United States national team: Lessons learned in Costa Rica win

It was a dominating performance from the United States on Wednesday night with Gregg Berhalter’s team continuing a hot streak in a 4-0 win over Costa Rica.

Though just a friendly, it was still another statement that the Americans are back in CONCACAF and did so with many starters rested for this one. The memories of Couva three years ago, though still strong for the United States national team, are at least beginning to look like an outlier for this group.

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Three Things Learned from the United States national team in a friendly win over Costa Rica:

1.       OK, Berhalter can coach – There has been plenty of criticism around the appointment (and the actual tenure) of Gregg Berhalter as the United States national team head coach. Some is warranted (the Gold Cup in 2019 was disappointing) and some is just pure crankiness.

But Berhalter has shown over the past three games some good tactical chops, the ability to make warranted changes and a unique ability to get the most out of this team.

It would have been easy for his side to come out flat against Costa Rica as all the elements were there…a literal hangover from Sunday night’s win the Nations League over Mexico would have left many other teams less than focused for a friendly.

But the United States came out strong and focused, scoring early and then maintaining a dialed-in mindset as Costa Rica tried to build into the match.

And don’t think for a moment that the squad didn’t notice the centerback tandem of Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream in the Starting XI. McKenzie struggled in Sunday’s final and Ream has been unfairly criticized for his performance against Mexico (Ream was fine and quite solid actually). Berhalter’s insertion of both players back into he lineup speaks volumes of his confidence in his players, something that will trickle down into the team’s mentality.

But back to the point, Berhalter deserves a ton of credit for getting his team, just 72 hours from an emotionally draining match, focused and locked-in to dominate a meaningless match. That says something about his connection with this squad.

2.       Musah is a find – While he didn’t see a minute of action in the Nations League, Yunus Musah proved on Wednesday night why he must be considered part of the core of the United States national team moving forward.

The 19-year old Valencia midfielder showed against Costa Rica poise on the ball and the ability to make a smart, simple pass to relieve pressure. He tracked back well, made recovery runs when the rest of the midfield got caught too far up the field and occupied space that limited Costa Rica’s ability to get in dangerous space.

It is a shame that Berhalter couldn’t  (or wouldn’t) insert Musah into either Nations League match to cap-tie him officially. But the player has a bright future with the United States national team and should be integrated (back) into the Starting XI sooner rather than later.

He looks like he could be ready if he called upon in fall qualifiers. His skillset is unique in this group and a good start in La Liga this fall could see him cement a place in Berhalter’s Starting XI with the United States national team.

Sunday night’s win over Mexico by the United States national team was eye opening. Click here for what was learned in the Nations League win.

3.       The starting center back for the United States played on Wednesday – With the loss of Aaron Long for most if not all of World Cup qualification this fall, the search for a partner alongside John Brooks continues in earnest.

McKenzie has a bit of a learning curve at the international level and while Wednesday was significantly improved from the young central defender, the process of qualifiers is a whole different level of intensity. Ream is solid and a good distributor but isn’t necessarily as athletic as one might want against the pacey forwards seen by the United States national team in qualifying.

The insertion of Walker Zimmerman on Wednesday night was a welcome sight for those advocating for a foil for Brooks. A Bundesliga centerback with experience at the 2014 World Cup, Brooks proved over his last three appearances dating back to the Switzerland friendly two weeks ago that he is commanding and savvy in the center of the United States defense. But like Ream, issues of pace and dealing with shifty CONCACAF midfielders has been a concern when Brooks has played in qualifiers.

That is where Zimmerman, well versed in CONCACAF attackers from his extensive MLS career, can be a good centerback option. He also has good athleticism, can cover ground and can pass between the lines.

Coming into the match at the half, Zimmerman showed this poise on the ball and good vision as the United States enjoyed good possession in the second half of the Wednesday win. He also was solid defensively although not tested extensively in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

For qualifying in the fall, it could well be a matter or who between Ream and Zimmerman is most fit and sharp.

One More Thought…

Tyler Adams is an invaluable piece for the United States national team at center midfield. Not at right back. Not at right wing back. As a No. 6 he provides more coverage than SPF 100. In a first choice XI, he should play alongside and slightly behind Weston McKennie, providing a shield in front of the backline. He is an elite midfielder who can pivot and shuttle in a pinch and is valuable as a late runner into the box.

He won’t necessarily play between the lines yet but Wednesday night merely emphasized how he can be a tremendous asset for Berhalter and his squad. This skill set can be so valuable in qualifying when things frequently break down, especially on the road.

Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex‘ on Twitter @KristianRDyer