USMNT dumped from World Cup as Berhalter gets starting XI wrong

While the final score is less than flattering for the USMNT, it doesn’t exactly tell the full story of the match.

Berhalter’s men managed more shots and had more possession against the Netherlands. The Americans registered 17 shots in total against a very solid Dutch back line.

Coach realized mistake with halftime sub

Despite this stat, starting center forward Jesús Ferreira was unable to shoot during his time in charge. He also didn’t register a key pass while he was on the field.

Berhalter clearly noted the lack of creativity up front and came on for the FC Dallas striker at half-time.

Rising star Gio Reyna eventually replaced Ferreira and helped create more opportunities for the team.

In fact, Reyna had two shots and two key passes in just 45 minutes on the field. The Borussia Dortmund playmaker would normally get more playing time if he wasn’t dealing with minor injury issues.

Wright looked promising in a cameo

However, Berhalter could have started Haji Wright up front as well. The imposing 24-year-old center forward averaged the most shots per 90 minutes of any player on the team at the World Cup.

He also proved to be a good matchup against the 6’5″ Virgil van Dijk.

Wright ended up entering the fray in the 67th minute on Saturday. The center forward also had two shots during his cameo appearance and even scored the only American goal of the night.

Tim Weah was also another option for Berhalter up front. While the Lille forward was a starter for Berhalter, the talented striker was once again pushed onto the right flank.

The UMSNT clearly had more of a problem against the Dutch.

After all, the defense was extremely poor for the three goals conceded and they failed to capitalize on two different one-on-one opportunities with the opposing goalkeeper.

However, a different starting XI selection could also have made a big difference.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Matthias Koch