Sebastian Lletget, Paul Arriola See USA Past CONCACAF Rivals Costa Rica

The U.S. men's national soccer team finished its January camp with a 2-0 win against CONCACAF rivals Costa Rica on Saturday, as new coach Gregg Berhalter got one final look at some of his fringe players. Sebastian Lletget got the opener and Paul Arriola doubled the tally.

The first half produced few chances of note, with Costa Rica the better side. The Stars and Stripes improved after the break and hit the post twice through Nick Lima and Cristian Roldan before Lletget headed home with 10 minutes to play:

Arriola added a second goal shortly after to secure the win.

With the team's top European performers not called up because this match fell outside the FIFA window, this fixture and the match against Panama provided the Stars and Stripes' lesser stars a chance to work with the new boss.

Los Ticos predictably provided a much sterner test than Panama, but in the end, the hosts pulled through.

Berhalter Needs to Drop Zardes

Saturday's contest produced a few standout performances from the hosts, with local favourite Lima and Arriola giving manager Berhalter plenty to think about.

The same can't be said for striker Gyasi Zardes, however. As shared by sportswriter Rachael McKriger, the fact that the 27-year-old started after his poor showing against Panama was a surprise in itself:

Zardes emerged as a prospect to keep an eye on at LA Galaxy and has scored at a fair rate in MLS for his former club and Columbus Crew. He's a serviceable forward at the MLS level who has been given chance after chance to make his mark on the national team.

And at every turn, he has faltered. He's gotten just a handful of goals for the Stars and Stripes under his belt, with none coming since 2016.

Saturday's outing was another disappointing one. Zardes showed good movement and intensity, but his first touch was consistently poor. He also missed a big chance in the first half, going one-on-one with goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado, and his struggles with finishing were on full display later as well.

Sportswriter Ives Galarcep weighed in on the outing:

For years fans have held out hope Zardes would come good because there were few other options available who could match his raw potential. But that's no longer the case, and McKriger wondered whether there would be a place for him in Berhalter's team once the top talents who play in Europe are called up:

There shouldn't be. Zardes is an excellent MLS forward who is a step below the top level. There's enough emerging talent for Berhalter to work with, and he should focus on the overseas youngsters, rather than persisting with the Crew star.

What's Next?

The USA's next set of friendlies will be in March against Ecuador and Chile.