but he’s very near the top of that list in the USMNT pool.