If this was the match, the United States only was able to do 50% of the task. The USMNT played the best 45 minutes under Gregg Berhalter with a professional and dominating first half, to only lose possession completely in the second half and give up a penalty kick that was scored by Gareth Bale. The end result was a 1-1 draw that will feel like a loss for Gregg Berhalter’s side.
Tim Weah scored the USMNT’s go ahead goal after a first half were the USMNT dominated the play but did not create as many chances as they’d like. With the monkey off their backs and in the lead the US looked fluid to end the first half, that perfect and dominating play did not last long come the second.
Wales gave the US central defense a lot of work in the second half with the addition of Kieffer Moore and more troubling was the US team seemed to wilt as the match went on. Here are three takeaways from the USMNT 1-1 draw with Wales.
1. Perfect first half should be something to build off of
The USMNT played a near perfect opening 45 minutes against Wales, with fluid play out of the flanks, with both Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest playing their best matches for the national team. Tyler Adams was a general in the midfield, but Weston McKennie did not seem like his true self and only showed glimpses of his level. Despite that the Texas native played a good match.
Pulisic and Weah were major threats down the wings and Robinson and Pulisic paired up well on the left. Yunus Musah was a handful for the Welsh midfieldwhen he began to bulldoze down the middle, but in the second half McKennie and Musah both left the match looking tired.
2. Possession must lead to goals
You can possess the ball all you want, but if you don’t generate with that possession the game gets hard. The USMNT eventually drew with Wales because the team simply did not create enough chances. Part of it was due to a steady Wales defense, the other no real clear-cut chances by the USMNT, other than Weah’s goal and a near miss by Josh Sargent.
At the end of the night, it would seem that with less possession Wales had the most dangerous opportunities. Set pieces were poor by Pulisic all night and the US was no real threat on any of their corner kicks. Set pieces have historically been a lifesavers for the USMNT at World Cups.
3. Weah up top?
The USMNT just don’t have fire power at the number 9 position and Weah has shown on many occasions, for both club and country, that he can score quality goals. Brenden Aaronson’s inclusion in the second half provided a spark and the possibility of him playing on the wings against England is something that Berhalter will have to sleep on. Reyna could serve as the super sub if he is not completely match fit, but Aaronson is a player that given the way the USMNT played tonight could have been much more dangerous on the wing than Weah possibly, who seems more dangerous down the middle and up front.
Overall grade: B-
A perfect first half undone by a less than sterling second half, the team gave away possession and not being able to truly generate were caught with a choppy PK. Nonetheless none of the major players for the US disappointed, Pulisic, Adams, Musah, Zimmerman, Ream, Dest, and Turner all had good moments. It could be an issue of moving pieces against England.
Still a worrying sign was seeing how banged up the US team looked near the end, the big effort in the first half came back to haunt them in the second. That shows the need to finish teamsoff. While the US will surely be defending more against England the team will need to be much more compact and take their few chances against England with everything they got.
Player of the game: Tyler Adams
A monumental performance by the USMNT captain, all over the field and all over the referee. Adams ran his socks off, passed the ball with elegance, and made world class tackles. For many European scouts who may not have seen Adams in depth before, the former New York Red Bull product stock rose considerably.