The USMNT made a tactical tweak against England. Here’s what to expect against Iran.
Analysis by Thomas Floyd
Updated November 29, 2022 at 8:02 a.m. EST|Published November 29, 2022 at 7:13 a.m. EST
When Berhalter’s U.S. teams have strayed from those standards, the results haven’t always been pretty. The short-lived 2019 experiment that saw Tyler Adams deployed as a hybrid defender-midfielder was never going to maximize the budding midfield general’s talent. A switch to a 3-4-3 alignment for the Concacaf Nations League final against Mexico in June 2021 left the Americans repeatedly playing from behind until they changed formations and won the title in extra time. The United States again trotted out a three-man back line for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in September 2021, trailing at halftime before second-half adjustments sparked a 4-1 victory — the Americans’ only road win as Berhalter steered the team to Qatar.
So one could have been forgiven for questioning Berhalter’s wisdom when he made a tactical tweak for his team’s second match of the World Cup, a Black Friday showdown with England that ended in a 0-0 draw. The game came four days after the Americans opened group play with a 1-1 stalemate against Wales in which they played their usual style, controlling 59 percent of the possession and largely stifling the Welsh attack. But Berhalter recognized that a stiffer opponent called for a stingier approach and turned to a 4-4-2 formation that his teams have rarely used.
4-3-3
United States
1
Wales
1
Monday, Nov. 21
Robinson
Musah
Pulisic
Ream
Sargent
Adams
Turner
Zimmerman
Weah
McKennie
Dest
Two advanced
midfielders
One defensive
midfielder
4-4-2
England
0
United States
0
Friday, Nov. 25
Robinson
Pulisic
Musah
Ream
Wright
Turner
Weah
Zimmerman
Adams
McKennie
Dest
Two
forwards
Two midfielders
and two wingers
4-3-3
United States
1
Monday, Nov. 21
Wales
1
Robinson
Musah
Pulisic
Ream
Sargent
Adams
Turner
Zimmerman
Weah
McKennie
Dest
Two advanced
midfielders
One defensive
midfielder
4-4-2
England
0
Friday, Nov. 25
United States
0
Robinson
Pulisic
Musah
Ream
Wright
Turner
Weah
Zimmerman
Adams
McKennie
Dest
Two
forwards
Two midfielders
and two wingers
4-3-3
United States
1
Wales
1
Monday, Nov. 21
Robinson
Musah
Pulisic
Ream
Sargent
Adams
Turner
Zimmerman
Weah
McKennie
Dest
Two advanced
midfielders
One defensive
midfielder
4-4-2
England
0
United States
0
Friday, Nov. 25
Robinson
Pulisic
Musah
Ream
Wright
Turner
Weah
Zimmerman
Adams
McKennie
Dest
Two
forwards
Two midfielders
and two wingers
4-3-3
4-4-2
United States
1
England
0
Wales
United States
1
0
Monday, Nov. 21
Friday, Nov. 25
Weah
Wright
Sargent
Weah
Pulisic
Two forwards
Pulisic
McKennie
Two advanced
midfielders
Musah
McKennie
Two midfielders
and two wingers
One defensive
midfielder
Musah
Adams
Adams
Robinson
Robinson
Dest
Dest
Ream
Ream
Zimmerman
Zimmerman
Turner
Turner
Rather than play a three-man front line of left winger Christian Pulisic, center forward Haji Wright and right winger Tim Weah, Berhalter deployed Wright and Weah as dual strikers, dropped Pulisic to a left-sided midfield role and asked central midfielder Weston McKennie to drift toward the right channel. The combination of Wright and Weah gave the U.S. team an extra body to clog passing lanes between England’s back line and its central midfielders, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, who had run rampant in the Three Lions’ 6-2 thrashing of Iran. By denying service to those midfield orchestrators, the United States dared England to push the ball wide and run its attack through the flanks.
Pickford
Maguire
Stones
Trippier
Shaw
Wright
Weah
Bellingham
Rice
McKennie
Pulisic
Adams
Musah
Pickford
Maguire
Stones
Trippier
Shaw
Wright
Weah
Bellingham
Rice
McKennie
Pulisic
Adams
Musah
Pickford
Maguire
Stones
Trippier
Shaw
Wright
Weah
Bellingham
Rice
McKennie
Pulisic
Adams
Musah
The gambit worked: After combining to connect on 182 passes against Iran, Rice and Bellingham completed just 87 vs. the United States. The Americans conceded the possession battle but racked up scoring opportunities in transition, outshooting England 10-8 and boasting a 7-3 advantage on corner kicks. Asked by the new formation to cover additional ground in midfield, Adams and Yunus Musah rose to the occasion. All things considered, the U.S. team was unlucky not to take all three points against a title contender.
Even after Josh Sargent and Gio Reyna replaced Wright and Weah, and Brenden Aaronson replaced McKennie, the U.S. formation continued to be the same.
Stones
Maguire
Reyna
Henderson
Sargent
Shaw
Rice
Trippier
Aaronson
Adams
Musah
Pulisic
(Illustration over a photo by Peter Cziborra/Reuters)
England defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire failed at connecting with midfielders Jordan Henderson, who replace Bellingham, and Rice, so they had to play the ball through the flanks.
Even after Josh Sargent and Gio Reyna replaced Wright and Weah, and Brenden Aaronson replaced McKennie, the U.S. formation continued to be the same.
Stones
Maguire
Reyna
Henderson
Sargent
Shaw
Rice
Trippier
Aaronson
Adams
Musah
Pulisic
(Illustration over a photo by Peter Cziborra/Reuters)
England defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire failed at connecting with midfielders Jordan Henderson, who replace Bellingham, and Rice, so they had to play the ball through the flanks.
Even after Josh Sargent and Gio Reyna replaced Wright and Weah, and Brenden Aaronson replaced McKennie, the U.S. formation continued to be the same.
Stones
Maguire
Reyna
Henderson
Sargent
Shaw
Rice
Pulisic
Musah
Trippier
Aaronson
Adams
(Illustration over a photo by Peter Cziborra/Reuters)
England defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire failed at connecting with midfielders Jordan Henderson, who replace Bellingham, and Rice, so they had to play the ball through the flanks.
Even after Josh Sargent and Gio Reyna replaced Wright and Weah, and Brenden Aaronson replaced McKennie, the U.S. formation continued to be the same.
Stones
Maguire
Reyna
Henderson
Sargent
Shaw
Rice
Pulisic
Musah
Trippier
Aaronson
Adams
England defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire failed at connecting with midfielders Jordan Henderson, who replace Bellingham, and Rice, so they had to play the ball through the flanks.
(Illustration over a photo by Peter Cziborra/Reuters)
But don’t expect that approach to work when the United States meets Iran on Tuesday for a must-win group stage finale. After Iran’s dramatic 2-0 victory over Wales gave it the inside track on passage to the knockout round, Carlos Queiroz’s team only needs a draw to send the U.S. squad home. So the Iranians probably will play more like Wales than England, content to sit back and absorb pressure as the United States throws numbers forward.
That could prove to be a tricky task for a U.S. team that has often struggled to break down compact opposition. Pulisic and Weah are at their best in transition but will need to beat Iran with combination play and one-on-one prowess. (This may be where 20-year-old playmaker Gio Reyna, limited to seven minutes over the first two games, is called upon.) Asked to stay home against England, outside backs Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest should push forward more frequently. The speed of the American center backs will be put to the test as Iran looks to strike on the counter.
For a U.S. team that has played commendably but lacked a killer instinct, Tuesday’s do-or-die scenario is the ultimate test. And it’s no overstatement to say Berhalter’s tenure could be defined by this performance against Iran. Get out of the group, and he could lead the United States toward the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Fall short, and Berhalter’s legacy may be one of untapped potential.
Graphics and illustrations by Artur Galocha.