European national groups have presented a major impediment to American men, and on Sunday in Belfast, coach Gregg Berhalter added an additional challenge to his players’ badge: a new squad.
For the first time in nearly two years, the Americans played with three central defenders and two sides in a 3-4-3, and there were several predictable expansion pains, visitors controlled their assignments and conflicting parties well enough to make a tight 2-1 win over Northern Ireland at Windy Windsor Park. Gio Reyna scored in a detour in the first half, and Christian Pulisic added the winning goal from the penalty point.
Not only did the victory extend the Americans’ undefeated streak to nine (8-0-1) since the fall of 2019, but not only marked the first victory against a European home soil team since June 2015. concacaf’s war matches and an era of nearly two years in which 16 of the 18 games went against regional rivals, Berhalter and his players were extremely happy this week to prepare for another kind of challenge.
“It will be a check for us. It’s something we haven’t noticed in a while and I think the guys are excited to play on a non-Concacaf team, and I know our training staff is excited about this check and just getting out of our own kind of region,” American goalkeeper Zack Steffen said before the game. “We don’t have many opportunities to come to Europe and play against European groups on their soil, so we have to win away from home. very clever check for us.
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Northern Ireland is not one of the most productive groups in Europe, entered Sunday’s match with an un won streak of 11 games, failed to qualify for this summer’s European Championship and ranks 45th in the world rankings (with the United States ranked 22nd). covered only one player on Sunday who started in the World Cup qualifying loss to Italy on 25 March (Blackburn Rovers midfielder Corry Evans). However, the Green and White Army was a major challenge, as European groups seem to do. when surrounded by the comfort of home. The intensity of quality on football’s richest and toughest continent is simply different.
Added to that is the repositioning of training and the United States was having an attractive day. Berhalter last played with three lagging behind in a June 2019 friendly against Jamaica, a 1-0 defeat in which the Americans created almost nothing to advance. Since then, he has signed up for 4-3-3 and put his young team at ease with an exclusive and consistent technique, however, the most productive groups can align their technique and with talented players such as Pulisic (Chelsea) and Sergio Dest (Barcelona) betting on other positions with their clubs, the technician came the time to expand his team’s repertoire by giving more to their long-distance rivals.
Berhalter said the replacement in the formation caused in component throughout Northern Ireland and in component through the evolution of his team.
“We knew it would be difficult to handle your first balls. We know they play with two strikers and the player is great, it’s hard to win the first ball. So we’re looking for some coverage at the moment, balls,” the American tech said. said after the game. ” The moment is that, looking in its form, we felt that we could exploit some spaces with our midfield configuration as we had done, with essentially 4 players in midfield. The other thing is that we think it’s vital to keep challenging that group, and it was a good opportunity to do it tonight. “
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The U. S. starting team has not been able to do so. But it’s not the first time He anchored through Aaron Long, Matt Miazga and Tim Ream on a third back, with Dest (right) and Antonee Robinson (left) as flanks. Dest had inspired as a left-back in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Jamaica in Austria, however, he plays as a right-back for Barcelona and said he was satisfied anyway this week.
“For me, personally, it’s not that hard. I can play on both sides,” Dest said after scoring a magnificent goal against Jamaica. “The return is smart for me. The left side is smart for me. I don’t prefer it,” anyone to be honest. I just like to play the game, and no matter what position I play. “
Since Dest and Robinson are expected to offer more scope in attack, Pulisic and Reyna, usually extreme at 4-3-3, may have more opportunities to play internally and approach goal. Striker Jordan Siebatcheu, who plays in the Swiss league with the Young Boys, made his first opening. In the 7th minute, the new formation showed its promise. Siebatcheu brushed the ball for a nearby Pulisic, who separated the opposing centre and right-back with a clever pass to the baseline. . Robinson was there to execute him. His centre was a little ahead of Siebatcheu, however, the Fulham side’s ability to put the Northern Ireland baseline would have been precisely the kind of game Berhalter was looking for.
Unfortunately for America, those games were weird. More often, unknown races and positions, some congestion in the attacking part and Northern Ireland’s ability to exert pressure on the ball disturbed visitors and led to slow, slow or interrupted play. Unsurprisingly, sharpness and rapid fluidity simply weren’t there. In two events in the first half, complicated ball losses in midfield resulted in quick counterattacks and goal chances for the hosts. In the 16th minute, veteran Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty played but turned down his shot and in the 38th minute, Shayne Lavery prepared with a similar possibility, saw his purposely shot well stored through a Steffen diver.
“We practiced for about 8 minutes,” Berhalter said of the new 3-4-3. “When you watch the game, you can see that there were smart games, but we still have a lot of paintings to do in space, to damage the opponent. We took very smart positions but couldn’t hurt the opponent enough, I thought. But overall, I’m proud of the way they took that information. “
Where Northern Ireland did not seize its opportunities, the United States had the quality and good fortune required. At 30, Reyna appreciated the kind of rebound she was looking for in a more frustrating outing three days earlier against Jamaica. time and area on the left channel and fed Reyna inside, where Borussia Dortmund’s young man had the opportunity to give some touches and shoot with the right that his explosion savagely deviated from the North Irish defender Ciaron Brown and the helpless goalkeeper.
The adjustment remained tight when the substitutes began replacing the adjustment complexion, but Pulisic, who played only forty-five minutes against Reggae Boyz, remained in the area and was nevertheless rewarded for the confidence he showed this week to use Pulisic stumbled into the penalty domain in the 59th minute and threw it himself , directing it a few centimetres to the left of the goalkeeper for his 15th foreign goal.
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Berhalter praised the skill, effort and speed of Pulisic’s paintings after the performance of Chelsea striker’s match player.
“Forget all the smart things you do with the ball, ” said Berhalter. “He just competed today, and when he’s in that kind of mode, he’s an amazing player. That’s what I’m most happy about today. It’s relentless pressure. “. He just kept moving forward and moving forward, and he’s so smart with the ball. You can unbalance [the other] equipment. For me, it had very clever functionality in general. “
Pulisic said, reflecting on this week’s two matches: “I am satisfied with my performances and those of the team. That’s smart. It’s helping us have confidence and two smart results. It’s great to go back and win minutes, get. “90 today, and I’m proud of the boys. “
Regarding his role at 3-4-3, Pulisic said: “I was definitely betting my game. Obviously things have been replaced a little and from an educational point of view, but when I get the ball, I have the same goals in mind. “. I’m going straight to the point and I’m looking to create things, and I was able to do it today. “
The United States was more successful in the final stages of the game, as both groups made changes. Substitute striker Daryl Dike failed several times to score his first foreign goal, and Sebastian Lletget scored a stopwatch recalling his two goals opposed to Jamaica. , his shot saved. Northern Ireland halved the US advantage in the 88th minute when Niall McGinn of Aberdeen beat Steffen with a good blow, throwing himself into a half volley from a sharp angle.
Northern Ireland will temporarily seek to recover against Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifier on March 31, while the Americans will return to their respective clubs. The next time Berhalter assembles his team, what is at stake will be much greater. in Switzerland on May 30, the first round of the United States will face Honduras in the semi-finals of the Concacaf League of Nations on an announced US online page. Although the name of the League of Nations is not important, this foreign window will be the last time Berhalter will summon his most productive European players before the start of the World Cup qualifiers in September.
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