USMNT
Gregg Berhalter and the USMNT with debts to repay in 2024
The United States team has a hectic 2024 ahead with the summer’s Copa America the highlight of the fixture list for Gregg Berhalter’s side.
The United States recently were the dominant force in the CONCACAF region with the team winning the first ever editions of the Nations League championship. Berhalter’s men slipped up in the 2023 Gold Cup, but can point to the fact that their strongest players skipped the competition with Mexico beating Panama in a tense final.
The main issue for the USMNT seems to be an inability to go toe-to-toe with the higher ranked teams with the US failing yo beat any of the teams above them in the FIFA ranking with the exception of Mexico.
The task ahead for the USMNT
The last time the United States was able to beat a Top 20 team in the FIFA ranking, without taking into account the CONCACAF, was back in November 2022 when they won the World Cup group clash against Iran (ranked 20). However, before beating the Asian team, they had not beaten a Top 20 team since 2016, when they beat Ecuador 2-1 in the Copa América Centenario.
Since the duel against Ecuador,the United States has played 16 times against teams that are in the Top 20 of the FIFA ranking, with a balance of 1 victory, eight draws and 7 losses, the last of the defeats coming against Germany on the FIFA date in October.
“In all three goals there was a disconnection between the defense and the midfield. The lack of general order in those three plays disappoints us a little. “Matches against top opponents like that cannot be so open,” said Berhalter at the end of the defeat against Germany.
2024 affords the US another opportunity to take on some of the best sides in the region with the Copa America featuring six CONCACAF guest nations and Gregg Berhalter’s side pitted in Group C alongside Uruguay, Bolivia and Panama.