Shock defeat to Canada ramps up the pressure on USA coach
Gregg Berhalter
T
he USA’s national-team
problems continue.
After their failure to
qualify for the 2018
World Cup and this
summer’s loss to
Mexico in the Gold
Cup Final, they went down 2-0 to
Canada in the inaugural CONCACAF
Nations League.
It was the first time in 17 games
against Canada that the United States
had lost, and the first time since 1985.
Goals from Bayern Munich’s Alphonso
Davies on 63 minutes and Lucas Cavallini
in injury time gave the Canadians a
deserved victory. Indeed, it could have
been much worse as Jonathan David, the
19-year-old Gent forward, missed two
further golden chances, one in each half.
Following a performance lacking in
energy and ideas, the pressure has
ramped up on coach Berhalter.
“I think the first thing that stands out
to me was desire, the desire of Canada,”
Berhalter said after the game. “Give them
credit. But having said that, the minimum
we expect is to match that. We need to
compete on every single play in games
like this. That’s important.
“I don’t think it was lack of effort. I
don’t think it was purposeful. But I wasn’t
happy with the desire that we displayed
tonight to win the soccer game. Too many
50-50 balls we lost, and that hurt us.”
But Stu Holden, a former international
turned TV analyst was far more critical.
“Two-nil and it wasn’t even close. That
performance was an embarrassment for
the US men’s national team,” he said.
“Today was a new low for Gregg Berhalter
and this team. There was no fight, there
was no passion, there was no energy.
“These are the games when you are
ultimately judged. When they were
tested, when they were pushed, when
they were pressed, when the Canadians
were fighting, the United States team
didn’t show up.”
Berhalter, who played for the US at
the 2002 World Cup, was appointed in
December last year on the back of his
work on a budget with Columbus Crew,
taking them to the MLS Cup Final in
Headliners
Opener...Alphonso
Davies (in red, on
ground) puts Canada
in front
“Today was a new low for Gregg
Berhalter and this team. There was
no fight, there was no passion, there
was no energy”
Stu Holden, former international turned TV analyst