ATLANTA — The United States was better on Tuesday than it had been two days prior, maybe even good enough to ensure there won’t be questions of urgency or desperation.
Rather than anything like that, this 2-0 loss to Portugal indicated something just as alarming, albeit far more obvious.
Talented as their roster has become, the Americans still have nothing like the quality of Portugal.
In some ways, that makes this loss a little easier to take because, well, no one ever thought anything else.
Still, after how well things had gone for the U.S. in its fall camps, two losses here in Atlanta with every (non-injured) star on the field for the Americans is a tough pill to swallow.
More worrisome than the results, which leave a bad taste in the last time this group will gather before its pre-World Cup camp that begins after the roster announcement in late May, is that not a lot of questions the U.S. had coming into this camp feel settled.
There’s still no clear No. 9, with Mauricio Pochettino playing Christian Pulisic at striker in the first half on Tuesday, and by the way, Pulisic is still looking to break a goalscoring drought that’s gone 18 months for the U.S. and four months at the club level.
After two games in which Pochettino tried Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman together in attack, it’s hard to argue that what’s clearly the most talented grouping for the U.S. is the Americans’ best.
Players like Gio Reyna and Johnny Cardoso who came into this camp with tons to prove left it without a clear resolution.
Reyna didn’t get on the field until late in the second half of both games and did little. Cardoso played a fine 45 minutes on Saturday, then flew home to Madrid with an injury.
Matt Freese did remind everyone that he’s the obvious first-choice keeper on Tuesday with a good shot-stopping performance, and the U.S. did generate some good moments both off the counterattack and when they could press high enough to bother Portuguese keeper Jose Sa.
The Americans can take some solace, too, from the fact that Portugal’s two goals both took great individual moments: first a backheel pass from Bruno Fernandes, then a brilliant half-volley from Joao Felix that rattled off the post and in from Fernandes’ corner kick.
Felix’s goal, in the 59th minute, erased whatever chance there was for the U.S. to get a result from this weekend, and the lack of finishing from the Americans put an exclamation point on an offensively challenged weekend.
The tactical choices made by coach Mauricio Pochettino were highly interesting. The U.S. set up in a 4-2-3-1 again, but with six changes from Saturday and Pulisic up top as a lone striker.
Tim Weah moved into a right wing position with Alex Freeman putting in a strong game behind him as the outside back; Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter entered as defensive midfielders; Chris Richards and Auston Trusty were the two center backs.
Playing atop the formation served to give Pulisic more opportunity, but did little to help break his goalscoring drought.
He found space to work in multiple times, shooting one first-half opportunity wide and missing a pass to Weston McKennie off another. He and McKennie, along with Antonee Robinson, were pulled at halftime, with Patrick Agyemang taking over as striker.
Right after Pulisic’s wide shot, the U.S. — which had to that point played with verve and desperation — let its concentration lapse. Thirty-seven minutes in, McKennie turned it over, Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes split Trusty and Richards, then fed Francisco Trincao, who hadn’t been picked up as the trailer, with a pretty backheel pass.
Trincao scored to make it 1-0, and the general pattern looked a lot like Belgium’s second goal on Sunday, when the U.S. let up right after a solid offensive opportunity on which Pulisic’s shot went wide.
In more encouraging pieces of news, the setup did help negate their biggest problem from Saturday, with the outside backs rarely caught isolated outside.
Berhalter, a controversial inclusion, had the best chance of the first half for the Americans, forcing a save out of Jose Sa on a long-range shot.
