USMNT
The Perils of Ball-Watching: Musah vs Aaronson
During the June 2022 international window, we got to see the US play against Morocco(3-0 win), Uruguay(0-0 draw), Grenada(5-0 win), and El Salvador(1-1 tie). This window gave us a chance to see both Brendan Aaronson(Leeds) and Yunus Musah(Valencia) operate from the center of the park.
Analysis and discussion on soccer players often are slanted toward offense and on-ball events. This seems to hold true for the recent discourse surrounding Musah and Aaronson. So we’re going to look at what they’re doing off-ball as well as the general effect these players are having on their teammates.
MUSAH
From Musah’s first half against El Salvador, here are the “on-ball” plays: For positives, there were 3 multi-man runs, and a good progressive pass, For negatives, there were two plays he was bullied into back passing, the errant pass he played in front of the backline, an instance of immediate dispossession when he got over-eager with the ball, and a bad clearance he attempted with space and time(for whatever reason the US backline needed 4 attempts to clear here). From the second half, the on-ball stuff improved significantly with a couple key passes, and two good scoring chances in addition to 4 great moments of ball progression.
My concern comes from what happened “off-ball”. Throughout the game, Musah was not rotating when his teammates ventured forward and he often didn’t track back properly when he made offensive forays. This was clearly an issue in the first half where we weren’t able to sustain pressure on his side of the field and with El Salvador often running right back into the US’s final third. When Aaronson was subbed off(more on that later) the US was not able to sustain pressure from either side of the field and El Salvador was able to overrun us centrally for 20 minutes with our only real response being long-balls to McKennie.
This is also not an isolated pattern. Against Morocco when Adams went high, Musah often didn’t cover his man. leading to multiple dangerous positions from line-breaking passes. When Uruguay subbed in their first-choice midfielders, Musah was caught out of position so much that Aaronson ended up playing like a 2nd 6. This shouldn’t be too surprising given that in La Liga Musah is dribbled past a bunch, loses tackles a lot, and has an abysmal pressure success rate of 9%. Keep in mind Musah is being compared to other wingers here who have to do that type of stuff(ball-winning, pressure etc) less often than mids do. With that in mind, we have a decent explanation for why Musah isn’t allowed to play in midfield for Valencia.
You simply cannot be so half-hazard defensively vs elite teams.
AARONSON
Aaronson was quieter on the ball “offensively”: He had a pass here or there, beat a man a couple times, and played it off to Pulisic to win a free kick. The brunt of his “on-ball” contribution was defensive:
Out-ball winning Adams is pretty incredible(not sure I agree with the conclusion), but where Aaronson really shined was off-the-ball. Aaronson stopped El Salvador’s attacks 6 times with good off-ball pressure. I count exactly one negative defensive play(getting dribbled past). He also stopped a massive opportunity for El Salvador in the US box with good 1 v1 defending.
Offensively his off-ball play was also big. Pulisic, like Weah on Musah’s side, was often drifting forward and charging up the wings. Aaronson rotated accurately nearly every time. The end result was that whenever attacks on Pulisic’s flank filtered out, we’d be able to sustain a second or third wave of pressure because Aaronson would immediately cover the space behind forcing El Salvador into multiple backpasses/giveaways. One play of note to me was when Aaronson pressured El Salvador into back passing, and then, when El Salvador went around Aaronson’s flank of the field to get into the final third, Aaronson applied defensive pressure from behind to help force a give away, and then, when they tried to bypass Aaronson directly, Aaronson again applied pressure forcing El Salvador into a back pass.
Aaronson is a very good defender for his club, was very good defensively against top-quality opposition in the Champions League, and scored in the 99th percentile of attempts and success rate in pressures. Half-spaces’ +/- tends to rate Aaronson as one of our best players because of this combination of defense and pressure. Simply put, he should be considered “undroppable” in situations where we’re playing against the ball(which will usually be the case vs elite teams).
Notably the midfield collapsed in the first 20 minutes when he was off vs El Salvador and Pulisic, who he was covering for quite well in the first half, became considerably less effective in the second.
Final Thoughts
There’s a bit of a misconception on where the strengths of our player pool lie in US soccer circles. Our players are not on cl teams because of passing or breathtaking technical play. They’re primarily on cl teams because of their ability to press and defend or to exploit space that their midfield teammates make for them by pressing and defending. Pulisic is able to dribble and do what he does on the ball because Chelsea play him alongside a bunch of players who are fantastic pressers and defenders. Aaronson covered the most ground in the champions league, made a high volume of defensive plays, and was in the 99th percentile for pressures attempted and press success rate. McKennie’s biggest plus with Juventus is that he can be everywhere and that he’s arguably the best presser on his team. In settings where we have a big talent advantage, it’s feasible for us to sacrifice some cohesion and let Musah go wild. But against teams and midfielders at or above our talent level, we need to prioritize what we’re good at, and that simply isn’t happening when we start an 8 who doesn’t press or defend.
People have brought up the conditions vs El Salvador to explain the performance and that’s fair to a degree. But that makes Gregg’s tactical approach more confusing for me. If the conditions were not there for us to play passes, why were we wasting so much time with side passes between center backs and cycling the ball between mids/wings in our middle and defensive third. The game called for directness and we decided not to play direct. I’m firmly in the camp that our “a plan” should be a variant of what we saw in the gold cup. Our players play in the Champions League not for their ability to pass and move, but for their ability to shut down attacks, win the ball high, and quickly exploit the spaces left behind by exposed opponents. We should be the Salzburg/Leipzig of international soccer and I’m starting to worry Gregg wants us to be a slower, more possession-based team we simply don’t have the personnel to be.
USMNT
Launching Caring Excellence in Northern Kentucky
USMNT
Concacaf Gold Cup is becoming tarnished
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Not long ago, winning your confederation’s tournament earned a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup, a prestigious competition held in the World Cup host nation the summer before the world’s biggest tournament.
The tournament featured the champions of all six confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA), along with the reigning FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, rounding out the field to eight teams. The tournament was last played in 2017.
The Concacaf Gold Cup is a semi-cycle tournament played in the first and third years of the cycle. The CAF Africa Cup of Nations is the only other confederation that plays two tournaments a cycle, and in many circles, the frequency of the Concacaf Gold Cup and the addition of the Concacaf Nations League has made the Gold Cup a throwaway tournament for the USMNT, as it’s been six years since the so called A list player pool has played in the event.
It raises the question for FIFA and Concacaf: should the Gold Cup be played once a cycle, and should FIFA consider bringing back the Confederations Cup?
The USMNT won the inaugural Gold Cup in 1991 and has claimed seven of the 17 editions since. Only two other CONCACAF nations Mexico (9) and Canada (1)—have lifted the trophy, and both are contenders in this edition.
The USMNT has a strong track record at the Gold Cup, finishing first in their group every year except 2011. They’ve reached 12 finals, with a record of 69 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses, scoring 189 goals and conceding just 60
Gold Cup Player Stats
Across 17 editions of the Gold Cup, the USMNT has netted 189 goals, conceded just 60, and recorded 50 clean sheets. Here’s a look at the players who made it happen, those who found the back of the net, and those who kept it out.
Goals
18-Landon Donovan
13-Clint Dempsey
9-Eric Wynalda
8-Brian McBride
7-Jesus Ferreira
Assists
16-Landon Donovan
7-Michael Bradley
6-DaMarcus Beasley
6-Alejandro Bedoya
6-Eric Wynalda
5-Clint Dempsey
Wins
17-Kasey Keller
11-Tim Howard
8-Tony Meola
7-Matt Turner
Shutouts
14-Kasey Keller
8-Tim Howard
6-Tony Meola
6-Matt Turner
Captain
10-Michael Bradley
10-Kasey Keller
9-Carlos Bocanegra
8-Tony Meola
7-Claudio Reyna
Gold Cup Manager Stats
Over the past 34 years, the USMNT has reached 12 of the 17 Gold Cup finals under the leadership of seven different managers. Here’s a look at how each of them performed.
Matches Coached
25-Bruce Arena
18-Bob Bradley
12-Gregg Berhalter
12-Jurgen Klinsmann
10-Bora Milutinovic
8-Steve Sampson
5-B.J. Callaghan
Matches Won
19-Bruce Arena – GF-52-, GA-14
14-Bob Bradley – GF-34, GA-17
11-Gregg Berhalter – GF-26, GA-3
9-Jurgen Klinsmann – GF-32, GA-9
8-Bora Milutinovic – GF-15, GA-8
6-Steve Sampson – GF-14, GA-5
2-B.J. Callaghan – GF-16, GA-4
Gold Cup Trophies
3-Bruce Arena
1-Gregg Berhalter
1-Bob Bradley
1-Jurgen Klinsmann
1-Bora Milutinovic
Conclusion
In the future, U.S. Soccer and the USMNT should clearly communicate roster expectations for the Gold Cup, especially if a full A-list squad is not planned. Transparency on this front is essential, as it directly affects fan interest and attendance.
Club News
From Louisville to Lisbon: Joshua Wynder’s Journey with S.L. Benfica
The current state of the USMNT has been at an all-time low since Couva in 2017. One of the positions in dire situation is Center Back. Tim Ream will be 38 by the time of the 2026 World Cup. Chris Richards has too many highs and lows and has not shown his club form with the US. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty have yet to perform for the national team. Miles Robinson, despite what many MLS fans want to believe, is not good enough and makes too many errors, like the second Turkish goal on June 7th, 2025. Walker Zimmerman has one World Cup left in him and he has a history of making critical errors as well, like the penalty against Gareth Bale in the 2022 World Cup. Lastly, Mark McKenzie has improved his game since his move to Toulouse, but he is lacking the deserved opportunities and a good partnership.
Our U20 CBs will need to be called up sooner rather than later, either before or immediately after the 2026 World Cup. The top 3 prospects by fans and analysts are Noahkai Banks, Matai Akinmboni, and Joshua Wynder. Of the three, Joshua Wynder is the oldest at 20 years old and is part of a club that is world-renowned for their development, S.L. Benfica.
How did Wynder manage to accomplish such a move from Louisville City in the USL Championship to Benfica? To summarize, Wynder had a breakout season for Lou City at 17 years old in 2022, so much so that he was included in the US U20 World Cup team in 2023.
Wynder secured a spot to go on trial at Benfica and passed. On June 8th, 2023, Benfica officially acquired Joshua Wynder from Lou City for a record-breaking $1.2 million transfer fee, which still stands today.
Benfica registered Wynder with the second team for the 2023/2024 season, who participate in Liga Portugal 2. Due to Portuguese rules (players play in the youth system until they are 19 years old), he spent the season with Benfica’s UEFA Youth League team and U23 team and only received 21 minutes with the B team until a season-ending injury. What began as a promising start, with the support of the fans, was cut short after just six matches. The following season went according to plan for Wynder. Wynder became a consistent starter for the B team where he started in 29 matches and appeared in a total of 31 matches. He also scored four goals, all headers from corners.
His success with the B team made him a fan-favorite and several calls to be called up to the first team by fans on social media. That day came on April 9th, 2025, when he made the team sheet for Benfica’s Taça de Portugal Semi-Final match against FC Tirsense. Wynder made his first team debut when he was subbed in at the 76th minute mark of that match. He made a following appearance on the bench for the first team in their second leg match against FC Tirsense.
As early as November 27, 2024, it was reported by Glorioso 1904 that Joshua Wynder had gained the attention of the Benfica manager, Bruno Lage. The report further said that Wynder was becoming an option for the next season’s first team. A similar report surfaced on March 25, 2025, by Record, in Portugal, that Wynder is on track to be with the first team for the 2025/2026 season. That day may be coming sooner rather than later. Joshua Wynder will be joining Benfica on their 2025 Club World Cup campaign. This will be a true test for him to prove to Bruno Lage that he is ready to be part of the first team for the upcoming 2025/2026 Liga Portugal and UEFA Champions League season. If he is given serious minutes with the first team and performs, Joshua Wynder needs to be considered for the 2026 World Cup or immediately following the World Cup.
Benfica is in Group C of the Club World Cup with Auckland City, Bayern München, and Boca Juniors. Their first match is against Boca Juniors, 33-time Argentine champions, on June 16th. Game two is on June 20th against 10-time New Zealander champions, Auckland City FC. Lastly, their 3rd group stage match is against the 6-time UEFA Champions League winners, Bayern München, on June 24th.
Launching Caring Excellence in Northern Kentucky
Concacaf Gold Cup is becoming tarnished
From Louisville to Lisbon: Joshua Wynder’s Journey with S.L. Benfica
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