It's rare to see Yunus Musa without a smile. A smile from ear to ear is a constant feature of the 21-year-old midfielder.
But when he sprinted toward the corner flag on Saturday night in Austin, Texas, after scoring his first goal in a U.S. senior national team shirt in his 42nd appearance, there was a look of satisfaction on his face – even for someone who usually plastered a happy expression on his face. .
“Right now,” said Christian Pulisica's AC Milan and USMNT teammate who provided the assist, “that's why you're playing.”
The 49th-minute goal in the 2-0 friendly win over Panama was also an immediate validation of the instincts of debuting head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Musah's joy was clear after his success in his new role (Tim Warner/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
The 52-year-old Argentine arrived at his first camp this week with the intention of spending time with every player in the squad and understanding where they stand. The idea was that each of them would be treated in the right way. That's why Weston McKennie remained on the bench on Saturday night; he entered the camp feeling some discomfort after playing in each of Juventus' last six games, and Pochettino felt it was vital not to take any risks with the midfielder. For this reason, Musah was tested in his new role in his first match under the new regime.
Musah reported to camp after playing just 45 minutes in Serie A for Milan in September and zero minutes so far in October. Although he is usually a central midfielder played in the No. 8 role from box to box, Pochettino met with Musah and suggested deploying him wider on the right side. Pochettino knew Musah had played this role before, both at the Arsenal academy and when he first moved to Spanish side Valencia five years ago. Pochettino felt that in this position Musah would have had more freedom to move the ball, which is one of his strengths, without the pressure of being the centerpiece of preparations at a time when he was not playing regularly for his club and was therefore not at his best.
It worked perfectly at the beginning of the second half, when the Americans strengthened their left side through Antonee Robinson, Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson Musah hit the penalty area from the right and finished Pulisic's cross.
“It's always worth trying to build his confidence and (make him) feel like (he is) a player who can perform on the pitch again,” Pochettino said. “It was an important moment for him to (show) trust in him, but maybe not to put too much responsibility for preparation on him. Just being in a position to help the team and then he came there and scored.
“Fantastic for him, fantastic for the team. And now maybe he will start performing and behaving in a different way, full of self-confidence. This is an important (factor) in our decision, we are trying to help. We are here to help the player find the best.
Pochettino and Pulisic chat during the victory over Panama (Photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
If there was a theme on the first evening under Pochettino, it was this: building and building confidence. Self-confidence of each player, but also of the team that had not won in the previous four matches. The America's Cup group stage qualifiers were a devastating experience for a team that knew the expectations were mounting and understood how valuable a run in the tournament would be on so many levels for them, the fans and the sport in the United States.
Pochettino's hiring was intended to restore some trust and faith in the program.
Center back Tim Ream said Pochettino had been “talking about confidence all week”, which had been boosted and passed on to the group by what he had asked of the team against Panama. Mostly, players were told to be themselves, play to their strengths and, as Musah said, “play freely.”
“He wants us to be solid defensively and then guys play the way they feel comfortable and confident offensively,” Ream said. “And everyone saw it, especially in the first 15 minutes. The guys were moving, (it was) complicated passing and winning the ball, moving quickly and getting in and around the box. When he tells the guys to go out and be themselves, it's a sign that he trusts you and it shows in all the guys here.
Things weren't perfect. Panama had good chances in this match. Matt Turner was forced into a big double save in the second half and should have found the equalizer late in the game. As USMNT veteran DaMarcus Beasley said on the Turner Sports broadcast, there were also some mistakes in the preparation that would have penalized top teams.
But the USA won with Ricardo Pepi adding a second goal in stoppage time.
A result was needed, even if it was just a friendly match.
“I looked back at our recent form and thought, 'Wow, it's been a while since I won,'” Turner said. “Since the match against Bolivia (at the Copa America on June 23), right, since we won the match and kept a clean sheet? Yes, it's nice to start this era with a victory and a clean sheet. It comes in waves, but winning is something you learn. You can't just take it for granted. It takes energy and focus for 90 minutes, especially at this level.
Pochettino will know that this victory was important in building trust and confidence that the ideas he is implementing within the team will lead to success. Musah's goal reinforced that.
Now the task is to take it further.
“This is the first step,” Pochettino said. “To start growing and getting better.”
(Top photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
