- Investigation reveals extent of Gregg Berhalter’s 1992 assault, Claudio Reyna’s meddling and threats Yahoo Sports
- U.S. Soccer Statement Regarding Completion of Alston & Bird Investigation Concerning Gregg Berhalter | U.S. Soccer Official Website U.S. Soccer
- U.S. Soccer releases Gregg Berhalter investigation amid Reyna family rift The Washington Post
- Gregg Berhalter remains in contention for USMNT job despite investigation confirming he did kick wife The Athletic
- Investigation finds Gio Reyna’s family engaged in embarrassing campaign to support USMNT star long before 2022 World Cup – but blackmail allegation struck down Goal.com
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Berhalters
USMNT vs. El Salvador score: Antonee Robinson’s goal ekes out another modest win for Gregg Berhalter’s side
The United States men’s national team are closing in on a spot in Qatar after a 1-0 win over El Salvador on Thursday in World Cup qualifying. The Americans were far from sharp, missed clear chances in the first half yet got a winner early in the second half thanks to Antonee Robinson’s fine finish in the box. The Fulham fullback now has two goals in qualifying for the red, white and blue after his 52nd-minute strike.
After entering the day with a 5-3-1 record, the Americans knew they had an opportunity to cushion their lead for one of the three direct spots to the 2022 World Cup, and they got the job done despite not being all that convincing. With young star striker Ricardo Pepi on the bench, it was Jesus Ferreira, his old FC Dallas teammate, who got the start. But the Colombia-born attacker could not deliver, missing one good chance and one golden chance in the opening 20 minutes.
The U.S. held 62.4% of the possession on the night and had 17 shots to El Salvador’s six, but the one that did the trick came off a rebound where the visiting defense could not react in time. Take a look:
The U.S. recorded an xG of 2.98 but could not take the chances to put it away, while still winning somewhat comfortably with El Salvador offering next to nothing going forward. Hugo Perez’s side had an xG of just 0.20 on six total shots.
It seemed like Weston McKennie took a knock at the end of the match but Gregg Berhalter talked to the medical team and while everyone will be assessed before Sunday’s match against Canada on Paramount+. It doesn’t seem like his knock is a worry.
Here are some takeaways from the match:
1. Robinson coming into his own
Outside of McKennie, Robinson likely has the best club form of anyone on the national team and it is beginning to translate to success for club and country.
“We call our full backs a superpower of our team. And we do that because they produce, they give us this and goals if you look at World Cup qualifying so far,” said Berhalter. “Our full backs have contributed heavily, Sergino [Dest] has goals and assists, Robinson has goals and assists, and Yedlin has assists. Our full backs are great for us and they’re a big part of how we play.”
Robinson’s confidence showed in his backflip celebration and his antics after as well. He hasn’t lost a match since December for club or county. (It’s a celebration that Berhalter won’t be banning as well)
It was quite a performance that saw Robinson stuff the stat sheet with 86 touches, three chances created, three shots on goal and nine recoveries, which was good for second on the team. He has come into his own in the full back position and it has become one that is set heading into the World Cup in Qatar when it was one of the largest question marks on the roster before the qualifying cycle.
2. Don’t forget about always reliable Adams
When you don’t hear a defensive midfielder’s name called much during a match, it usually means they were at their best. That was the case with Tyler Adams on the night. Completing almost 90 percent of his passes, breaking up critical El Salvador attacks and getting a team-high 10 ball recoveries, Adams did it all. In the second half, he was doing the defensive work of two midfielders and that allowed Berhalter to push his other midfielders higher which led to the winning goal.
The vision to always be where he needs to be is a great intangible that makes Adams a wonderful asset to this team. He has become the most important member of the national team. He’s the engine and they’ll go as far as he goes.
3. First-half drought will come back to bite them
The United States have scored two first-half goals in World Cup qualifying, which won’t cut if they intend to make any noise in Qatar. On Thursday, some of it came down to the lineup changes. Antonee Robinson, for instance, didn’t seem to know where Jesus Ferreira wanted the ball which led to a few lofted crosses that should’ve been whipped or played on the ground. As Berhalter rotates his players — he has no choice but to do so with three games in six days — an identity and familiarity within his core must be established.
Some of those issues will be alleviated by the eventual return of Gio Reyna in the March qualifying window, but Berhalter hasn’t been able to field a settled first team and it shows. They have been great at making second-half adjustments and growing into the game — with 11 goals in the second half across the nine matches — but against better opposition, their luck may run out and we may start seeing slow starts lead into points lost.
Having a good Christian Pulisic is also important as Berhalter used his first sub to remove him from the game. “So overall, happy with Christian’s effort in the game,” Berhalter said. “I think the effectiveness could’ve been more, and looking at that moment in the game, looking at where we thought the game was headed we wanted to get him off and get fresh legs in.”
For someone who is at their best on the ball, only 42 touches for Pulisic on the ball was not enough. He created three chances but they were minor over the course of the game and he also was unable to get a shot on target.
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Canada win hints at steep learning curve ahead for Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT
Positives were hard to find in the United States men’s national team’s 1-0 Gold Cup victory over Canada on Sunday in Kansas City, Kansas.
The win in the group stage finale meant the U.S. secured the top spot in Group B with a perfect 3-0-0 record. Practically speaking, and depending on results later on Sunday, it means the U.S. will likely avoid a matchup with Mexico prior to the final on Aug. 1.
But the Americans have to get there first, and based on Sunday’s performance against their neighbors to the north, that is by no means a foregone conclusion. Instead of offering a dynamic effort, the U.S. was second best, as Canada looked the more likely to score over the contest’s final 60 minutes.
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“There was a lot of suffering,” U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said.
He later added, “Overall, we achieved our objective of the group phase, was the winner group, had the best goal difference in the group and we’re there. And now, all the focus is on the quarterfinals.”
The game started out brightly enough, with Shaquell Moore converting Sebastian Lletget’s low centering feed just 20 seconds into the match. The U.S. rode that momentum for the next 15 minutes, with James Sands’ hybrid role — playing center-back in defense but stepping into midfield when in possession — causing some difficulty for Canada.
Coming out of a hydration break in the 30th minute, Canada seized control and the majority of possession thereafter. Certainly the loss of defender Walker Zimmerman to injury 10 minutes in didn’t help matters for the U.S., especially considering that Zimmerman is one of the few veteran players on the team. But the same fate befell Canada striker Ayo Akinola in the first half, with Cyle Larin joining Akinola on the sidelines just eight minutes into the second half. And yet the Canadian midfield had the upper hand, with Tajon Buchanan looking especially dangerous, no matter where he lined up.
“I thought the U.S. were able to cause [our] back five problems,” Canada manager John Herdman said. “Obviously, Gregg [Berhalter] had put some work in to just put Lletget in positions that were difficult for us.
“But I think we adapted at the water break, and we were able to shift into a 4-4-2 in that three-box, three attacking and started to take control of the game.”
It must be said that the U.S. back line held up reasonably well over the course of the match, though it benefited from some lenient refereeing from Adonai Escobedo. Goalkeeper Matt Turner was called on to make three saves. Miles Robinson put in a Man of the Match performance, with Sam Vines and Sands also impressing. Robinson put out numerous fires throughout the match, showing off his ability to defend one-on-one.
“I think Miles has taken us [to] the next step, and now it’s about a knockout game,” Berhalter said. “Can he recover now, and then in a knockout game, can he repeat that same type of performance.”
Sands’ passing out of the back caught the eye, though there were moments in transition when he had difficulty recovering.
But the lasting image of the day was one of the U.S. chasing the match, and over the last hour, Canada (405 attempted passes in that span, per ESPN Stats & Information research) had a sizable edge in possession over the U.S. (263 passes attempted).
At one point, Berhalter cited the hot weather as a reason for the U.S. team’s struggles, explaining that “decision-making under these conditions, you get stressed.”
He also mentioned that the Americans had to manage the game for the remaining 89 minutes after Moore’s goal. Not to belabor the point, but the conditions were the same for both teams, and a 1-0 lead after 20 seconds put the U.S. in a position where they could dictate the tempo. Granted, the onus was on Canada to commit numbers forward, but that should have offered the U.S. some transition opportunities.
So why the difficulties? The link play of Gyasi Zardes and Daryl Dike was subpar, though the same could be said for the quality of passes into them. This was also a day when the U.S. simply struggled to win the ball back once possession was lost. The U.S. didn’t have much success in terms of the grittier aspects of the game. That was illustrated by the U.S. losing out to Canada in terms of tackle percentage (33.3%), duels (44.1%) and aerials (36.4%).
More than anything, the match was reflective of the relative inexperience of the group. It’s one thing to go up against Martinique. It’s quite another to compete against a Canada side that looks more and more like a team on the rise.
“We have a young, sometimes naive, innocent group; guys that haven’t played in too many CONCACAF games that are difficult,” U.S. midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “The refereeing is different; the competition is different. So, we have to be savvier in the way we close out games.”
The U.S. now has a week to prepare for the quarterfinals, which will see it play Costa Rica or Jamaica. Neither will be an easy out.
The Canada match marked the second time in three games that the U.S. had difficulty facing a physical opponent with attacking elements that could threaten. This young U.S. squad is learning lessons on the fly, and it can gain confidence that it is doing so while recording victories.
The Americans will be pushing for that to continue into the knockout stages.