United States national team beats Haiti: Four things learned
It wasn’t pretty. In fact, some moments were pretty lackluster. But the United States national team got the CONCACAF Gold Cup off to a winning start.
Which is, in a grinding tournament like this, a good thing for the United States national team and head coach Gregg Berhalter.
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Also, it is something Mexico can’t say. Zing. Zing.
But in the here and now, the United States 1-0 win over Haiti was what was needed. Fielding a team that some would label as second-tier in terms of talent, a few questions were answered and, ahead of World Cup qualifiers this fall, that isn’t a bad thing.
Let’s be honest, the United States national team should want to win this tournament. But it would be better if they get a few matches together and answered some questions ahead of those aforementioned qualifiers.
‘Four Things We Noticed’ from the United States national team and their winning start in the CONCACAF Gold Cup:
The centerback pairing for the United States national team…whew–
There were positives from the United States national team in posting yet another shutout, their third in their last four games (all three have been against CONCACAF opponents no less). What stood out was the pairing of Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) and Miles Robinson (Atlanta United).
Zimmerman did a nice job of controlling his area, making needed recovery runs when space was vacated by midfielders allowed Haiti to counterattack, and his distribution was crisp and on point. With depth at centerback a major issue for the United States, Zimmerman took a step forward in securing a spot in the rotation for World Cup qualifiers.
It was a very solid match for Robinson, carrying his form from MLS to the international level. He needs a bit more seasoning tactically as well as with his distribution, but it is hard not to think that he can leapfrog one if not two of the centerbacks on the roster for the United States in the Nations League.
Shaq Moore shines–
The outside back won his battles, moved forward well, overlapped, hit good balls in the final third and can whip in a cross. There is no need to waste words about his play. Moore just made an already crowded right back situation far more intriguing for Berhalter. He had a great outing and was the best player on the pitch.
By a pretty wide margin at that.
Kellyn Acosta was sharp again for the United States national team–
While there are those within the United States national team’s fandom that don’t value any MLS players, it is clear that Acosta is a valuable piece for club and country. He’s been one of the best midfielders in the league for a very good Colorado Rapids side and has excelled under head coach Robin Fraser as a two-way midfielder who covers space, breaks up attacks but shuttles well and enters the box as a secondary runner.
Against Haiti, Acosta did a nice job in winning balls and getting to second balls. His vision is a real asset for this inexperienced group but it is his understanding within the scheme of when to move forward and when to cover his fellow central midfielders as well as the outside backs that makes the system tick.
That he can also play left back in a pinch is only more reason why Acosta can and should be a big part of qualifiers this fall.
Let’s not overreact about this United States national team performance–
Yes, the United States national team squeaked out a match against one of the lesser hyped sides of the region. But Haiti is a solid side with good professionals throughout MLS and Europe. It was an underwhelming result but not a terrible one for the Americans.
One thing to keep in mind is continuity. Haiti just played two matches at the beginning of the month to secure qualification for the Gold Cup, making them significantly sharper than the United States who just convened for training camp last week. Sharpness counts, especially as this group has never played significant minutes together outside of friendlies in December and January.
So if the United States national team is flat by the time the group stage rolls to a conclusion, there is concern. But Haiti came into this match a bit sharper. That’s just the way it is.
Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex‘ on Twitter @KristianRDyer