Contributed by Michael Saunders
Going into the second leg of the Concacaf Nations Cup against Canada, there were may fans wondering if this game would be another disappoointment following the loss to its northern neighbors just a month prior in Toronto (2-0).
It did not take long to dispel those concerns as Jordan Morris scored on a right-footed volley near the two-minute mark running onto a pass from the newly capped Dutch-American fullback Sergino Denst who played it across from a bouncing corner kick.
This led to a 4-1 route of Canada as the USA scored two more times in the first half. The first on a counterattack that resulted in Morris crossing the ball toward Zardes for a header at the near post in the 23rd minute, and the second on a set piece, with Tim Ream sending a sublime left-footed free kick into the penalty area for Aaron Long to head home in the 34th minute.
The second half bogged down, with occasional forays by both teams. Canada displayed more effort, but to no avail. Despite dominating possession by nearly 2 to 1 over the entire match & scoring a goal in the 72nd minute, the lack of any positive ball movement into the final third is reflected by the dearth of quality shots taken by Les Rouge. The US turned down the pressure in the last 45 but sealed the game with a second goal by Zardes off a cross from Yedlin in the 89th minute.
Take-aways from this game were few but nonetheless critical, The USA certainly was not dominating, but they put pressure on the ball in the midfield led by defender John Brooks to thwart any meaningful attack by the Canadians, It also marked the formal inclusion of Sergino Denst, the young Dutch-American fullback who also stars for Ajax, sealing his commitment to play for the USA based on FIFA rules, It demonstrated that even without their star player, Pulisic, or the starting goaltender, The US Men's National Team have enough talent to win. Finally the score placed the US on top of its Group Table by surpassing the goal differential Canada had held before the match.
Written by Michael Saunders