The United States men’s national team is sitting pretty in World Cup qualifying, resting at the summit of the Concacaf table thanks to an undefeated start and back-to-back wins. Thursday’s victory further cemented Ricardo Pepi as the star No. 9 for this team, it showed what a midfield with Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tyler Adams could look like, and it also allowed for some fine performances off the bench, which is important during a three-game window.
You can find our match recap here and our player ratings here.
Ahead of Sunday’s game at Panama at 6 p.m. ET on Paramount+, here are three takeaways from the Jamaica game with Panama in mind.
1. The depth appears there for Berhalter
Don’t look now, but during a time where depth is key thanks to a triple-fixture window, the United States appears to have it. Well, that is if you believe what you saw from the bench on Thursday. I sure do. Gregg Berhalter wasn’t hesitant in his changes and deserves to be praised for it. He took off key pieces like Pepi and Brenden Aaronson, saving them for the other matches by taking them off with 22 minutes to go. The players that came in for them looked the part in Gyasi Zardes and especially Tim Weah. Zardes should of scored, and he’ll feel confident in doing so on Sunday, but he looked lively and got into the open spaces, providing some depth behind Pepi.
Weah was simply fantastic in his short time on the field. Weah came in and had just 14 touches, but he created two chances with his speed and just looked to be on another level. That confidence in which he played, and the danger he caused in such a short time, should result in some serious minutes for him on Sunday. Heck, perhaps even a start.
As for Zardes, while his passing was a bit off, he had an xG of 0.94 on three shots and really should have scored. But, his pace to find holes of space was encouraging and just what Berhalter wanted to see, knowing Pepi can’t play every minute.
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2. Turner’s form is bad news for Steffen
I know some may prefer Zack Steffen to start since he is at a club like Manchester City, and well, he’s been tight with Berhalter since their Columbus Crew days. But the truth is, Matt Turner has been such a sure thing, going from unknown to team star in a matter of months during the Gold Cup run. Though he hasn’t had to do all that much, he always delivers when needed, including making a fine far-post save against Jamaica.
While international matches pail in comparison to club ball in terms of experience and development, Turner is the guy who plays week in and week out, he pulls off the consistent jaw-dropping saves and hasn’t made a single mistake since coming into this team.
It’s a surprise that he’s been this excellent, but he has done more than enough to earn the starting job moving forward, and Berhalter would be foolish to make any significant changes there, barring injury.
3. Don’t be shocked if it is a draw and be happy with it
I appreciate the USMNT fan base and how much they care about this team, but I often see myself trying to preaching a bit of caution when it comes to these results. The first two games in qualifying were poor, and that is when some were saying Berhalter was on the hot seat. Now after back-to-back wins, there is such a positive vibe around this team that some expect them to go without losing a game in qualifying. The truth is somewhere in the middle as the team seeks consistency. Going to Panama on Sunday won’t be easy, and let’s remember, between these two nations, the U.S. isn’t the one who most recently participated in a World Cup.
Panama may have just lost to El Salvador, but let’s not forget they beat Jamaica by more than the U.S., they drew Mexico and haven’t lost at home since Nov. 15, 2019.
Just because you might not be familiar with a single player from the other team, and just because the United States may be over 100 times bigger than Panama, that doesn’t mean it will be a cake walk. There are so many variables in Concacaf, such as field conditions, hostile road environments and even some questionable officiating that doesn’t include VAR. For many teams in the region, there is no bigger game than hosting the United States and nothing they want more than to pull off the upset.
If you can get a point on the road in qualifying, you take it and be happy with it, no matter the opponent. It can, in the end, make all of the difference. Just imagine what a point at Trinidad and Tobago could have meant four years ago.
