Even though the USMNT failed to beat Serbia, Bruce Arena’s ideas were a good start

After the tumultuous and often frustrating experience that was the managerial reign of Jurgen Klinsmann, fans of the United States national team were not exactly enthused to see the Bruce Arena era start off with a 0-0 draw against Serbia. It was an uneven performance that fell far short of expectations against a weaker opponent, made much more so by fielding a B team. But despite that disappointment, there were a lot of positive signs of the future of this team under Arena.

Of course, fans are understandably dubious when they hear about positive signs in the USMNT. They’re sick of hearing about positive signs from mediocre results after the unceasing battering of such portents from Klinsmann’s team with little to no follow-through afterwards — especially with the team constantly settling into the same old spells of mediocrity. This time, though, with the team transitioning to a new manager and a new mode of thought, those signs are something well worth paying close attention to.

Where Klinsmann’s systems usually required a two-man midfield pivot to cover tremendous amounts of ground — with the four men in front of them staying high and contributing little to defense or most of the build-up or possession play — Arena’s setup was much better balanced in terms of player roles on the pitch. The wide players contributed a lot defensively, knowing when to pressure high and when to get back into shape. Arena’s pivot only featured one ground-covering player, with the other staying closer to home to play a simpler possession game while shielding the defense.

That somewhat more static player was Michael Bradley, who, instead of wearing himself down running out of position trying to keep up with play, was able to focus on a simpler game. He looked to play simple passes to retain possession when needed, and linking play with his midfield partner or up to one of the playmakers ahead of him when the opportunity arose. That focus and ability to conserve energy allowed Bradley to play much more effectively — especially after Sebastian Lletget stepped onto the pitch.

In the first half, the more all-action midfielder who covered ground was Jermaine Jones, and that went poorly. Often out of position and trying to do too much, Jones got himself or teammates into more trouble than he was able to avoid or than he was able to create positive plays. So, it was something of a relief when Lletget subbed in at halftime. That relief turned into excitement in a hurry when one thing became clear: that role was one Lletget was perfectly suited for in the USMNT.

Lletget has played in various roles throughout his young career, but on Sunday he may have found the perfect one. He played so effectively pushing up and down the pitch with Bradley linking the ball to him, it looked as though he and Bradley had been playing as partners for years, not a matter of minutes. In fact, he was such a boost to the USMNT that it quickly appeared that he wasn’t just making an impact off the bench — it looked like Lletget was the best player on the pitch, period.

But beyond his success, the USMNT as a whole looked much more comfortable and better balanced than it had in years under Klinsmann. No one looked out of place — besides perhaps Jones, who we can forgive for not being at the top of his game in January — and everyone looked comfortable in the role they were asked to play. That in and of itself is a vast improvement from a lot of what USMNT fans are used to seeing. If we get more of that in the future, then it can only be a good sign of things to come.

So yes, the end result of the match against Serbia was disappointing. Obviously, not everything worked, especially in the final third. The USMNT’s efforts to find an adequate final ball often came to naught, and they lacked the truly pacy presence on at least one wing that their formation and tactical ideas seemed to want.

But considering that this was Arena’s first match back in charge of the USMNT, and that he’s dealing with a limited player pool given the time of year, the performance as a whole was encouraging. Right now, that’s all we can ask for.