INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The US males’s nationwide workforce capped its depressing week on the Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada in Sunday’s third-place playoff.
The Canadians opened the scoring via Tani Oluwaseyi, and whereas Patrick Agyemang equalized for the USMNT earlier than the primary half was completed, Reds star froward Jonathan David scored the winner with simply over a half hour left to play.
Listed here are three fast ideas on the match, which represented the ultimate check for Mauricio Pochettino’s full-strength workforce in event play earlier than subsequent yr’s U.S.-hosted FIFA World Cup.
Play of the sport
The U.S. turned in an improved efficiency from Thursday’s late 1-0 defeat to Panama within the semifinals, even when it wasn’t almost sufficient. Nonetheless, not less than they scored on this recreation. It was a gorgeous workforce aim, too. Tim Weah began the sequence when he slipped Diego Luna in behind the Canadian again line. Relatively than rush a shot or go, the Real Salt Lake playmaker lower the ball again and squared it to Agyemang, who was capable of beat visiting keeper Dayne St. Clair to briefly pull the People stage:
Turning level
Fairly because the U.S. aim was, the People’ defensive efficiency left rather a lot to be desired. It value them. Canada out-shot the hosts 4-1 within the first half, together with Oluwaseyi’s profitable strike that put Canada forward. Ultimately, the USMNT was left chasing the sport for 39 of the 90 minutes.
Key stat
The U.S. has now misplaced back-to-back house video games to Canada for the primary time within the collection 100-year historical past.
What’s subsequent for the USMNT?
The People will return to their golf equipment in Europe and MLS instantly, and whereas Pochettino will not have entry to all of them for the Concacaf Gold Cup in June and (in the event that they make not less than the semifinals) July, many of the gamers who have been in Los Angeles during the last week determine to even be on that roster.
The absence of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who’re slated to take part with Juventus within the FIFA Membership World Cup as a substitute, and presumably Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna, will open the door for just a few new faces. The USMNT will study its group stage schedule and opponents on the Gold Cup draw on April 10. They’re going to then play a pair of tuneups, towards Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut and Switzerland three days later in Nashville, Tennessee.
What’s subsequent for Canada?
The Reds, one of many favorites to win the Gold Cup together with the U.S. and Mexico, will put together for this summer time’s event with friendlies on those self same dates versus Ukraine and Ivory Coast. Each exhibitions can be performed in Toronto.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports activities who has coated the United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Observe him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
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