A Happy Manager
After the game, U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said that he was delighted with Uly’s debut match and that he didn’t see any nerves from the young forward. He complimented his 1-v-1 skills and ability to find suitable spaces and run behind the lines.
The coach used the game to test several new players, including six Olympic-eligible players. He handed first international caps to seven players, including the Jesús mentioned above Ferreira and Uly Llanez. The Olympic qualifying tournament is less than two months away, and both coach Gregg Berhalter and Jason Kreis wanted to test the new talents. The latter shared with reporters that it was a great day for U.S. soccer as he was able to see a small but promising snapshot into the team’s future.
A Positive Test for a Young Team
While Costa Rica didn’t line up its A-team, the squad was competitive enough to challenge and test the U.S. players truly. While Berhalter admits there were some vulnerabilities in transition and from set-pieces, the overall buildup of the team looked sharp and full of promise.
The young penalty kick scorer who currently plays for the U-19 of the German club, Wolfsburg, admitted having had a hard adaptation time to the European lifestyle but that now he felt good where he was, which can be seen from his latest stats, nine goals in ten matches. He gave his first international jersey to his mom, who was at the stadium.
While everything is excellent, and there is a long way ahead, this game gives genuine hope to U.S. soccer fans.