US need to improve at World Cup, says Berhalter

Murcia: United States coach Gregg Berhalter warned his team they must improve at the World Cup ater wrapping up their pre-tournament preparations with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in Spain on Tuesday.

Ater a chastening 2-0 defeat to Japan last Friday, Berhalter’s side again failed to make an impression in their final game before they open their World Cup campaign against Wales in Qatar on November 21.

Theamericansregisteredjusttwoshotsontarget in 180 minutes against Japan and the Saudis, with not even the return of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic enhancing their atacking threat on Tuesday.

Berhalter said although he believed the US performance was an improvement on the Japan defeat, his team still lacked confidence.

“It was improved, but we’re not as confident as I’d like,” Berhalter said.

“We’re playing tentative. You see the connections were just not there like we want. The effort was great, the intensity was great, especially towards the end of the game. We kept pushing, kept trying to score. I can’t fault the effort but we need to keep improving.”

The US coach believes anxiety about making the final squad for Qatar had affected players over the final two friendlies.

“I think in general it’s nervy times,” he said. “People are worried about being on the roster. It’s a difficult moment.

“But having said that we need to go out there together and play.”

Tuesday’s game in Murcia, southern Spain, saw Saudi Arabia carve out the beter chances only to be denied by the USA’S Arsenal goalkeeper Mat Turner.

Berhalter had called on his team to show “personality” ater being outplayed by Japan in Germany last Friday.

But once again the US struggled to build atacking momentum against the Saudis, who finished above Japan in their successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

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