USMNT vs. Chile: Key takeaways as USA won the game and the brawl

Julian Hall's unselfishness saved the day

Sebastian Berhalter scored the USMNT's opening goal, but make no mistake: It was teenage striker Julian Hall's brilliant, unselfish dummy that made the play happen. Hall found himself on the receiving end of a searching daisy-cutting cross from Sergiño Dest and had the good sense to let it run clear through his legs and onto Berhalter's foot.

Hall — an up-and-comer desperate for goals of his own — had the control, patience and intelligence to sacrifice a shot of his own for the greater good of the team. That kind of selflessness is worth celebrating. Yes, strikers are judged on their goal tally, and yes, Hall's name didn't wind up on the stat sheet for this one. But it was his action that opened the scoring for the USMNT nonetheless...and Hall, on fire at the start of the second half, soon got a goal of his own to match the one he created for Berhalter.

Alex Freeman proved his worth once again

Right back Alex Freeman, 22, didn't start this match because Pochettino wanted to give a young player an opportunity to steal his spot. Philadelphia's Frankie Westfield tried his best to do just that, but he wound up doing more to show Pochettino why Freeman matters than to convince Pochettino to bench Freeman more often.

Westfield struggled in Freeman's multi-layered role on the right flank, but it's worth pointing out that just about anyone would have. This wasn't a case of Westfield being especially poor: It was a case of everyone realizing simultaneously that Freeman is especially valuable. The game changed for the better the second he took the field.

Chris Brady comported himself well in his first USMNT start

Saddled with a net-new defense and up against an aggressive Chile team, Brady had his work cut out for him from the jump inside the USMNT goal. He wasn't perfect — he fluffed a few clearances and conceded in a silly scramble at the stroke of halftime — but he looked comfortable and capable when beating back Chile's offensive threat. Brady made five saves in his 45 minutes on the field; Matt Freese and Diego Kochen made just one between them in 90 minutes against Peru.

The kids are all right, but the veterans are pretty solid too

The first half of this Chile game was difficult for the USMNT: Its mixed lineup of fresh prospects (like defender Neil Pierre and midfielder Brooklyn Raines) and tested veterans (like defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter) struggled to work as well as their peers did three days ago in Orlando. The team hung on and made it to halftime with the score level at 1-1, but it didn't look spectacular, and changes were clearly in order.

Pochettino opted for more veterans over more prospects. He brought on Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty in the second half to right the ship, and right the ship they did: The USMNT got calmer and more dangerous thanks to their efforts. They still gave the kids plenty of room to flex — 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan had some great second-half runs that got the St. Louis crowd onto its feet — but they provided a solid foundation that made all that flexing feel safe.

USMNT put up major goals against yet another South American opponent

The USMNT has faced four South American opponents in recent months. It put five goals past Uruguay in the fall of 2025, four past Paraguay at the World Cup, four past Peru last week in Orlando and now four past Chile in St. Louis. That's a whopping 17 goals against four tricky opponents — and that's something for the once goal-shy USMNT to celebrate.

The USMNT will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 3rd when it takes on Mexico in Glendale, Arizona.