As stated many times before, what the USMNT attempted, and really accomplished, in 2021 is unheard of in international soccer. Turning the entire roster over to children at once just isn’t done. Usually, teams are trying to blend generations, mixing in the aging vets (around 30) with those in their prime (24-25) with a sprinkling of hot shots that will carry the flag for the next decade (18-20). The US skipped those first two, with basically the exception of Christian Pulisic, except he just turned 23. He’s not even in his prime yet, and he’s basically the steadying hand or the wise sage (let’s give him Gandalf’s staff to enter the pitch with). It’s bonkers. The Simpsons spoof “ Admiral Baby”? The USMNT basically did that in real life. So when reviewing that, one has to weigh the chaotic nature born into that sort of experiment/turnover/flipping the table over. The results might not look as good as you’d want; the performances not nearly as polished or consistent as you’d want; but they were never going to be perfect. Because the whole team, and the manager, were going through all of this for the first time. Your kids are going to ding the car. You just pray they don’t drive it into a lake. But the high points… oh, the high points. And they’re mostly three wins over Mexico in games that counted. Not some friendly both federations cooked up in Dallas or Phoenix just to make some cash. These all were for something. And the U.S. won them all. And the evolution of how they did it is probably the most encouraging thing. The Nations League triumph, in perhaps the most unhinged match in international history, was merely about surviving the madness, holding nerve while trailing, and finding a way. The Gold Cup victory, performed by the B to C team, was about steeled defending, frustrating Mexico, and picking your spot. And the win in Cincinnati in World Cup qualifying was simply playing them off the park, especially in the second half. Which is something that the U.S. has never done. There have been many wins, and landmark ones. But they were mostly about defend-and-counter, and then holding on. The U.S. dominated that last game against Mexico, and took it to them. Perhaps having such a young squad that didn’t know any better, and can’t just swat Mexico aside simply because they felt like it, was a boon But waves break and crash back. The performance in Panama was insipid, and perhaps the final death rattle for some MLS interlopers in the squad whenever a schedule crunch doesn’t require their presence. The draw with Jamaica in Kingston was disappointing, as grabbing the Octagonal by the throat was available to them. They’ve sometimes thrown themselves to both poles of performance within the same match, as they were total clown shoes in the first half against Honduras, and then put up four in the second half. And all of that is natural, given the volatility of youth on this stage. It was quite the ride. The most important thing, long-term, is the amount of players the team unearthed that are going to be linchpins going forward. Pulisic we knew. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie (when not rule-breakingly horny) we did as well. We didn’t know Yunus Musah. He became a guaranteed starter before his 19th birthday. Tim Weah became an important depth piece during Gio Reyna’s injury absence. Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman went from the B team in the Gold Cup in the summer to nailed-on starters for the A-team going forward, and both are rumored to have many suitors across the pond to take them away. Ricardo Pepi at times looked like the No. 9 the US has quite simply never had (and at times didn’t, which will happen to an 18-year-old, but in the desert in which we’ve lived we’ll drink the sand). Matt Turner took the goalkeeping gloves away from Zack Steffen for a time there, because it’s not a USMNT without a goalkeeping controversy (my heart raised on Keller v. Friedel rejoices). Most will point to Musah as the biggest development, and I won’t argue that. I’m partial to Miles Robinson, just because a lockdown centerback has been as hard to find for the USMNT as the pivot point at the other end of the field. Robinson can make the game look easy in a way few can through anticipation and instincts, and should he make the move to Europe either this winter or next summer feels like he’s going to turn into a genuine star. And perhaps most importantly, the U.S. should never have to do this again. One, this is their last qualifying cycle for some six years. They don’t have to qualify for the World Cup they host in 2026. So that’ll be different. Second, they’ll be hard-pressed to biff the generational passing of the torch as hard as they did four years ago. Quite simply, the U.S. didn’t develop anything behind the Dempsey-Bradley-Howard crop and before this one. Which is why they whiffed on Russia 2018. The old guard was too old, and only Pulisic was behind them. Bobby Wood? Darlington Nagbe? Paul Arriola? Get the fuck outta here. The sudden hunger from European clubs for American talent (due to its relative affordability and ROI), as well as MLS clubs sharpening up their development systems to cash in on those European offers, should guarantee that the generation behind this one should be far more buffeting than the one that came before. And due to the still stupefying youth of this national team, there’s so much time to develop that generation! Having survived the risky and unique turn to just the youngest possible options, the U.S. and coach Gregg Berhalter don’t have to worry about blending generations and deciding when it’s time for Player A who is 31 to give way to Player B who is 20 and the headaches that can ensue from prying loose a veteran from the starting 11. It’s just this generation. No more wondering how to get Michael Bradley out of the lineup when he can’t move anymore but is too entrenched due to experience and reputation. It was wild. It took years off our lives. It was ultimately beneficial more than we would have anticipated. And we don’t need to do it again.
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