USMNT vs. Belgium: relatively-soon-after-fulltime review!
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Tactical analysis
The U.S.'s best two chances of the game came from McKinney finding space in the box on set pieces. And this is where I'll tie on the broader point: if you're looking for a positive, I genuinely think the largest positive of this entire game for the U.S. is that it was no longer Christian Pulisic on set pieces.
I do think maybe this is where I don't begrudge Potch for experimenting, but I do think that that defensive shape is a problem. When you turn the ball over and they're able to counterattack, you now only have the two back.
Mauricio Pochettino post-match comments
Poch said, 'The problem is that no one helped us in the last third.' And then later on he added, 'Doku is one of the best wingers in the world today. And I think Tim Weah defended really, really well.'
Player analysis
I have to say, Weah did not defend well. Everything else is true. Everything else is true. Like the system let him down. There was not the structure behind him.
I think Christian Pulisic is Taylor Swift. She's a superstar but she's not the best singer in the world, she's not the best dancer in the world, but she's high level at all of the things to make her a brilliant complete package.
USMNT performance
I do think there is a feeling of the only way I can say it is like embarrassment, as silly as that might sound at full time, just because I think I have been so positive about the U.S. of late.
Mauricio Pochettino tactics
Potch was much more aggressive, I think, than any of us were when we were building our lineups last week... he rolled out two centerbacks, he went for it.
Media narrative
I just saw the Guardian has a piece about this game that talks about it as embarrassing for the U.S. I don't know man, I didn't really feel like this was an embarrassing U.S. performance.
USMNT vs. Belgium analysis
I don't know how repeatable a lot of the errors were that led to these Belgium goals. Coming into the game, I thought the U.S. are going to be worse than Belgium. And coming out of the game, they were worse than Belgium. And I don't think they were worse by three goals.
USMNT squad selection
I don't think we learned anything about who Potch values at center back by seeing Mackenzie Ream together, given the injuries to Richards and Robinson.
