Mikey_varas_-_asn_top_-_usmnt_coach_-_training_-_september_2024
USMNT analysis

USMNT playing for pride against New Zealand, plus U-17 and U-18 notes

In the middle of a tough run and a coaching change, the United States will be playing for pride against New Zealand. ASN's Brian Sciaretta looks ahead to that along with notes on the U-18 and U-17 teams. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
September 10, 2024
6:10 AM

THE UNITED STATES men’s national team will be looking to play for pride and a little bit of momentum when they host New Zealand in Cincinnati on Tuesday. This is a tough point with the team as they’re coming off a poor Copa America tournament that ended in the group stages plus a loss to a Jesse Marsch-coached Canadian team in a friendly, and now they’re being led by an interim head coach in Mikey Varas.

If these games are the only time Varas will be in charge, he will be remembered as trying to bring the problem of a lack of intensity to the forefront. After the loss to Canada on Sunday, Varas made it known that it was a disappointing effort that lacked the right mentality for the international game.

"The mentality is on the players,” Varas said afterward. “Sorry, they know it. They know it. We speak the truth to each other, that's on them."

Two of the U.S. team’s most experienced players in Tim Ream and Christian Pulisic said as much.

"It's something that that I think we need to get back to: really taking immense pride in wearing the jersey," Tim Ream admitted. "That's not to say that we aren't proud to wear the jersey, but I think there's a certain standard that we need to hold ourselves to and we haven't been doing that. That's on us as individuals, as players, and it has to come from within. You can't coach intensity. You either have it or you don't, and you either bring it or you don't, and we haven't been bringing it."

Pulisic, meanwhile was at a loss.

“It's something that we have to fix, but I really don't have an answer," the AC Milan winger said.

This was also backed up by Marsch, who praised his Canadian team for the right approach.

"You can see the mentality that's been developed," Marsch said of Canada." You can see the way this team plays. You can see how much they love playing for the national team, and they're willing to put their careers and lives in the way they play on the line, to be the best they can be for each other and for the team. And that's all you can ask for as a coach."

 

Issues beyond the coach

 

Ream’s explained the biggest problem right now with the USMNT in four words: “You can’t coach intensity.”

Why? Well, it accurately identifies the source of the current problems – the players. Sure, fans wanted Gregg Berhalter to be fired and, in the end, his dismissal was deserved because a coach is accountable for results. But intensity is not something that can be switched on and off easily. There needs to be such a level of respect for the national team jersey that makes playing with intensity automatic. Everything else builds off that. Whether its Bradley, Klinsmann, Arena, Berhalter, Callaghan, Hudson, Varas, or Pochettino – the duty is to go all out for the shirt.

In a sense, you can learn a lot about the players right now under an interim coach. What is their baseline effort absent a full-time coach yet on the sidelines? It wasn’t good.

Then you add that Pochettino is surely watching these games (either on TV or on tape later), it only makes it more concerning. He is taking the job knowing that the team has struggled, but now also realizing that effort is an issue. Right away, he will be looking to find players he can trust who will bring the right mentality.

 

What to expect from New Zealand?

 

Poor performance aside, the U.S. team will be the favorite over New Zealand on Tuesday night. The All Whites were easily defeated by an average Mexico team 3-0 in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The U.S. will not need to show much to win this game. Instead, the U.S. will be looking not to beat themselves and play for pride.

It will be interesting to see what type of approach Varas uses in what will likely be the final team he coaches the team. When asked about starting different players against New Zealand compared with the game against Canada or staring the same players to offer a shot at redemption, Varas said it will be a balancing test.

 

“That’s a delicate balance,” Varas explained. “We’re going to find a balance. We want to put on a winning performance. Anybody who plays, they will have earned it. And at the same time, this is a September window with a new coach coming in, so it’s also my responsibility to make sure that multiple players get a chance to showcase themselves, as long as they have also shown that they can earn it.”

The best bet is to expect a few changes and a few constants. 

The top thing to watch from the USMNT is how the team plays in the opening 20 minutes. Are they intense? Do they play like they have something to prove? Or are they passive? 

 

Other news

 

U-17s finish Jezek Tournament

 

The United States U-17 team finished the Jezek Tournament in the Czech Republic with a 1-1-1 record. The team lost to Germany 1-0, drew Slovakia 1-1, and then defeated the Czech Republic 4-0.

Head coach Gonzalo Segares brought a talented roster  but had a few top players missing – such aslian Hall of the Red Bulls, or Nimfa Berchimas at Charlotte.

Overall, the team got standout performances from St. Louis City's Lorenzo Cornelius, LAFC's Jude Terry, and Borussia Dortmund's Mathias Albert. Meanwhile Cavan Sullivan and Maximo Carrizo showed a lot of promising heading into U-17 World Cup qualifying.

 

U.S.  U-18s head to Japan

 

The United States U-18 team will play in the International Youth Football Tournament in Niigata, Japan. The tournament will fall outside the international window this month with the U.S. team facing a local Niigata Select team on Sept. 12, Japan on Sept. 14 and Peru on Sept. 16.

The team will be coached by U.S. U-19 head coach Michael Nsien who recently coached the U.S. U-20 team to a successful World Cup qualifying tournament in July/August, where the team finished second after a heartbreaking loss to Mexico – but still managed to qualify for the 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile.

The roster consists of 20 players who were all born in 2007.

The U-18 Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Zackory Campagnolo (Colorado Rapids; Fort Myers, Fla.), Kayne Rizvanovich (FC Cincinnati; Mettawa, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (6): Andrew Baiera (New York City FC; Darien, Conn.), Tristan Brown (Columbus Crew; Novi, Mich.), Nicholas De Almeida (Inter Miami CF; Boynton Beach, Fla.), Jose Magana Jr. (LA Galaxy; Long Beach, Calif.), Harbor Miller (LA Galaxy; Brea, Calif.), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union; Hersey, Pa.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Colin Guske (Orlando City SC; Saint Johns, Fla.), Darius Lane (Brighton Hove Albion/ENG; London, England), Santiago Morales (Inter Miami CF; Weston, Fla.), Axel Perez (Olympique Lyon; Miami, Fla.), Jonathan Shore (New York City FC; New York, N.Y.), Adyn Torres (Atlanta United FC; Silver Springs, Md.)

FORWARDS (6): Stefan Chirila (FC Cincinnati; Allentown, Pa.), Justin Ellis (Orlando City SC; Wellington, Fla.), Aiden Hezarkhani (Real Salt Lake; Irvine, Calif.), Leonardo Orejarena (North Texas SC; Chicago, Ill.), Daniel Pinter (Inter Miami CF; Boca Raton, Fla.), Santiago Pita (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.)

18 players are based domestically with Darius Lane at Brighton and Hove Albion and Axel Perez at Olympique Lyon are the only two players based abroad. In total six players are on MLS Homegrown contracts: Andrew Baiera, Stefan Chirila, Harbor Miller, Morales, Shore and Torres.

One big question moving forward is the coaching situation. Does Nsien continue to manage the U-19 team and possibly the U-18 team too? Does he continue with the U-20 team?

One such option potentially under consideration is Marko Mitrovic coaching the U-20 team. Prior to taking the Olympic team, Mitrovic coached the U-19 team which now make up the core of the U-20 team.

 

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