Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s friendly against Germany, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter expressed that games like this were about embracing the opportunity to learn and compete against the best teams in international soccer. The hope is that these games will help the team evolve and improve before the 2026 World Cup.
However, the U.S. team’s 3-1 loss to Germany in front of a sold-out crowd of 37,743 in East Hartford, Connecticut, highlighted that there is still a lot of work to be done. Center back Tim Ream bluntly stated that the team still has a long way to go.
While the U.S. started the game well, in the second half Germany took control and the Americans struggled to regain their momentum. Defensive mistakes, particularly in transitions and giving away the ball in bad areas, allowed Germany to exploit the U.S. defense and punish them.
The absence of captain Tyler Adams, who is known for his defensive contributions, was also noticeable during the game. The U.S. still needs to figure out alternative strategies for playing without him.
Overall, the U.S. team needs to improve their defensive organization, compactness, and their ability to maintain consistent performances throughout the entire 90 minutes. The first half showed promise, with the team threatening Germany’s defense on multiple occasions, but there was a drop-off in the second half.
Gio Reyna’s performance in a central role was a highlight of the game, showing promise for his future contributions to the team. However, there is still work to be done in terms of finding the right balance and formation with the current squad.
Ultimately, the result against Germany emphasized that the U.S. team has a lot of ground to cover in order to compete with the best teams in the world. However, the players believe that they are not far off and that it’s just a matter of fine-tuning and improving certain aspects of their game.