USMNT 1-1 Peru: 3 things we learned
The USMNT drew 1-1 against an experienced Peru side to close out the October international break. Here are three things we learned from Tuesday’s friendly.
The U.S. Men’s National Team wrapped up its October camp with a 1-1 draw against Peru on Tuesday night at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in chilly East Hartford, Connecticut.
The USMNT looked nervous and sloppy in the first half but opened the scoring after the break with a 49th minute goal from Josh Sargent off a well-timed set piece before conceding an 86th minute goal to La Blanquirroja to share the spoils.
Here are three things we learned from Tuesday night’s draw.
Sargent should get promoted
USMNT forward Josh Sargent started up top in Dave Sarachan’s 4-1-4-1 starting lineup and looked strong on the ball throughout the match, holding off Peruvian defenders time and time again and showing a maturity with his first touch beyond his 18 years.
Sargent’s moment arrived in the 49th minute off a set piece from Acosta deep in the Peruvian half. The goal came straight off the training ground, and despite taking a slight deflection, provided the U.S. with a much-needed spark early in the second half.
Sargent was taken off in favor of Bobby Wood in the 69th minute, and from that point on in the match the USMNT felt the absence of the young target player.
Glimpses of Sargent’s ability to find small spaces in the attacking third gives supporters hope that the USMNT may have found the crafty forward that the team has been seeking since Clint Dempsey retired.
Revamped USMNT defense better but still needs work
After getting handled 4-2 by Colombia on Thursday evening in Tampa, USMNT coach Dave Sarachan completely changed the back four heading into the match with Peru. Ben Sweat, Aaron Long, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reggie Cannon looked organized and compact for most of the night with Long and Carter-Vickers looking like a solid pair in central defense as the match wore on.
However, the USMNT was getting exposed early in the match down the left side (similar to the Colombia match) and it was not until Tim Weah switched sides with Jonathan Amon in midfield that the USMNT began to settle down.
Despite having pitched a shutout for 83 minutes, Sarachan decided to tinker with his back four and substitute Reggie Cannon for the experienced DeAndre Yedlin. Unfortunately, Sarachan’s move backfired as Yedlin was caught ball watching when Edison Flores snuck in behind Yedlin to tuck in a well-timed Andy Polo cross.
Even the most experienced USMNT defenders have to get better, and Tuesday’s result only further proved this point. The USMNT conceded five goals in 180 minutes against Colombia and Peru. Finding a consistently successful defensive lineup must be a priority for the next USMNT coach.
Next. Takeaways from the USMNT loss to Colombia. dark
End is near for Dave Sarachan
This was possibly the last match in charge for Sarachan. There have been reports that USMNT general manager Earnie Stewart is aiming to fill the USMNT coaching vacancy by Nov. 1. With friendlies upcoming on the road at England and Italy on Nov. 15 and 20, respectively, this was certainly the last home match in charge for coach Sarachan and possibly his last at the post if a new coach is appointed by Nov. 1 and steps into the role for the November camp.
It is quite possible that Sarachan will still be in charge for that camp, particularly if the new coach comes from MLS and is participating in the MLS Cup playoffs (rumors are strong that Columbus Crew manager Gregg Berhalter is the likely frontrunner for the job).
Many have criticized U.S. Soccer for waiting almost a year to name a permanent replacement for Bruce Arena following the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. While it seems highly unlikely that Sarachan will get the permanent USMNT job, he can be applauded for introducing numerous younger players into the USMNT mix since his appointment almost a year ago.
By giving the next generation of USMNT players opportunities to train and ultimately compete for places on the squad, supporters can only hope that the time has finally come for the USMNT to take the next step and start outclassing opponents instead of trying to simply stay organized and outwork them.
Here’s hoping that the yet-to-be-named USMNT coach has been watching very closely.