For the United States national team, it was mission accomplished in a 6-1 win over Martinique. The win sees the Americans through to the next round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
And with Canada awaiting in the final group match, there is the chance for the United States national team to win the group.
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The win over Martinique was expected, as was the winning margin for the United States national team. But as is true for the entirety of this Gold Cup it is not as much about results as it is building depth ahead of World Cup qualifying this fall.
OK, yes, results matter. But given the youth of this squad, the expectation is certainly not the same as the Nations League.
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Four things learned from the United States national team’s win over Martinique on Thursday night:
Walker Zimmerman continues to impress with the United States national team – The Nashville SC center back continues to solidly perform and in a match where the United States was on the front pedal in terms of possession and chances created, it was important for Zimmerman to stamp his will on this game. He won his physical battles and duels all while providing crisp and clear passing out of the back.
His ability to pass through lines and spread diagonal balls as well as switches is an important skillset within this group. Pencil him in alongside John Brooks for qualifiers this fall.
Hopping on the Hoppe hype – After a first season in the Bundesliga where he scored six goals for the worst team in the league, Matthew Hoppe certainly showed some exciting the potential. The 20-year old forward, in his first senior team minutes with the United States national team, showed a different side to his game.
No goals but two assists certainly raised some eyebrows from this match, including a nice curling cross into the box that found Daryl Dike for the opener. Hoppe could use a move this offseason (or a loan) and it was impressive to see him showcase a different side to his game.
While the opponent will certainly negate some of the excitement, this was still a very good performance from Hoppe.
Making his own case for the United States national team – One of the most intriguing names in this United States national team group is George Bello, a 19-year old wide player with Atlanta United. In league play, he reminds some of former MLS left back Ambroise Oyongo, who is a first choice left back for Cameroon and with Ligue 1 side Montpellier.
Bello showcased all the physical traits that make him an exciting prospect in MLS in terms of overlapping, recovery runs, speed and good passing out of the back. But he also showed tactical awareness and did a tremendous job handling his defensive responsibilities throughout the match.
While right back is deep for the United States national team, the left back slot is a bit more open and could see Bello work himself into the rotation sooner rather than later.
The deep-lying midfielders – The play of Eryk Williamson and Gianluca Busio was impressive against Martinique. While Busio was a bit more interested in carrying the ball further up the field, Williamson did a tremendous job in cleaning up messes and bottling up channels.
Central midfield is not a concern for the United States but Williamson is showing he can potentially be very useful for head coach Gregg Berhalter. Busio is an exciting young talent who is fluid on the ball and understands how to sit in pockets to retain possession, a key concept for Berhalter’s system.
The returns are early but very positive for Williamson and Busio moving forward.