I don't buy the bellyaching that the USMNT first choice players "don't play as a team". On Sunday, they looked very good technically, tactically, and physically. Tactically, they had very few problems combining, keeping possession, breaking lines, and getting the ball into the attacking 3rd for the entire match. They combined well and played well as a team. Our top 3-4 choice central defenders are solid (and I personally still think Miazga is one of our best and yet doesn't get called anymore). Our starting fullbacks and the MMA midfield that started both matches last Thursday and on Sunday are outstanding players and they all play well together as a team.
When you face a squad as solid as Canada that is parking the bus, you're going to need some lucky bounces and you need some guys up top to be killers. It's always going to be a challenge and it might not always go your way, especially on the road and vs that Canadian squad. When stats register 65% possession, 80% passing accuracy, 18 crosses and 7 "successful crosses" (to the opponents' 3 and 0 crosses) and yet you aren't getting enough shots and can't break through even once, you have to look at the guys at the 7, 9, 11, and 10 spots and ask if they are killers. I don't know if he's more of a 10 or 8 central MF, but I do think McKinnie is a killer. Need more than one though. Do we need different guys? GGG has tried about 7 different guys at #9. Would Sargent or Pefok or a healthy Dike have been better than Gyasi or does Gyasi need to wake the F up? Or should Pepi just start all three matches in a 3 game window? Would Hoppe or a healthy Reyna be a better winger than Brendan or Weah or Pulisic at times? Why didn't our guys immediately go forward and make them pay when they made mistakes playing out like they did to us on the bad goal kick?
The bad goal kick by Turner and subsequent not fighting for the second ball by central players (and very good aggressive forward movement by Canada off of that mistake) has to be cleaned up. The header by McKinnie probably scores 8 times out of 10 - amazing save by Canada GK. Really unlucky. CP10 takes to too many touches and tries to do too much on his own. He draws a lot of attention and they need to find a way for him to use that attention and combine to get others going to goal instead of himself... or as mentioned play him as a 10 or put him on the bench.
Adams injury is cause for concern - he and McKinnie are the best American soccer players right now and the way Dest and Antonee like to overlap and transition to attack, not having Adam's defense is a huge loss. Might need to change tactics a little bit to help the central defenders and Acosta out when we don't have Adams at 6.
