The U.S. men's national team had a disappointing start to 2024 with a 1-0 loss to Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas.
Slovenia's Nejc Gradišar scored the only goal as the USA fell despite 69% possession and a 15-9 win against Slovenia.
What did we learn?
Well, how much could we really learn by coming into January with a squad full of players who have minimal realistic chances of becoming first-choice starters, facing a similarly weakened Slovenian team on a less than ideal pitch?
Structurally, the U.S. played the way Berhalter preferred during his tenure as head coach (for better or for worse).
The Americans controlled the game but failed to make much progress through laborious possession and conceded a goal in transition. What's interesting is that they didn't play with a more defined number 10, as the first team has done recently with Gio Reyna in the role, instead opting for three traditional central midfielders in a 4-3-3. Diego Luna played as an inverted left winger with the license to drift inside to create, but was not an outright number 10.
Another disappointment is that the starting eleven didn't have as many Olympic players as it could have. Five starters (Patrick Schulte, Diego Luna, Josh Atencio, Bernard Kamungo and Aidan Morris) were age-appropriate, while players like Duncan McGuire, John Tolkin, Jack McGlynn and others remained on the bench.
A total of 11 players made their senior USMNT debuts on Saturday. The performance was disappointing, but there was minimal overlap here with the USMNT's first (and even second) group.
Which players have supported their case for future tournaments?
DeJuan Jones He started the game at left-back, constantly coming forward to pass Luna, and finished the game at right-back – coming forward to pass Esmir Bajraktarevic. He was steady and consistent and had the work rate, stamina and athleticism needed to perform the sideline-to-sideline duties required of a fullback in Berhalter's system. The ability to play both right and left-back is very useful when building a tournament squad.
Unfortunately, the Olympic squad appears to be leaning on a fullback with Tolkin and Wiley on the left and possibly Bryan Reynolds and Joe Scally on the right. It would make little sense to apply one of the three overage exceptions to another full-back.
Esmir Bajraktarevic immediately provided a spark after entering the game in the second half. His first action on his senior debut was to beat up a Slovenian defender. He was one of the few attackers in Berhalter's team who wasn't afraid to take chances and challenge players. Bajraktarevic increased his chances of getting into the Olympic squad.
Bernard Kamungo had a positive impact on the USMNT before being replaced by Bajraktarevic. He was lively, dynamic and made an impression, even if it didn't result in a goal and made a fatal mistake that sparked the counterattack for the Slovenian goal. Still, he could be a valuable addition to the Olympic squad even if he doesn't win a starting spot, as these qualities lend themselves well to a strong backup player.
Which players might have hurt their case for future tournaments?
Shaq Moore hasn't been at his best since joining Nashville SC and hasn't done himself any favors in limited minutes at the World Cup. He wasn't able to convince on Saturday either. With so many options at right-back – Sergiño Dest, Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Reynolds and if any players from the current U-20/U-23 cycles reveal themselves – Moore will likely remain on the outside for the foreseeable future.
Tim Tillmann, His USMNT debut did little to justify an early re-call. Last year he requested a one-time transfer from Germany and became eligible to play for the USMNT, but at 25, he is age-ineligible for the Olympics and is unlikely to be in the conversation for the Copa America.
Brian White is another overaged player who always had an uphill battle to become a starter, didn't get many services to work with and was therefore limited in his impact.
(Photo: Omar Vega/Getty Images)