The United States men’s national team will look to bounce back from their underwhelming draw at El Salvador to open up World Cup qualifying when they host Canada on Sunday night in Nashville. There’s a little bit of pressure on both teams after failing to win openers in which they were favored, with the North American neighbors drawing Honduras in Toronto, 1-1. There’s expected to be rotation in both squads with yet another game coming on Wednesday to finish out a busy window of a condensed schedule brought on by the pandemic.
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Ahead of Sunday’s kickoff, here are three keys to the match for the U.S. and my take on who Gregg Berhalter should start.
1. Keep the fullbacks on a leash
Where Canada pose the biggest threat is on the wing, be it from the talent of Tajon Buchanan or Alphonso Davies. As a result, the U.S. really need to go with four at the back like we saw against El Salvador, but the fullbacks need to play a bit more reserved. Berhalter went with DeAndre Yedlin and Sergino Dest, and both have the tendency to want to get forward.
Antonee Robinson needs to start on the left, Dest needs to move back to his natural position on the right, and they need to be instructed to not push that far forward. Going forward, the fullbacks offered nothing against El Salvador. Plus, Dest often tries to be too cute on the ball and can leave his team caught napping in the back. Keeping shape in the back and trusting in an attack that should be improved will be key to keeping another clean sheet. If the fullbacks do get forward too much, don’t be shocked if Canada score a goal or two off of it.
2. Bring some veteran presence to the midfield
You are still baffled at how they failed to beat El Salvador, aren’t you? Well, you shouldn’t be. Qualifying in Concacaf is about as unpredictable and crazy as any other competition, and some of the fields are so poor that you have to expect the unexpected. That isn’t an excuse, because the Americans were far from sharp and a better field probably wouldn’t have made a difference. But the team is so young and inexperienced, you must expect inconsistency.
In this sport, nothing is more important than the midfield, and there has to be some changes there. While making a change for Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie would only make sense if they aren’t 100 percent, they both need to start and Brenden Aaronson needs to come out. They need to bring on a veteran midfielder to bring a tad more stability and creativity, such as Sebastian Lletget (I know, I know). You could even bring in Kellyn Acosta and slide McKennie a tad higher. You can expect there to be changes in the midfield, despite there not being many options, but Berhalter knows those created chances need to start in the midfield, and he has to start modifying it.
3. Provide some assistance to Tyler Adams
There was such a disconnect between every unit in the El Salvador game, and I observed Adams closely. There were times where he waved his hands, especially defensively, wondering where his help was. He was left on an island a bit and although he was able to close down, he needs a secondary defender to help recover the ball to get the attack going. That really never came in the opener. Whether it is playing another midfielder a bit deeper to give him some help, he needs both an outlet for passes and a bit more assistance in defense with Berhalter going with too attacking of a lineup. If he can get it, we can expect to see him flourish even more.
The XI Berhalter should use
- GK: Matt Turner — The logical choice, the hot and and a sure thing.
- LB: Antonee Robinson — He’ll stay where he needs to be, offers experience and plays smart.
- CB: John Brooks — The most important defender by a mile. The defense isn’t much without him.
- CB: Miles Robinson — Really improving and is also a huge threat on attacking set pieces.
- RB: Sergino Dest — Stay back, man. No style points needed here.
- CDM: Tyler Adams — Has all the makings of becoming the heart of the midfield.
- CM: Weston McKennie — Needs to be a bit more patient on his shots, but he can be the difference.
- CM: Sebastian Lletget — Savvy veteran who won’t blow you away but can come up with a goal.
- LW: Christian Pulisic — The most important attacker, and he’s a sure starter if he’s fit. He’s expected to undergo more tests on Saturday before they make a decision.
- ST: Josh Sargent — He’s got to get another chance, but he also has to start scoring. Can’t wait forever.
- RW: Gio Reyna — Don’t be shocked if he slides a bit more centrally to get on the ball more. The most creative player. Though he reportedly didn’t train Saturday night, if he can’t go, my choice would be to slide add to the midfield via Kellyn Acosta and play Pulisic and Sargent in attack.
How to watch USA vs. Canada
Date: Sunday, Sept. 5 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Nissan Stadium — Nashville, Tennessee
TV: FS1 and TUDN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: USA -187; Draw +260; Canada +480 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
