DOS-A-CERO Again! Pulisic ignites USMNT rally to down Mexico in Cincy

November 13, 2021 c_admin Concacaf Gold Cup, Football News, International Comments Off on DOS-A-CERO Again! Pulisic ignites USMNT rally to down Mexico in Cincy

The United States national team wrote another memorable chapter to its long-standing rivalry with Mexico. While it featured many new players, the 2-0 scoreline remained the same with Christian Pulisic breaking the game open with a huge goal and Tim Weah putting on a dazzling performance. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down with his thoughts and analysis.


BY

Brian Sciaretta



Posted

November 12, 2021

8:55 PM

AT HALFTIME, it seemed like the game could have gone either way with the score even at 0-0. Mexico had some nice chances, but the U.S. team had some nice chances but was only lacking its final ball. The second half, however, told a completely different story and the U.S. defeated Mexico by the iconic 2-0 score to notch a third competitive win over Mexico in 2021 and move into first atop the Octagonal World Cup qualifying group.

The U.S. team simply came out and took the game to Mexico in the second. The U.S. team dominated and had the better of chances. Mexico struggled to get anything decent going in their final third. The U.S. team was able to press much higher up the field.

“The second half is when we started to pull away,” Berhalter said. “The first half was an entertaining half, it was back and forth and both teams were taking shots at each other. The second half is where we started to pull away.”

“That’s the effect we have on our opponents. when we can press them and we can be that aggressive around the ball and with the ball, turning them around make them face to face your own goal becomes really challenging.”

With the U.S. in control of the possession and pressuring Mexico, the turning point came in the 69th minute when Berhalter subbed in Christian Pulisic. The Chelsea star has missed most of this season for the Blues – first due to COVID and then due to an injured ankle. He had made a few late cameos in England before the break and was not fit to start.

But he was fit to make a difference. In the 74th minute, five minutes after entering, he turned the game decidedly in favor of the U.S. team with a critical goal off a beautiful pass from Tim Weah.

 

“We bought in Christian he gave the team of boost and it also put some fear into Mexico, because they know his quality,” Berhalter said. “So, anytime we can bring in players like that, and they can make an impact is a good thing for us.”

In the 85th minute, the U.S. put the game out of reach when Tim Weah swung a ball into the middle for Jesus Ferreira. The FC Dallas attacker played it off to McKennie who attempted to play it back to Ferreira. His pass was deflected off a defender and came back to him and he had an opening through the defense. He moved in and beat Guillermo Ochoa with the shot.

 

The U.S. team was able to play out the win but suffered a late second yellow card to defender Miles Robinson who was sent off and is now suspended for the Jamaica game. He will join Weston McKennie as two players who will miss that important game.

When the final whistle sounded, the U.S. ended yet another 2-0 storied win over Mexico. It is now the sixth time the U.S. team has defeated its archrival with that iconic scoreline in World Cup or World Cup qualifying with the other editions coming in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, and 2013.

Here are some thoughts on the win

 

Weah was the MOTM

 

Gregg Berhalter gave Tim Weah the “Coach’s MOTM” and it was the right decision. In the first half, Weah was actively pushing the ball forward whenever he had the chance and this prevented Mexico from pressing too high as it kept them on their heels a little bit.

Then in the second half, Weah was the key difference maker. His cross set up Puslic beautifully for the opening goal and then it was his pass to Ferreira that was instrumental in McKennie’s late goal.

For the three wins the U.S. team has had over Mexico this year, this was the best offensive performance from any American players. It would take going back to Landon Donovan to find a player who had a better offensive game against Mexico.

Weah’s raw numbers were simply fantastic across the board.

 

 

Pulisic builds USMNT legacy

 

Christian Pulisic has had a wonderful career so far and while he is yet to play in a World Cup, he has scored some important goals for the team. This was probably his biggest so far. The U.S. team is desperately trying to reverse the legacy of 2017 and change a new narrative.

The two wins over Mexico this summer were important but this one put the exclamation point on what has been a good year for a program that has built a deep pool of players. This win put the U.S. team in an excellent position in World Cup qualifying and Pulisic’s goal is what turned the tide from a good U.S. performance into a winning performance. That is what star players are supposed to do.

 

Midfield rises to the occasion

 

The starting midfield for the U.S. team was sloppy with its passing in the first 20 minutes. The remainder of the match, however, the starting trio of Adams, McKennie, and Musah were dominant. In the second half, it was no contest.

For the starting trio, they won 22/35 of their combined duels. The physicality they brought to the game gave the U.S. team an edge, and it wore and older Mexican team down.

While McKennie scored, the most complete midfield performance was Yunus Musah who is one of the most direct midfielders the U.S. team has had. When Beharlter preaches “verticality,” Musah seems to fit this plan.

 

Gianluca Busio has been pushing for a starting spot, but Musah will probably make it tough for him. Busio and Musah both are still a little defensively naive and it is tough to start both of them together. But for now, it’s tough to take Musah off the field.

 

Youth provides the edge

 

The U.S. national team has three wins in three games against Mexico this year. In those three wins, the U.S. team has scored six goals. Five of those six goals have been scored after the 74th minute (27th, 82nd, 114th, 117th, 74th, 85th).

It’s an older Mexican team and a very young U.S. team. Berhalter was quick to point out how he wanted to wear Mexico down. This strategy has been very effective. The U.S. has found a way to own the latter parts of the game and that has been key.

Will the U.S. team be able to do that in Azteca next year? That’s a tough assignment.

 

Zimmerman’s big night

 

Walker Zimmerman had a very, very big night for the U.S. team. He was a steady presence in the back and dominated in the air. Aside from one turnover in the first half, it was pretty much flawless defensively. It wasn’t just winning duels, he was intercepting passes and doing well in his 1v1 defending.

 

This was a defining performance for Zimmerman who probably put himself on the inside part of a top 23-player roster. If Berhalter is going to call in four central defenders he’s probably one of them. The odds are that John Brooks regains his form. That would probably have John Brooks, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, and Chris Richards as the top four central defenders at the moment.

 

Steffen’s stands tall

 

It was one of the most talked about decisions in the starting XI since it was known in advance. Berhalter opted to start Zack Steffen over Matt Turner. It was talked about because both goalkeepers have done well, and both should feel they have reasons to start.

In this game, Steffen did well and the fact that he got the nod in this game probably makes it a realistic guess he will be the team’s starter in big games – at least for now. Turner will still get chances and is probably a slightly better shot-stopper than Steffen. But Steffen’s ability to play out of the back and distribute the ball worked well here and it the U.S. team earned a lot of key possessions out of it.

Of course, Steffen has dealt with several injuries over the years and has missed a lot of time. The fact that he rarely plays for his club also could see his form fluctuate. But for now, Steffen put himself in a great situation.

 

Looking ahead to Jamaica

 

On Tuesday, the U.S. team will face Jamaica in Kingston and keeping the entire starting lineup from this game together is impossible because Miles Robinson and Weston McKennie are suspended.

There are some other evaluations which Berhalter will have to consider – mostly around fitness levels of some players. Most likely it will be players like Tim Weah and Yunus Musah haven’t been regular starters with their respective clubs and playing two full games from the start with extensive travel are tough questions.

Berhalter admitted after the Mexico win that he was thinking about calling in extra players but those would almost certainly be for cover.

In central defense, Zimmerman and Chris Richards seems certainly to be the combination. In place of McKennie, Kellyn Acosta has been the backup in that role for most of the year. While Gianluca Busio could get the start, it would be in place of Musah and it would be hard to see the two teenagers starting together.

The rest of the lineup should be pretty much the same and Pulisic, like against Mexico, will be a big offensive weapon off the bench.

 

Player ratings

 

The starting lineup

 

Zack Steffen: The Manchester City backup goalkeeper had a big outing with important saves in the 12th and 18th minutes while having solid distribution. Rating: 7

Antonee Robinson: The left back pushed forward and defended well although his crossing and final ball sometimes let him down. Rating: 6.5

Walker Zimmerman: The. Rating: 7.5

Miles Robinson: The Massachusetts native was sent off in the 89th minute with his second yellow card but the U.S. was up 2-0 and coasting. Prior to that, Robinson had a nice game where he defended well and won his duels. His first yellow card was unnecessary. Rating: 6.5

DeAndre Yedlin: The team’s loan veteran from the 2014 World Cup team wasn’t flashy but was just dependable and strong. He made no real mistakes and was there defensively whenever needed. Rating: 6.5

Tyler Adams:  Adams had a tough beginning of the game but settled in nicely. His second half was strong and he allowed the attackers, fullbacks and other midfielders to push higher up the field and build pressure. Rating: 7

Weston McKennie: The Juventus midfielder scored the team’s second goal but also did a ton of dirty work in the middle of the field to disrupt Mexico’s attack. Rating: 7

Yunus Musah: It was a big outing from Musah who passed well in the open field and was always looking to dribble quickly and create chances. He linked up well with Weah and Mexico struggled to contain his skill an athleticism. Rating: 7.5

Brenden Aaronson: The New Jersey native had a shot inside of the 20th minute but couldn’t get enough on it and hit it straight at Ochoa. While he had other positive moments, he didn’t stand out as much as he typically does and his set piece deliveries can be better. Rating: 6.5

Tim Weah: It was Weah’s best performance for the U.S. team and one of the best offensive performances a U.S. player has ever had against Mexico. While he didn’t score, he had a stellar assist on Pulisic’s goal and his pass to Ferreira was instrumental in the second goal. When Mexico was playing well in the first half, Weah was part of the U.S. team’s effort to get the ball forward and not let Mexico step too far into the attack. He was everywhere and Mexico had no answer for him. Rating: 8.5

Ricardo Pepi: His scoring touch let him down but Pepi was able to contribute in other ways. He set up Musah for a good chance in the first half. It was clear Mexico was paying a lot of attention to shutting him down, but Pepi wasn’t invisible and had his moments. Rating: 7

 

The substitutes

 

Christian Pulisic: Pulisic did what star players do, create a moment of magic to give his team an edge. His goal was the defining moment. Rating: 7.5

Kellyn Acosta: The Colorado native replaced a tired Musah and helped see out the win. He didn’t do much either way. Rating: 5.5

Jesus Ferreira: Entering into the game in the 82nd, Ferreira played with some nice energy. He had a big hand in the second goal in getting it to McKennie (not credited with an assist because McKennie’s attempted pass didn’t work). He missed a late shot wide – which he could have done better but was probably lost in the moment. Still, his energy was solid. Rating: 6.5

Chris Richards: A stoppage time sub to fill the void in central defense left by Robinson’s red card. Rating: NR

 

The Coach

 

Gregg Berhalter: You can’t argue with the result, the decisions, or the performance. The U.S. team looked prepared. The lineup was 100% right and his non-lock picks – Steffen, Zimmerman, Weah – all worked out. His subs changed the game and the team made some important adjustments at halftime as the U.S. began to take the game to Mexico after the break. Rating: 8.0

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