Italy defeat USMNT 1-0 to say arrivederci to 2018
The USMNT lost 1-0 to an Italy B-side in an international friendly at the Luminus Arena in Genk, Belgium to close out the final international break of a forgettable 2018.
The United States men’s national team closed out a forgettable 2018 with a low-energy 1-0 loss to an Italy squad made up of mostly reserves in an international friendly that was curiously played in Genk, Belgium on Tuesday evening.
The Americans yielded a 94th minute stoppage-time winner to Matteo Politano who calmly slotted past exasperated USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in a matchup of two teams who missed out on the last World Cup.
Caretaker manager Dave Sarachan made ten changes to the starting eleven that was thoroughly outclassed 3-0 by an England B-side at Wembley last Thursday night.
Christian Pulisic was the only player to remain in the starting lineup from the England match, with Sarachan also giving the captain’s armband to Pulisic for the first time in his career, making Pulisic the youngest captain of the USMNT in its history.
The Azzurri were without six of their players from Saturday’s scoreless Nations League draw against Portugal as Giorgio Chiellini, Alessandro Florenzi, Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile, Jorginho and Lorenzo Pellegrini were allowed to return to their clubs.
Italy boss Roberto Mancini still had PSG midfielder Marco Verratti and Juventus center-back Leonardo Bonucci at his disposal and both started for the Azzurri.
Sarachan’s changes clearly didn’t work. The USMNT came out of the gate flat and exhibited a lack of confidence in possession, turning the ball over time and time again in midfield which allowed Italy to put pressure on the USMNT from the opening whistle.
The USMNT seemed caught between wanting to press high and wanting to play compact. This indecisiveness in tactics led to Italy taking the match to the Americans and looking rather comfortable doing it.
In just the third minute of the match, 21-year old Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa again exposed the weaker left side of the American defense by running onto a nifty Mattia De Sciglio pass and holding off Shaq Moore only to be denied by a strong Ethan Horvath save.
Italy had 74 percent of possession in the first half and registered seven shots at goal. The USMNT managed only 26 percent of possession and managed a grand total of zero shots at Salvatore Sirigu’s goal in the first half.
Italy continued on the front foot in the second half before breaking through at the death. The Azzurri took ten more shots at Horvath’s goal in the second half (for a game total of 17) including the eventual Politano winner. The USMNT, on the other hand, took three shots total for the match.
The USMNT’s best opportunity came when center-back Walker Zimmerman nearly scored early in the second half from a set piece but had his header parried over the bar by Sirigu.
The Italians clearly looked more comfortable in possession and calmly worked the ball through the midfield (mainly through Verratti) to create their chances. The USMNT was chasing the game from the start. And while Sarachan made five changes in the second half, none ultimately had an impact on the scoreline.
American fans were excited to see both Pulisic and Josh Sargent starting up front. But neither caused the Italian defense any trouble and it seemed like both needed more time on the training ground together.
The lone bright spot on the evening for the USMNT was goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. It seemed like the Club Brugge goalkeeper felt right at home playing in Belgium and kept the USMNT in the match with several fine stops.
The gulf in class between the USMNT and the world’s traditional soccer powers seems to have gotten bigger over the past year. While many will point to a 1-1 draw against world champions France back in June as a strong result, the most recent poor performances against weaker European sides will leave many questioning if the USMNT has the talent to compete against the world’s best.
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American fans and players alike have been left frustrated by the failure to name a permanent head coach. When the USMNT gathers next for its traditional January camp, USMNT supporters will hopefully be watching a new coach in charge of the program.
The calendar year 2018 will be one that the USMNT will need to quickly put behind them if they have hopes of winning the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and successfully preparing for the qualification process for World Cup 2022. Let me be the first to say arrivederci to 2018!