The U.S. Men’s National Team takes on Panama on Monday (2:45pm, FS1/TUDN/UniMas) in its second November friendly, and will do so fielding one of the youngest squads to ever take the field for the USMNT.
Gregg Berhalter has deployed a very young lineup for Monday’s friendly — the second-youngest lineup in USMNT history — led by teenagers Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, Sergino Dest and Ulysses Llanez.
SBI will be providing live commentary on the match in the comments section below. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions, and ask questions.
Enjoy the action.
FT: USMNT 6 – Panama 2. Two goals each for Gioacchini and Soto, while Lletget and Reyna also scored. Strong performances for Cannon and Ledezma as the USMNT claims its second friendly win of 2020.
After great skill between several players, Ledezma’s cross is headed home by Soto. Great cross by Ledezma and even better finish by Soto. 6-2.
Lletget with the header into the corner off a USMNT corner. Weah links with Cannon who delivers to Lletget. 5-2.
Ledezma to Soto. 4-2 USMNT as Soto scores on his debut. Great cross from Ledezma
When did it become 3-2?
Gioacchini wins the foul. A lot of fouls in this second half.
Richie Ledezma comes off the bench to make his USMNT debut.
Poorly hit PK by Gioacchini, who is denied. Reyna threw his hands up after the save in frustration.
Cannon’s pass is hit with a Panama hand. PK USMNT.
Panama has owned possession in the second half so far, but hopefully with some USMNT changes we see a spark offensively.
Tim Weah and Johnny Cardoso entering for Uly Llanez and Tyler Adams in the 62nd minute
Another big outing for Tyler Adams, far and away the top defensive midfielder in the USMNT player pool.
Slow start for the USMNT in this second half. Some sloppy turnovers, not nearly as smooth an outing in these early minutes. Weston McKennie lucky not to see red on a studs-up challenge earlier.
still 3-1, 58th minute.
The guys on Univisión were saying around the time of the flurry of goals, if I understood them correctly, that this is the US team with the most “Latin” (“latino”) flair and style of play in a long time. Even the European-based players, they said, if they play for teams like Valencia or Dortmund (! not sure how that team got to be “Latin”), seem to have that “Latin” ability.
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I think they just mean being able to hang on to the ball and go forward with it, which surely is also what Anglo players want to do, and I believe they even mentioned Pulisic among those with a “Latin” touch, when he returns. So that was probably just a little flattery of their Hispanic audience. But surely they’re right that that fluidity is a plus, even if the guys also seemed to be missing some passes they might not miss if they had just played together a little more.
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Who were folks most impressed by in that first half? I’ll go with:
Reyna
Gioacchini
Dest
Musah
Adams
HALFTIME- USMNT 3, Panama 1. Slow start was worrisome, but the USA attack started to find a rhythm and Gio Reyna and Nicholas Gioacchini led the way with some excellent play.
Sergino Dest and Gio Reyna have been combining beautiful on the left side of the field. Giving Panama all sorts of trouble on that side of the field.
Gioacchini draws a dangerous free kick and looks very sharp. He is making very good runs, putting himself in dangerous positions.
It is just scary how smooth Gio Reyna is on the ball. The Reyna-Dest combination is beautiful to watch.
GOAL USMNT! Gioacchini makes it 3-1 with his second of the match.
Tyler Adams with a beautiful pass to spring McKennie in the area, and his cross finds Matt Miazga, who sends his own header toward the front of goal, where Gioacchini crashes in for the header finish.
Good team goal.
3-1 USA, 28th minute.
Go US! Good come back after conceding a goal early on!
Go USA! Good come back.
GOAL USMNT!! It’s Nicholas Gioacchini pouncing on the loose ball after Ulysses Llanez forced a save.
Gio REYNA with the equalizer, picks out the low right corner with a free kick and it’s 1-1 in the 20th minute. Panama’s goalkeeper had a bit of a howler there, but credit to Reyna for picking out the corner.
If beerholder ??struggles he gotta go. Man Ream is a liability??♂️? smh
Is this the slowest center back pairing in USMNT history?
??? Tim Ream yes, Miazga not too bad. If Vincent Company starts him at CB, he ain’t too bad.
I don’t know, Miazga got turned pretty easily by a second string Wales forward and had to grab a jersey after he couldn’t catch up.
I don’t know that him starting at a Kompany coached team bestows indicia of quality. Miazga continues to go out on loan from Chelsea. In my viewing experience, like Ream, Miazga is good for at least one terrible play per game.
There have been slower tandems, but Ream is clearly pretty slow.
Thanks Ives. I will look for your 3 slowest pairing list at half-time!