The United States played a tight and exciting match against Uruguay in a pre-World Cup friendly, with both teams looking to get ready for the big tournament in Qatar in November.
While the match ended in nervy fashion for the USMNT, with the backups on the field against top-level European players such as Edinson Cavani, Federico Valverde, and Matias Vecino, the overall performance was a second-straight positive showing against a World Cup-caliber opponent on home soil.
U.S. fans will feel frustrated not to see their team find the back of the net, and also fortunate not to concede on the numerous chances for Uruguay, both of which would be fair assessments. However, a draw was a just result given the United States had the more positive first half, while its starters took on Uruguay's second-string lineup.
There are plenty of positives to extract from the 90 minutes in Kansas City as U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter looks to finalize his squad and build chemistry ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
MORE: Full recap of USMNT scoreless draw vs. Uruguay
Tim Weah ready to light up Qatar
While the United States has a striker problem, it does not have a winger problem.
Obviously, the presence of Christian Pulisic is always a danger on the left, but Timothy Weah has built himself into a surefire starter on the other side. He was bright against Morocco in the 3-0 win last week, and followed that up with a fabulous performance in the first half against Uruguay.
Weah was excellent in pressing early on, and as the United States began to back off the high pressure, he switched to making excellent runs and finding himself with space down the right. As a result, the U.S. continually hurt the Uruguay defensive unit down that side of the field.
#USMNT tilted right in the attacking half, with 77% of touches in the center and right thirds. pic.twitter.com/L8EHEs0fwe
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) June 5, 2022
While he was hauled off at halftime for Paul Arriola, don't be confused: that was almost certainly a pre-planned change. With Weah now firmly established as a regular USMNT starter, Gregg Berhalter instead looked to give Arriola an opportunity to earn a squad role at the World Cup.
Gio Reyna is obviously still a very talented player and will get minutes if healthy, but right now Weah has established himself as the first-choice right winger. It's possible Berhalter solves the ongoing striker issue by deploying Weah up front, but wherever he ends up, he'll be a positive contributor.
MORE: USMNT injury news as the 2022 World Cup nears
Antonee Robinson is indispensable at left back
When it was announced that Jedi Robinson would not start due to a non-COVID related illness, Joe Scally was deployed to replace the Fulham fullback.
Scally was poor throughout the first half, as Uruguay capitalized on space in behind him early, and while Scally did put in a spectacular tackle that led to a U.S. chance, overall he failed to maintain his positioning.
Robinson came on at the hour mark, but never had much of a chance to influence the match with Uruguay bringing on world-class talent like Edinson Cavani and Federico Valverde. Still, he's much more tactically adept and can keep the U.S. shape, while also providing an attacking threat up front.
The U.S. has never had much fullback depth, and while George Bello is an option as well — although he did not dress for the match — it's clear that Jedi is not only a clear starter, but one of the most important players on the U.S. roster given the other options.
MORE: Predicting the 2022 World Cup roster and starting lineup for the USMNT
U.S. defensive unit maturing to weather pressure
Against both Morocco and Uruguay, the United States back line made a number of errors that would normally be punished against more clinical sides.
Yet it cannot be understated how meaningful it is that the U.S. earned a pair of clean sheets against World Cup-caliber opponents.
Center back Walker Zimmerman was again a brick wall, and Aaron Long produced an overall solid 135 minute performance across the two games. The center-back pairing is nowhere near perfect, but it provides a great base on which to build. For example, down the stretch of the Uruguay game, Erik Palmer-Brown was waxed by Diego Rossi, and the Uruguay forward had a clean look on goal...until Zimmerman came flying in to save the day.
Zimmerman coming up HUGE! 💪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/o5d2QC7i1G
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 5, 2022
With a team-first defensive mentality, the squad is able to overcome individual mistakes. It's still possible that John Brooks could be a useful addition to the squad, but should this group be deployed at the World Cup, it has a proven ability to weather storms of pressure and filter the ball forward in possession.
Brenden Aaronson's found a new home in midfield
After the win over Morocco, where Berhalter deployed Brenden Aaronson in midfield for the first time, it was clear that the U.S. boss was onto something. Aaronson was fabulous against Morocco, and the performance proved that the deployment deserved another look.
With Aaronson coming on at halftime in central midfield for a recovering Weston McKennie, Aaronson took no time to cause Uruguay problems, putting the visitors under pressure immediately.
took Aaronson 90 seconds to wreak havoc
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) June 5, 2022
He began dancing around defenders, winning a pair of fouls in the first 10 minutes of action. Berhalter has given Aaronson the freedom to roam as a No. 8/No. 10 hybrid, and Aaronson paid back his coach's faith tenfold.
Armed with the knowledge that Aaronson is a bright addition to the midfield, there's no excuse not to play the new Leeds man alongside McKennie and Tyler Adams as part of a young trio that will build into a force over the coming years.
It not only brings an attacking flair through the middle, but also allows Aaronson to see the field and not sacrifice either Christian Pulisic or Tim Weah to playmake. It's a win-win for the United States, and a heck of a discovery by Berhalter.