In a friendly between two Qatar 2022 World Cup-bound teams, the United States dispatched Morocco efficiently Wednesday night in a 3-0 win at FC Cincinnati's TQL Stadium.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter gave his core group another outing and was rewarded by a confident performance, with Brenden Aaronson, Timothy Weah and Christian Pulisic standing out in particular.
The Arsenal-bound goalkeeper made eight saves, two of which were highlight-worthy, and was more than happy to claim the speculative efforts Morocco threw at him. He faced a penalty kick that clanged off the crossbar as part of an overall solid showing from Turner, who continues to make a strong case for the starting job.
The Fulham left back was tasked with quieting PSG wingback Achraf Hakimi and did his job well, even if it limited his impact on the other end of the pitch. Robinson was taken off at halftime.
The New York Red Bulls defender made a strong case for more minutes as the USMNT search for a center-back solution following Miles Robinson's Achilles injury. Long extinguished a couple of fires with excellent pace, and other than an early yellow card, he didn't put a foot wrong.
Typically calm defensively, the Nashville SC stalwart shepherded the ball out of danger areas on multiple occasions and set up the opening goal with a pinpoint ball over the top for Christian Pulisic. Zimmerman was withdrawn at halftime for Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Cannon was efficient in build-up play and was a reliable outlet in possession, stretching the field on the right side and giving Timothy Weah space in which to work.
Musah's outing was a mixed bag. He's clearly one of the more talented players in the squad and is a mature passer of the ball, which made some of his choices perplexing. While he got himself into good positions, he looked hesitant at times and struggled to pick the right pass in the final third.
It was a trademark performance from Adams. The New York Red Bulls product pulled the strings from the base of midfield, cleaning up in front of the back four and winning tackles left and right. He was nearly perfect in possession on the night.
The new Leeds United signing was deployed in a more unfamiliar central midfield role (No. 8) and didn't miss a beat. Aaronson covered every inch of grass on the field, putting in tackles worthy of the English Premier League. The Philadelphia Union product showed up in the right place at the right time to take his goal and looked dynamic whenever he touched the ball.
Wearing the captain's armband for the evening, the Chelsea man showed why he's the Yanks' best attacker. Pulisic set up Aaronson's opener with a crafty deep run and an absolutely world-class touch. He also earned a penalty kick in the second half and was a constant threat around the box. This is the type of performance the US need in Qatar.
Weah was the standout for the US. His pace has been well-documented, but his ability to control the ball and make the right decisions at full speed is a crucial asset. He threatened the goal several times to start the match before opening the scoring with a thunderbolt of a shot, then continued to cause problems late into the second half.
Berhalter didn't mess around with his lineup selection, picking arguably the strongest group available to make best use of limited matches left before Qatar (five remaining). Against a strong Morocco side, his squad didn't back down, breaking them down with the ball and creating plenty of chances. As the match wore on, things grew stretched and the US looked less rigid defensively, but it's the only blip on an otherwise excellent showing.
Substitutes
The Borussia Mönchengladbach defender was brought on at halftime for his USMNT debut, and while Scally didn't turn the match on its head, he put in a composed performance that will ease some of the concerns about fullback depth. The NYCFC product gave away a penalty in the second half, but replays showed no contact (PK was missed). Could Scally be the solution to sought-after left back depth?
The in-form Antalyaspor striker got his first-ever cap off to a memorable start, converting from the spot after just 18 minutes. Aside from the goal, he completed all 11 passes he attempted, showed really intelligent movement in the box and offered solid hold-up play. Wright very well could earn a Qatar ticket when all's said and done.
Fresh off a Scottish Premiership title with Celtic, Carter-Vickers was given the entire second half to play next to Aaron Long. He looked comfortable in possession, and despite a couple of nervy moments in defense, he didn't look out of place.
The Heracles midfielder showed his usual ambition in midfield, making late runs into the box and showing a knack for opening up the defense in possession.
Just one day after FIFA approved his one-time international switch from Germany to the US, the Bayern Munich product started slowly but grew into the match. Tillman at times looked unsure positionally, but flashed his potential with a slick turn and shot in the box.
Subbed on for the final 18 minutes, the Juventus midfielder's return from a foot injury is a huge boost heading into the World Cup.
