BLAINE, Minn. (AP) The overarching goal for the fledgling U.S. mens soccer team, as frequently stated by new coach Gregg Berhalter, has been to improve the perception of this sputtering program within the cutthroat hierarchy of global soccer.
Though a strong performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup probably wont move the needle much, the Americans surely would benefit, simply, from winning.
Their opening game against Guyana on Tuesday night at Allianz Field in St. Paul, the new home of Major League Soccers Minnesota United, will mark the first competitive match for the U.S. since the infamous defeat at Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10, 2017, that kept the team for qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. It follows a stretch of 18 consecutive friendlies.