The United States men’s national team lost to Canada in World Cup qualifying on Sunday, 2-0. It was a disappointing result for the USMNT that saw Cyle Larin and Sam Adekugbe find the net for the Canadians, who took advantage of mistakes the U.S. made while playing out of the back.
The result leaves the U.S. still in a favorable position in terms of qualification for Qatar 2022, but that could change if they fail to beat Honduras on Wednesday. Below are player ratings from Sunday’s loss for Gregg Berhalter’s team.
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United States ratings
Matt Turner (GK) | 90 | A great double save on David and Larin makes up for a goal kick that led to Canada’s opener. Turner seemed less comfortable in net than normal, spilling saves. The cold weather also caused issues with his distribution as he didn’t have a ton to do but you expect better from him at this stage. | 6 |
Sergino Dest (DEF) | 76 | One of the best defensive performances that I’ve seen from Dest in a United States shirt. He was less dynamic going forward but that seemed to be due to the game plan. Did a great job limiting Tajon Buchanan. | 7 |
Chris Richards (DEF) | 84 | Went off after rolling his ankle but Gregg Berhalter already used all five substitutions so the United States had to play the final six minutes plus stoppage time with 10 men. Had some good moments like clearing up Richie Lareya’s shot but was also caught out of position a few times. | 5 |
Miles Robinson (DEF) | 90 | An uncharacteristically shaky performance from Robinson. He had a game high 12 ball recoveries but was also slipped up on both goals by Canada. This was a match that makes you miss Walker Zimmerman. | 5 |
Antonee Robinson (DEF) | 90 | Another good defensive performance but Robinson’s crosses weren’t able to find anyone in the box. See Zardes, Gyasi for the reasoning behind that. | 7 |
Tyler Adams (MID) | 69 | Another composed performance from the key man in the US midfield. Second on the team with eight recoveries at the time of his withdrawal, Adams was as reliable as ever. Berhalter will hope that Adams is available for the next match vs. Honduras as this team needs him to tick. | 7 |
Yunus Musah (MID) | 76 | It felt like something was missing from Musah today. While he had a decent shift, the understanding with Aaronson on what each of them wanted to do wasn’t there. He was able to create two chances but needs to do better with winning challenges if he wants to stick in the midfield. | 5 |
Weston McKennie (MID) | 90 | McKennie was everywhere, completing seven take on’s and forcing the best save out of Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan while also creating a few chances. With Pulisic struggling, McKennie is turning into a great all-arounder for the team even giving Canada trouble with his long throws. | 8 |
Brenden Aaronson (FWD) | 69 | Created some decent chances on the dribble, but Aaronson looked uncomfortable being unable to cut inside on a narrow pitch. | 6 |
Gyasi Zardes (FWD) | 69 | Was an OK outlet in the air, but Zardes wasn’t able to get space on the Canada center back pairing. It’s not his fault that he only had 29 touches during the match but it didn’t help things either. | 5 |
Christian Pulisic (FWD) | 90 | It was a tale of two Pulisic’s as he created a team-high three chances but also was ineffective in the final third. Another frustrating day for Pulisic as his form is beginning to become a concern for the national team. | 4 |
Jordan Morris | Brenden Aaronson | Didn’t do much after coming on. Had a chance near the end where he could have caused some trouble by shooting but opted for the pass instead. | 5 |
| Kellyn Acosta | Tyler Adams | A tidy shift filling in for Adams but not much to write home about. | 6 |
| Ricardo Pepi | Gyasi Zardes | Great in his relief minutes and it’s clear why some were calling for Pepi at the half. | 6 |
| Reggie Cannon | Sergino Dest | Brought fresh legs and good delivery to spell Dest but didn’t have anyone on the end of his crosses. | 6 |
Paul Arriola | Yunus Musah | Had a biked chance that almost found the net which is more than most of the team had to offer. | 6 |
| Gregg Berhalter | 5 | Left his changes too late and was dealt a bad hand since Walker Zimmerman was held out due to a hamstring issue. Should’ve gotten the team to play more direct earlier when it was clear that they couldn’t complete passes on an cold pitch but opted not to. | 4 |
Canada ratings
(GK) Milan Borjan | 90 | Really didn’t have to worry about much, but he was sturdy when called upon. He played smart, his passing out of the back was sharp, and he was on. | 7 |
(DEF) Alistair Johnston | 90 | Attentive as can be. Was always ready down the right, especially to track his runners and clear the ball before a potential shot, but did struggle with balls from the opposite side. Won 75% of his tackles, 87.5% of his duels and 75% of his aerials. | 8 |
(DEF) Steven Vitoria | 90 | Was booked 30 minutes in for a challenge on Pulisic from behind, but it was the right thing to do, stopping a potentially dangerous counter. He did look a step slow though and not quite sharp. Didn’t hurt his team though. | 6 |
(DEF) Kamal Miller | 90 | A force at the back. Great in the air, also did a fine job offering assistance in defending Pulisic from the wing. Had three clearances and used that big frame to dominate. | 7 |
(MID) Tajon Buchanan | 90 | The winger did not get to make the impact he wanted, failing to produce a shot on goal. He was often marked when he got centrally, and he seemed fine with others being played through. | 5 |
(MID) Mark-Anthony Kaye | 58 | Not his best display. Came off with an injury and just was not at his fittest nor his sharpest. | 4 |
(MID) Richie Laryea | 90 | Really good in the middle defensively. He might not have been the best tackler, but his pressures forced the U.S. into uncomfortable positions. | 6 |
(MID) Samuel Adekugbe | 90 | Just fantastic effort and hustle to track back and help the central defense. He also scored his first international goal with a fine strike late. A game he’ll remember. | 7 |
(FWD) Cyle Larin | 73 | Put both of his shots on goal, and his first one found the back of the net with great placement. It turned out to be the winning goal and came off some great combination. What an impact. | 8 |
(FWD) Jonathan David | 84 | Great combination with Larin on the opener, using just one touch to play him through with precision. He would have liked to have been more of a threat on goal. His passing was superb, getting an assist. | 7.5 |
(FWD) Jonathan Osorio | 90 | Did next to nothing. His passing was sloppy, his creativity was non-existent, and he didn’t record a shot. It didn’t really matter though as others stepped up. | 4 |
Liam Fraser | Kate (58′) | Did not make much of an impact off the bench aside from clearing the ball twice. | 5 |
David Junior Hoilett | Larin (73′) | Brought some precision to the team’s passing and created a chance in 17 minutes. | 6 |
Ike Ugbo | David (84′) | A time-wasting sub that recorded just six touches. | N/A |
John Herdman | Three | A near-perfect gameplan. They were fine conceding possession knowing they could go on the counter and scored twice from it. On the verge of becoming a coaching legend with the national team. Beat the U.S. without their best player in Alphonso Davies. | 8 |
