The World Cup has come and gone. Lionel Messi has the elusive last piece of his greatest player ever resume, and Reyna-gate has mostly blown itself out. We’re now into Dr. Suess’ “Waiting Place.”
We don’t know what the future holds for Gregg Berhalter and until we know that there’s not much we can infer. So let’s look backwards instead.
Who were the top performers over the course of the four World Cup games? I totaled up the scores from my match grades to try to answer that question. And please know that I am fully aware that these totals and the match grades themselves are in no way authoritative. I’ve tried to standardize the way I do it as much as possible, but this very much reflects the way I watch games and perceive what good/bad moments are. Yours may very well be different. If you’d like more info on how I do this feel free to read ⬇
If you haven’t read one of these USMNT (+/-) Player Grades articles before click here for an explanation of the system.
Total Grades
Player of the Tournament – Tyler Adams (+27.5)
The way Adams ended the tournament might have left a slightly sour taste in people’s mouths, but he wasn’t bad (the one obvious moment aside) even against Holland. The USMNT controlled the midfield against all three group stage opponents and that includes England. Adams was the most vital cog in that engine and did things like this constantly:
His defensive prowess has never been in question so the really encouraging part for Adams was the way he operated on the ball. One of Tyler’s weaknesses has been that you can take advantage of him in possession. He will occasionally hesitate and cough it up.
Adams’ time under Nagelsmann at Leipzig and now at Leeds has sharpened his technique and speed of thought to the point where he’s is now an integral part in moves like this one:
Adams has been my favorite national teamer for a while now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’m excited to see how his game grows and develops in the coming years. If it doesn’t change at all he’s still the starting #6 for the foreseeable future, but knowing him I’m sure more development is in the cards.
Best Defender – Tim Ream (+23)
Tim Ream was the best center back on the team and it wasn’t particularly close. The pace limitation never manifested and his historical concern (one huge mistake) also never happened. For you younger readers – Ream had moments like this frequently for the US:
He had zero events like that in the World Cup. He was safe, calm in possession, and probably our best player on the ball defender or otherwise. On a young team I think his serene presence was more necessary than we thought going in. I’d bet good money that Tim had a word with Walker Zimmerman after that foul against Wales. There’s no way to quantify the effect of things like that, but having someone older and more experienced around to talk to is nice no matter what line of work you’re in. For years I worked with a small, mustachioed Italian man (dude was crazy intimidating for a 5’5″ 145lb bald guy) that I enjoyed talking to and learning from – Ream is the strawberry blonde, man-bunned version of my older friend for this team.
Ream isn’t done either. He’s in the form of his career and probably thinks he can play in the 2024 Copa America. That’s only a year and a half away so it’s certainly not out of the question. There aren’t a ton of young center backs coming up atm so he might still be the best option by then. Whatever the case, I’ve always liked his game and I’m really happy that he got to go to a World Cup with the US and played very well to boot.
Best Attacker – Timothy Weah (+20.5)
Christian Pulisic is the biggest name and had more goal involvements, but imo Weah was better over the course of the tournament. Aaronson and Reyna both kinda-sorta do what Pulisic does. No other attacker on the team moves and makes runs the way Weah does.
He gets open in spaces that the other attackers aren’t inclined to take advantage of. One of my criticisms of Berhalter is that he never looked at Weah at forward. It might not have worked, but he has physical/mental attributes that the other options there don’t possess. I know health was an issue, but I would liked to have seen him get a chance there a time or two in the past couple years. If a clear forward option doesn’t emerge then I would love to see this experiment in the coming months.
Best +/- Per 90 – Brenden Aaronson (+6.0)
So technically Adams was higher at +6.9, but I’ve already written about him and Morris was +11.3, but played no minutes so it’s not worth delving into. Aaronson came in and generally looked intriguing during his time on the field.
This is exactly the sort of thing he tries all the time for Leeds. Most of the time it’s the pass before the pass, but Aaronson brings value with his energy and willingness to try stuff like this. Another regret I have is that the US never tried out a 4-2-3-1 with Aaronson in that middle attacking spot he plays for Leeds. I know you lose one of McKennie or Musah in the starting lineup, but it then lets you spread those midfield minutes around a little more. That would have been helpful in saving legs over the course of the tournament.
Now What?
We wait to hear what’s going to happen with Berhalter, I suppose. I’m not a fan of multiple cycles for managers, but it can work. Argentina’s manager (Scaloni) is new, but France’s manager (Deschamps) has been in place since 2012. Here are the manager’s of the other teams that made the final 8:
- Croatia: Zlatko Dalic in charge since 2017
- Morocco: took over in August of 2022
- England: Gareth Southgate manager since 2016
- Brazil: Tite in charge since 2016
- Netherlands: Van Gaal took charge in 2021
- Portugal: Fernando Santos took over in 2014
As you can see, new and multi-cycle coaches can work. I’d prefer a new coach and it looks like that’s the way things are headed, but I wouldn’t mind if Berhalter saw things out through the summer when more managers become available. In any case, I’ve enjoyed the ride with everyone and I’m looking forward towards what the future will bring. The US should be ready to make more of a splash in 2026 and watching the pool deepen over the next 3.5 years will be an enjoyable process. Cheers to the future, friends.
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