USMNT: After successful January Camp, Gregg Berhalter ship right on course

The USMNT January Camp ended with a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at the weekend. While meaningful conclusions are difficult to draw, the Gregg Berhalter ship is right on course.

Gregg Berhalter is off to a good start. His first January camp will be considered a success. A well-handled victory in Arizona against Panama’s second team and a solid shutout win against a slightly better Costa Rica side is nothing to write home about. But with these results, 2019 is off and running for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

A solid group (even if it is a B squad) put together some good performances and built a base for what is to come. Berhalter brought a diverse assortment together that produced and added some depth to an ever-deepening pool of players for the USMNT. So, are these results anything to get excited about? No, not really. So what can we take from the past two games?

Well, in all reality, not much. But that’s perfectly fine. In fact, if you’re a national team fan that’s exactly what you should have expected coming into these games. The fact of the matter is that the U.S. team isn’t much to get excited about right now and the past month has proven that exactly.

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The current state of the national team is one of transition. We all know that. But there is a direction. ‘In the right direction’ is a term often overused, but in this case, it is the perfect delineation to Berhalter’s start. The January camp was what it has always been, a January camp. Players in their MLS offseason stayed sharp, players that as a national team fan you want to see stay sharp. Other players emerged as potential first-team contributors.

So, while as a writer I want to create an exciting headline for you soccer enthusiasts to get excited about, the reality is that I don’t have much of significant matter to discuss in relation to the past two games for the U.S. The games went about exactly how everyone wanted and expected them to go. So should we get excited? Of course not. Should we be asking questions and raising concern? Also, definitely not. When it comes to the U.S. team, they are simply in great condition for the condition that they are supposed to be in.

Let’s look forward. 2019 presents more friendlies before a much anticipated Gold Cup that will be Berhalter’s first competitive competition as the USMNT head coach. With that in mind, what the January camp will be (as it always is during a Gold Cup year) is help to scrutinise and solidify added depth. We will see players from this camp on the Gold Cup roster. Sebastian Lletget, Nick Lima, Wil Trapp; expect to see these guys featuring this summer. But that’s not where the focus should be. Most knew these guys would work their way into Gold Cup roles months ago. What should be taken into consideration is the fact that Berhalter is creating a new, exciting environment, whether you see it or not.

He’s a young coach, a former player, and he’s more than savvy in how he wants to conduct a national team program. That much is apparent after the past two games. Berhalter has come into camp and shown his cards. He’s going to trust his players, he’s going to push them to be brave, and, most of all, he’s going to create an environment that all of us in the American soccer community can be proud of.

The World Cup is three years away. Much will happen between now and Qatar in 2022, especially seeing that qualification did not run so smoothly last time around. What Berhalter’s team will show (that has been lacking as of late) is an American identity — that, if anything, is clear after noting his initial impressions as manager. Berhalter has a grasp for the American game and he is implementing it.

I can confidently say that after the January camp of 2019, the American squad will be exactly what we all want it to be, American. The program will be diverse, it will have spirit, and it will step on the field with the sense of urgency that we all long to see. In the final analysis, despite how you feel about the immediate past of the U.S team, the ship is headed where you want it to. So, take confidence in that fact, believe, and support this team going forward. There’s no reason not to.