Three Is The Magic Number For The USMNT

A new formation for the US makes everyone feel better. Who could have predicted it? I'll tell ya who!

It seems like only a short while ago, because it was, that a very charming, handsome, and insightful writer suggested the USMNT should switch their formation to a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3. It suited most of the players involved, who either play it currently with their clubs or did so in the recent past. It moves some players into better spots than a 4-3-3 does. It gives them more numbers in midfield. It relieves some players of defensive responsibility they aren't up to.

Well, great minds think alike. Handsome ones, too! (Mauricio Pochettino is a very good looking man, let's be honest)

Mauricio Pochettino rolled out said 3-4-2-1, with Christian Pulisic and Alex Zendejas as dueling 10s behind Folarin Balogun. Tyler Adams and Cristian Roldan were the double pivot behind that, forming a box midfield.

While I would argue the biggest development of last night's friendly was that Seb Berhalter wasn't allowed anywhere near the field, moving Pulisic more inside and giving him Balogun to link with led to some pretty sexy stuff at times:

https://youtu.be/P3BWFAYjkbw?si=BcHdaA2plznvC_7M&t=263

https://youtu.be/P3BWFAYjkbw?si=ccnkzXnpVGEoKWjs&t=456

https://youtu.be/P3BWFAYjkbw?si=V8fP7UI7oWnIFLSI&t=553

A good deal about the US's newfound ability to add some zhuzh to their play was starting Balogun. He dropped to link with the midfield, and lit the fuse with a collection of accurate flicks and touches to get through two or three defenders, leaving Pulisic and Zendejas, or Freeman or Arfsten, plenty of room to run into and pass through.

I'd say it was a complete striker's performance, and it was very close, but he did miss a couple point-blank chances that he'll need to bury when the games count for real next summer. He did get one goal with a man's goal, not only latching onto a through-ball from Pulisic (in a near carbon copy of Tim Weah's World Cup goal) but bodying the Japanese defender in the process to open up space for himself. But he could have, maybe should have, had a hat trick.

But that's a quibble, given everything else he did. He's so far and away the best #9 the US have. Ricardo Pepi will make a lot of noise about his goal totals, but he can't do all the other stuff that Balogun did at anywhere near the level. He holds up play, he starts and finishes attacks, he runs the channels to open up space for the 10s. He's a true weapon.

What else?

-The formation released Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten to consistently charge up the field and create. Arftsten, in particular, played with a freedom we just hadn't seen from him at this level, setting up the first goal with a street-ball step-over and pinpoint cross for Zendejas. Perhaps not having to worry as much about his defensive responsibility as a fullback a role he never plays at club level, released some chains in his mind?

While Arfsten and Freeman will not be starting in the World Cup (we pray to God), it's not hard to picture both Antonne Robinson and Sergino Dest feeling similarly unleashed as wingbacks. Dest was a threat in just 25 minutes as a sub as a left wingback, getting five touches in the box in that time. That's where things get pretty tantalizing.

-Another benefit of this formation, in the #10 spots, there are just more options. With two wide forwards in a 4-3-3, it's basically Pulisic and...just Tim Weah? Diego Luna and Malik Tillman can moonlight as wide forwards, but it's not really what they are. In a 4-2-3-1, both can be the #10s, but neither are up to carrying that role by themselves at the international level.

With the duel 10s in a 3-4-2-1, Pulisic can combine with Zendejas, or Luna, or Musah, or McKennie, or Tillman. There's just more depth in this set-up. Zendejas wouldn't be my first choice, but he's a viable choice and certainly made himself a candidate last night.

That said, he was also able to chase off Pulisic from taking freekicks, a contribution far bigger than his goal and one that could be pivotal to the US going forward.

-Whatever the formation, the energy level was much better, especially from Tyler Adams. I would like to say it was because of his greater trust in Roldan next to him than the constantly bewildered Berhalter, but that's just being impish. Roldan started pretty cautious with the ball in the first half, but grew into it in the second half, pushing more out wide to the right in possession to combine with Freeman and Zendejas.

Whatever the cause, the US caused far more turnovers in the attacking half, which is their best route to goal, against Japan than they did against South Korea. Adams was a force again. He broke up one Japan attack on the edge of his own area in the first half, whereas one gets the feeling agains South Korea he would have just sat and watched from 10 yards in the trail technique.

-Alex Freeman's night was truly impressive once Japan brought on some of their bigger guns. It might be an exaggeration to say he had Kaoru Mitoma in his pocket for the game's finishing kick...but it also might not be.

-There's the caveat on this one. Japan definitely left a good portion of their first 11 on the bench, some of them for the whole match. It's also a friendly, with everyone involved having a long flight home right after it. There was certainly an element of, "Let's just get this over with."

But, this wasn't all that close to the US's first 11, either. While Japan definitely had some chances, the US biffed a fair few as well. The Yanks were the better team by a noticeable margin, and even with something between the A and B teams, Japan is no pushover. It's not worth doing cartwheels over (not at our age), but it's also not an overstep to be encouraged.

Let us hope that come October, we see as close to the full squad as possible, playing in this 3-4-2-1. Because some handsome, charming fellow said they should.