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Three months since their well-documented failure in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, the USMNT returned Sunday night. Featuring primarily young stars of the MLS and very few veteran national team players, the Red, White, and Blue took on Bosnia & Herzegovina. A much needed breath of fresh air, this squad selection offered the domestic players a chance to prove their worth and talent, giving U.S. fans an idea of how good some of our young homegrown players really are. However, once the final whistle blew of the 0-0 snooze-fest, many of our questions are yet to be answered and question marks remain around the future of the USMNT.
The starting 11 featured a couple of multi-capped players, notably Gyasi Zardes (yes we are still doing this), goalkeeper Bill Hamid, and Seattle Sounders star Jordan Morris. Hamid is now a front-runner for the starting GK position once the 'A' squad returns - something that is probably a year or two overdue. He saw little action during the majority the first half (he was subbed off at halftime), but answered the bell when needed and made a great save. Morris played the entire game, and was just about on par with what we have seen from him so far. He provided energy and desire going forward, but also contributed numerous poor touches and lazy passes. Aside from a handful of half-chances, it was not a outing to write home about. At these early stages of his career, he needs superior talent around him to shine.
USSoccer.com
Gyasi Zardes was yet again mediocre at best, and was possibly only in the squad due to availability and his USMNT experience. It appears that everyone except USMNT staff sees what Zardes is and what he offers - or lack thereof. Really not much else to say.
Tyler Adams, the 18 year old New York Red Bull central midfielder, debuted with the senior team against Portugal, and made his second appearance Sunday. The versatile (he can play fullback as well) youngster looked comfortable throughout the match and was not faded by the moment. With more experience and time he could be a solid regular on the USMNT, though a move abroad may determine his personal growth as a player. If he develops his abilities as a fullback, he could quickly find himself in the rotation. Another debutante was Ike
Opara, the 28 center-back tasked with organizing and leading the defense on Sunday. Opara (pictured, Kansascity.com) was easily the man of the match - winning tackles, intercepting passes, and most importantly, keeping a clean sheet. This was an encouraging sign to see for many fans, who have become frustrated with constant mistakes and poor performances from center-backs in the past. How much USMNT action Opara sees in the future is a mystery, but his performance will definitely help his chances.
Second half changes brought the introduction of Paul Arriola and Kelyn Rowe, who you may remember if you watched the USMNT in the Gold Cup. Besides offering an injection of energy, the duo was relatively quiet and created few chances. Rowe had a very nice controlled pass to Morris late in the game that could have been a chance on goal, but Morris took one too many touches, squandering any opportunity they had. Other substitutions included Juan Agudelo - whose only contribution was a nice cross to Rowe - and Rubio Rubin (who?) .
With a squad full of young players and first time appearances, identifying takeaways is difficult. Expectations should not have been very high for the inexperienced team, as the majority of the squad had never been called up to the senior team and had never played with each other. Without a coach, a federation president, or any real leaders on the squad, the players that represented their country Sunday should be applauded. Kicking off the first match of 2018 after the lowest point in US Soccer history and during its most turbulent time period is no easy task.
However, with a sloppy and lackluster performance such as the one on Sunday night, finding encouragement going forward is a real challenge. With so many of the players being from the MLS, the match is a detriment to those who argue that MLS products can compete on the grand stage.
Fans can take solace in the fact that many of the players on this current roster are not the players that will ultimately lead them in the future. Young stars such as Pulisic, Weston McKennie (pictured, Si.com), Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Matt Miazga who play in Europe were probably not available for this friendly. We all are familiar with the wonderboy, but McKennie has just recently emerged, getting regular minutes with Schalke from the Bundesliga. Carter-Vickers of Spurs and Miazga of Chelsea need to start getting regular senior team minutes to build a relationship with Brooks and others on the squad. Once they are incorporated into the squad and get adequate USMNT playing time then we can start having a realistic conversation about the future of the team.
For now, familiar questions still remain. Who will lead the team going forward up top? Jozy Altidore still has years to give for the team, but will find it difficult to get the stink of the failed WC qualifying campaign off of his name. Fellow Toronto teammate and USMNT captain Michael Bradley will surely find himself on future rosters, but is not the presence many fans will welcome to the team. Though controversial, Bradley is the most talented central midfielder the US has, and replacing him will not be easy. The defense is a mess, with Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez (please not again), Graham Zusi, DeMarcus Beasley, Matt Hedges, and Tim Ream possibly out of the team for good. John Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin are just about the only sure-things at this point in time, but even Yedlin is having trouble staying in the starting 11 at Newcastle.
Many of the questions surrounding this team (and the MLS) will not be answered until a new US Soccer President is elected and until a new coach is appointed. Presidential candidates range from the 'establishment' likes of Kathy Carter, and new faces such as former players Kyle Martino, Eric Wynalda, and Hope Solo. If one of the latter is elected, we could see drastic changes to everything US Soccer. Shortly after the departure of Bruce Arena, names such as "Big" Sam Allardyce were rumored to be interested in the job. As of late, U-20 coach Tab Ramos has been linked with the job, a promotion from his current gig. This move would make sense, as he is familiar with many of the young players that went through the U-20 ranks. That being said, we have no way of knowing who will take the helm, and for now we can only speculate.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the federation and the USMNT, we should not expect to receive answers anytime soon. All we can do is be patient and hope that with new leadership comes positive change.
Players to keep an eye on going forward:
Will Trapp - The Columbus Crew midfielder showed glimmers of promise and did a decent job of controlling the midfield and distributing. Trapp could potentially find himself on future USMNT rosters.
Brooks Lennon - A surprise no show in the Bosnia & Herzegovina friendly, the former Liverpool winger has impressed at the U-17 and U-20 levels of the national team. Now with Real Salt Lake, he will be looking to light up the MLS and earn regular call-ups.
Julian Green - It is crazy to think that a player that is still 22 and has scored a goal in the World Cup is having trouble getting into the team. That is the reality Green has lived in since 2014, and certainly was not regarded highly by Arena (thanks again Bruce). Green has the talent, but whether or not he gets caps will depend on the coach.
Jesse Gonzalez - The FC Dallas keeper has been turning heads for a while, and earned a spot on Arena's Gold Cup roster. Many believe he is the future at the position.
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