With the USA’s recent tie over England in the World Cup, many people are left scratching their heads as to how the 5th best team tied with the punching bag of the international soccer community. So how did the USA tie England? The USA men’s team this year has started with substantially better players and a much stronger squad overall. Players like Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic have become the driving force of the team. The influence they have on the field is palpable and the team spirit is higher than ever. In the game against England, the USA right off of kickoff was dominating the field. The passing coordination and complete control over the field was astonishing to watch. The way that the players established such control over a supposedly superior team was all down to passing and composure, the English team would launch attack after attack on the USA defensive line but the players kept their cool and held the line.

The USA kept the English team away from the goal most of the first half and let English players tire themselves out before launching a much more aggressive strategy during the second half. The team started to launch more aggressive plays and managed to break through the English defense, unfortunately not being able to score but coming very close with Christian Pulisic even hitting the crossbar on one shot. The amount of shots taken by the US was far above the English team, and even though none scored it shows how the US team created much more opportunity for themselves than the English offense could manage.

The US defense was incredible to watch, the players stopped every attempt at a goal the English tried. The defense showed their dominance over the field by quickly clearing every ball that would come into the back half. The quick passing and dominance in the air allowed the defense to quickly move the ball back towards the English half of the field. The goalkeeping of Matt Turner has also been excellent, he has been able to stop every shot that made it through the defense and create opportunity for the offense to counter attack.

The team was not afraid to pass back to maintain possession and keep control over the field, so having a confident goalie to pass back to is a large part of maintaining that passing supremacy. Matt Turner would consistently make passes with the players and showed no hesitation handling the ball, even with English players nearby. The offensive players took full advantage of every opportunity and the plays made by the offense were bold and confident. The offense often going through the English defense, taking them by surprise before they regrouped to stop the advance. The confidence shown by our players was well earned, and their performance has shown that. Overall the team meshed amazingly and the coordination made all the difference. The US team showed that they are truly a force to be reckoned with and should not be underestimated.