AL RAYYAN, Qatar — It was there for USA national men’s team. It was there for the whole first half. It was there early in the second half. It was there with half an hour to go. It’s there with 15 minutes left. It used to be there.
Everything America wants to do against Wales have worked. All the work they did to break the Welsh block, all the effort they put in to stop it Gareth Bale and the invasion of Wales — all perfectly orchestrated. The scenario is what they crave: three points here, getting through the group stage. England game and a good performance against Iran gets you into the knockout round.
For the United States, everything was fine until, suddenly, it was gone.
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It’s clear: USA 1, Wales 1 is not a disaster. No tragedy. Like Tim Weah rightly said, “In a World Cup, the most important thing is that we don’t lose.” But what happened to the United States on Monday night was reminiscent of Mike Tyson’s old quote, the famous quote he said in response to a question about whether he was worried about Evander Holyfield’s plans. maybe for him in their upcoming boxing match.
“Everybody has a plan,” Tyson said, “until they get punched in the mouth.”
So let’s say America got punched.
Their plan, and that of the most optimistic American fans, was completely successful on Monday. It is almost certain to take four points to get past Group B, and without a surprise win over England, the US now faces the prospect of having to win a game against Iran to end the game.
Is that possible? Especially if the USA can play the way they did in the first half against Wales, of course. For nearly an hour, the Americans displayed poise and presence that contrasted their collective inexperience. Antonee Robinson and Christian Pulisic burning on the left side. Tyler Adams checked again. Weah and Destination Sergino move up and down the right wing. Josh Sargent’s header misses the post.
The goal of the United States is also very idiosyncratic. Walker Zimmerman’s pass started to move, and Pulisic’s run – one of the few US dribbles in midfield – tore the Wales net. His ball rolled to Weah perfectly to every inch, and his subsequent shot was no doubt, with Lille the man turned to his left and took off on the celebratory slide. The United States seems to be in control. Wales has been listed.
But then came the stumbling block. At halftime, Gregg Berhalter pleaded with the United States to continue. To not stop pushing. In preparation for the inevitable defeat, Wales will surely strike their way.
Berhalter said: “We know that there will come a time when Wales will change tactics and be cautious of the wind. “We knew that would be part of it.”
It was. And, for the most part, they handled it well.
Wales flourished after the birth of Kieffer Mooreand the United States – intentionally or not – was too far behind the ball. Finally, when Bale received the ball in the box with 10 minutes to go and Zimmerman delivered an ill-fated lunge over his back, Wales saw an opening and rushed through.
“We talked about it before the game – every game is important,” Berhalter said. “Each play can have an outcome in the game.”
This definitely did. Matt Turner – who had so little to do in the first half, there were memes going viral on the internet showing him sipping tea in his own box – dashed to his left correctly, but the penalty Bale’s is a comet. The ball rolled over the net, Turner slams his hands on the ground in frustration and, near the halfway point, Pulisic and Weah – who will become heroes – stare blankly at the Welsh fans dancing behind goal.
This US team is young. Everyone on the list, save for DeAndre Yedlin, has now participated in exactly one World Cup match. Much of this team has never been in any situation even remotely like this one.
Earlier this week, Adams, the team’s captain, said that “pressure is a privilege.” After Monday, the pressure mounts even higher. Team USA has great plans to turn their precocious talents into a surprising race. They played the first half against Wales just as they wanted, and everything went according to plan.
They were then punched in the mouth. Now the only question that matters is: How do they respond?
