October 10, 2017 remains a night to forget for the U.S. Men’s National Team as they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup with a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Trinidad & Tobago. The USMNT has a chance for revenge on Saturday when they can face their demons and close that door. A win for the U.S. would go a long way in terms of moving in the right direction under the new head coach Gregg Berhalter. 

Its been almost two years since that loss, and while it still haunts the program as a whole, the squad and staff couldn’t be more different. Under Berhalter, the team has a new identity in itself. Only four players from that 2017 loss were played in the first group play game of this Concacaf Gold Cup, with Christian Pulisic, Michael Bradley, Tim Ream and Gyasi Zardes. Ream and Bradley are the only players in the starting squad above the age of 30, meaning Berhalter has an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality. In this Gold Cup, a whopping 13 new players are making their debuts for the national team under Berhalter, including the 24-year-old Tyler Boyd. Boyd scored a brace in the United States’ first game this group play against Guyana. Along with Boyd, Paul Arriola has been developing within the team and signifies the team’s mentality of positivity.

“One thing I’ll say about the team, on the inside, it’s been nothing like it’s been on the outside,” Arriola said, according to ESPN. “When we looked back at the games, we saw where we could improve, and we saw what worked and what didn’t work. I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and what they do.”

Pulisic has turned into Berhalter’s impact player, a young prospect with the promise of being a superstar. Along with Pulisic, young midfielder Weston McKennie brings a new energy alongside Bradley in the middle. The U.S. has a new identity to live up to, and will bank on winning this Gold Cup as a building block for bigger and better things to come. Pulisic and McKennie may be the key to unlock a compact, well-oiled T&T defense.

The USMNT faces Trinidad and Tobago at 8:00 EST at the FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday. Per Oddschecker, the USMNT has 1-5 odds to win, while the T&T side sit at 10-1. Fans can follow the action on FOX Sports 1, or stream it live on the FOX Sports GO app.

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