Matt Freese’s clutch saves in the penalty kick shootout that advanced the US men’s national team past Costa Rica in Sunday’s dramatic Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal made him the star performer at US Bank Stadium.
Yet as he fielded questions from media on Tuesday ahead of the USMNT’s semifinal clash with Guatemala in St. Louis, head coach Mauricio Pochettino directed attention to another, more easily overlooked aspect of the New York City FC goalkeeper’s performance in Minneapolis: Freese’s extended sprint into the attacking half to join the melee when his teammates confronted several Ticos looking to intimidate US playmaker Malik Tillman.
“He ran 100 meters to be in the fight, no? Did you see? And that was amazing,” said ‘Poch’ with a grin ahead of Wednesday’s big game at Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC (7 pm ET | FS1, Univision, TUDN).
“I'm an Argentino. We love to fight. That means a lot, because it means that we are connected, that we care about our teammates.”
Righting the ship
If this version of the USMNT can extend their tournament run, Sunday may turn out to have been a watershed in that regard.
Speaking to reporters at the Yanks’ morning practice session at CITY SC’s training facility, veteran center back Tim Ream told reporters of the squad’s “togetherness,” suggesting it was a silver lining in the humbling friendly losses to Türkiye and Switzerland at the start of the current camp.
“With the two friendlies that we had, it could have been a not-great situation going into the Gold Cup,” said the Charlotte FC center back. “I think everybody used it as a learning experience and a moment to understand what it would take to come together, take to play in the tournament, survive and continue to move on.
“I watch, sit back and look at these guys in the games, in the changing room, at meals, and just the bonds that are being created in such a short amount of time is – I don't think you can speak about it enough, and it's something that maybe not necessarily we've had enough of in the past. To see guys just getting along and having fun is so good to see.”
"Resilient mentality"
Falling behind early, then spurning their first chance to level as Tillman missed a first-half penalty kick, surging ahead after the break before weathering Costa Rica’s spirited rally, the US found themselves tested in a way they simply were not in the group stage – and surviving all that is a building block.
As former New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams noted in Tuesday’s press conference: “I think when we look back on our performance, we'll see a really resilient mentality … So many guys will gain valuable experience throughout that game, and it sets us up for success.”
While Canada’s upset loss to Los Chapines earlier Sunday in Minnesota showed the risks of an overly pugnacious approach, with Jacob Shaffelburg’s second yellow card putting his team behind the eight-ball down the stretch, Pochettino’s delight was evident as he discussed his side’s rising levels of unity and bite, an aspect he’s been unsatisfied with in the past.
“You can select 26 players, but for them to be a team is a different thing. You can have 26 players that play in an individual way, and it's difficult,” said the Argentine head coach, expressing pride in his group’s deepening unity.
“You cannot force, you cannot push. Only we can create the platform and say, ‘come on, yes,’ … That is what we want. That is how we feel, how we want to represent our country, and we want to fight for our flag, for our shirt.”
Semifinal test
The Yanks expect to be tested again by Guatemala, who have made significant strides this year under the guidance of veteran Mexican manager Luis Fernando Tena, led by D.C. United fullback Aaron Herrera and ex-Real Salt Lake striker Rubio Rubín, both of whom started their international careers with the United States before switching allegiance to their families’ country of origin.
“We expect a very difficult match, a match with a very well-organized team with a great coach,” said Poch in Spanish. “They deservedly made it to the semifinals – no, there is no discussion about that.
“I believe that football is growing a lot in Central America and now we are feeling it. Before, we saw it from afar in Europe, but now we are here with the coaches working, with structures that are growing, and with football players who have talent and quality.”
The coach also lamented the exceedingly brief periods he’s gotten to spend with his first-choice rosters during the tight turnarounds of standard in-season international windows, whereas this summer’s tournament has provided a lengthy stretch of shared experience and familiarization.
San Diego FC midfielder Luca de la Torre alluded to the slow, steady nurturing of connections both on and off the pitch – and predicted they’ll be necessary in order to reach their goal of hoisting Concacaf’s top hardware in Houston this Sunday. The winner will advance to face Mexico or Honduras.
“You've seen the team get better every game. I think it's normal,” said de la Torre. “Before this, a lot of the guys had never played together, so, yeah, now I think things are a lot more fluid, especially in the attacking part of the game. Hopefully we can improve again tomorrow.
“It's going to be a very difficult game. I think it's really clear, any time you play for the national team, you're playing against 11 guys who know what they need to do, who are extremely motivated, and we have to want it just as much, if not more, than them if we want a chance of winning.”
