USMNT stock report: Did anyone make a case for World Cup roster spot?
The scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia at the Estadio Nueva Condomina in Murcia, Spain offered little about the U.S. men's national team's September camp that we didn't already know.
The friendly against the Saudis was the USMNT's final game before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in just over 50 days' time. The U.S. failed to score in either of its final tune-ups, against Saudi Arabia and Japan, registering a combined two shots on goal from 11 tries. More so against Japan, the U.S. lacked sharpness and control of game tempo, lacking the ability to answer questions about a starting center forward, center back pairings and injuries to its best players.
"If we're going to evaluate everybody, what I'd say in general, there's not many players that performed up to their normal levels in this camp," U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said Tuesday after the game. "That's just how it is."
Among those who did were midfielder Tyler Adams, winger Christian Pulisic, goalkeeper Matt Turner and center back Walker Zimmerman. The rest struggled to make an imprint on either games.
Berhalter made four changes to the USMNT lineup against Tuesday, adding Pulisic — who returned from a minor injury last week in training — center forward Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Kellyn Acosta and right back DeAndre Yedlin. But in just 30 minutes, midfielder Gio Reyna left the game with muscle tightness, reopening the durability question for a key cog and an expected World Cup starter who missed all but four World Cup Qualifiers.
Notably, Berhalter retained his All-MLS center back pairing in the lineup with Nashville SC's Zimmerman and New York Red Bulls' Aaron Long. However, he did substitute Long for K.R.C. Genk's Mark McKenzie. He also introduced Gladbach's Joe Scally and Rangers midfielder Malik Tillman in the second half. In this version of our USMNT stock report, we take a look at Long, McKenzie, Scally and Tillman.
USMNT World Cup roster stock report
Joe Scally: Rising
The 19-year-old right back who applies his trade in the German Bundesliga has just 165 minutes of USMNT action under his belt. It's a small sample size, but enough to prove he can offer physical, hard-working backup fullback, behind starter Sergiño Dest and DeAndre Yedlin.
Case in point Tuesday was one minute after he came into the game. In an attack down the right wing, Scally dodged winger Hattan Bahebri by kicking the ball past Bahebri's left side and zoomed by on his right. Initially, Bahebri won the ball, but Scally jostled with him, won the ball and played across into the box. At 6-feet tall, Scally gives the U.S. a physical presence at right back.
Aaron Long: Stable
Long had improved from his setback against Japan last Friday, but hasn't proved he can start for the U.S. Long connected on three of his five long ball attempts, won one of his four duels, but completed 91% of his passing.
Long's stock is stable as a backup center back competing with Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers and ES Troyes' Erik Palmer-Brown, both injured, are also in contention for a World Cup spot. Berhalter did not play Palmer-Brown during September camp.
Mark McKenzie: Falling
McKenzie's stock has fallen during camp this month. He came off the bench in both games for a combined 76 minutes played and in both games, turned the ball over in dangerous areas.
In the 70th minute against Saudi Arabia, McKenzie tried to play a long pass to midfielder Weston McKennie in the American defensive third. Saudi Arabia's Haitham Asiri cut it out and forced Turner to save his left-footed strike from just outside the penalty box. It will be difficult for McKenzie to compete with Carter-Vickers and Palmer-Brown for a reserve defender spot at the World Cup.
Malik Tillman: Stable
We know just as much about the 20-year-old attacking midfielder as we did before camp began last week. He played a total of 37 minutes during the September camp and made little impact in both games.
But the reality is, Tillman offers a savvy, athletic attacking option for Berhalter to back up what will be, on paper, the surest part of the starting lineup: the midfield. In Qatar, it is Tillman will join Acosta and Luca de la Torre as backups for starters Adams, McKennie and Yunus Musah.
For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: USMNT World Cup roster: Here's who may, may not be on the team
