A New Berhalter Saves the Day at the Gold Cup: Takeaways From USMNT’s Victory vs. Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

The U.S. men’s national team is heading to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup after picking up a 1–0 win over Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night.

While it wasn’t the perfect match, it allowed the USMNT to build on its tournament-opening 5–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago and clinch their spot in the knockout rounds.

At the same time, it saw the Stars and Stripes keep a clean sheet for the second straight match, with Matt Freese making a single save after earning back-to-back starts for the first time in his international career.

Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards scored the winning goal off a Sebastian Berhalter free kick in the 63rd minute, and it proved enough for the U.S. to secure all three points.

The USMNT will now look ahead to their final Group D match against Haiti on June 22, before meeting up with one of Mexico or Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.

Here are Sports Illustrated’s takeaways from the USMNT’s victory.

A Mentality Building Win

Chris Richards scored the USMNT's lone goal and helped keep a clean sheet against Saudi Arabia. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The USMNT didn’t make it look pretty, but finding a win in a difficult game and relatively underwhelming atmosphere is a critical development from the team.

If the same situation presented itself at Copa América in 2024 or in the Concacaf Nations League in March, they likely would have been unable to find the breakthrough, eventually settling for a draw.

Alas, there was an apparent effort from the USMNT on Thursday, and they were able to take advantage of a well-planned set-piece, which allowed them to clinch progression in the tournament.

Was it the perfect match? Far from it; the Americans struggled to create, and striker Patrick Agyemang wasn’t able to threaten, among other issues. Despite all that though, they found the win in a character building moment they might not have had just a few months ago.

Now, the question is whether they can learn from the win and apply it to the tight matchups to come in the knockout stage, as they seek to win the Gold Cup against favorites Mexico and Canada.

Berhalter Saves the Day

Gregg Berhalter may not be anywhere near the USMNT these days, but his son Sebastian proved to be one of the most important players on Thursday night.

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder served up the curled free kick, which landed perfectly for Chris Richards in the box to put the Americans up a goal. He also continuously threatened from set pieces throughout the night.

Outside of dead-ball opportunities, Berhalter ran rampant and controlled the game from the midfield alongside Luca de la Torre and Tyler Adams, often carrying the ball into attacking transition before looking for a progressive pass.

He finished with 89 per cent passing accuracy and made 14 passes into the final third. He also hit six successful long balls, all in a fully balanced midfield effort, which proved to be the best among all American players on the pitch.

It’s much of the same play that he has showcased with the Whitecaps in MLS this season, and having a deeper midfielder who can threaten allows the U.S. to push others, including Diego Luna, higher up into attack, potentially helping the isolated striker situation that often plagues Agyemang.

Pochettino’s Confusing Use of McGlynn, Freeman

Jack McGlynn has mainly played out wide for Mauricio Pochettino, despite playing centrally at the club level in MLS. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Two of the brightest young players within the USMNT, Jack McGlynn and Alex Freeman, have had peculiar assignments in their short time with the squad, and that continued against Saudi Arabia.

While Berhalter showcased his ability to control games as a possessive midfielder, Mauricio Pochettino has not afforded the same opportunity to McGlynn, who has showcased those skill sets from the wing.

With the Houston Dynamo and Philadelphia Union before that, McGlynn has established himself as an elite creative midfielder in MLS, and his passing map from Thursday night shows he is still looking for those same opportunities with the USMNT, only to run out of space on the wings.

Jack McGlynn's passing map shows him isolated in his creative moments. / Courtesy of Opta/Concacaf

As much as the U.S. has options in midfield, at 20 years old, McGlynn has the potential to be a game changer in a more central position. He could help unlock fickle defensive setups, like Saudi Arabia’s on Thursday, as well.

Additionally, Freeman has proven to be one of the best transition wingbacks in MLS with Orlando City SC, but has played in a back three in possession for the USMNT, which takes away his potential to spark attacks.

It all leaves several questions for the USMNT and Pochettino, as they want to define a style and identity ahead of next year’s World Cup. They are still struggling, though, to play to the strengths of those on the current roster.