Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 5y

Berhalter: U.S. needs win for Gold Cup success

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ahead of Wednesday's Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter said success for his side at the Gold Cup will be measured by winning the tournament, even as his team has "a lot of respect" for the Reggae Boyz.

"We've said all along the success of this team will be measured by if we're going to win this tournament or not," said Berhalter, speaking at his prematch news conference. "We want to get to the final. We want to win the final. If you asked me a month ago, the answer would be the same.

"We think Mexico is the favorite for this tournament. We think it's a very strong team. We have a lot of respect for Jamaica, that's something we highlighted before this tournament as well. Now were in the semifinals with four good teams. Jamaica has been strong. Mexico has been outstanding and Haiti has been another wonderful surprise in this tournament."

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

The U.S. will face a Jamaica side that defeated the Americans 1-0 in a friendly just prior to the start of the tournament. While just three usual starters began the game that night for the U.S., Jamaica had a few more regulars that started the match. That said, Berhalter isn't expecting any surprises.

"We've been watching them and it's a good team," he said about the Reggae Boyz. "They've got some good quality, good attacking quality, good counter-attacking quality, good speed upfront, robust backline. And we see similarities to the way they played [a month ago], with what they've been doing in the tournament.

"We know they like to win the ball, they like to attack, they're not afraid to play for second balls, they have good physicality up top. They have wingers coming inside to win second balls, midfielders pushing through, attacking midfielders supporting the play. They have some threats. We've also looked at how we can break them down efficiently, and do a good job of that."

The U.S. will need to produce a performance that is far better than what it showed in the quarterfinals against Curacao, one in which the Americans ceded 60 percent possession in the second half of the 1-0 win.

"We allowed them too much space," said Berhalter about Curacao. "We allowed them to play balls into their striker too easily. That would have made things easier for us in the game."

Berhalter also expressed concern about his team's offensive spacing during the match, calling it disconnected.

"Michael [Bradley] would drop on the other side of the line and have only Weston [McKennie] central, or Michael would be central and we would have five guys high, and that's just not proper spacing," he said. "It becomes very difficult to get any kind of offensive flow when that's what you're shape looks like."

One possible change to the U.S. lineup could be the insertion of striker Jozy Altidore, who has been second choice behind Gyasi Zardes for most of the tournament. When asked about Altidore's fitness, Berhalter said, "Jozy is exactly where we need him to be."

When pressed if that meant he was ready to play, Berhalter added, "Yeah, he's been ready to play."

One Jamaica player who Berhalter is wary of is Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Leon Bailey. Bailey has not yet gotten on the scoresheet at the Gold Cup after impressing for his club the past two years.

"I don't think we've seen his best yet," said Berhalter about Bailey. "I think he's got another gear. I've seen another gear in Germany, and it's just him getting integrated into the team, him feeling comfortable and being used in the right way. But I really like watching him play."

Berhalter also took time out to praise the U.S. women's national team, who advanced to the Women's World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 earlier in the day.

"I think there's lessons to be learned from what they're doing," said Berhalter about the U.S. women. "When you think about the determination that they show, the confidence that they show, that's really great to see. They're at the World Cup, and they're that confident of a group, they're that resilient as a group where they know they can be pushed, and they have no problem with it. They stay calm and they keep executing what they're game is.

"I have a lot of respect for what they're doing. We're pulling for them in the final, and it would be nice to have two teams from the same country playing a final on the same day."

^ Back to Top ^