When Gregg Berhalter first took the reins of the U.S. men’s national team in the last World Cup cycle, his stated objective was to “use the ball to disorganize the opponent and create goal-scoring opportunities.”
And as a young, promising core with an impressive European club pedigree emerged, so too did a debate about whether the U.S. could actually challenge top tier international opponents… and how they’d attempt to. With the players at Berhalter’s disposal, would lengthy spells of possession – if they were possible – lead to chances against the international elite?
Well, the United States' most recent test against a member of that elite, a 3-1 loss to Germany on Saturday, confirmed that the U.S. still isn’t there yet when it comes to their approach.
