It’s a rarity to see Yunus Musah with no smile. An ear-to-ear grin is a mostly-permanent function for the 21-year-old midfielder.
However as he sprinted in the direction of the nook flag on Saturday night time in Austin, Texas, having scored his first purpose in a U.S. senior males’s nationwide group jersey in his forty second look, the sense of gratification on his face shined by means of — even for somebody who often has a contented expression plastered on.
“That second,” mentioned Christian Pulisic, his AC Milan and USMNT teammate who supplied the help, “that’s why you play.”
The Forty ninth-minute purpose in a 2-0 pleasant win towards Panama was additionally a direct validation of the instincts of the group’s debuting head coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
Musah’s pleasure was clear after his success in his new function (Tim Warner/USSF/Getty Pictures for USSF)
The 52-year-old Argentinian got here into his first camp this week desiring to spend time with each participant on the roster and perceive the place they stood. The concept was to make sure every of them was dealt with the precise means. It’s why Weston McKennie stayed on the bench on Saturday night time; he had entered camp feeling some discomfort after enjoying in every of Juventus’ final six video games, and Pochettino felt it was essential to not take any dangers with the midfielder. It was additionally why Musah was examined in a brand new function in his first recreation beneath the brand new regime.
Musah reported to camp having performed simply 45 minutes in Serie A for Milan in September and nil minutes up to now in October. Although usually a central midfielder solid in a box-to-box No. 8 function, Pochettino met with Musah and proposed deploying him wider on the precise. Pochettino knew Musah had performed that function earlier than, each in Arsenal’s academy and in addition when he first moved to Spain’s Valencia 5 years in the past. In that place, Pochettino felt Musah would have extra freedom to push ahead on the ball, certainly one of his strengths, with out the pressures of being a focal a part of the build-up at a time when he isn’t enjoying recurrently for his membership and thus wasn’t in his finest kind.
It labored to perfection early within the second half, when the U.S. constructed up down their left facet by means of Antonee Robinson, Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson, and Musah got here crashing into the field from the precise to complete off a Pulisic cross.
“It’s at all times price attempting to construct his confidence and to (make him) really feel once more (that he’s) a participant that may carry out on the pitch,” Pochettino mentioned. “It was an essential second for him, to (present) belief in him, however perhaps to not give him an excessive amount of accountability within the build-up. It’s solely to be ready that may assist the group, after which he arrived there and scored.
“Implausible for him, unbelievable for the group. And now perhaps he’ll begin to carry out and behave differently, stuffed with confidence. That’s the essential (issue) in our resolution, is attempting to assist. We’re right here to assist the participant to seek out their finest.”
Pochettino and Pulisic converse through the win over Panama (Photograph: John Dorton/ISI Pictures/USSF/Getty Pictures)
If there was a theme to the primary night time beneath Pochettino, it was precisely that: creating and constructing confidence. Confidence for every participant, but in addition for a group that was winless in its earlier 4 video games. Copa America group-stage elimination was a crushing expertise for a squad that knew how expectations had been rising and understood how precious a match run would have been on a number of ranges, for them, the fanbase and the game in the US.
Pochettino’s rent was meant to revive a number of the confidence and perception in this system.
Middle again Tim Ream mentioned Pochettino was “talking about confidence all week”, and that it was strengthened and transmitted into the group by what he was asking the group to do towards Panama. Principally, gamers had been advised to be themselves, embrace their strengths and, as Musah mentioned, “play free”.
“He desires us to be stable defensively, after which have guys play the way in which they’re comfy enjoying and being assured going ahead with the ball,” Ream mentioned. “And everyone noticed that, particularly within the first quarter-hour. Guys had been transferring, (there was) intricate passing and getting the ball, transferring fast and getting in and round their field. When he tells guys to go and be themselves, it’s an indication that he has confidence in you, and you’ll see that come out with all the fellows out right here.”
Issues weren’t good. Panama had good probabilities within the recreation. Matt Turner was pressured into a giant double save within the second half and they need to have discovered an equalizer late within the recreation. As USMNT veteran DaMarcus Beasley mentioned on the Turner Sports activities broadcast, there have been additionally some errors within the build-up that high groups would punish.
However, the U.S. received, with Ricardo Pepi including the second purpose in stoppage time.
The outcome was wanted, even when this was only a pleasant.
“I appeared again at our current kind, and I used to be considering, ‘Wow, it’s been some time since I’ve received’,” Turner mentioned. “Because the Bolivia recreation (at Copa America, on June 23), proper, since we’ve received a recreation and had a clear sheet? So, yeah, it’s good to set off this period with a win and a clear sheet. It goes in waves, however profitable is one thing that you simply study. You may’t simply take it as a right. It takes power and focus for 90 minutes, particularly at this degree.”
Pochettino will know that this win was essential in constructing belief and confidence that the concepts he’s putting in with the group will result in success. Musah’s purpose strengthened that.
The job now could be to maintain carrying it ahead.
“It’s step one,” Pochettino mentioned. “To begin to develop and be higher.”
(Prime photograph: John Dorton/ISI Pictures/USSF/Getty Pictures)
