The long-awaited face-off between Hervé Renard and Mauricio Pochettino has only partially met the expectations of a dynamic, high-scoring affair between two of the most tactically astute spirits of the sport.
At least during the first 20 minutes the ball moved smoothly from one American player to the other, with Saudi Arabia only occasionally broke through a few errors. The USMNT checked 67% possessed and completed 535 passes, so dominance was delivered in their second Gold Cup match.
Around the 30 -minute marking, the American defense had its first real fear. Abdulrahman Alobud wore number 24 and rose at full speed and almost gave the Saudis the lead, but was stopped just in time by Chris Richards.
Then came the 40 minutes that the game changed.
After his return from the break after a flurry of opportunities from Diego Luna and Max Arfsten, Pochettino's side came back with a clear intention: find the opening goal.
The Saudis reacted by sharpening their lines of defenses, making life difficult for players like Agyemang, who had trouble finding room for the goal. Luna, however, continued to blind smart footwork and false movements – so much even that defenders such as Abdulhamid started to focus on him with tactical errors to break his rhythm.
Just before the hour Mark, Q2 stage held his breath while Saudi Arabia fired a dangerous shot – one that rattled the pole. The effort eventually became reliable, reduced for offside against Ziyad Al Johani.
It was in the 63rd minute that the impasse was finally broken. Chris Richards hit a bright left shot in the just after receiving a Pinpoint pass from Sebastian Berhalter, who capitalized on a well-deserved set piece. It was a sharp finish that finally brought life to the scoreboard.
Seven minutes stop time was not enough
After scoring, the US delayed things because both parties made several replacements and Saudi -Arabia yielded mistakes in a desperate attempt to get control back. One of the late changes, Johnny Cardoso, was only 10 minutes on the field and knew only three details – an example of the fragmented rhythm in the last part.
Renard's team pushed the time, and fought hard for an equalizer, but again the offside flag denied them. In the 91st minute, Al-Amri remained ready for a clean shot after a ball from Obud-a pass that never came.
The match ended with four yellow cards, six corners and only one goal – a stark contrast with the open competition that many had predicted, but was reminiscent of the scoreless draw between these two teams in 2022.
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