USA vs. Japan score: USMNT carved to pieces by Japan in concerning pre-World Cup defeat

USA vs. Japan score: USMNT carved to pieces by Japan in concerning pre-World Cup defeat The United States came into a Friday morning friendly against Japan in Dusseldorf, Germany hoping to tune up for the 2022 World Cup, which begins in just two months.

All things being equal, the USMNT leaves Germany with additional inquiries than responds to after a reverberating 2-0 loss that saw Japan arise as the reasonable better side over the hour and a half of play. Weston McKennie and the U.S. midfield were overwhelmed, while the U.S. back line was squeezed into blankness by the Samurai Blue advances.

Ultimately, they conceded twice at the back while failing to register a single shot on target in the attack.

A stressing execution from a group needs to play a high-beat, possessional style of play. Rather than a bleeding edge advancing the ball through the midfield, the US neglected to inconvenience Japan by any means with style, rather themselves upset by the sharp idea of Junya Ito and Takefusa Kubo.

Gregg Berhalter will now be left to pick up the pieces from this disappointing and worrying performance with the World Cup just eight weeks away. While the U.S. desperately tried to assert its style of play on the pitch, the Stars & Stripes were instead soundly beaten by an opponent who found life all too easy in the attacking third.

USA vs. Japan final score

	1H	2H	Final
USA	0	0	0
Japan	1	1	2

Goals:

24th min — JPN — Daichi Kamada

88th min — JPN — Kaoru Mitoma

USA vs. Japan post-match analysis

Gregg Berhalter asks for more “personality” from USMNT

In his post-match interview on the pitch with ESPN reporter Sam Borden, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was asked what he saw from the team today. The boss replied that he wanted more “personality” from the team, which is an accurate way of describing what the U.S. lacked against Japan.

There was no bleeding edge, no going after style, no certainty ready, and no imagination in movement from the US, who neglected to inconvenience the Japan back line on many events. By the full-time whistle, the US had neglected to deliver a solitary shot on track across the whole of the match.

Japan high press troubled USMNT midfielders & defenders

The difference in the match was the 4-4-2 press from Japan that gave U.S. defenders and midfielders fits the entire match. The press, which didn’t require Japanese players to run themselves ragged, still managed to pressure players like Walker Zimmerman, Luca de la Torre, and Weston McKennie, who failed to adequately deal with the pressure.

Best case scenario, the USMNT had to play the ball in reverse, with not many choices forward as their aggressors were gagged out of the match. Even from a pessimistic standpoint, they played terrible passes and turned the ball over, allowing Japan endless opportunities on the counter. It was a stressing execution under lock and key from the U.S. that will give fans bad dreams with the World Cup only weeks away.

USA vs. Japan live updates, highlights from friendly

FULL-TIME: USA 0-2 Japan

There’s no stoppage time, and the better team emerges victorious. The United States was well-beaten on the day, with a complete inability to move the ball forward and bring the U.S. attackers into the game.

Japan, in the interim, looked ravenous for the World Cup. They squeezed with accuracy, alarming the U.S. midfielders and protectors when ready, driving them in reverse and removing the American aggressors. At the point when they turned the U.S. over, they cut the U.S. to pieces on the counter.