Photo by Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
The U.S. Men’s National Team took care of business on Saturday. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t flashy and it certainly wasn’t perfect, but they U.S. is through to the Copa America quarterfinals.
Down a man against a fierce Paraguay team, the USMNT held the door shut to book their spot in the knockout rounds. After a setback against Colombia and a revelation against Costa Rica, Saturday’s performance was likely somewhere in the middle. They had to defend, and they did it well, despite DeAndre Yedlin’s moment of madness that cost them a man early in the second half.
Even with Yedlin’s dismissal, several members of the USMNT stepped up to the plate. Brad Guzan and John Brooks carried the defense, while Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes combined for what proved to be the defining goal.
When all was said and done, the USMNT booked a deserved place in the Copa America quarterfinal, but Saturday’s performance is one that will have plenty of ramifications going forward.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s match:
BROOKS EMERGING AS ELITE CENTERBACK
If you’re reading this and just so happen to be an executive at a top level club, get your checkbooks out for John Brooks. Immediately. Because the USMNT defender is rapidly approaching the level of world-class defender.
Just 23-years-old, Brooks was an absolute marvel on Saturday night in a match where he certainly needed to be. In a game that saw his side down a man against wave after wave of Paraguay attack, Brooks was strong, confident and decisive in pushing back each and every one of those opportunities. His first half stopping of a three-on-one proved his best moment of the match, as Brooks easily earned SBI USMNT Man of the Match honors.
The thing is, it was far from Brooks’ only elite performance in this three-game group stage. Against Colombia, Brooks was one of the best players on the field while facing off with an attack as dangerous as any in the tournament. Against Costa Rica, Brooks was a rock, anchoring the backline in a shutout of Los Ticos.
The scary thing is that he still has plenty of room to grow into one of the program’s top defenders in recent memory, but the current version of John Brooks is pretty damn good. A mainstay in the Bundesliga, Brooks has finally replicated his club form with the national team, and should it continue into the knockout rounds, Brooks will soon claim the title of elite international defender.
YEDLIN’S LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT COULD COST USMNT
The USMNT was able to overcome DeAndre Yedlin’s meltdown on Saturday night, but the ramifications of the fullback’s actions will be felt for the coming days.
The U.S. is now in a bit of a hole heading into next week’s quarterfinals, one which was caused by a complete mental breakdown of their fullback. Just moments after earning his first booking, Yedlin was sent off for an absolutely brainless challenge, setting the USMNT back in a major way early into the second half.
Even down a man, the USMNT held on against Paraguay. Defensively, they remained strong, with substitute defender Michael Orozco filling in admirably along the backline. Luckily for the U.S., they weren’t punished for a mistake, even though they probably deserved to be.
Still, Yedlin’s mistake leaves the USMNT with major issues. A backline that was so good through three games will now be without a key member for the quarterfinals. Even with Orozco’s solid performance on Saturday, he’s no Yedlin, and the U.S. will be missing major speed at the right back position.
4-4-2 REMAINS USMNT’S BEST FORMATION
Throughout the second half, the USMNT was on the back foot, defending for their lives as the team played with 10 men. Yet, prior to Yedlin’s dismissal, the USMNT provided yet another positive performance in what should be their preferred formation.
Starting in the 4-4-2, the U.S. looked dangerous in the first half. Clint Dempsey created havoc with his tendency to drop deep, while Gyasi Zardes caused trouble down the left side. Bobby Wood, although isolated at moments, battled down the middle, drawing numerous fouls while asking questions of the Paraguay defense.
It wasn’t perfect, though. Zardes and Fabian Johnson struggled to find chemistry early, as their cover for one another was poor until late in the first half. At times, the midfield proved swiss cheese, as Bradley and Jones let Paraguay attackers scoot past them and into strong counter-attacking situations.
Still, all things considered, the USMNT was at their strongest in a 4-4-2, a formation that gets the best out of Wood and Dempsey in particular. Klinsmann has insisted that the USMNT does not have the luxury of becoming married to a tactical set-up, but in situations where they can be, the 4-4-2 should be the go-to formation.
GUZAN SHINES WITH DEFINING PERFORMANCE
Brad Guzan was chosen as the USMNT’s No. 1 shortly before camp with a decision that divided opinion. Saturday’s performance showed the decision was certainly the right one as Guzan unleashed a career-defining performance.
Faced with attack after attack, Guzan played like a true starting international goalkeeper. In a game when he was needed time and time again, Guzan made seven saves, preserving the USMNT lead and, more importantly, their spot in the knockout stage.
From the routine to the heroic, Guzan was there. Whether it was a crucial double save late in the match or an early near post header that threatened to get Paraguay going, Guzan was up to the task.
It was a defining moment for Guzan, who had never truly seized the No. 1 spot with a spectacular moment. Saturday was that moment, and the U.S. is in the quarterfinals because of it.
