There are only so many things to extract from the games like the one the US men’s national team played on Sunday, which saw the Yanks blow Trinidad and Tobago 7-0 in their friendly in Orlando.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter is well aware of the warnings: the T&T part the US played had not taken the field for almost a year, putting them far behind the curve in terms of fitness and chemistry, which was obvious. throughout the night. However, as the program prepares for 2021, Berhalter said after the game that taking the score with a pinch of salt should not diminish some of the positive actions.
“You can only play against your opponent on the field,” Berhalter said. “What I really liked about the boys was the focus and the intensity. After three weeks of training with a relatively new group, a young group, it’s good to be able to see those elements on the pitch against a real opponent.
“We know it wasn’t a World Cup qualifier depending on who was available. But still, it was good to see the team’s concentration.”
The Yanks were dominant in Sunday’s opening whistle, scoring the first goal of the game just two minutes from the game thanks to Jonathan Lewis and never looking back. Jesus Ferreira, actually of the Dallas team in Dallas, was without a doubt the biggest star of the show, with two goals and three assists, but Berhalter said that the collective effort impressed him the most, not only on Sunday, but along the January camp.
Sam Vines, Aaron Herrera, Miles Robinson and Lewis all joined Ferreira as young players who played outstanding performances. Even New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner found a way to make his mark on an evening when he had nothing else to do, executing a penalty kick in the second half to make sure the USMNT will end up with a clean sheet.
“The whole team for the last three weeks impressed me: the attitude, the mentality, the concentration, the intensity were there for three weeks,” Berhalter said. “When I look at today, when you talk about Jonathan Lewis and Jesus Ferreira, they did a great job of getting assists and goals. Sam Vines did a great job. Central defenders were strong throughout the game, Aaron Herrera played good.
“It’s very difficult to pick a player who hasn’t played well since the beginning of the XI, so overall, satisfied with the boys, satisfied with the effort of the group and most importantly the focus and concentration they have shown.”
The games promise to get much tougher later in a huge year for the program, but Berhalter said Sunday’s camp and friendlies were related to construction, whether it’s young beginners who want to push more limits ahead, or more established players who have already been part of the rotation.
In this sense, Berhalter said, he believes that the first mission of the team is fulfilled.
“There are players in this camp who are part of the full team,” the coach said. “When you look at Sebastian Lletget, Aaron Long, Paul Arriola, Walker [Zimmerman] It was part of that, Jackson [Yueill] it’s been a big part of what I’ve been doing lately.
“So for us, we used this camp as an integration camp where we managed to mix senior players with U-23 players and work with both teams and prepare both teams for what follows this year. When I look at this, when I look at the camp’s goal, it was a success based on that. “