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Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
The United States concluded coach Gregg Berhalter’s first window back as head coach with an impressive 4-0 victory over Oman at Allianz Field in Minnesota on Tuesday.
Folarin Balogun ignited the U.S. with a 13th-minute goal, followed by goals from Brenden Aaronson (who replaced Christian Pulisic at halftime), Ricardo Pepi, and an own goal by Oman in the second half.
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From the start, it was evident that Oman, ranked 73rd in the FIFA world rankings, was outmatched by the U.S., which held the 11th position in the rankings released in July.
Manager rating (scale of 1-10)
Gregg Berhalter, 7 — There’s little to criticize here. The U.S. won comfortably and introduced some new players. Overall, it was a successful first window back for Berhalter, with two wins and a combined score of 7-0. However, the real test will come next month against Germany and Ghana.
USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)
GK Ethan Horvath, 6 — Only had to make one save.
DF Kristoffer Lund, 4 — Showed some lack of familiarity with his teammates in his first start. Didn’t have much defending to do due to U.S. dominance in possession.
DF Miles Robinson, 7 — Had a quiet night with minimal testing.
DF Chris Richards, 7 — Similar to Robinson, didn’t have much defending to do in the game.
DF Sergiño Dest, 7 — Made a strong contribution with a shot that led to the first goal and was consistently involved in the attack before being substituted late.
MF Weston McKennie 8 — A fully engaged McKennie made a significant impact for the U.S. His only misstep was a missed chance late in the game.
MF Malik Tillman, 5 — With Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna unavailable in this window, Tillman had the opportunity to start in central midfield. However, he failed to pose a threat in the attacking third against a team like Oman.
MF Yunus Musah, 7 — Played a deeper role than usual for the U.S. and showcased comfort in that position.
FW Christian Pulisic, 6 — Pulisic had an unremarkable game and window, failing to make a significant impact. He was replaced by Aaronson at halftime as planned.
FW Folarin Balogun 7 — Balogun was in the right place at the right time for his 13th-minute goal, finishing calmly after Dest’s shot. He was substituted at halftime as part of the plan.
FW Tim Weah, 7 — Helped drive the game forward and displayed good control of possession.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
FW Ricardo Pepi, 7 — Pepi continued his goal-scoring streak off the bench, adding another impressive goal. He is making a case for the starting striker role alongside Balogun.
MF Brenden Aaronson, 6 — Aaronson’s goal from a free-kick should have been saved by the Oman wall, but it unexpectedly went through and found the back of the net.
DF Mark McKenzie — Not much was asked of McKenzie after his introduction in the 71st minute.
MF Benjamin Cremaschi — From playing with Lionel Messi in Miami to making his debut for the U.S. national team, it has been quite a year for the 18-year-old. He nearly provided an assist after coming on in the 71st minute.
DF DeJuan Jones — Jones assisted Pepi’s goal shortly after entering the game.
FW Kevin Paredes — In his debut, Paredes’ cross deflected off an Oman player for an own goal immediately after his introduction.
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