U.S. men’s soccer falls short in major test against star-studded Germany

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Given a rare chance to play a major European power, the U.S. men’s soccer team’s stars showed at times against Germany that it could rise to the moment. But after playing the first half to a creditable tie, a defensive collapse in the second half of an eventual 3-1 loss showed how far the Americans still have to go before hosting the 2026 World Cup.

The packed crowd of 37,743 at Rentschler Field certainly got its money’s worth. Hershey’s Christian Pulisic scored a spectacular opener for the U.S. in the 27th minute, Ilkay Gündoğan answered in the 39th, while Niclas Füllkrug and Jamal Musiala decided the game in the 58th and 61st minutes.

“The first half especially, I thought we were really good, and then it came down to some moments,” U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said. “I think the goals were conceded a little bit too easily. … Good learning experience for the group, and we know we need to get better if we’re going to win these.”

Headlining the American starters was Gio Reyna, whose presence helped finally put to bed the scandal that swept up his and Berhalter’s families. Berhalter gave Reyna a further endorsement by starting him in a central attacking midfield role, unlike the right-wing position he’s played for the U.S. in the past. Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah started in the deeper central spots.

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Germany is not as dominant a force in the soccer world as it used to be, but the Mannschaft’s roster oozes with talent and prestige — and a much-needed dose of youth. Star playmakers Musiala (Bayern Munich) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) are just 20 years old.

Without the stakes of an official competition, the first half was wonderfully wide-open. Though the U.S. was outshot, 11-4, it gave as good as it got, including a beautiful combination in the 26th minute involving Reyna, right-back Joe Scally, and the starting front line of right winger Tim Weah, striker Folarin Balogun, and Pulisic, who played left wing.

Pulisic’s goal was one of his finest in a U.S. jersey — or any jersey. He took a layoff pass from Balogun on the left wing, cut to the middle amid two German defenders, and then sent former Chelsea teammate Antonio Rüdiger (now of Real Madrid) backward as he kept going forward. Twenty yards from goal, Pulisic uncorked a dazzling curler of a shot that German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen had no chance to save.

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The lead lasted 12 minutes. Leroy Sané, also of Bayern, shredded the U.S. back line with a run in from the right wing for which eight American players had front-row seats. A quick give-and-go with Gündoğan later, goalie Matt Turner was forced into a dive that pushed the ball right to Gündoğan’s feet on the doorstep.

Reyna departed at halftime in a preplanned move, replaced by Luca de la Torre. That also gave the midfield some defensive reinforcement, as de la Torre played level with McKennie and Musah instead of in front of them.

It didn’t feel like much reinforcement, though, when Füllkrug put Germany ahead. After recovering a Turner goal kick, the Germans built a 14-pass move under relatively little pressure that culminated in an open 12-yard shot.

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Musiala and Füllkrug teamed up on the third, with the former’s delicate chip to the latter starting the decisive give-and-go. Turner charged for the ball, Füllkrug slipped it behind him, and Musiala did the rest.

”We cost so much energy with our own counterattacks that it’s hard to really stay consistent in all of your actions [and] your defensive shape,” Berhalter said. “The games against opponents like this can’t be that open. It needs to be tighter.”

Turner concurred.

“They found space in the middle of the field, in the midfield and on top of our [18-yard] box,” he said. “Balls kind of bounced around and our shape was broken, sagging, and keeping guys onside.”

Five minutes after Germany’s third goal, Berhalter made a triple-substitution: Cameron Carter-Vickers for Chris Richards at centerback, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson for Weah, and Ricardo Pepi for Balogun. The Americans’ final subs came in the 75th, Johnny Cardoso replacing McKennie and Kevin Paredes for Pulisic.

”I came on and just tried to do the best I could, really, and just tried to make some things in the final third happen,” Aaronson said.

Aaronson had a highlight in the 78th when he spun around Rüdiger on the right wing, darted into the 18-yard box, then took a shove in the back from Rüdiger. But referee Fernando Guerrero of Mexico didn’t judge it a foul, and, with no video review in use, play went on.

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At the start of second-half stoppage time, Aaronson won a free kick atop the 18-yard box with some fancy footwork, and he got to take the shot. But as all 10 German outfield players and eight Americans took their places nearby, Aaronson’s attempt hit Germany’s jumping wall of defenders.

“And they were all 6-foot-4, so that didn’t help,” he quipped.

That felt like a pretty good metaphor for the task at hand for the U.S. men, in this game and for the next three years. At least it won’t be long until the next chance for a win: Tuesday against perennial World Cup foe Ghana in Nashville (8:30 p.m., TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock).