Ricardo Pepi and Yunus Musah are in as the USMNT hopes for a far better showing against Brazil
The U.S. men’s national team is staying the course, with Gregg Berhalter making few changes to his lineup for Wednesday’s friendly against Brazil.
Despite losing 5-1 on Saturday to Colombia, Berhalter made just two alterations to his starting 11. Ricardo Pepi and Yunus Musah were given the nod against Brazil, with Folarin Balogun and Johnny Cardoso making way.
Balogun, after a high-profile recruitment battle for his services at the international level, has endured an underwhelming first season with AS Monaco. The 22-year-old posted eight goals and seven assists in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side, a step down after his 22-goal campaign at mid-table Reims in 2022-23.
With the USMNT, Balogun has struggled to influence games regularly. While his three goal/three assist haul in 11 caps is respectable, it is not quite the output many expected when the former Arsenal forward opted for the USMNT over England.
Pepi, meanwhile, found his minutes limited at PSV due to the spectacular form of starter Luuk de Jong. Still, the Texan was productive when he got the chance, scoring nine times in just 764 minutes played in all competitions. With the USMNT, Pepi’s 10 goals from 24 caps compare favorably with Balogun’s output, though neither striker has scored for the U.S. in 2024.
Musah, meanwhile, will give the USMNT a different look from the more defensively-oriented Johnny. The former has often functioned as a No. 8, while the latter plays deeper for club and country.
The USMNT is likely looking at its options in case starting defensive midfielder Tyler Adams — who has battled hamstring and back injuries for over a year — is not at 100% for the start of the Copa América. Earlier this week, Berhalter confirmed that Adams was available to face Brazil, but would be on a minutes cap.
The midfielder has only played 10 minutes since March as he battles back spasms
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has said Tyler Adams will be available to play limited minutes in Wednesday’s friendly against Brazil, while also ruling out Josh Sargent for a second straight game.
Adams has played just 10 total minutes since March, as the midfielder returned from a long-term hamstring injury only to be sidelined for seven of Bournemouth’s last eight games with back spasms.
The 25-year-old was called into camp for the USMNT’s friendlies against Colombia and Brazil, but was held out of Saturday’s humbling 5-1 defeat against the former.
At his pre-game press conference on Tuesday, Berhalter said Adams was available to play against Brazil — but only in limited fashion.
“Tyler will be available to play limited minutes, and my guess is it’s under 45 minutes that he’s able to play,” the USMNT coach said.
Berhalter also said Sargent wouldn’t be able to play as he continues battling a foot injury stemming from an ankle surgery over the winter.
“Josh is progressing well,” Berhalter said. “He won’t take part in this game [against Brazil] but he is progressing well. I think he’s out at Orlando City’s training ground right now doing a session by himself with a trainer.”
The USMNT currently has 27 players in camp, with up to 26 players eligible for Copa América rosters. Berhalter will name his final squad for the tournament after the match against Brazil.
Berhalter, Pulisic, and Turner were beyond frustration after a loss the coach called ‘a wake-up call’ for the USMNT
There are losses, and then there are nightmares.
Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Colombia was the latter for the U.S. men’s national team, leaving Gregg Berhalter’s side chastened just over two weeks before the start of the 2024 Copa América.
“From the 75th minute on, it was I think a lack of respect for our opponent [and] the game of soccer, what we were doing,” Berhalter told reporters at Commanders Field in Landover, Md. “We’re not framing it a lesson learned, we’ll frame it as a wake-up call.”
Berhalter peppered his post-game remarks with the phrase “really disappointing,” calling out the USMNT for its lack of effort and focus. The second half, which saw three Colombia goals in the game’s final 13 minutes, was a particularly frustrating topic.
The late capitulation “overshadows how we got back into the game, how we were aggressive, how we had them on their heels,” said Berhalter. “They were struggling for a moment when it was 2-1, and we weren’t able to capitalize on it, and then the game went to pieces.
“There were some positive chunks of the game, but again, what I’m looking at right now, 5-1? It’s not good enough, that’s for sure.”
Some of the USMNT’s top players concurred, with goalkeeper Matt Turner offering an apology in a post-match interview with TNT before bemoaning the USMNT’s “naivety” on the day in a mixed zone shortly thereafter.
“We really just opened up and allowed them to do exactly what they were planning on doing to us,” explained the New Jersey native. “It’s frustrating, because we knew what we were getting into, and then we didn’t take care of our business… We can’t accept that level of effort from everybody — from all 27 of us and the coaching staff — if we want to have any success this summer.”
Pulisic: USMNT ‘nowhere near the level’ required
Team captain Christian Pulisic said more than once that he would be watching video of the match to pick out all of the issues, but clearly had some facets of a miserable performance in mind.
“It just felt like they were waiting for us to make a mistake and then just kill us in transition. That’s just what happened over and over again,” explained the AC Milan attacker. “We were nowhere near the level we need to play at if we want to win games coming into Copa América.”
Berhalter came back to a collective stumble, reeling off a wide range of issues contributing to Colombia’s goals.
“We can’t just point to one player. It was multiple players, again, not respecting the game of soccer [and] the opponent in that case,” explained the USMNT manager. “Our whole idea was, the space has got to be small. If you make the space big, you’re in trouble. And you saw, as soon as we opened up, it was lights out…
“Go back and check the goals, it’s midfielders not recovering. It’s guys losing the ball in positions when our fullbacks are high. They got hung out to dry on a number of occasions.
“It’s the second phase from a set piece, it’s a miscue on a ball that’s going out of bounds in the first six minutes in the game. So, it’s a collective thing, and the reason why I’m so disappointed is because, guys just didn’t do their job. It’s about your role, your responsibility. We didn’t do that.”
The coach concluded with a summary of the mood in the mixed zone, and surely throughout a fanbase that was expecting the USMNT to compete with one of CONMEBOL’s best.
“It’s a collective performance,” stated Berhalter. “Collectively, we’re not happy.”
The striker is still suffering from the lingering effects of ankle surgery in the fall
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has ruled Josh Sargent out of Saturday’s game against Colombia due to a lingering ankle injury, adding that the issue could keep him out of Copa América as well.
Sargent has been training separately from his USMNT teammates this week, as the team prepares to face Colombia at Commanders Field outside of Washington, D.C.
The Norwich City striker broke his ankle early in the season and was forced to miss four months after surgery. Though he returned in December and put together an excellent campaign, the 24-year-old periodically battled lingering effects of the injury.
Sargent was forced off the USMNT’s Nations League roster in March due to the injury, and was also removed early from both legs of Norwich’s Championship playoff semifinal loss to Leeds.
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Berhalter was asked about the Missouri native’s health.
“We’ve been training with Josh both in the gym on the field, and he’s not going to be fit to play in the Colombia game,” the coach said. “We’ll have to see if he makes it for the Brazil game, and then we’ll have to make a decision if he makes it in the Copa América roster.”
“He’s had a nagging foot injury. We’ve been unloading him, then giving him some more and then we’ve been testing him, just to see where he’s at. And for us, it’s about how do we get him ready and prepared in a good way, and then make a decision if he’ll be available.”
Following Saturday’s game against Colombia, the USMNT will head to Orlando to face Brazil on Tuesday in its final pre-Copa América friendly. Berhalter’s side kicks off the tournament on June 23 against Bolivia.
The USMNT currently has 27 players in camp, with up to 26 players eligible for Copa América rosters. Should Sargent be unable to play, Berhalter could simply continue with every other player in camp.
The coach added that he could also bring a new player onto the roster from the USMNT’s Copa América preliminary squad, which has a maximum of 55 players.
On those choices, Berhalter said: “It’s bridge that we’ll cross when we get to it.”
It’s taken some time, but the USMNT coach says the pair are in a much better place
It has taken some time, but U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said that his relationship with Gio Reyna is in a much better place than it once was.
After Berhalter played Reyna sparingly at the tournament, Reyna’s parents Claudio and Danielle attempted to get the coach fired by revealing the details of a 1992 domestic violence incident between Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind.
The attempt was unsuccessful, as Berhalter was ultimately re-hired as USMNT head coach last summer.
Berhalter and Reyna went through a period of not speaking, with the coach admitting last fall that the relationship would take some time to rebuild after he had finally reconnected with the Dortmund attacker.
Several months later, Reyna and Berhalter have been involved in a number of national team camps together, with Reyna again becoming an integral player for the USMNT.
Speaking to the Washington Post after including Reyna on his roster for pre-Copa América friendlies, Berhalter said that things were in a much better place between himself and the 21-year-old.
“We both used this time productively, to start to rebuild, to repair the relationship where we gain trust with each other again,” Berhalter said. “It did take time, but the relationship is in a much better spot.”
The U.S. will face Colombia on June 8 at Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) in the Washington, D.C. area, before taking on Brazil on June 12 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
After the match against Brazil, Berhalter will name his final 26-player roster for the Copa América, which kicks off on June 23 against Bolivia.
Given a chance to address Canada’s new coach, the USMNT boss took the high road
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has said Jesse Marsch’s hiring is “great for Canada,” adding that he is looking forward to competing against his fellow American coach.
Marsch was named Canada men’s national team head coach last week, taking charge just a month before the Copa América kicks off.
Marsch and Berhalter have cultivated a growing personal rivalry over the past year, which began with the former losing out to the latter in the running for the USMNT coaching job.
Marsch said last week that he “wasn’t treated very well” in the process of interviewing for that position, which eventually ended with Berhalter being re-hired.
Since then, Marsch didn’t hesitate to criticize Berhalter during his work as a pundit, particularly when he questioned the inclusion of Tyler Adams on the Nations League roster, called for exiled defender John Brooks to be given a major role on the USMNT, and said the USMNT lacks a signature win under Berhalter.
Marsch also questioned Gio Reyna’s inclusion on the Nations League roster — which prompted a thinly veiled riposte from Berhalter after Reyna starred in the semifinal against Jamaica.
On a call with reporters on Monday, Berhalter was given the opportunity to address Marsch’s hiring.
Unsurprisingly, he took the high road.
“In terms of Jesse, I think it’s great for Canada,” Berhalter said. “Jesse is a good coach. We’re excited to get to compete against them.
“We want all the teams in our region to keep progressing and keep getting better and keep improving. And we’re looking forward to seeing them and how they perform.”
It’s currently unclear when the first meeting between Marsch and Berhalter will be. If the USMNT and Canada were to meet in the Copa América, it would have to be in the final.
The U.S. roster picture for the 2024 Olympics is coming into focus
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has given a few hints as to the overage players that could be heading to Paris this summer as part of the U.S. Olympic roster.
The USMNT is getting set for its first Olympics since 2008, as head coach Marko Mitrović prepares to select an 18-man roster for the tournament.
Men’s soccer at the Olympics is an under-23 event (players born on or after January 1, 2001), with every team eligible to select three overage players.
On Monday, Berhalter named a 27-man roster for the USMNT’s pre-Copa América friendlies next month, with the bulk of the team’s 26-player roster for the Copa América expected to come from that squad.
In a call with the media, Berhalter said that a few players just outside that roster would be considered for an overage place on the Olympic team.
The coach was specifically asked about defender Auston Trusty and forward Brandon Vazquez, replying: “Brandon’s a guy that was definitely in the conversation for that group.
“We’re evaluating the availability of some of our other players for the Olympic pool. So it’s just about the communication with clubs and communication with the players. But certainly those are two names that came up in that context. Another name that came up was Walker Zimmerman. We know he’s working back to getting to fitness. So he’s another guy.”
In terms of Olympic age-eligible players who weren’t named to the USMNT squad on Monday, Berhalter mentioned Kevin Paredes, Bryan Reynolds and Aidan Morris as players who would likely benefit more from an Olympic roster spot than uncertain playing time with the senior team this summer.
(Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images)
One player who won’t be going to the Olympics as an overage player is midfielder Lennard Maloney, who also missed out on the senior USMNT roster.
“I’ve had conversations with him,” Berhalter said of the Heidenheim midfielder. “We see the depth chart for the Olympic group comprising of a number of Olympic age-eligible players in midfield. So he’s not in consideration for that as of now.”
On the senior roster, Berhalter added: “[Maloney] just misses out due to some other guys performing a really high levels.”
Berhalter added that with two major international tournaments coming up, it did make his roster decisions slightly less complicated than usual.
“Decisions were easier because we knew that there was certain opportunities for players with the Olympics coming up,” he said. “We have the Japan friendlies in June for that group. And then we have the Olympics.
“By the end of this, we’re going to get 42 players or 44 players prepared with international experience. So that’s definitely something that made it a little bit easier choosing our roster.”
Berhalter has a headache without his starting right back, but at least he’s got some options
Having Sergiño Dest out creates a big potential problem for U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, but at least he’s got some options.
Dest suffered a torn ACL last month, ruling the USMNT’s starting right back out for the rest of 2024.
On Monday, Berhalter named a 27-player roster for pre-Copa América friendlies against Colombia and Brazil next month. The majority of the 26-man roster for the Copa América will be drawn from the squad Berhalter announced.
In a call with the media following the roster release, the USMNT coach examined some of the options he has at his disposal to replace Dest.
“With Sergiño going down, we have to figure out the right-back situation and there’s a couple of different options we can look at,” he said.
“We have like-for-like with Joe Scally and Shaq Moore. We have a winger that can play there with Timothy Weah, who’s played that for his club.
“We have center midfielders who can play there with Weston [McKennie] and Yunus [Musah], and then we have center backs that we’re looking at — can they play there?”
Outside of Scally and Moore, the player with the most experience at fullback in recent seasons is Weah, who has primarily played there with Lille and Juventus. With the USMNT, though, Weah has featured almost exclusively as a winger.
McKennie and Musah played sporadically at right back for Juventus and AC Milan, respecitvely, this season, but both played more frequently in central midfield.
As he mentioned, Berhalter also has several center backs on his roster he could try out wide, including Mark McKenzie, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Chris Richards.
The picture will likely become more clear for Berhalter after his team’s upcoming training camp and friendlies, which could feature some different looks in terms of a defensive formation.
“We just wanted the ability in this training camp to have options, to have flexibility, some of it that may revolve around a back three,” the coach said. “But the first objective is to see how we’re going to fill that right-back position because we know that we’re going to be missing Sergiño.”
Vazquez tells Pro Soccer Wire about his early success with Monterrey, and his USMNT prospects
Whether he breaks through for the U.S. men’s national team or not, Brandon Vazquez seems to know things are going well for him.
His club, Monterrey, is very much in the running for Liga MX glory again, and Vazquez is playing a major role after finding goals and starts immediately following a $7.5 million winter transfer from FC Cincinnati.
Speaking to Pro Soccer Wire one day before a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg at Inter Miami, Vazquez projects the kind of calm confidence that comes when you’re scoring on the regular for one of the continent’s best teams.
The San Diego native is even ready to get the awkward questions of the USMNT — which won the Concacaf Nations League last month without him — out of the way early.
“I’m doing all I can, you know?” reasoned Vazquez. “There’s nothing more that I could be doing that could make my chances better, I guess? There’s some stuff that’s out of my control, that I can’t let bother me.
“I just have to keep the same mindset I’ve been having, stay motivated, and keep the same work ethic and routine and when my time is called upon, I’ll be ready for it.”
In March, Vazquez told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he hadn’t heard directly from Gregg Berhalter, and that he “didn’t know” where he stood in the USMNT coach’s eyes. That situation has changed, with the 25-year-old confirming that Berhalter gave him a call just before the Nations League roster was announced.
“The day before that roster came out, Gregg Berhalter had called me,” Vazquez said, anticipating the question before it even arrived. “[He] basically told me that they were really happy with my performances, that I have been a killer in the box, that I’ve been doing great, have been killing it down here.
“He had called me to let me know and give me a heads up that I wasn’t going to be on the roster, which I respect quite a lot.”
Per Vazquez, Berhalter’s message was “to keep it up, because they’ve been watching all my games, and to not lose motivation because of it … it gives me a bit of confidence.”
Discussing the U.S. setback barely dampens Vazquez’s mood, because things are going quite well with Monterrey.
Even as he and Germán Berterame have sometimes been rotated as Los Rayados‘ starting No. 9, Vazquez has been an instant hit in Mexico. In 820 minutes across Liga MX and Concacaf Champions Cup play, Vazquez has put up eight goals, making him Monterrey’s leading scorer in a season that could end in a double.
Even with Monterrey suffering just one loss this season — Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat against Chivas snapped a 16-match unbeaten start to the campaign — and his own red-hot form in front of goal, Vazquez says he feels like he’s still trying to get used to his new surroundings.
(Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)
“It’s a little bit of a complicated one, because I still feel like I am adjusting,” Vazquez admitted, balancing the evidence of his and the team’s strong run with things he knows can improve. “Getting to know your teammates and their habits, that takes a while to adjust to, but my teammates have found me in the box. The runs that I’ve made, they are starting to get those pretty well.
“I try to make clear for the teammates around me what I like, where I like the ball, what runs I’m usually making, and they’ve been doing a great job at putting the ball there for me. All I’ve had to do is just hit the back of the net.”
Much has been made of the differences between American and Mexican soccer, whether that be training structure, tactics, or granular details like injury prevention and nutrition. For Vazquez, the job is to make “the same dish, with a different recipe.”
“Obviously with different coaches, you have different training sessions, different drills, different warm-ups,” explained Vazquez. “Everything is a bit different, but at the same time, a bit the same.”
Amid the big professional change, Vazquez is also a new father, with his wife Jessie giving birth to a son, Luca, in February. Vazquez can’t help but break into a grin at the thought, but in the short term, he’s on his own in Monterrey.
“My family and my newborn is still in Cincinnati,” said Vazquez. “We’re waiting to get some vaccines and my baby’s passport for them to travel down.”
Vazquez has made it up to visit twice, taking advantage of the Concacaf Champions Cup bracket putting Monterrey on a collision course with FC Cincinnati, as well as the international window, to make the trek.
Vazquez admitted that it’s been tough to be separated, but joked that there’s at least a silver lining: He’s getting to sleep.
“I have been missing my family for the past couple months, but from what I’ve heard, I would have no sleep if my newborn was down there.”
Vazquez talks Inter Miami clash
In the meantime, Vazquez has his work, which on Wednesday means suiting up against Inter Miami. The striker admits that Monterrey isn’t immune to the potential once-in-a-lifetime nature of a competitive game against the stars on the Herons’ roster.
“I think everybody has it in the back of their mind,” conceded Vazquez. “There’s so much hype around this team, there’s so much limelight on this team.
“We’re not only playing against a good team, but everything that goes around it — all the attention, all the media that’s around it. You just have to stay focused on the job and be able to perform on the field when you step out onto the pitch.
“I think we have we have an amazing group here. So I have no doubt that we can get the job done.”
Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Monterrey tends to do just that in the Champions Cup, winning the tournament five times in the last 13 years. Vazquez called the prospect of adding a continental trophy to his resumé “incredible,” and expressed belief in Los Rayados‘ chances of making it six trophies out of 14.
“There’s a lot of history in this club with this tournament, and a lot of trophies won here,” said Vazquez. “We know that we’re capable of doing it. We have the players to do it, and we’ve done it plenty of times before. So, we have an expectation, a high demand on ourselves to be able to get to the final, be able to win this trophy.
“We know we can do it. We’d be the only people in our way. If we just do what we know how to do, the quality of our players will just take over.”
It’s a recurring theme for Vazquez, whose attitude towards his very unusual occupation often comes across like any grounded person working in a field they enjoy.
“You just have to focus on the step in front of you,” concluded Vazquez. “We just have to take it one game at a time, one step at a time, and just focus on getting the job done 90 minutes at a time.”
The ex-USMNT striker is far from convinced about the team’s current coach
Former U.S. men’s national team forward Herculez Gomez has said Gregg Berhalter isn’t the right coach to lead the USMNT to the 2026 World Cup.
Gomez made his comments in the aftermath of the USMNT’s wild 3-1 extra-time win over Jamaica in the Nations League semifinal.
The U.S. was just seconds away from a stunning defeat, but a Jamaica own goal with the last kick of the match sent the game into extra time. From there, Gio Reyna assisted Haji Wright for two goals to seal a spot in the final.
Ahead of the USMNT’s match against Mexico on Sunday, Gomez voiced his concerns over Berhalter.
“There are going to be many people out here who say, ‘Well, they made it to the final.’ Gregg Berhalter was two seconds away, was a play away from everybody calling for his head, from everybody saying this isn’t the man to lead this team,” Gomez said on ESPN’s “Futbol Americas.”
“And I don’t think I feel too much differently today after this game as I did before it. Gregg Berhalter may be a good coach at a certain level. He’s not the coach for the U.S. men’s national team at this level, not the coach to lead the U.S. men’s national team to the World Cup in 2026.”
The #USMNT may beat Mexico (or not) this weekend for its 3rd CNL title.
Berhalter led the USMNT to Gold Cup and Nations League titles, and a World Cup knockout round spot in his first stint as head coach, but his second go-round hasn’t been convincing as of yet.
The coach returned to his position after last summer’s Gold Cup, producing expected wins against the likes of Oman, Uzbekistan and Ghana. Meanwhile, the USMNT has underwhelmed in defeats against Germany and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as during Thursday’s win over the Reggae Boyz.
The pressure will be ramped up ahead of Sunday’s final against Mexico, and especially heading into this summer’s Copa América on home soil.
