USMNT start second Berhalter era with late win over Uzbekistan

It wasn't the high-flying attacking affair fans may have hoped for at St. Louis CITY SC's CITYPARK, but the US men's national team got the job done with a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan Saturday evening.

Tim Weah scored the decisive goal in the fourth minute, smashing a shot into the side netting from the right side of the penalty box. Weston McKennie earned an assist on the play for laying the ball off to his Juventus teammate after showing supreme skill to bring down a Christian Pulisic cross in the box and attract four defenders with his quick dribbling.

In the 91st minute, Ricardo Pepi iced the game with a coolly-slotted finish off a clever Brendan Aaronson setup, and four minutes later, Pulisic added a third on a late penalty kick.

Despite the three-goal win, head coach Gregg Berhalter may not have won over new fans in his return to the team, with the USMNT putting in a sluggish performance on the night. But the Stars and Stripes do leave St. Louis with a solid final score in hand as they prepare to go again vs. Oman on Tuesday night at Minnesota United FC's Allianz Field.

Goals

4' - USA - Tim Weah | WATCH
90+1' - USA - Ricardo Pepi | WATCH
90+5' - USA - Christian Pulisic | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: The US had little to play for in this one other than pride and a chance to rebuild cohesion in Berhalter’s first game back coaching the team since his contract ran out at the end of 2022. Fielding close to a first-choice lineup, the Yanks had surely hoped for a more dominant performance throughout the 90. But a 3-0 scoreline won’t look too bad in the long run, and getting Pepi onto the scoresheet in his first game with the national team after signing a big deal with PSV Eindhoven bodes well for the future.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: After Pepi narrowly missed the cut for the final 26-man roster in Qatar, the former FC Dallas striker has looked like a man on a mission. On a night when many of the Yanks’ biggest stars had subpar performances, his late goal showed why he belongs moving forward.

RICOOOO SUAVEEEEE pic.twitter.com/GqVcUMois9
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) September 9, 2023

MAN OF THE MATCH: If it weren’t for McKennie’s impressive assist to open the scoring in the fourth minute, an already tight match could’ve been even more tense for the USMNT.