Inexperience, Miscommunications Cost USMNT In 2024 Debut

The U.S. lost it's opening match of 2024 with a final score of 1-0.

Photo By John McGloughlin

In a chilly Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas, Gregg Berhalter used the opportunity of a friendly match to give chances to the youth. Seven starters made their USMNT debut, vying for a spot in one of the various upcoming international tournaments.

Two Revolution players saw the field; fullback DeJuan Jones got the start almost a year after he made his international debut, and forward youngster Esmir Bajraktarevic was subbed on in the second half.

Jones made an impact from the beginning, saving a potential goal in the 7th minute after a great through ball. He drove the attacker out of bounds to earn a goal kick. He remained aggressive throughout the match, playing high from his fullback spot, but overcooked some passes that needed to be more accurate.

After both sides exchanged control of the match, Slovenia was able to break through after a high press led to a mistake from the back line. Danijel Šturm was able to win the ball and find Nejc Gradišar, who coolly finished to the bottom right corner.

The defensive miscue ultimately cost the Stars and Stripes, who were unable to fight back into the game despite dominating possession with 68% and registering 15 shots to Slovenia’s nine. Various chances throughout the second half led to nothing, either a miss wide or someone falling over to easily give away possession.

This carried on to the final whistle in what ended up being an unmemorable afternoon for the United States. There wasn’t a specific player who really stood out, but there is something to be said for Berhalter’s tactics and ability to play solid defense that leads to counterattacks. It’s likely that if he had his usual rotation of Pulisic, Reyna, and Sargent, the scoreline would look quite different. But for now, no one made much progress in a friendly that produced little excitement.