Playing the same opponent in two consecutive matches gives a manager a rare opportunity to assess his team’s linear improvement from one performance to the next. This is especially true on the international scene, where opportunities to contextualize performances against the same team in a short period of time don’t come along very often.



Gregg Berhalter and his coaching staff got one of those opportunities on Friday night. Exactly one month after one of the United States’ worst performances in recent memory in a 2-0 Nations League loss to Canada, the U.S. had a chance to right their wrong. They did just that. Facing off against Canada again, the United States never trailed en route to a 4-1 win in Orlando, Florida.



The main difference in play between November 15th and October 15th wasn’t an extreme tactical adjustment from Berhalter or a dominant performance from any particular player; it was an overall increase in defensive effort. This...