The United States national team began its CONCACAF Nations League title defense with a simple one-sided 5-0 victory over Grenada on Friday night. Jesus Ferreira, who is looking to be USMNT’s number one striker at the 2022 World Cup, tied the team’s record by four goals to help his cause, albeit against a weak opposition.
The Reds, Whites, and Blues played their final game on American soil this calendar year, outplaying the Visitors 25-3 in a match that at times looked more like a melee than an official Greg Berhalter team competition.
Shockingly, the USA needed 43 minutes to score despite their control of the ball and chances, with Ferreira’s vigilant shot from inside the penalty area.
With so many fouls in front of goal of late, Ferreira was able to reverse that poor level with a prolific match and while his impressive stats roster came against a team ranked 170th in the world. He is the fifth player to score four goals in a game for the United States, joining Archie Stark (1925), Aldo Donnelly (1934), Joe Max Moore (1993) and Landon Donovan (2003).
With key players like Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams resting, the US was able to set the pace for all-night play. The visitors never came close, scoring 0.10 in three shots. The US finished with an xG of 4.08 in 25 shots. The Americans also accounted for 66.6 percent, not conceding a corner kick, and seeing that Matt Turner doesn’t have to save once.
The defending champion extended his unbeaten home run to 26 matches, matching the previous record set in 2013-2015.
The Americans are now turning their attention to numbers that will be a much tougher test on Tuesday when they face El Salvador in the second round.
The United States will play in the World Cup Finals in November after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition. USMNT will face Wales on November 21, England on November 25 (the day after Thanksgiving) and Iran on November 29.
USMNT لاعب Player Ratings
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(Goalkeeper) Matt Turner |
90 | It was never tested as Grenada had three shots without hitting target. One of the easiest matches he will witness when he wears the national team shirt. |
7 |
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(DEF) Anthony Robinson |
60 | I only created one chance but it doesn’t matter because a clean sheet is the most important. It was nice to see that Robinson could be more conservative, only pounding forward when needed. |
7 |
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(DEF) Aaron Long |
45 | I didn’t need to do much with Carter Vickers being the most dominant defender of the night. A neat display during the first half but then faltered as Berhalter continued to test his central doubles. |
7 |
|
(DEF) Cameron Carter Vickers |
90 | He kept playing in front of him, made five interceptions during the match and won most of his aerial fights. While not one of the toughest defensive challenges he will face, this was a nice improvement to see from Carter Vickers after his move to the Celtic official earlier in the day. | 8 |
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(DEF) Reggie Cannon |
90 | He progressed well, collecting three interceptions as Cannon appeared to be paving his way to the World Cup. Thanks to its versatility, it is good to have in any situation. | 7 |
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(Med) Clean Acosta |
90 | He dominated the match from midfield. Acosta was omnipresent during the match, helping the USA weaken Grenada until the ball hit the back of the net. On a day when plenty of midfielders rested, Acosta shined. | 9 |
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(MID) Luca de la Torre |
71 | Was this an upcoming party at La Torre? Even without the assist, he had a great game that helped dominate possession and push the pace against the Spice Boys. It will be important for De La Torre to be dominant against the stronger teams, but it is good to see that the ability is there. | 8 |
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(MID) Weston McKinney |
45 | He wasn’t in the game when the goals really started to come in, but he played a huge role in helping to weaken Grenada, creating two chances and ensuring the team held the ball in the first half. | 7 |
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(FWD) Jordan Morris |
60 | I created one big chance and missed some good offensive chances. When USMNT turned the match into goal training, Morris didn’t keep up with the other team members which would cost him when minutes were limited. | 6 |
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(FWD) Paul Areola |
90 | He created for the team three high chances with one ending with a goal by FC Dallas Ferreira teammate. Areola made a good transformation during the match and did all the right things on both the offensive and defensive side. | 7 |
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(FWD) Jesus Ferreira |
90 | What a way to break the scoring drought. Ferreira scored four goals as he was in the right place at the right time in almost all the matches to show what he is doing well with the national team. While it is difficult to take a lot from the match due to the quality of the opponent, there is not much that Ferreira could have done either. | 10 |
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George Bello |
Robinson 60 | I did what was asked in a few minutes but didn’t do anything amazing | 6 |
| Walker Zimmerman | tall, (45) | Calm as always, Zimmermann kept things ticking in defense after entering the match. He didn’t win any of his headers but did get passes and interceptions as soon as he got in. | 7 |
| Brendan Aronson | De la Torre, (71) | He didn’t need much time to make his mark on the match and made a pass with his only chance created. A powerful cameo as Aaronson’s new legs really helped break Grenada. | 8 |
| Malik Tillman | McKinney, (’45) | Officially associated with the United States, Tillman played a deeper role in midfield, delivering a solid performance that showed what he could ultimately deliver, but also showed how strong he is at the same time. There is nothing to worry about at this point, because with refinement it can be a strength. | 7 |
|
Christian Roldan |
Morris 60 | Keep possession ticked once the match has already been won. | 6 |
| Greg Berhalter | 5 | While he didn’t tie everyone he needed in the first match of the Nations League, it was a sure win that we hope will give Ferreira confidence after scoring four goals. It was a solid performance and the team did exactly as he asked and scored five goals the game plan was right. | 9 |
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