USMNT ’embraced the challenge’ in Nations League draw with El Salvador

Berhalter: “This is what builds teams”

It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, but the U.S. men’s national team saw positives amid the acrimony and the muck at Estadio Cuscátlan after Tuesday night’s 1-1 CONCACAF Nations League draw with El Salvador.

“As we watch the weather come in yesterday, and the rain start pouring down, we knew it was gonna be a challenging game,” said USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter in the post-game press conference. “Really proud of the guys, the way they embraced that. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t complain. They didn’t complain yesterday in training, they didn’t complain today in the game. They just went about their business.”

Berhalter’s side fell behind on a goal that was equal parts stunning (Alexander Larín’s shot came from seemingly nowhere) and potentially morale-sapping, given that it involved a clear misread from goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.

The situation grew worse when Paul Arriola was sent off just minutes after entering the game, a play that drew protests from USMNT players and nearly sparked a scuffle between the teams.

However, they fought back with a stoppage-time equalizer from Jordan Morris, ending the June camp without a loss. For Berhalter, getting something out of the circumstances was a big deal.

“The group grows with moments like this,” explained Berhalter. “After the game, Jordan Morris walks into the locker room, and everyone starts to cheer, and everyone’s uniform is a dark brown color. You know, the shoes are a mess, the staff is all dirty. This is what builds teams.”

Morris, who hadn’t scored for the USMNT since a brace against Cuba in November 2019, agreed. “It was a tough game, obviously. Tough conditions, tough environment, playing against a good team. I thought the fight in the team was really, really good.”

Berhalter, while noting a halftime formation change to a more familiar 4-3-3 after starting the match in a 4-4-2 that the Fox Sports 1 broadcast said the USMNT planned in case the conditions deteriorated, credited the team with upping the intensity of their play as the main reason they came back.

“It’s not a normal game where you come from behind,” said Berhalter. “We had some some referee decisions that were questionable, I think. You had the weather conditions whether it be pouring rain, or the field conditions, the mud that we’re dealing with, some gamesmanship by the opponent.”

We talked before the game about embracing the battle, embracing what this game was going to be like, and the guys did an excellent job of doing that.”

Morris went one step past simply embracing the conditions, going so far as to call the downpour and the mud “fun.”

“These are kind of some of the fields I used to play on as a kid, being from Seattle. Obviously not the mud, but the rain, I love playing in the rain,” said Morris. “I was just embracing that moment. I think the team as a group just embraced the challenge.”

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