A.Thanks to goals from Sebastian Berhalter, Julian Hall, Chris Richards and 17-year-old newcomer Mathis Albert, the United States men’s national team beat 49th-ranked Chile in St. Louis on Tuesday night 4-2. The United States was shaky at times, but used a mix of regulars and newcomers to get the job done, with Albert becoming the youngest scorer in U.S. men’s history with his insurance goal in stoppage time, and Hall becoming the youngest U.S. player to score in each of his first two games.
The match ended with an example of the collective identity that a young American group managed to forge in its first World Cup window, without major figures like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun. When goalkeeper Brian Schwake fell on the ball as injury time expired, Chilean forward Leandro Hernández let a kick pass the Nashville SC keeper. Chris Richards was the exception when confronting Hernández, sparking a group confrontation that cleared both benches and saw U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino jump into the middle of the melee in an attempt to calm things down.
“We support each other. We have 26 guys who are ready to be there at any time,” Sebastian Berhalter later told TNT. “When you do things like that, there are going to be repercussions.”
The Chileans, ranked 49th, are a far cry from their glory days, the period in the 2010s that saw them win back-to-back Copa Américas and reach the knockout stages of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Interim manager Nicolás Córdova has begun the process of leading the Chileans through a generational change as they head towards 2030.
On Tuesday, Córdova was without the services of Chilean captain Gabriel Suazo, one of two Chilean players shown a red card in their brutally physical 1-0 defeat to Canada over the weekend. Still, they proved a tougher challenge for the United States than for Peru, whom the United States beat 4-1 in the first match of the window three days earlier.
Berhalter’s goal came after 37 minutes and was well worked. Sergiño Dest’s combination play on the near sideline put several defenders out of position; Hall cleverly stepped over Dest’s ensuing cross as it crossed the area and found the Middlesbrough midfielder 10 yards from goal, on the other side of the area. Berhalter – who was excellent throughout the evening and assisted the winning goal from a corner – pushed his effort down and into the side netting at the near post.
“He is a player whose commitment, his energy, everything he does is for the badge, for the national team, for the teammates,” Pochettino said. “He is a very good role model player for players coming in for the first time or watching from home, in the way we expect players to behave. The quality he has – delivery from set pieces, scoring goals, can play from the left, from the right, box to box or from midfield, or as a number 10 in different positions. He is always happy to do anything for the national team. These things are priceless. Have a player like him is priceless.”
Hall was once again well placed on his goal in the 51st minute, rising above his defender 10 yards from goal to meet a Gio Reyna cross and sending in a perfectly placed header, glancing towards the near post. As with Berhalter, it was the Red Bull New York forward’s second goal in as many games.
The United States arrived in St. Louis having beaten Peru 4-1, a match that saw 11 American players make their senior debuts, just shy of an all-time record. U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino made 10 changes from the squad that started this match, and while Tuesday’s lineup may have lacked that group’s youth, it had no shortage of starters: goalkeeper Chris Brady made his first-ever start, as did outfield players Hall, Adri Mehmeti, Neil Pierre, Brooklyn Raines and Frankie Westfield.
Tuesday’s starters sometimes lacked finishing – particularly in defense – with the United States ceding the lion’s share of chances in the first half to the Chileans. They also lacked sharpness going forward; After 20 minutes, Hall was put through on goal by Berhalter. The Red Bulls striker rounded Chilean goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux and turned towards an open goal, but was unable to keep his angular attempt on target from 12 yards.
Brady looked shaky when asked to control proceedings in the penalty area and was saved by the crossbar twice in the first half. First in the 34th minute from a Ben Brereton Díaz strike, then again two minutes later when the far post intervened on a Chilean effort, keeping the match scoreless. Berhalter’s goal came shortly after.
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Yet Chile responded just before halftime, on a corner kick that neither Brady (nor any U.S. defender, for that matter) took control of, leading to a frantic goal-line scramble inside the penalty area. After several thwarted attempts, Chilean defender Diego Ulloa finally found an opening in the madness and equalized. Brady was replaced by Nashville SC’s Brian Schwake at halftime.
Just a few minutes into the second half, the Chileans struck again. Westfield misplayed a header in their own half, which chanced to fall at the feet of Maximilliano Gutiérrez, who sprinted forward and curled a bending effort around the outstretched arms of Schwake. Hall quickly equalized.
In the 72nd minute, Richards found the winner when he met Berhalter’s brilliantly struck corner near the penalty spot, heading it in with authority. Albert’s effort came in stoppage time as he crashed towards goal and lashed home with an outstretched leg; the game quickly devolved shortly after into a shoving match between the two teams.
On a night where US Soccer honored the retirement of longtime USMNT captain Tim Ream, Robinson wore the armband for the United States. Pochettino said earlier in the week that he wanted to waste little time in naming Ream’s replacement as captain for America’s campaign towards the 2030 World Cup, but he apparently hasn’t decided yet; midfielder Tyler Adams got the nod against Peru.
The United States will face two even stronger opponents to close out this international window, traveling to Phoenix, Arizona to face Mexico on October 3, before facing Canada in St Paul, Minnesota the following Tuesday.
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