The US men's national team scored early and often Tuesday night against Ghana, cruising to a 4-0 victory in front of 18,468 fans at Nashville SC's GEODIS Park.
All four goals were scored in the first half, with Gio Reyna and Sergiño Dest among the standouts in a free-flowing 45 minutes.
After a disappointing performance in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Germany, the Yanks closed out the October window on a high note and gave head coach Gregg Berhalter plenty to build on in his second cycle at the helm – as well as before next month's Concacaf Nations League title defense begins.
Turner was only called on to make one save, but it was a spectacular one, acrobatically tipping a shot over the bar that seemed destined for the top corner. He continues to impress with his evolving distribution, in particular an inch-perfect punt to Pulisic that ended in one of the best chances of the night.
It was an encouraging performance from the Palermo left back, who was competent defensively and tirelessly got involved in the attack. The job still feels like Antonee Robinson's to lose when healthy, but Lund made a strong case for more inclusion at a position of need for this team.
It would be generous to call this a defensive test for the USMNT, but the backline dealt with the few moments of danger well. Robinson was strong in the air and blocked a second-half shot before it turned into anything noteworthy.
Like Robinson, Richards was rarely tested (if at all) by Ghana's attack, so much so that it's hard to give him a full grade. He was excellent on the ball, though, and began several dangerous passing moves for the USMNT.
Dest was in a flow state all night, putting on a show every time he touched the ball. His weaving run to set up the first goal was a thing of beauty, and he had a near-telepathic connection with Tim Weah down the right flank. Dest can be a streaky player, but tonight was a reminder of how dominant he can be when he gets hot.
Ever the smooth operator on the ball, Musah circulated possession effectively and rode out some tough challenges, especially in the opening part of the first half. He was economical with the ball without being timid, and looked much more comfortable in a more natural role than he did in Saturday's loss to Germany.
Johnny kept things ticking in midfield, often the most withdrawn of the central trio. He completed a cool 94% of his passes and even managed to foray forward more than he typically does. The front line will grab the headlines, but it was a very capable 65 minutes for the Internacional man.
The captain was at peak form from the opening whistle, cutting inside from the left wing and opening up all kinds of space in Ghana's backline. He emphatically dispatched his penalty kick straight down the middle and generally was involved in the USMNT's best moments in the final third.
Reyna was exceptional in his second start of the window, looking much more like the Gio Reyna this team has been waiting for. He opened the scoring with a scrappy finish, played a crucial role in the buildup to Pulisic's penalty, and made it a brace with a rare indirect free kick from inside the box. Aside from the goals, he was a menace in possession, prying open Ghana's defense every time he got on the ball. It was the type of showing Reyna desperately needed.
It's hard to think of anything other than "electric" to describe Weah's performance. He was a constant threat to get in behind and kept Ghana's backline on the back foot. He consistently opened up space for himself with dynamic runs, and his connection with Dest continued to develop. He set up Folarin Balogun's goal and was a constant source of danger, even in the second half when the rest of the team seemed to let up a bit.
After Berhalter talked pre-match about getting Balogun more involved, the AS Monaco striker did just that. He varied his runs throughout his 45-minute shift, dropping into midfield in the buildup, drifting wide, and making runs off the back shoulder of the defense. He got involved often, including a crisp interchange with Dest in the buildup to the opening goal. He found the back of the net himself, too, completely freezing his defender with a gorgeous turn and thrashing his shot into the far corner.
You can only play the team in front of you, but Berhalter more than met the test. Inserting a natural No. 6 in Johnny back into midfield did wonders for the balance of the team, and allowed Gio Reyna much more freedom in attack. The only knock on the performance was perhaps a lack of urgency in the second half, but even up 4-0, his side created enough chances to add to their lead. As convincing a win as this team has had under his tenure.
Substitutes
Aaronson found himself in good positions in the final third, but often let himself down with a few sloppy touches. He had a couple of enticing passes into the box, but overall couldn't find a breakthrough to increase the Americans' lead.
McKennie was the most impressive of the halftime introductions, immediately spraying passes and spreading possession around the field. In particular, he had a gorgeous diagonal to Weah early in the second half.
The FC Dallas product couldn't maintain the same level of involvement Balogun brought in the first half, touching the ball just 14 times as the service from midfield trickled off.
Maloney made his debut with 25 minutes to go, becoming the first Heidenheim player to ever be capped by a senior national team. He slotted in fairly seamlessly and had a couple of nice switches of play. It will be interesting to see how his involvement develops going forward.
The Celtic center back came on the the final 18 minutes and was hardly challenged defensively, but he seems to be climbing up the pecking order in the US player pool.
De la Torre found himself in some advanced positions during his 15-minute shift, though the final ball never quite found its way through.
