USA vs Chile playing at BBVA Compass Stadium

Pulisic scores, leaves games with injury, and other thoughts from USMNT vs Chile

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HOUSTON – The US men’s national team and Chile traded goals within the first 10 minutes of the game in a 1-1 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The USMNT got things started in the fourth minute when Gyazi Zardes brought down the ball with a beautiful first touch. On his second touch, Zardes sprung Christian Pulisic, who split the centerbacks and found himself one-on-one with Chilean keeper Gabriel Arias.

Pulisic caught up to the ball and with one touch, lifted it gently over Arias for the game’s first score.

The celebration would be short-lived as the Copa America Champions would equalize in the ninth minute through a broken play in the USMNT box. The ball came to Chilean defender Óscar Opazo, who ripped it into the back of the net.

The result keeps the USMNT undefeated under head coach Gregg Berhalter and should be considered the first true test of his tenure.

Here are three thoughts from the game:

Pulisic scores but leaves games with an injury

Pulisic’s 10th goal with the USMNT was the good news from the game. The bad news is the current Borussia Dortmund player picked up a right quadriceps injury and had to leave the game in the 36th minute.

After the game, Berhalter was asked if he’s worried about Pulisic’s rash of soft muscle injuries this season and his ability to stay healthy.

“I’m not worried. You look into the why, and why that is happening and you make adjustments,” Berhalter said. “He’s at a top club and he’s going to a top club. We have a very high-level medical personnel on our side and we’ll get it right.”

Playing through the high press

Going in this game, Berhalter knew Chile would press the USMNT, and he was right. Chile came out pressing and caused havoc which led to sloppy passes in the backline.

Despite those misplaced passes, Berhalter said his side showed “bravery in trying to play through some of their pressure.”

DeAndre Yedlin, who started at right back, said those sloppy passes was the USMNT trying to play out of the press.

“We’re playing a friendly for a reason, and that’s to work on the things that we work on in training. And Gregg [Berhalter] is a coach that wants to play. He wants to be stubborn with it and we’re going to continue to try to do that,” Yedlin said.

“I was really proud of the team that even at times when we lost the ball in tough situations, but we didn’t stop trying to play. Which is what Gregg [Berhalter] has preached to us this whole camp.”

Zardes shines against Chile

The Colorado Rapids forward man-of-the-match type of performance against Chile garnered him praise on social media.

Zardes’ instructions for the game were clear. Berhalter wanted him to drop into the midfield and receive the ball.

“We wanted to add an extra man in midfield. Instead of doing it with wingers we did it with Gyazi [Zardes],” Berhalter said. “And I like how he interpreted that. He had a couple of giveaways but overall it gave us an advantage.”

Zardes interpretation was to set up the games first score with a brilliant first touch.

“He [Berhalter] wanted me to drop a little deeper than I usually do just to collect the ball and switch the point of attack and I felt like I found some success in doing that.”