It was a strong start but a disappointing finish for the US men's national team, as Saturday's friendly against Germany at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut ended in a 3-1 defeat.
Here's how the Yanks fared as Christian Pulisic's opening wonder-goal wound up moot thanks to a defensive letdown in the second half.
The three concessions don't show it, but Turner had some good moments in between the posts, showcasing the improvements he's been making on his game. He made several saves with a high degree of difficulty and was impressive with his distribution.
Dest is always fun to watch in attack, but it's his inconsistency in defense that will continue to be the question regarding his ceiling at the international level. This game was no different.
Ream was steady as ever in the first half, but this match turned out to be one to forget for the whole USMNT backline.
Richards' upside as a prospect is undeniable, but it was a rough one for the 23-year-old Crystal Palace man, who was involved in two of the three sequences that led to Germany's goals.
Given the start at fullback with Antonee Robinson missing the match due to injury, Scally didn't hurt his case to stay in the rotation at the position. That said, he didn't stand out enough to kickstart a debate about his chances of becoming a starter.
Making his return to the fold after an injury layoff, the talented Borussia Dortmund attacker had some nice moments showcasing his quality before exiting the match at halftime. As he regains his fitness, hopefully Reyna will be able to play a larger share of minutes and get to show the true impact he can make.
Musah had one of the highlight-reel moments of the afternoon for the USMNT with a cheeky nutmeg. Although it wasn't his cleanest overall match – he missed a clean look on goal off a Pulisic corner kick – the 20-year-old remains an indispensable cog for this squad.
McKennie can always be counted on to lay his body on the line for the team, and he did so on several occasions defensively in this one, even if his customary two-way impact wasn't fully felt.
One of the standout performers of the USMNT's strong opening 30 minutes of the match, Weah made several good runs down the right side and created dangerous opportunities. Probably the USMNT's best player aside from Pulisic.
In an otherwise forgettable match for the Yanks, Pulisic's 27th-minute golazo stood out as a moment of brilliance. It was a stellar individual run and finish as Pulisic's good form with AC Milan seemed, encouragingly, to transfer over to the international level.
Balogun found chances few and far between in this one. Finding a way to get him more involved around the goal has to be one of Gregg Berhalter's top objectives going forward.
Berhalter picked a strong lineup and the group came out with good energy in a back-and-forth first half that saw the US shoot out to a 1-0 lead. They couldn't sustain it, though, and the repeated defensive letdowns were disappointing after the coach and players spoke of this matchup as a measuring-stick opportunity against a world-class opponent.
The 25-year-old replaced Reyna at halftime, joining a midfield group that really struggled as the Germans carved them up in the second half.
The backline fared better after the Celtic man entered the match, but it's hard to say if that was due to his presence, or the visitors being on cruise control with a multi-goal lead.
The D.C. United academy product picked up his second cap with a second-half cameo, which proved relatively uneventful save for a couple of moments where he got on the ball in the final third.
Like Balogun, Pepi wasn't able to find the scoresheet after his second-half entrance, but he also wasn't afforded many chances.
The Philadelphia Union product was probably the USMNT's most impactful substitute. His nifty footwork to win a dangerous late free kick was a fun showcase of his quality, though he did drill the ensuing attempt into the wall.
Cardoso has earned his looks through some strong form with Internacional in Brazil, but the match didn't offer much regarding his future stock for the USMNT. He entered too late to make an impact.
