Uncertainty finally catches up to USMNT in lopsided loss to England's reserves

LONDON — For over a year now, acting U.S. men’s national team coach Dave Sarachan has done as good a job as anyone could have reasonably expected under the most trying circumstances.

Thrust unexpectedly into the role after Bruce Arena resigned in the wake of the Americans’ unimaginable failure to make the 2018 World Cup, a setback that snapped a streak of seven consecutive tournament appearances over 24 years, Arena’s former assistant has successfully integrated a whole new generation of USMNT players into the mix.

Sarachan has given 19 new players their international debut. He’s helped the revamped squad, which for the last six months has had an average age under 24 years old, punch above its weight against fully-stocked all-world foes such as France and Colombia and Brazil. And he’s done right by the program throughout even though U.S. Soccer, which never seriously considered him for the permanent position, really only stuck with him this long out of convenience.

The wheels were bound to fall off at some point. It finally happened in Thursday’s embarrassing 3-0 shellacking here by England’s B-team, a match that made clear the this young U.S. side is in desperate need of some long-term stability and certainty if it is to continue to progress.

“Dave’s doing what he can,” U.S. front man Christian Pulisic, who made just his second appearance since the qualifying debacle, said in the bowels of Wembley Stadium following the match. “He wants to win these games too, just like we do. It’s going to help a lot when we get a permanent head coach moving forward, a guy who has a real plan and a style of how we want to play.”

For months now, Columbus Crew coach Gregg Berhalter has been the odds-on favorite to be that guy. Until an official announcement is made, though, players and fans alike will remain in this strange state of limbo. And while Sarachan proved to have, by sheer coincidence, the ideal temperament to welcome this horde of newcomers to the national team fold, the drawn-out hiring process has now become a distraction.

“As a national team, of course you want that direction,” said veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who has played under four different U.S. coaches in his 12 years with the USMNT. “You’ve got to play with a bit of desire and a bit of fight.”

Both qualities were severely lacking against the Three Lions, and that’s not necessarily a coincidence.

“England’s a good team. We know that. We’re not taking anything away from them because they played well,” Pulisic said. “But if you want to compete with a side like that, we need to come our with a lot more energy.

“We need to get a lot better as a team,” a visibly frustrated Pulisic continued. “We talk about continuing to gain experience, but that’s not why we’re here. We want to win now. We want to win these games. I’m a competitive guy and everyone else is in that locker room. It wasn’t good enough.”

With another elite foe awaiting them on Tuesday in the form of four time World Cup champ Italy, the U.S. is suddenly at risk of squandering the confidence that Sarachan has painstakingly rebuilt over the last year. A result in what is surely the 64-year-old’s final game in charge would help them end the year on a good note. For a U.S. team reeling after being dominated at Wembley, avoiding another loss won’t be easy.

“We have to really step up now,” said forward Tim Weah. Yet whatever happens against the Azzurri, there will be a welcome sense of closure for a group eager to find out who will be leading them next year and beyond.

“I think all the guys, we want to know who it’s going to be so we can get ourselves prepared,” Weah said. “This coaching staff has done a really good job. They’re helping us, and we’re just really patient. We’re waiting on the federation to make their choice, whoever it is.”

Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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