Three Goals Forward…Three GGG’s Back.

The elation and dismay amongst USMNT supporters, all in about 12 hours

Before we begin, I wanted to mention how devastated I am that USWNT captain Becky Saurbrunn will be the latest player to miss the 2023 Women’s World Cup due to injury. It likely would have been her final one, and we wish her a speedy recovery.

The Elation

Well, it was fun while it lasted right? I mean let’s be honest. What the US Men’s National Team did to our arch rivals Mexico (El Tri) on Thursday night is something that should have been talked about the world over, and made headlines in the US. The States completely demolished the Mexican side 3-0 which if we are being honest, could have been a much worse rout. 

Despite missing team captain and engine, for the squad, midfielder Tyler Adams, the 4-2-3-1 formation was a glimpse at what a potential 2026 fully stacked side could look like with all the young talent that entails. Chris Richards and Gio Reyna, all but outcast by the previous coach, showed up and showed out. Ricardo Pepi, another man on the outside looking in under Gregg, subbed on and netted a goal, coming in for newly capped Folarin Balogun, who also made his presence known in this blowout. Christian Pulisic, seemingly free from the drama of his club, casually scored a brace, and the young talent quite literally ran over a Mexican side that, I can’t believe I am saying this, looked uninspired.

And that is nothing to scoff at either. The USMNT is now unbeaten in its last 5 matches against Mexico. The first one was another 3-0 victory in 2019, but I have to be honest I have never seen a USMNT look this overwhelming against our biggest rivals in El Tri. Apart from barely winning possession and accurate passes, Mexico was appalling. If you want some more colorful language, go read what their own press is saying about this beat down. The States literally ran over them, and controlled the game. Mexico managed one shot on goal and seemed to be lost in the bright lights in what was a very hostile stadium in Vegas (one which was mostly Mexican support). In a match that usually shows two heavyweights of CONCACAF trading face blows and body punches,  El Tri was more like little Pomeranians snipping at the ankles of the USMNT walking all over them. (Yes, I decided to not to with another ridiculously lazy and what would have been somewhat racist other small annoying dog joke. You can go to other writers for that).

Instead, Mexico had their frustrations boil over and one of their players literally decided to kick at the ankles of an escaping USMNT player. This set off what can only be described as a shambolic display where Mexican tempers were unhinged, Weston McKennie ended up in a swarm of about 6 Mexican players and also had his jersey torn, pushing and shoving all around…and cards for everyone. McKennie, got a red card basically for defending himself and later in the match Sergino Dest was coaxed into a red of his own, which means they miss the final tomorrow against Canada and the game finished 9 vs. 9 players. OH. That’s right, the match was also called early because the fans of El Tri are incapable of not uttering their homophobic cheer with every goal kick, and soccer powers at be have no real interest in stamping out homophobia and racism that not only plagues their game, but seems to be on the rise in many counties and leagues. 

So, USMNT had their most dominant performance against El Tri, Mexican shithousery, young talent shining through in a way that would make the most reserved and jaded US Men’s supporter (me) optimistic, and a defeat so overwhelming that Mexican players literally lost their minds. The fans of Mexico are reeling, their players disjointed, their press having a field day going off on what an embarrassment and shadow of a once proud footballing nation their side is. It’s pretty obvious which country feels the best about their prospects moving forward, right?

Wrong. 

The Buzzkill.

In a way that only the US Soccer Federation could do with such precision, they decided a Friday news dump was the perfect time to announce their uninspired reappointment of Gregg Berhalter as coach of the USMNT. At a time where some US fans were still perhaps slightly hungover due to the late start of the match, whatever buzz, figuratively and alcohol induced from the night before, was sharply harshed. After 7 months and even longer when it comes to a saga between the former and now current coach of the USMNT between players, federation, and serious issues off the field, Greggggggg is back, and it would be polite to say that most supporters are not happy about it. 

That said, he does seem to have some support from some of the players, most notably Pulisic. And, while uninspiring, his tenure as coach previously has been…ok? We did make it out of what was a difficult draw in the 2022 World Cup group stage. We qualified for that World Cup, need I remind you all that it’s not just our birthright to participate. But, performances under Gregg have been uninspired, squad choices have been flat, and we seem to be hampering the talent and potential displayed by the team in Thursday’s match. 

With the aforementioned captain Tyler Adams unable to play, (and to be fair the midfield of the USMNT is something that Gregg has gotten spot on), Gregg would have likely thrown in another midfielder instead of going with the more aggressive 4-2-3-1. He absolutely would have never had Chris Richards and Gio Reyna in the line up and a Pepi substitution, let alone throwing a new senior player in Balogun right into the fire that is the US/Mexico rivalry. Hell, Reyna might have been left out of camp completely, and if you want to know more about that understandably convoluted saga, google it. There’s no real heroes on the whole with that one. 

That said, the Reyna Family/Berhalter rift is what helped lead to his original firing. More ambitious supporters likely wanted to find a coach who could unlock the team's potential following the World Cup, and with good reason. But, the USSF wanted to stay with mediocrity and stability going into the 2026 World Cup cycle that will take place in the US, Mexico, and Canada. There’s something to be said about staying the course so long as progress and inspiration are there. However to an objective observer, Gregg’s approach seems stale, and the tactics seem uninspired.

So, the USMNT and USSF did their 7 month search, big names such as Zidane and Mourinho were thrown about even if neither showed more than an interest in so far as dipping their toe in the water. In the end, the USSF decided to go back to 0-0 draws and 1-0 frustrations hiring back a coach that while is, just fine, doesn’t get the sheer dominance that we saw out of this team against opponents that should be our equals or technically better. As previously mentioned, players have come out to support Gregg, and that should be what is most important on the pitch anyway. Supporters, on the other hand, are uninspired and angry for a plethora of reasons, and players like Pepi, Richards, and especially Reyna could be understandably frustrated, if I am putting their state of mind lightly. 

*Sigh* Fine. What Now?

Well, we have the Nations League final tomorrow against Canada and while McKinnie and Dest will be surely missed, there is enough talent in this US squad to potentially carry on. This summer we also have the Gold Cup, in which given recent form and squads, the US and Canada should be heavily favored to meet again. 

But arguably more importantly, Gregg has a lot of fences to mend, and young players to inspire if he hopes to get the most out of what is arguably the most talented group of players the US has ever had in a World Cup cycle, and almost all of them will be in their prime come 2026. But, an emphasis was made on mending what are some obviously fractured relationships, and helping to bring other clearly talented players back into the fold.

Asked specifically of Reyna, Gregg alluded to the fact that there’s work to be done there, but I won’t spend too much time on what was white noise and PR spin. This team is talented. By 2026 they should be top 10 in the world, and never feel overwhelmed when they step on the pitch with any opponent. The only way that happens is if we play with more inspiring tactics, actually play our best 11, and allow this generation of players to gel like we saw them do on Thursday. The biggest question mark in all of that, is Gregggggggg, and whether or not he can make that happen. Let’s run it back, I guess.