Four things we learned from the USMNT’s Gold Cup group stage | USA

FOr as much as the Gold Cup is disparaged, it is a much more difficult tournament than it seems. The current tournament is the 11th edition in the past two decades, and the United States of this year is only the 10th team to reach three unscathed group games (Panama became 11th on Tuesday).

The American manager Mauricio Pochettino must be satisfied with the performance of his team. After approximate projections in friendly matches before the tournament, a 5-0 victory against Trinidad and Tobago was cathartic, while a 1-0 victory against Saudi Arabia and a 2-1 victory against Haiti also showed that the United States tried to win a habit as manager asked for it.

If Pochettino has taken lessons from these exhibitions and applied them to the tournament, it goes without saying that it will take the learning of the group phase and will put them towards what the United States hopes to be three direct elimination competitions.

Here are four things we learned from the USMNT in the group phase:

There is life without Christian Pulisic

The days ahead of the tournament were filled with concern that Christian Pulisic would not be part of the competition, opting for summer rest rather than trying to win what would be his first career cup title (a decision that does not lack drama and speeches).

There is no doubt that the United States would be a better team with Pulisic, and when it wants to return to the team, it will return very directly to the XI to less than a real confrontation with the manager Mauricio Pochettino. But in the group phase, the United States has shown that it has players in the swimming pool that can provide an offensive spark.

Malik Tillman is the most remarkable among them, scoring three goals in the group phase, including a pair against Trinidad and Tobago and the opening against Haiti. Always dangerous and also a worker, Tillman was the star in small groups of the tournament, putting the form he often posted with the PSV on the field with the national team.

“Which player, right? What player who shows his talent and his (capacity) in this camp,” said Pochettino.

Indeed. It is not only Tillman, a product from Bayern Munich that would arouse the interest of a return from Bundesliga, which strengthens the United States. Diego Luna continues to inject energy and try to create chances when he is on the ground, and Quinn Sullivan is certainly not afraid of trying a few things – notably by passing Rabona against Haiti, but also putting a certain number of blows on the target and linking well with Tillman and the other attackers when he is on the ground.

The competition is alive

While Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte had to withdraw with injuries, the two best goalkeepers of Pochettino stayed in the camp and seem to be in open competition for the departure place in the future. Or maybe the most recent of these faces, stop it from NYCFC, Matt Freese, is ahead for the moment.

Freese started the first friend of the summer against Turkey, while the previous one 1 Matt Turner played the friendly match against Switzerland who saw the Americans concede four goals in the first half.

Although it seems that the competition is somewhat cut, Pochettino laughed at the idea that Freeese conceding on an error against Haiti would lead to a kind of conversation between the manager and the goalkeeper.

“Do not forget, the most important action is the next one. If you think of the last, you are dead. You will make another mistake,” Pochettino said. “This type of accident occurs and it will happen in the future, but we are so satisfied with him and the quality of our guards, of course, the way they support each other.”

For his part, Freese said that he had immediately put the error out of his mind and focused on not authorizing another objective. “You have to move forward very quickly, therefore, fortunately, the guys, we all support ourselves in bad times and in good times,” he said.

We will see where the thoughts of coaches are found when the departure training approaches Costa Rica, a team without goalkeeper battle thanks to the Keylor Navas anchor.

Injury yields are necessary

The United States has entered summer hoping that it would appreciate the returns from the right rear Sergiño Dest, the left back Antonee Robinson and the Folarin Balogun striker. Instead, the three of them are missing the tournament due to injuries.

Although attacker Patrick Agyemang marked twice in the group phase, the balance of his play has not yet convinced that he is polite enough at this stage of his career to be a coherent option at the top. The United States needs Balogun and Ricardo Pepi Fit and ready to go to the 2026 World Cup. Otherwise, can be found in a situation like 2022, unlikely score in a direct elimination game.

A similar dynamic exists among the large defenders. While Alex Freeman was a pleasant surprise as an option usable at the right back, the two replacements of Robinson – Max Arften and John Tolkin – have had a few adventures, and it is clear that Robinson is the best American rear on the left by a wide margin.

The United States could still gain this thing

While the United States looks great through three group games, its main concurrent competitors have not done so.

Mexico has only managed a draw with Costa Rica, and although they still have much more of their main contributors than the United States, they had trouble scoring open game, even in difficulty against the Dominican Republic in the opening. Their Gold Cup saw them rely on the sets and a defense that is stingy with their central back Johan Vázquez and in partnership with César Montes, allowing Edson Álvarez to break things up in the midfield. Canada fought and finally drew, with Curaçao.

The United States will not have such a margin of error now. It would not be out of the question for a team with as much experience and talent as the Costa Rica to savor to be a stumbling block on the United States route to redemption after the arrival of the last Final Four of the last place and the miserable private. A big day of Navas (and perhaps a goal by Alonso Martínez) are both in the field of the possibility.

It was a strong beginning, but the finish will have much more, either for this cup of gold, but for the momentum before the big show next year.