The United States Men’s National Team will face an important test on Friday evening when it welcomes Canada to Orlando in the teams’ second consecutive Concacaf Nations League clash. The rising Canadians upended the USMNT 2-0 in Toronto merely a month ago, a shocking result that left U.S. players and fans bitterly disappointed. This time, the USA will be without their talisman, Christian Pulisic, as he recovers from an injury suffered over the weekend, leaving coach Gregg Berhalter to look elsewhere to get his squad back on track.
USMNT vs. Canada
- Date: Friday, November 15
- Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: TUDN, UniMas
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Canada and the U.S. are two teams on two different trajectories. Despite missing the previous eight World Cups – and only qualifying once in its entire history – this Canadian team oozes confidence. Its win against the USMNT in October was proof of that. The win marked the first time Canada had defeated the Yanks in 34 years, with the previous victory taking place during the tune-up for its lone World Cup appearance. The scene at the final whistle reflected the team’s pent-up desire to unseat its neighbors, as players piled onto each other and shouted in excitement, which is typically reserved for finals or massive upsets.
Meanwhile, the U.S. hasn’t managed to turn the corner nearly a year into Berhalter’s tenure. It’s true that the head coach has been limited by injuries to some of his best players. Most recently it’s Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen, but also John Anthony Brooks and Tyler Adams. And yes, the USMNT managed a run to the Gold Cup final over the summer. However, a better word for it might be ‘scraped together’ given the lackluster string of performances and results since then haven’t been promising. Getting dominated by Mexico, drawing against Uruguay’s B-squad, and losing to Canada are hardly signs of progress.
Despite that, Earnie Stewart – the US Soccer Federation Sporting Director – insists that Berhalter’s job isn’t in danger, while also acknowledging that the game against Canada is a must-win. The winner of Group A will advance to the Concacaf Nations League semifinals and be a lock to qualify for the final stages of World Cup 2022 Qualification in Concacaf, also known as the Hex. The US must win against Canada to have any shot at advancing, while the third team in their group, Cuba, is no match for either squad and currently sports a 0-0-3 record with a 14 goal differential.
For USMNT fans, only a win will suffice. There has long been complaints about Berhalter’s player selection, as his reliance on the MLS pool is seen as antithetical to improvement. For the players’ part, the grinding attitude that defined previous U.S. teams have been noticeably absent, with most teams looking comfortable in possession against the USMNT, while bossing U.S. players off seemingly every ball. All of these elements will be picked apart tonight, but the most important thing for the USA is clear: walk away with three points.
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