Jun 1, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; United States goalkeeper Matt Turner (1) and defender Aaron Long (15) share a laugh during an International friendly soccer match against the Morocco at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Soccer: Morocco at USA
On Friday, the US Men’s National Soccer Team lost to Japan 2-0 in a friendly match at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Germany.
After an early save from US goalkeeper Matt Turner, Japan found the back of the net first in a goal that was initially called offsides. After a VAR check, the goal was awarded to Daichi Kamada. Despite having the majority of the possession, The US never found a footing in the game, as they completed the 90 minutes with only 4 shots and zero on target.
It was a disappointing show from the American side, a team consisting of players who have been impressing in Europe at the club level since the start of the season in August. Josh Sargent, who plays for English championship side Norwich City, has netted in 6 goals in 10 matches, making his case for the World Cup squad. Coming off the bench today, he couldn’t provide the same spark for the US.
Players at even bigger clubs who have been in good form proved not at their best today. Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna, who had 2 assists in a Champions League win against Copenhagen, and Juventus’ Weston McKennie, who scored the only goal for his team off the bench against Lionel Messi and PSG, couldn’t provide the same level of involvement today. Leeds United’s American starboy Brenden Aaronson also tried his best to provide some inspiration late in the game.
There were some bright spots today as Luca de la Torre looked bright in the midfield. The loss also was the first time we saw midfield and defensive partnerships as Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre and Weston McKennie partnered together and captain Walker Zimmerman and Aaron Long played together. As it’s a friendly, it was good to see new players together and to try out new combinations as manager Gregg Berhalter and his staff look to find the best formations as the team heads to Qatar and their first World Cup since 2014.
The US Team plays their final Friendly match before the 2022 World Cup on Tuesday September 22 in Spain. It will be the final competitive match the team has together to train for soccer’s biggest stage.
After a month and a half back at their club level, the final selection for the team will be announced on November 9, before the World Cup kicks off on November 20. There is still time for the US to come together as a team and look to make a name for themselves on the world stage.
The US will play their first match of the FIFA World Cup against Wales on November 21, 2022.
