They are not alone in that but Berhalter tried three in four games, attempted an interlude with a false nine, and got a solitary goal from a centre-forward: Haji Wright's fluke of a finish against the Netherlands. "We don't have a Memphis Depay right now," the USA manager concluded.
He was right and they are not alone. If it is a statement of the obvious to say everyone else in the World Cup would want a Kylian Mbappe or a Lionel Messi, plenty would settle for a Depay, a forward with 43 international goals and one who was capable of supplying a clinical touch in a knockout match.
The sides in Qatar - or not any more, in most cases - can be divided into the haves and the have-nots: those who have possessed a suitable striker and those without. It is not as simple as saying the eight quarter-finalists have the finest out-and-out centre-forwards but there is a trend.
Consider one of the great underachievers. "The football simply sucked," said Kasper Hjulmand after Denmark's early exit, with a lone point. The coach's verdict may have been different had their 34 shots produced more than a solitary goal, and even that came courtesy of a centre-back. His forwards were all hideously out of form.
For Tunisia, the lack of a centre-forward, at least until Wahbi Khazri was belatedly positioned up front, led to a lack of goals despite otherwise impressive performances. Mexico's meagre return of two goals included one from the forward Henry Martin, but they lacked the necessary end product. Senegal may wonder if the first-half chances they spurned against England would have had a different outcome if Sadio Mane had been fit.
This story is from the December 08, 2022 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 08, 2022 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How to run smart and take on marathons the right way
Jack Rathborn gets some expert help ahead of a big race day
West Ham come so close to beating Bundesliga kings
So close, but not this time for West Ham United. As the Hammers’ jovial pre-match anthem goes: then like my dreams they fade and die. Belted out in harmony at the start, so it came to pass at the end. West Ham won this occasion, frankly, with their best performance of the season on this cool April evening, but Bayer Leverkusen won the war.
Reds' European era under Klopp ends with a whimper
Now the end is near, and Jurgen Klopp didn’t even get to do it his way. There was no last great European comeback, of the type that really made the German’s legacy at Liverpool. The failure to even get close to such a feat against a resolute Atalanta indicates there may not be one last grandstand in the Premier League, either.
The voters in India's Silicon Valley want one thing: water
As India begins voting in the national elections during a heatwave, people in the southern city of Bengaluru are focused on a singular issue: the paucity of water.
Dozens who died in Dublin fire were unlawfully killed
All 48 people who died in a nightclub fire in Dublin 43 years ago were unlawfully killed, a jury concluded yesterday.
Two dismissed from Trump jury before final 12 chosen
Two jurors who were sworn in to Donald Trump's hush-money trial have now been dismissed from the case as the court grappled with the difficulty of finding impartial New Yorkers.
New sanctions imposed on Iran in wake of Israel attack
UK singles out 13 entities involved in ballistic missile sector
EU proposes to ditch Brexit travel curbs for young Brits
The European Commission has proposed restoring much of the pre-Brexit freedom that allows British travellers aged 18 to 30 the opportunity to travel, work or study for up to four years in the EU. One of the most-mourned European freedoms that the UK chose to remove with Brexit was the opportunity for young Britons to travel, study and work in any EU country without restriction.
Newsreader suing BBC for age and sex discrimination
The BBC is being taken to an employment tribunal by newsreader Martine Croxall who has accused the broadcaster of age and sex discrimination. Ms Croxall, 55, who has not appeared on air since March 2023, is taking legal action after she and four other female employees lost their senior positions following the merger of the BBC’s News and World News channels, official documents reveal.
Wife of philanthropist Tetra Pak heir dies from cancer
A new tragedy has hit the Tetra Pak heir Hans Rausing with the death of his second wife, Julia, at the age of 63, after a long battle with cancer. She died peacefully yesterday morning surrounded by her family.
