USMNT: October break the perfect test

The USMNT play two games this October, the first against Cuba and the second in Toronto versus Canada. They are the perfect test for Gregg Berhalter and his players.

My name is Jaime Broitman and this is my first article on this site. I have been writing for a couple of years for another site called The Red Beat which is part of the Sport Management Department in SUNY Cortland.

With those pleasantries out of the way, let’s look at the upcoming fixtures for the U.S. Men’s National Team in October as Gregg Berhalter continues to build towards the looming World Cup cycle.

The USMNT starts with a home game against Cuba on October 11th. The match will be played at D.C. United’s new ground, Audi Field at 7 PM EST in Washington D.C.

They are expected to win the match by a big margin. The Cuban National Team have five unattached players in their national team roster and there will be defections as anytime the team travels abroad many do not come back to Cuba. A prime example of this problem is Montreal Impact’s Jorge Luis Corrales who did not travel back to Cuba after visiting the U.S. in 2018. Not only are the USMNT the superior team; they are dealing with a full complement of players bar those who injured.

This contest, then, will provide a nice offensive test for Berhalter’s side. Can they break down a team that will likely sit deep and soak up pressure? Do the players have the creativity to prise open goalscoring chances. And can Berhalter produce a system with the right offensive combinations to score goals too?

The second match is against Canada. It will be played in Toronto FC’s, BMO Field, on October 15th at 7 PM EST. It will be a very different contest to Cuba.

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First and foremost, this is a rivalry game. It is also away from home. Immediately, that changes the complex of the match. But more than just the atmosphere of the match, Canada’s young core held in check a Mexico team at the Gold Cup and were extremely dangerous throughout the summer competition. This attacking threat makes them an extremely difficult proposition to contain. In fact, I believe that Canada might just pull an upset here.

Another element to consider is the disparity in motivations for both teams. The USMNT are safely ranked in the top-six sides in the CONCACAF region in the world FIFA rankings. Canada are currently seventh, just five ranking points behind El Salvador. To qualify for the Hexagonal Round of World Cup qualification, Canada must be ranked in the top six CONCACAF sides by FIFA. A win against the USMNT will be vital to overhauling that five-point deficit.

Moreover, this is the only game that the Canadian team will play in this October international window. Berhalter will rotate his squad, of course, and he will look to win both games seeing as they not friendlies, but the fatigue from playing twice in four days, including the travel from Washington DC to Toronto will be a factor.

All in all, then, this October break is a nice test for Berhalter and the USMNT. They will play a deep-lying defensive team and an offensive, hell-for-leather rival. How they fare in both matches will be very telling for the upcoming World Cup cycle.