Featured, February 2020, USMNT

Sanjay Sujanthakumar

CARSON, CA – The US defeated Costa Rica 1-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park in the first friendly of a massive year for the USMNT program. A few thoughts on the win and looking ahead:

1) LLANEZ SHINES

Seven Americans made their international debut, four started, and one of them scored in fitting fashion. With “the theme of this camp being stake your claim or seize your moment,” in the words of Gregg Berhalter on Friday, Lynwood native Ulysses Llanez returned to Southern California and did just that vs Los Ticos. When Reggie Cannon drew a penalty kick three minutes into the second half, Llanez stepped up.

“I just wanted to shoot the PK because I was home,” Llanez said after the game. “[Arriola] asked me when I got the ball, he was like, ‘Do you want it?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I really want this. I have my family here and I’m confident, and I know I’m going to score this goal.’ So he said, ‘All right, take it then.’”

Gregg Berhalter noted, “We actually didn’t designate a penalty taker. And Paul has been taking them all month in training… give credit to Paul, because he supported Uly in this moment… it was a really nice interaction that took place there.”

Berhalter wasn’t surprised it happened, such is the fearlessness that defines Llanez’s game.

“It’s typical that he took the penalty because that’s what type of player he is, he plays with confidence. I think you saw that, even in the beginning of the game,” Berhalter said. “He didn’t seem nervous. He’s going at guys 1 v 1. He’s getting into good spaces, he’s running behind the line, real good combination of things that he did in the game today. And his defensive work was strong as well.”

U23 coach Jason Kreis, following his first camp working with Llanez, said, “He didn’t look like the occasion was too big for him, and he really didn’t seem to shy away from anything in the match. And to step up the way he did and wanna take the penalty kick I think says something about the character of the kid.”

Llanez estimated he had fifty family members in the crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park. He didn’t tell his parents he was starting to surprise them, joking, “I was just messing with their heads a little bit.” Hearing him explain the emotions his goal evoked spreads a smile across your face. “Having my family here, scoring in front of them, is just something that brought joy into me. After the game, I gave my shirt to my mom, and she just started crying. And it just brought so much joy into my life, and I wanna keep doing it.”

The Wolfsburg winger reflected on the long journey to this memorable homecoming. Llanez initially struggled to settle in Germany before gradually overcoming the culture shock.

“It was terrible. I felt like it just wasn’t for me. I felt like Europe wasn’t for me,” Llanez said. “I felt like I made the wrong decision. There would be days I would cry, I’d be lonely… after like the fourth month, fifth month, I was like, ‘You know what, I’m really here. So let’s just make the most of it. My family sacrificed for me, so I’m gonna sacrifice for them.’”

As for the chance to play at Dignity, Llanez recalled, “Ever since I was 14 I always wanted to play in this stadium.”

But the Galaxy academy product isn’t looking back about his professional future, which he sees across the Atlantic. “My main focus is Europe,” Llanez said. “After this camp, I feel like I have a good chance of becoming something big in Germany.” He’s not worrying about when that could happen. “I just wanna focus on my U19 season… If I keep doing good, then everything will come into place.”

A Mexican-American dual-national, Llanez was also not inclined to discuss his international future in definitive terms. “It’s the same thing as [the Wolfsburg] first team, I just wanna focus on my soccer right now, I don’t really wanna focus on any of that.”

But after this month in Berhalter’s senior team environment, there’s no reason to believe he’ll defect to El Tri. “It feels good, they treated my well, I’m happy here, so I’m playing for the US, so I’m just happy.”

Assuming Wolfsburg will release him, he’s a lock to represent the red, white, and blue in Olympic qualifying in Mexico next month. And he showed on Saturday he merits at least a callback audition with a full strength MNT. On this question, I’m bumping what I wrote in the summer:

“First team minutes aren’t really the expectation yet for Ulysses Llanez at Wolfsburg. But when it comes to call ups, I’ve always advocated for making an exception or two based on ability, especially if a player who hasn’t broken in to their first team is still an upgrade over anyone on the MNT roster… if Pulisic is injured and you take him out of the equation, the US is deficient in danger off the dribble and the overall attacking spark provided by the Pennsylvania native which it still heavily relies on. Llanez is a rare breed who brings the 1 v 1 verve that alone can unbalance a defense whenever the ball is at his feet.”

Llanez was an energizer bunny off the bench at the U20 World Cup.

Starting on his senior team debut, he was very judicious taking people on and poised as ever. “I just play how I play. The winger, come inside, show him what I’m made of, I just don’t really care about what’s around me. It’s just me, the ball, and the team.”

2) THE FORWARDS MOVING FORWARD

Llanez is one of a few promising prospects at forward who, if multiple pan out, could justify pushing Christian Pulisic into central midfield long-term.

Berhalter acknowledged the potential winger depth postgame.

“It’s nice to have wingers that you trust are gonna make things happen, are gonna be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball,” Berhalter said. “And then understanding defensive aspects. When you look at Paul, he’s relentless with his running, always looking to stretch their back line and make things happen. Uly, we’re pleased with his performance, against a veteran Costa Rica team, he stepped up and did a good job. With all these guys, Gio, and Christian, and all the guys that play that position we’re monitoring, and it’s nice to have options as a group.”

Paul Arriola and Jordan Morris are reliable, experienced and entering their prime. Barring injury, expect them to have significant roles in World Cup qualifying. But I also see at least one of Gio Reyna, Tim Weah and Llanez knocking on the XI (and certainly the full roster) door this year. As I wrote in the Costa Rica preview, where Berhalter deploys Pulisic will also depend on the situation at center mid.

But the dream brand of an electric American attack – technical with pace, aggression and directness, and able to effectively high press – doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Reyna and Pulisic interchanging – and Llanez also on the pitch – could one day do serious damage. If Arriola and Morris are bridges, it’s because there’s another level to the American front line on the horizon.

Llanez earned the headlines Saturday but Jesus Ferreira also stood out on his debut.

Lined up as a center forward, the versatile Ferreira tended to drop in to the pocket and connect with the midfielders, creating a diamond while both Arriola and Llanez came inside as the fullbacks got flowed higher. Costa Rica shifted from a 4-4-2 into a 4-5-1 low block for the last hour – Berhalter described breaking down “eleven players within thirty yards in a low block” as “the most difficult thing in soccer” – but Ferreira was very involved early on.

“The opening phase was really good with him getting in between the lines, and really causing them a difficult time. Our attacking mids did a good job linking up with him, and I thought he was excellent,” said Berhalter.

It sounds like Ferreira, who tallied 8 goals and 6 assists last year in MLS for FCD, has slid into the group going to Guadalajara. Kreis said his him now being an option “changes things a lot, especially knowing that we only have 17 field players available that we can put on the roster, we really kind of need to look at every player as being able to play multiple positions. And Jesus Ferreira definitely suits that bill.”

The 9 coming deeper “makes it difficult for the defense. They have to decide what they’re gonna do with their center backs. Their center backs were more inclined to hold the back line, which gave us the overload centrally.”

Berhalter referred to Josh Sargent dropping in to the hole in the Nations League vs Cuba as an example of this approach already with the varsity group, which also suits Jozy Altidore (but evidently not Gyasi Zardes). Wingers like Morris and Weah could also be weaponized when asked to run in behind. It’s worth watching for in the Netherlands and Wales friendlies next month.

3) CANNON & YUEILL

Reggie Cannon and Jackson Yueill were both pushing for starting spots with the senior team by the end of 2019 and were in a category of their own this camp, neither veterans nor new. Berhalter praised the pair postgame.

“Reggie was a leader throughout this whole camp. His performance in training the whole month and in the scrimmage games was excellent. Jackson was a steady influence. With his passing range and breaking lines, he gives you a dimension that you need, especially against a compact opponent” like Costa Rica.

Berhalter said recently that next month the 2016 UCLA teammates will be with the U23s for Olympic qualifying instead of the MNT for the European friendlies. While they’re ultimately aiming to establish themselves in the MNT XI – Cannon did start the Gold Cup final – Cannon and Yueill realize the importance of reaching Tokyo 2020.

“It’s a hard balance to kind of mix in, but I had a sit down meeting with Gregg, and he said, ‘You’ve been playing well, you’ve had a really good mentality, and we haven’t qualified for the Olympics in 10 years. It’s gonna be a priority’… I have to take every opportunity and just go with it. I’m still gonna challenge Sergiño and Yedlin and everyone at my position with the senior team, but at the same time, I’m gonna take everything into Olympic qualifying and give it my all,” Cannon said.

After his first camp with Cannon, Kreis too singled him out as a leader who he’ll be counting on. “To be around him in a camp, you start to understand that the kid has real leadership capabilities. And that’s good, because when you’re working with young players, especially in a team that’s going to be in difficult circumstances, you wanna have some nice leaders around, and he certainly seems to be capable of that.”

After defeating their senior team Saturday, Yueill is ready to open the group against Costa Rica’s U23s on March 20th. “It’s just an honor to be a part of any type of national team. You always want to push and strive to be with the first team. I know me and Reggie and all the younger guys try to make our mark this month and every camp we’ve been a part of. We haven’t qualified for the Olympics in the last two cycles… We really wanna show in that tournament that we have a good young core.”

The impressive debuts of Llanez and Ferreira, as well as left back Sam Vines, suggested that core could continue to grow.

“It’s a good day, it’s a very, very good day for US Soccer and I think a small snapshot of what the future could look like,” said Jason Kreis.

4) DEFENSE

Defensively, the US looked vulnerable in transition but there’s no need to worry about that yet.

The 4-3-3, three man midfield defensive shape is a welcome departure from the passive 4-4-2 we saw last year. I hope it sticks and by the fall, we’re confident pressing more often vs any Concacaf team (besides Mexico) home or away.

Sanjay Sujanthakumar is a journalist and soccer coach based in Los Angeles. A frequent contributor to TYAC, you can follow him on Twitter @tha_Real_Kumar.