Three takeaways of US U-23’s Olympic qualifying win against Dominican Republic | Charles Boehm

by

Two games, two wins and on track for the all-important semi-finals.

In terms of results, the US under 23 men’s national team ticks all the boxes they need so far at the Concacaf Olympic qualifying tournament.

Sunday’s 4-0 win over the Dominican Republic takes them to six points from six in Guadalajara, and with the knockout stage in sight, they can reach the usual intensity of a match between the United States and Mexico with a clear heart and calm. nerves when they meet. their The Tri counterparts in their final group stage match on Wednesday.

Now, in terms of performance? That’s a more nuanced story, as the young Yanks were barely dominant until a young, well-drilled DR side got tired in the late stages of the game. Let’s start there.

Polishing the stone

I use the term “grinding” to describe this American outing, which has some negative connotations – we all want to see fluid, smooth football with no sand in the gears, right? But in some cases, an electric sander can get the job done, especially if you’re a regional giant looking to assert your dominance against minnows and upstart.

Coach Jason Kreis said after the game that the DR turned the US into a corner with their 3-4-2-1 formation, “a completely different form than we’ve ever seen them play before”, and the discipline and intensity of the Caribbean. side prevented Goliath. for an hour, long enough to shake some nerves before Jackson Yueill’s instinctive flick finish broke the ice.

“I thought our boys were just a bit too careful about the affair. I think our guys were more concerned about the transition than creating attacking moments, ”said Kreis. “Those two things together ensure that the first half does not perform so well. But what we saw in the second half had improved a lot and we’re excited to walk out with three more points. “

Yueill doesn’t usually wander that far forward from defensive midfield. Turns out he wasn’t actually number 6 in this one, with Kreis explaining that Andres Perea was assigned the single-pivot with Yueill and Johnny Cardoso the 8s, and other than the end result, not everyone seemed quite comfortable. To the coach it looked “a little different, if only because of the players’ qualities”, and I agree.

Was this a jumble of assignments and tendencies, or a team that worked its way step by step to solve problems in a tournament environment? Well, some players are sure to find their niche …

Stock up, stock down

No prizes for guessing Sunday’s big winner Hassani Dotson, whose entry in 62nd place in Cardoso’s place coincided with the United States’ assertion of control and culminated in his two expertly taken goals. The Minnesota United utility man also played a role in the game-winner vs. Costa Rica; he shows that he is here for much more than just his versatility and should be a first choice starter from now on.

Djordje Mihailovic came in at the same time and looked a lot more dangerous from wide positions than he had in the middle of the first game. Kreis will now have to consider whether CF Montréal’s man might be more useful next to the bank, with tired defenders and generally more room to exploit.

Elsewhere, right back Julian Araujo was not as clean on the ball as usual and might have missed an opportunity to stay ahead of Aaron Herrera for the starting role, while Henry Kessler showed he was a solid center-back with little to no drop-off from Mauricio Pineda. Whether it was his lack of impact or the failure of his teammates to understand and reward his move, Jesus Ferreira saw little of the ball and looks likely to be turned in favor of Sebastian Soto vs. Mexico.

The funny thing about all of this is that Wednesday’s XI doesn’t reflect the above at all. While insisting that the US is fully committed to winning that match, Kreis has every reason to pool his resources and then be on full force for the next match – the semi-final to be won against a TBA foe from. Group B. Not only qualifying but also winning this tournament outright is a top goal, as he said before, they might be able to beat each other The Tri again in the final.

In honor of those left behind

The DR are staring at last place in Group A, but that’s hardly the real story. Debutants in this event, with his latest selection, The Quisqueyanos were impressive given the gap between them and the US. Inter Miami, native Edison Azcona and his mates showed no fear and executed their game plan effectively, even if their legs and mind let them down in the last half hour.

MLS and USL scouts should pay attention to what is happening with Dominican football. Mexican manager Jacques Passy is an old Concacaf hand who oversees a promising program overhaul with limited resources; On Sunday, he left the U-23s under the direction of his assistant Jonathan Himelfarb to prepare the first team for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

“We played 60 minutes which I think were very good, which were at the level of the game, which is a challenge in itself for us,” Himelfarb said after the game. “If you look at our line-up, we have six players who are 20 or younger and this has become a tournament under 24, because of the pandemic and whatever tournament, so maybe it’s the lack of experience, maybe we are a bit out of rhythm. Mentally I think we can do better, but yes, when it comes to the effort and the first 60 minutes, I’m really proud, and the future certainly looks bright for the Dominican Republic Football Association. “

More talents like Azcona will rise through the ranks, both at home and among the large populations of Dominican-Americans in the United States. Many of their youngsters find opportunities in the lower leagues of Spain, and hopefully some savvy American or Canadian clubs will look for diamonds too.

Source