Japan 2-0 USMNT: A Retrospective
Applying business principles of consistent improvement to the USMNT
Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat those mistakes in the future. This concept has been preached by many in a variety of disciplines, and product development is no exception.
An agile retrospective forces the entire team to pause and reflect on what transpired and discuss what worked and what didn’t during a particular project. I’d like to bring this format to help create perspective on where the USMNT is at this current moment and how to move forward from here.
What worked or went well for the USMNT?
Matt Turner was excellent
Likely one of the only standouts for the USMNT against Japan, Matt Turner really took the number 1 for himself. In a match that you lose and your goalkeeper is deemed the man of the match, it mostly means the bloodbath could have been way worse. Turner made excellent saves and was mostly competent with his feet. He kept the US in the match and deemed himself ready for the big stage.
Second half changes gave us a different look
The second half to me doesn’t represent the match as a whole as new players come in to change the flow of the exhibition. However, I will say that the tactical switch to a 3atb with Reggie Cannon which was very similar to what we saw against Morocco was way more successful than the entire first half. This look pushed Vines higher up the field and allowed the US to play a bit more in Japan’s half. The substitutions continued the poor form from the players they replaced.
This result happened before it mattered
I’m just going to say this as a positive: It’s way better to get smacked and humbled right before a major tournament than during it. This friendly doesn’t necessarily matter to any official standings, but it does matter to the players that got on the pitch. If we bring this type of performance to the World Cup it could spell disaster for the USMNT. This should light a fire under the team that hopefully carries them to World Cup success.
What caused problems, failed to work properly, or did not go well for the USMNT?
No shots on goal
The USMNT did not have one shot on target the entire match. The best opportunity in the game came in the first few minutes as Jesus Ferreira missed an open header from six yards out. After that moment the ball didn’t really cross the halfway line and stayed mostly closer to the US’s goal. Ferreira was on an island and Josh Sargent was chasing the ball for the entirety of his minutes. We have attacking personality but it didn’t show in this game. There was no confidence, nobody wanted the ball at their feet, and nobody looked like they belonged in the moment.
Couldn’t break the press
This is why Gregg Berhalter was hired. This is what Gregg Berhalter prides his tactics and style on - the breaking of a press with possession and disorganisation through ball movement. We could not figure out how to break the 4-4-2 press of Japan’s shape. Two forwards pressed Aaron Long and Zimmerman relentlessly while overwhelming the midfield with superior numbers. Passes were errant and players didn’t call for the ball. It was a perfect storm of horrible passes and receiving players who didn’t want the pressure of receiving.
Very little variety in attack
When the USMNT couldn’t break the press against Japan we should have opened up the ways we could move the ball forward. We needed to figure out a way to get the ball into dangerous channels or potentially go long and try to win second balls. Failing 100 times to make simple passes and continue to go side to side, not moving the ball to any meaningfully dangerous position was wrong. At some point we needed to say “this isn’t working” and just play long. What is the point of possession when nothing good comes of it?
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Intensity and speed of play
I hope that we can look back after the first match against Wales and say “I’m glad we got our asses kicked against Japan because the group learned a lot in that game.” We were not at our best against Japan and we didn’t find ways to give us a chance to win the game. Gregg did not set the team up for success, but it has to be said the players didn’t do themselves any favors. McKennie was lazy. Reyna didn’t touch the ball for the first 20 minutes. Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman was lackadaisical with passes. Players were not up for this game and Japan ran straight through and over us with their commitment and focus. We are not a good enough team yet to win on our worst days, so this cannot happen again at the World Cup.
What can be done differently in the next match to improve the outcome and overcome problems for the USMNT?
First and foremost Gregg needs to allow the team a bit more flexibility. It’s great when plan A works but when it doesn’t and you have no plan B then the team gets crushed. If we start to build from the back and it’s not working as intended then at least encourage some diversity in play.
Also while we’re on this topic… Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman do not play this style with their club teams. Their muscle memories and skill sets aren’t meant to be building from the back. Gregg needs to align the team’s strategy and tactics with the players that he selects to be on the pitch.
Players need to pick up the intensity. There are too many players to call out for their lack of commitment on the field against Japan. As a fan watching games that is the cardinal sin of any player - one that isn’t trying. I’d like to see Josh Sargent and Mark McKenzie get a runout. This will be their last chance to make the World Cup roster and I think that can help raise the level of the team while they’re on the pitch.
We are about to play against some of the best teams in the world. Saudi Arabia finished above Japan in Asian qualifying, this will not go well if we continue our form from the Japan match.
That's a very good analysis, Jake. I want to highlight this: "Players were not up for this game and Japan ran straight through and over us with their commitment and focus."
If a couple, or even a few players, have a bad game, you can criticize the players. However, when the whole squad (excepting Turner), has a bad game, you START by criticizing the coaching staff. I really don't think that Berhalter went into this game with a World Cup mentality. Maybe it was because of the injuries, but I think he went in for a "tinkering" mentality. And that bled into the players' mentality.
Japan has a wonderfully skilled and solid team. If they had two more elite players, they'd be dark horses for at least the semifinals. They obviously trained and played like the USA match *was* a World Cup match. And we didn't.