The US team that faced Ghana on Saturday was heavy with MLS talent.
Photograph: Jessica Hill/AP
American heroes tend to have a familiar look. Indeed, the US national team took to the field on Saturday in a new shirt that would suit Captain America perfectly: stripes across the chest, stars along the shoulders. But
while the look is a familiar one around the fourth of July, those who wore it in the 2-1 friendly win over Ghana were not.
This was something of a new-look US side, with three players handed their debuts. Dom Dwyer, the English-born striker who recently received American citizenship, scored the opener as Kelyn Rowe and Kenny Saief also made their international bow. Being a friendly, not many conclusive verdicts were reached, even if the match served as an effective tuning exercise, but this friendly offered up more than most.
When Arena was hired as Jürgen Klinsmann’s successor, the assumption was that the former LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and DC United head coach would give MLS more prominence in the make up of the national team. The win over Ghana was the clearest indication yet that such an assumption is now starting to materialise.
Of course, the Gold Cup squad tends to consist of players picked from MLS and the wider Concacaf region, and this being a preparation match ahead of the competition, the US’s European contingent were left to their pre-season programmes. But nonetheless, Arena has restored the connection between the division and the national team that had become frayed under Klinsmann.
The USA’s most exciting prospects, with the notable exception of Christian Pulisic, are MLS-based. Take Kellyn Acosta, for example, who scored the second goal (his first at international level) in the victory over Ghana. The FC Dallas youngster has shown enough to suggest he will one day succeed Michael Bradley as the USA’s midfield anchor, forging an understanding with Dax McCarty in the centre of the pitch. Then there’s Jordan Morris, who had to make do with a substitute appearance against Ghana.
That was down, by and large, to the introduction of Dwyer, which in itself might be the most exciting prospect for the national team. The 26-year-old has proved himself as one of the most consistent goalscorers in MLS over the past three seasons, netting 57 times in 128 appearances for Sporting KC. He probably won’t usurp Jozy Altidore in Arena’s full-strength starting lineup, but he does provide the US with the back-up option they have lacked of late.
Dwyer’s work rate caused the Ghanaian defence plenty of problems on Saturday evening, embodying the energetic spirit of the US side under Arena. On the basis of his performance, Dwyer could prove to be the breakout star of the Gold Cup, particularly if Arena plans on sticking with the lone striker used at Rentschler Field.
Dwyer is reflective of the new policy towards MLS-based players. While Klinsman publicly implored his players to make the move to Europe in order to receive national team recognition, Arena is placing his faith in MLS to provide a testing ground for the country’s next generation. As someone who knows the division inside out, he is content to let his players develop at their own rate.
Additionally, that builds a trust between the US and players that perhaps eroded under Klinsmann. Arena has yet to lose a game, winning four and drawing four. US Gold Cup squads have largely consisted of MLS players before, but this time there’s a consensus that it may lead to something.
Elsewhere around the league…
A lot has changed at San Jose and the LA Galaxy, but the Cali Clasico is still reliably thrilling. Chris Leitch’s first league win as Earthquakes head coach proved to be a memorable one, with Shea Salinas netting a stoppage time winner for the hosts at a sold out Stanford Stadium.Plenty has changed at San Jose and the LA Galaxy over the past season, with both clubs changing managers and suffering something of an identity crisis, but the Cali Clasico still serves up thrills more reliably than any other fixture in MLS. Stanford Stadium has witnessed more than a few momentous moments, but Saturday’s winning goal was up there with the most dramatic.
Could an injury to Bastian Schweinsteiger derail the Chicago Fire’s charge? Since arriving in Chicago the German has started all 14 of the Fire’s matches, playing 90 minutes in 11 of those games before Saturday’s clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps. That streak is likely to come to an end, however, with Schweinsteiger limping off after just 43 minutes against the Canadians.
“We had to pull him out of the game because he felt a little bit of very sharp soreness,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic explained afterwards. “So he was actually smart when the result was 3-0 and he asked for the substitution. We will see, we will evaluate in the next couple of days how he recovers and we expect him to be ready for Portland. But we will know more on Monday.”
The former Bayern Munich midfielder has very quickly become central to the Chicago Fire and their turnaround, so his absence could hit hard. The summer months so often separate contenders from pretenders. Chicago could come to rely on the fitness of Schweinsteiger to prove they are the former.
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