Football

World Cup 2022: USA boss Gregg Berhalter reveals how close his team are to reaching their goals

World Cup 2022: USA boss Gregg Berhalter reveals how close his team are to reaching their goals

USA coach Gregg Berhalter says his team are ‘close’ to achieving their goals, believing the American public ‘should be optimistic’ about what they have seen in Qatar.

A young USA squad finished second in their 2022 World Cup group, remaining unbeaten and clinching five points. They drew 1-1 with Wales, before securing a goalless draw against England. They then beat Iran 1-0 to clinch a spot in the Round of 16.

But a strong Netherlands side then stood in their way, with Louis van Gaal’s men winning the last 16 tie 3-1 on Saturday.

USA are ‘close’ to achieving goals

While Berhalter was disappointed after the defeat, he believes his men are close to proving just how dangerous they can be on the world stage.

The USA will co-host the 2026 World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, and will no doubt be a major threat in four years’ time.

“We set out with a goal to show the rest of the world how we play soccer and I think we partially achieved that even though we fell short of our goals,” said Berhalter, as reported by Reuters. “I think this group is close.

“To be fielding the youngest lineup in the World Cup four games in a row and still be able to play the way we are, the American public should be optimistic.”

Berhalter has ‘clear identity’ of nation’s aims

The USA gained plenty of plaudits for their displays in Qatar, with the young squad putting in a particularly strong showing against England.

They netted three goals in the tournament overall, one each in the meetings with Wales, Iran and the Netherlands.

The nation failed to qualify for the competition in 2018, but this time progressed thanks to their youthful squad. The USA fielded a lineup with an average age of 25, the second youngest of the entire tournament, behind only Ghana.

“I do feel like we made progress,” said Berhalter. “I feel like when you look at our team it is a very clear identity of what we are trying to do.

“The guys should gain confidence that we can play with anyone in the world the way we want to play, that’s the important thing, now it’s about how do we keep that up and take it to another level.”

USA

Young USA stars shine in Qatar

Of the current USA squad, only 29-year-old DeAndre Yedlin played for the country at the tournament in Brazil in 2014. It proves just how Berhalter opted for youth in Qatar, with Tyler Adams the youngest captain at the 2022 World Cup at 23.

His teammates are also just beginning their careers, with both Yunus Musah and Giovanni Reyna aged 20, and Sergino Dest, Timothy Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent all just 22.

Both Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, regulars for the USA at the 2022 World Cup, are just 24 years old. Haji Wright, Luca de la Torre and Cameron Carter-Vickers are also 24.

The 2026 tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico will see an increase from 32 to 48 teams taking part, with the USA undoubtedly confident of going far after their participation in Qatar.


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