Williamson is a 24-year-old who, at this time last year, had only ever started three MLS games. Gianluca Busio is a 19-year-old who, at this time last year, had never played professionally as a defensive midfielder. Their presence is a reminder of how quickly national team depth charts can change when players get the right club opportunities at the right spots.
This game also served as a reminder of just how much polishing both players still have to do. Williamson was occasionally spectacular, gliding around the field and advancing play to dangerous spots with seeming ease, then hitting telling passes once he got there. He also, quite often, took too many touches and lost possession in bad spots — the types of spots where a team like Canada would turn those lost possessions into quick transitions and counterattacking opportunities.
Williamson needs to harness his considerable skill and confidence and marry it with just a bit of prudence in those moments. That will most likely come with time.
The same for Busio, whose faults during this game were less about lost possessions (though he did have a few of those thanks to his penchant for playing hospital balls) and more about lost 50/50s. He went just 2-for-9 in his duels, repeatedly getting rag-dolled by the bigger, stronger, older Martinique midfielders on 50/50s.
Berhalter didn’t name names, but it seemed pretty clear who he was talking about in this postgame quote: “I didn’t think we were competing well enough on [2nd balls].”
That, from Busio, will most likely come with time both on the field and in the weight room. I’m not saying he needs to go with the full Goretzka-at-Bayern transformation, but physical strength matters in this game, and there were quite a few moments out there where Busio’s lack of it cost the US a 50/50.
Against a better team, that could’ve hurt pretty bad.
Still, considering both these guys were in their first full national team starts and didn’t really play like it, both were brave about getting on the ball and trying to do progressive things on it, and both were brave on the turn. Even if they weren’t always clean with it, the fact they repeatedly wanted to be on the ball in the toughest spots and worked hard to be available is exactly what you want to see from young (or maybe “inexperienced” in Williamson’s case, as he isn’t really young anymore) players in these games.
