USMNT show mettle in ugly win over Chile

When nearly half of the U.S. men’s national team’s first roster of head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first full World Cup cycle had never received a call-up before, media and fans alike knew to expect growing pains as Pochettino tinkered and toyed with the player pool and team identity given the extra time he hadn’t previously been allotted. 

Those growing pains became evident in the USMNT’s second match of the window when they had to grind out a 4-2 win against Chile in St. Louis on Tuesday that was the polar opposite of their flashy, dominant win over Peru in their opening fixture in just about every conceivable way. Pochettino handed six players their first career starts, double the total against Peru. The overhauled lineup struggled to grow into the game, and even though Sebastian Berhalter’s second goal in as many matches gave the U.S. a surprise lead in the 37th minute, the Chileans eventually made them pay for their disjointed start with Diego Ulloa’s equalizer in added time of the first half when Chris Brady twice failed to punch the ball out of danger.

That mistake would be Brady’s last action as Brian Schwake came on to start the second half for his USMNT debut. But Schwake initially didn’t fare much better as his first meaningful task with the national team was to pick Maximiliano Gutiérrez’s curler out of his own net in the 49th minute. However, the new players’ quality eventually shone through when Julian Hall also scored for the second match in a row just two minutes later.

Hall’s goal was of course significant in its own right, but perhaps even more so for the opportunity it presented. The U.S. still found themselves level despite being on the back foot for the majority of the game, which suddenly provided a jolt of confidence that the game was there for the taking. Just as he did against Peru, Pochettino made a batch of subs around the hour mark to help the U.S. take control of the game, but this time for the exact opposite reason. Instead of relying on the energy of the young players, he leaned on the stability his veterans could provide when the inexperienced group began to tire and still hadn’t had a continued stretch of cohesive play. 

Chile had no answers for the USMNT’s mix of youth and experience after the introductions of Tyler Adams, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty. From that point on, the U.S. had the lion’s share of the possession and chances and eventually cashed in on their first sustained spell of control when Richards rose highest on a corner in the 72nd minute to put the U.S back ahead. Because the veterans had relieved most of the pressure placed on the younger players, those young stars had freedom to showcase their skill. 17-year-old Mathis Albert capped off the night in style when he outfoxed multiple Chilean defenders to deflect the ball in off the bar in second-half stoppage time, cementing himself as the USMNT’s youngest-ever goalscorer.

Even if the U.S.’ young talents haven’t yet fully meshed together on the field, their contributions to the team’s camaraderie that Pochettino extolled after the Peru game are still apparent. Just before the final whistle, Chile’s Leandro Hernández kicked out at Schwake as he smothered the ball to run out the clock and veterans and newcomers alike immediately rushed to Schwake’s defense. 

Pochettino knew this win wouldn’t be easy on the eye, but it showed something he valued far more: that the players can dig deep to find ways to win and pick each other up even when the team isn’t playing particularly well. 

“It’s always difficult to start the games and keep consistent during a long period, because it’s normal for some players’ first time together,” Pochettino said. “The resilience was fantastic; I think we were enjoying it, even if sometimes we were in tough moments during the game. These types of games are priceless for the team and for the players.”

Part of the USMNT’s struggles could be attributed to playing a Chile side that’s younger and simply better than Peru, but the gradual ramp up in quality should serve the U.S. well for the rest of they window as they face both of their peers in CONCACAF to close it out: Mexico in Arizona on Saturday and Canada in St. Paul on Oct. 6.