US men’s national team Stumbled for one 5-2 home defeat against belgium Saturday in a friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Amidst the competition in the first half, America took the lead in the 39th minute. Weston McKenney tapping the ball from short distance after a corner antony robinson. Belgium equalized xeno debastPowerful shot from distance in the 45th minute that went past the American goalkeeper matt turner.
After the break the visiting team regained complete and dominant control. Rapid-fire round from amadou onana (53rd minute), charles de catelare (Penalty in the 59th minute) and dodi lubakio (goal in the 68th minute, 82nd minute) silenced the crowd as Belgium showed its strength against a weak US team. After a total of eight substitutions, a consolation goal was scored by the Americans. ricardo pepi Intercepted a pass that led to a shot that went into the back of the net patrick agyemang In the 87th minute.
From here, American coach Mauricio Pochettino and his roster will now prepare for their second and final friendly match of the March window portugal next Tuesday.
-Carlisle: USMNT handed reality check by Belgium ahead of World Cup
– O’Hanlon: Does the USMNT have the depth needed to compete?
– What’s it like playing for Pochettino? USMNT players sound off
Manager’s rating out of 10
Mauricio Pochettino, 3: To be fair to Pochettino, it’s hard to put all the blame on a coach whose only real use was putting Turner in the net. The US was able to go head-to-head with Belgium in the first half, but were also outmatched in one-on-one situations, which gradually worked in the visitors’ favor. All that said, the team faltered and was in desperate need of extra motivation from a coach who must have noticed his roster losing his composure with each passing minute.
Player Rating (0-10; 10 = Best, 5 = Average)
GK Matt Turner, 3– How do you rate a player who made some great saves, but also conceded five goals? Despite his shot-stopping, it was not enough to stop the volley of elite level shots coming his way.
df Tim Weah2 — initially containing jeremy doku In the first 20-25 minutes, Weah was in constant pursuit when it came to matching up with the creative wingers. Early in the second half, and with Doku gaining dangerous momentum, he was withdrawn in the 64th minute.
df Mark McKenzie3 — Won some duels and made some defensive contribution, but also failed to stop the Belgian attack, which easily worked around his presence in the backline.
df tim ream2 — The captain is credited for his long-range distribution, but his decision-making was questionable in some of Belgium’s goals. The defender’s handball also gave Belgium the third goal.
DF Antoine Robinson, 7 — Best USMNT player of the afternoon. Although he was quite average defensively, he compensated for this with his active role on the left wing. The chance-creator earned a well-deserved assist on a first-half corner.
mutual fund Tanner Tesman4 — Creating some important chances and providing some important tackles, he was also the quiet man at times at the heart of the XI. The USMNT needed a big presence at their position.
mutual fund johnny cardoso4 — With something to prove after some underwhelming performances at international level, Cardoso had brief moments of effectiveness due to his movement and highly accurate passing. Pochettino said after the match that the plan was to pull Cardoso off at halftime because the player had felt some discomfort earlier in the week.
AM Weston McKennie, 6 — Scored the first goal, took part in dangerous runs and build-ups and linked up well with the front line. One of the few bright spots.
forenoon malik tillman3 — Although he was the youngest member of the XI, more was expected of him. In a key position behind the striker, the attacking midfielder was surprisingly invisible for long periods of the game. He could also have done better to help prevent Belgium’s second goal.
forenoon Christian Pulisic3 — While Pulisic deserves credit for pulling back and helping defensively, there wasn’t much to say about his attacking impact apart from a brief positive start to the second half.
family welfare Folarin Balogun3 — A complicated game for a striker who had a shot on target in the first half and then couldn’t do much in the final third.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes do not receive a rating)
mutual fund cristian roldan4 (for Cardoso, halftime) — seattle sounders fc The midfielder didn’t make much of a difference, although he deserves credit for some defensive contributions.
mutual fund Sebastian Berhalter3 (for Tesman, 64′) — It had no real impact and should have done better to prevent Belgium’s fifth goal.
df alex freeman4 (for Weah, 64′) — There were no successful dribbles going forward and possession was lost several times. Some ball recoveries and tackles were his lesser highlights.
df max arfston2 (For Robinson, 64′) — Defensive weakness on the fourth and fifth goals for Belgium.
forenoon gio reynaN/R (for McKennie, 70′) — Apart from his passes into the opposition team’s half, he did not really change the situation of the game.
FW Ricardo Pepi, N/R (for Balogun, 71′) — Provided the assist for Agyemang’s goal.
FW Patrick Agyemang, N/R (for Tillman, 71′) — Earned a consolation prize and looked hungry for a second goal at the end of the game.
df joe scaliN/R — (for Pulisic, 71′) Limited playing time and impact for the defender, who lost both his ground duels and was booked for pulling his shirt.
