USMNT Secure a Draw Against Uruguay in the Run-up to the World Cup

The USMNT continue their good form before the World Cup in Qatar comes around. They followed their 3-0 win against Morocco with a well-earned 0-0 draw against international powerhouses Uruguay. It was a strong defensive showing as the Americans kept another clean sheet.

They do have to play two more games in the Nations League where Gregg Berhalter would like to try a few more things out. This is the best time for the team to experiment and get a sense of what the squad would look like in a few months.

The USMNT defense works wonders

This match was one of the toughest tests for the USMNT before the World Cup. They are in a group with England, Wales, and Iran, and hence, qualification is not a given. They’ll need their best players to be in form, and Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic are those two stars.

McKennie was starting his first match after suffering a long-term injury and only played in the first half. However, it was a good performance from him, and he can only get better from here.

On the other hand, the USMNT defense was in fine form, especially goalkeeper Sean Johnson. He was there when the team needed him and had the biggest moment in the match when he saved Mathias Oliveira’s point-blank shot.

Gregg Berhalter reacts to the draw

However, there were a few familiar problems for the Americans, as their strikers failed to contribute yet again. Jesus Ferreira got the nod to start the match, but he couldn’t do much. Similarly, Haji Wright was almost invisible during the 30 minutes that he played.

USMNT coach Berhalter spoke about the problems and said that it was a difficult game for the strikers. They did miss several chances and would need to step up their game when the World Cup gets here.

“Overall, the strikers — it’s a difficult game. Difficult game against big, strong centre backs, aggressive centre backs. We want to get the chances, we want to see how they’re finishing chances, we want to see how they’re competing against elite international players,” Berhalter said.

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How far do you think the USMNT will go at the World Cup in Qatar?