This clip is bordering on what I’m talking about, but it’s nonetheless part of how the United States operated in the central midfield overnight. Canada created a no-fly zone and the United States took it so seriously that sometimes they didn’t even think about looking for the ball when they were in that particular zone.
Underlying it is two things:
There was a strong “God, I hope I don’t make a mistake” energy on the ball from many American players, and I understand. Alphonso Davies is one of the few players in the world who can make DeAndre Yedlin look slow, and Cyle Larin is a Champions League center-forward in his prime. Turnovers or a moment of inattention can turn into goals in the blink of an eye, and that’s exactly what happened:
