The U.S. men’s national team faced their toughest match under Gregg Berhalter against Colombia and acknowledged the need for changes to avoid a similar result against Brazil.
Defensive errors and turnovers plagued the USMNT in a 5-1 loss, their worst performance during Berhalter’s tenure as head coach. Mistakes from Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, and Cameron Carter-Vickers all resulted in goals for Colombia, with several other misplaced passes potentially leading to an even higher scoreline.
The fifth-ranked Brazil team will challenge the USMNT on Wednesday in Orlando, coming off a 3-2 win over Mexico.
“Being on the field, you realize the significance of these games to other teams,” expressed veteran defender Tim Ream. “While these are considered friendlies and lack the pressure of earning points or advancing to knockout rounds, you start to grasp the intensity of these matches.
“We’re entering tournament play soon,” Ream emphasized. “Understanding their importance to the opposing teams, it should mean just as much if not more to us. This highlights the intangibles, the willingness to fight and strive for positive outcomes.”
Ream and fellow centerback Chris Richards started the game against Colombia, with Carter-Vickers replacing Ream in the second half. Despite their efforts, all three defenders made errors that the USMNT will want to rectify moving forward.
With the Copa America group stage starting just 11 days after facing Brazil, Berhalter aims for a strong rebound performance to boost morale within the squad. The team is focused on correcting the mistakes made against Colombia in the upcoming contest with Brazil, shifting their focus from the final score to their overall performance.
“I believe several adjustments are necessary, not only structurally but also in terms of mentality, as Tim mentioned,” shared Richards. “When playing against top-tier teams like these, even in friendly matches, you can sense their spirit and determination. So, in my opinion, our mentality is the key area that requires change.
“One positive takeaway from the Colombia game is that we were competitive with one of the Copa America favorites for a significant portion of the match,” Richards observed. “Upon reviewing the game footage, it was evident that most of their goals were a result of our errors rather than them outplaying us completely.”
