The US men's national team got their first reality check of the Gregg Berhalter 2.0 era, falling 3-1 to Germany Saturday afternoon in an international friendly.
Christian Pulisic's 27th-minute stunner opened the score for the hosts at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, but the four-time FIFA Word Cup champions – with new manager Julian Nagelsmann making his debut on the bench – responded quickly via İlkay Gündoğan's equalizer before putting the game away in the second half on goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Jamal Musiala.
After lopsided wins over Uzbekistan and Oman last month in Berhalter's official return as head coach, the US wanted to keep the momentum going against more high-profile opposition as they prepare to host the 2024 Copa América and co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
The Yanks lined up with arguably their best starting XI for the occasion, with Gio Reyna making his first USMNT appearance under Berhalter since the 2022 World Cup and the ensuing controversy that played out between the manager and the player's family. But it was the captain Pulisic who got the home side going with a top-bin finish that left goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen completely flat-footed.
Germany were down, but clearly not out. Gündoğan made sure of that six minutes before the break by tapping in Matt Turner's half-clearance inside the box.
The former New England Revolution goalie made some key saves early in the second half to momentarily keep the game level, only for Füllkrug to beat him from close range in the 58th minute. Just three minutes later, Musiala ended all hope of a USMNT comeback by rounding out the 3-1 scoreline.
Berhalter and Co. will look for a reaction in three days' time when they host Ghana at Nashville SC's GEODIS Park – their final friendly before beginning their Concacaf Nations League title defense next month.
Goals
Three things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Ever since retaking the reins of the USMNT, Berhalter has stated his intention of leading the program to the next level. With all due respect to Uzbekistan and Oman, he’d yet to prove how close he was to achieving said objective before facing Germany on Saturday. The early returns aren’t great, despite some encouraging stretches of play highlighted by Pulisic’s golazo. International friendly and all, the US could still certainly use a statement win against a world-class opponent.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Turner could only save so many shots before Füllkrug's 58th-minute tally swung the momentum decisively in Germany's favor.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Füllkrug continued his national team scoring tear, making it eight goals in 10 appearances, while also assisting on Musiala's score. The 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker has been unstoppable internationally since earning his first senior cap in late 2022.
Next Up
- USA: Oct. 17 vs. Ghana | 8:30 pm ET
- GER: Oct. 17 vs. Mexico | 8:00 pm ET
