Reyna and Wright to the rescue: USA 3 - 1 Jamaica
Notes on a dismal win. The early goal, Gregg's "in one ear and out the other" comment, a jab at Jesse & more
Gregg Berhalter and his support cast have talked for some time now about their preparations for 2026, which include sparingly few but key opportunities to sharpen their style, their knockout-tournament prowess, their ability to beat big teams.
Circled red in the calendar, with our preparatory-years rapidly dwindling, are the Concacaf Nations League Finals (which happens now and goes again in ‘25), the 2024 Copa America (the biggest test they’ll face), and the 2025 Gold Cup. Those will serve as the tournament prep. High caliber friendlies, in a landscape of congested international football, will be fleeting in between.
And so last evening in Arlington, Texas, before a depressingly empty Jerry World, the USMNT set off to make a mark on their endeavors. They proceeded to play one of the more abysmal matches I have ever seen them unravel, escaping to a final against Mexico by the skin of their substitutes’ teeth.
I suppose that is a mark, of a kind.
“The worst thing you can do”
31 seconds into the game: throw-in toward Bobby Decordova-Reid, Jedi fumbles the ball through his feet, Reid collects and crosses to the back post where Joe Scally has forgotten where he is or which continent he is on. Oxford United’s Greg Leigh there waiting to send the ball past Matt Turner, who could have done better to stop the shot. And with that, the US conceded their earliest goal in the 21st century.
Berhalter:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Swan Dive with Meg Swanick to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.