It’s the last day for players to make their country proud before they return back to their respective clubs. Wag, and the USMNT look to bounce back.
Welp, a headline I read from an article said that ‘It was the best loss’ for the USMNT after falling 3-0, and I couldn’t help chuckle. Just one of the many reasons why the US is so far behind in international football. Tweaks are also needed to be made in Berhalter’s philosophy. Parking the bus and trying to keep possession of the ball is like running into a battlefield with a bent gun where your barrel is facing you. But Mexico is now irrelevant for the states as they want to bounce back Tuesday night.
Uruguay is a tougher opponent, but lucky for the USMNT defense as superstars Cavani and cannibalist Luis Suarez will not be playing. Uruguay played a friendly against a tough Costa Rican team away on Friday. Costa Rica had a majority of the possession as they tried to find holes in Gimenez’s defense, but Uruguay scored in the 90th minute for a 2-1 victory. So their bodies are flowing with adrenaline. Uruguay and the United States have faced each other 5 times in their history and the US won their most recent fixture 2-0 in 2002, almost 20 years ago.
The USMNT is sending the following players back to their respective clubs: John Brooks, Sean Johnson, Weston McKennie, Alfredo Morales, Zack Steffen and Christian Pulisic. Which is an opportunity for other notables to make their case as America’s best 11. Youngster Josh Sargent will likely start along with Zardes as Will Trapp will be looking to solidify his spot in the midfield. But all this hype surrounding the youngsters could make some of these boys fall under pressure. It did with the ‘regular’ starters against Mexico, so why would a lesser experienced player change the situation? That is the million dollar question that will get answered on Tuesday. Uruguay is going to win this game, but it won’t be a pretty win for the South Americans in Busch Stadium.
Uruguay Money Line +100 with SugarHouse
