by The United States male national team has a business with high issues and swine for Sunday in California, where they will face Canada during the third place match of the League of Concacaf Nations.
USMNT 0-1 Panama – Summarizing, protruding | Player notes | What we have learned
On the one hand, it is a good test for depth players against a decent opponent. There are royalty rights of rivalry at stake, but overall, it is a chance for a handful of players to seize a moment of a national team which lacks more of a few key parts. The opportunity may not come back.
The pocket honeymoon period is over
On the other hand, this is a first chance for Mauricio Pochettino to lead his team to a rebound after a defeat in a project to prepare the World Cup which ran in the windshield faster than a “last stop for 100 miles” on the highway. It is a song against a Canadian team led by the most famous American coach of the globe, a neighbor who struck his weight more often than you have hit or below yours.
Pochettino bonafids are true, but those of Canada boss, Jesse Marsch, who, like his USMNT counterpart, made his management bones in a fairly linear manner. Pochettino progressed from Espanyol to Southampton, Spurs at PSG and then in Chelsea, while Marsch has taken a less traditional path: MLS in Austria, Bundesliga in the Premier League.
But uncertainty has filled the USMNT sphere once the pocket men suffered their last -minute defeat against Panama – a dominant but endless performance that undergoes new questions from its calendar. Pochettino substitutions or its absence are called into question, but the Argentinian had to anticipate an additional time session which did not arrive when Cecilio Waterman beat Matt Turner until the times of the post at the end of the time of arrest in the second half.
And Pochettino invited his criticism with his explanations on performance. The effort did not seem in question during the game, but then Pochettino always mentioned that the team requiring more passion to fight for the badge. It was a feeling proposed by Thierry Henry in an air interview with the boss of the USMNT, giving words an air of insincerity.
When will the talent of the USMNT really team really?
The talent of this USMNT is undeniable, but the draw for Pochettino was the respect it brought to the room. It must be larger than Egos. We do not know how the additional time would have played. We know that he was missing Johnny Cardoso, Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman. But McKennie and Pulisic worked, the latter looks better late while the first worked at the final whistle in a laborious performance which saw him out of place and a loser of 2 duels of the 11. The two are the best when there is only freelance, but there is only room so that one of them does it and it must be pulisic. And even if Yunus Musah was fine if not good at the right back, he could have been an answer to a problem of connection in the midfield while a natural rear, Marlon Fossey, was sitting in the bench. In a game calling a 1V1 hero, Giovanni Reyna and Diego Luna also sat in the cold.
That said, an apologist can make enough apology to make less abject Thursday. The Yanks dominated more than 90 minutes and played on too refined ground (the fault of their federation, if someone) against an opponent lower but hard ready to be packed together. Antonee Robinson would have certainly reacted different to Joe Scally’s stop decision outside Joe Scally on the left back which opened the door to Waterman to have room to pull the ball. Turner, whatever your impression of him, saves this shot eight times out of 10. And the Yanks have made more games on their bench for more time. This loss can easily become an aberrant value if the players occur on Sunday, then to friendly matches against Turkiye and in Switzerland, and finally a redemptive gold cup.
Can Canada stack misery on the USMNT?
For the moment, there is a change in the scenarios. Instead of a match with Mexico for a trophy and a dominance of the Concacaf continues, the Yanks are twinned with a reached Canada which most often obtained more than the sum of its parts than its individual names suggest. In fact, if the Yanks released their talent in the same way as Canada, they would easily have made a deeper race by Copa America (and even less to Smash Panama on Thursday). Marsch and his men will be triggered to prove themselves against the Yanks who wear a fanfaron. Will Americans answer the call? The fact that it was a question at all seemed almost absurd a few hours before the start of the semi-finals in California.
There are similarities and significant differences between USMNT and Canada. The Canadian midfielder is less complete and certainly less deep, but they have superior options in the center-forward (in this camp at least, although they did nothing against Mexico in the semi-finals). The two parties are generally motivated by very good back-in-law, but the Americans are missing their elite in Robinson while Canada in Alphonso Davies for this match.
And the heart, however? If there are similarities, Sunday’s match will be an excellent watch. If there is none, Pochettino will face bigger questions than he dreams of when taking care of the USMNT for this World Cup cycle at home.
How to look USMNT VS Canada Live, distribute the link and start time
Kick -off: 6 p.m. and Sunday, March 23)
Place: Sofi Stadium – Los Angeles
Streaming:: Paramount +
News from the USMNT team, injuries
Out: Antonee Robinson (not disclosed), Ricardo Pepi (knee), Folarin Balogun (shoulder), Johnny Cardoso (not disclosed), Auston Trusty (not disclosed), Malik Tillman (ankle)
News from the Canada team, injuries
Out: Richie Laryea (leg).
USMNT VS Canada prediction
It will not be an eruption. Jonathan David and Cyle Larin were both disappointing against Mexico, but will find more joy against the USMNT. Likewise, Pulisic and the American attack should have much more joy in the more dangerous areas against the central back and the Canada midfielder. This could be summed up by goalkeepers, but it is more likely to be in the middle of the park. And this is where the USMNT will offer a victory that will calm the room, otherwise the fans base. USMNT 2-1 Canada.
