United States Men’s National Team midfielder Weston McKennie made some remarks that, at face value, initially seem less than eyebrow raising.
Then you look at comments again, with an awareness of how USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter is failing in his role, and the Juventus star’s discourse actually takes on another level. He’s basically telegraphing it to us- Berhalterball is as bad as you might think it is. First, read this tweet below:
Top comment on Reddit on the #USAvCAN game today and Berhalter’s terrible style of play. Every #USMNT fan should read it. It’s spot on. #BerhalterOut pic.twitter.com/6C7IoFh9Pa
— Eurosnob (@usmnt13) January 31, 2022
Not everything the tweeter said above is totally correct, but he’s got all the major points down. He’s right about the general theme and message- the USMNT aren’t playing aggressive enough. They are wasting their talent by approaching the game too tentatively.
Now look at what McKennie said on a media Zoom, ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras. (match preview here)
“We’re a young team. We’re a team that can run. We’re a team that loves to press. We’re a team that is most effective and create a lot of our chances from winning balls and pressuring and going straight to goal.
“I think we kind of held back on that these past two games and didn’t use it to its full ability, I guess.
“Being effective in the final third and scoring the goals and the opportunities that we get, if it is one or two times a game, I think it’s very important to be effective.”
Kind of says it all right there, doesn’t it? The USA, despite having all that astounding, developing, multi-skilled talent, just can’t get out of their own way. They can’t make any win easy, and they continue to torture us with unneeded drama about WC qualification.
You're playing Canada, without their best player in Alphonso Davies.
You have Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Sergino Dest in the line-up, and you're STILL LOSING
Why do you make this so difficult #USMNT ?#USA #usavscan pic.twitter.com/vM3H5sxxnq— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) January 30, 2022
McKennie also asked about when the national team suspended him in the fall for violating the team’s COVID-19 protocols. He breached the quarantine rules twice, once by bringing someone who was not allowed in the bubble, and again by staying out and breaking curfew.
“I think it was just a learning lesson, obviously,” the former FC Schalke man said.
“I think as I went back, it was just important for me to put my head down and work. Juventus definitely helped me out with that a lot. I struggled for a bit, lost some of my confidence and like I said it was a learning lesson.
“I felt like I let my team down and let my country down and my family and myself.”
The Texan continued:
“So whenever I got called back in it was just to try and rebuild the relationships and the trust with everyone and just perform and show that I’m there for the team and then I’m there to try and win.
“And so I think the best thing as a person to do is be available. So I think that was my biggest thing is just to be available and not have a situation like that again.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.