Friendly Win Over Morocco Followed By Nations League Drama

On This Day in 2022, The Americans Began Their World Cup Tune-Up With a Statement Victory

The United States Men's National Team kicked off their critical June international window seeking answers to lingering questions about their Qatar-bound roster with less than six months before their return to the World Cup stage. Following a grueling qualifying campaign that secured their tournament berth, coach Gregg Berhalter and his young squad faced a four-match gauntlet designed to fine-tune their preparations against competition beyond their familiar CONCACAF rivals.

The Americans' schedule featured two high-profile friendlies against World Cup-bound opponents—Morocco on June 1 in Cincinnati and Uruguay on June 5 in Kansas City—before concluding with mandatory CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada on June 10 in Austin and El Salvador on June 14. For a team that had spent the previous three years primarily competing against regional opposition, these fixtures represented one of their final opportunities to measure themselves against diverse international competition.

"I feel like we've played Concacaf teams for the past two years," midfielder Tyler Adams remarked on the eve of the Morocco match, accurately reflecting a schedule that had seen 41 of the team's previous 50 games come against regional opponents. With their World Cup group stage drawing closer—featuring matchups against Wales or Ukraine, England, and Iran—Berhalter's squad desperately needed the calibration these friendlies would provide.

The preparation window opened with several roster storylines worthy of attention. Berhalter had left the door open to some long-absent candidates, including forward Haji Wright and defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, both returning to the national team for the first time since 2019 after standout club seasons in Turkey and Scotland, respectively. Bayern Munich prospect Malik Tillman, having just switched his international allegiance from Germany to the United States, joined the camp eager to make his debut and potentially stake a claim for a World Cup roster spot.

Meanwhile, several key players remained unavailable due to injuries, including right back Sergiño Dest, attacker Gio Reyna, and center backs Chris Richards and Miles Robinson—the latter sidelined indefinitely with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Weston McKennie, recovering from a broken foot, joined the squad but wasn't yet at full fitness.

Against this backdrop of opportunities and absences, the Americans took the field at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, determined to establish a baseline against Morocco, the 24th-ranked team in FIFA's standings and a fellow Qatar qualifier.

After weathering some early Moroccan pressure, the United States found its breakthrough in the 26th minute through a moment of individual brilliance from captain Christian Pulisic. Center back Walker Zimmerman launched a 50-yard pass that Pulisic controlled with exquisite technique, looking over his shoulder to track the ball's flight before settling it with a cotton-soft touch. The Chelsea star then cut back sharply on two defenders before laying the ball off to the onrushing Brenden Aaronson, who fired home from 11 yards for his sixth international goal.

Six minutes later, Tim Weah doubled the advantage with a thunderous 22-yard strike that handcuffed Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Despite getting a hand to the shot, Bounou couldn't prevent the ball from flying into the net, putting the Americans in control midway through the first half.

After the break, the U.S. team continued to impress, with Pulisic in particularly dazzling form. The captain's influence extended beyond his assist when he earned a penalty after being fouled by Achraf Hakimi in the 64th minute. In a gesture that exemplified his leadership, Pulisic handed the ball to Wright, his roommate from the 2017 Under-17 World Cup, allowing the debutant to cap his first international appearance with a confidently taken penalty kick.

"We go way back," Pulisic explained afterward. "He needed that goal, and he said he was confident to go step up and take it, so I wanted him to get that confidence, and I'm glad he scored."

The match also saw first caps for left back Joe Scally, who entered at halftime alongside Wright, and Tillman, who made his debut in the 65th minute just a day after FIFA approved his change of affiliation. The night's only blemish came when referee Ismael Cornejo awarded Morocco a questionable penalty after ruling that Scally had fouled Soufiane Rahimi, though replays showed no contact was made. Fortunately for the Americans, Selim Amallah's spot kick struck the crossbar, preserving the clean sheet in a comprehensive 3-0 victory.

"We talked about establishing a baseline for this group, how we can perform against World Cup opponents," Berhalter said afterward. "The group went out and showed exactly how good we can be, but also at times vulnerable. We still know we need to keep improving, and that's why this game was so good for us."

The victory extended the Americans' home unbeaten streak to 24 matches since September 2019, leaving them just two shy of the team record. More importantly, it provided valuable insights into the squad's capabilities against the caliber of opposition they'd face in Qatar.

Four days later, the Americans continued their preparation with a tougher test against 13th-ranked Uruguay in Kansas City. Despite creating several promising opportunities, the U.S. attack struggled to convert chances in a hard-fought 0-0 draw. Jesus Ferreira had the best opportunities for the Americans, missing a 15-yard shot saved by Fernando Muslera in the 19th minute and sending an open header wide shortly after. The result highlighted the team's ongoing challenge at the striker position, as U.S. forwards had now scored just once in the previous 13 matches.

Berhalter made seven changes from the Uruguay match when the team faced 170th-ranked Grenada in Austin on June 10 in their CONCACAF Nations League opener. Neither Pulisic nor Adams dressed for the match. Still, their absence didn't matter as Ferreira emphatically answered some questions about the striker position with a four-goal performance in a dominant 5-0 victory. The FC Dallas forward's clinical finishing display matched Landon Donovan (2003), Joe-Max Moore (1993), Buff Donelli (1934), and Archie Stark (1925) for the most goals scored in a single game by an American player. Paul Arriola added the other goal as the Americans extended their unbeaten run at home to 26 matches, tying the previous record set between 2013 and 2015.

The four-match window concluded on June 14 with a challenging trip to San Salvador to face El Salvador in Nations League play. On a muddy, waterlogged pitch at Estadio Cuscatlan, the Americans found themselves trailing at halftime after Alexander Larin caught goalkeeper Ethan Horvath off his line with a brilliant strike from the left flank in the 35th minute. The match took several dramatic turns in the second half, with both teams reduced to 10 men after red cards to Paul Arriola for the U.S. and Ronald Rodriguez for El Salvador. Just when it appeared the Americans would suffer a disappointing defeat, substitute Jordan Morris rose to meet a Luca de la Torre cross in stoppage time, heading home the equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw under difficult conditions.

With the June window complete, Berhalter's squad would have just one more gathering—two September friendlies in Europe against yet-to-be-announced opponents—before departing for Qatar. The Morocco triumph had provided the high point of the four-match stretch, offering a glimpse of what this young American squad might achieve when the stakes are highest at the World Cup in November.