The USMNT's win against Peru represented both a triumphant win and a need for more of a clinical edge

The ending to the USMNT's campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup might still sting for American soccer fans, but the team did well to erase it on Saturday. A 4-1 win over Peru helped to reignite the United States after a 4-1 loss to Belgium shattered dreams of a deep World Cup run on home soil and a re-announcement on the global footballing stage.

But the win came with both its triumphs and its struggles. Let's start with the struggles, with the big one being the need for more of a clinical edge. Sure, the USMNT scored four goals against Peru; that I will praise later on.

But there was a very legitimate avenue for the USMNT to win this game 6-1

Case in point: the end of the first half.

Even though the score was level at one goal after the 15th minute, the USMNT did well to try to force the issue in the lead-up to halftime. They were able to force a turnover from Peru keeper Pedro Gallese, who was well outside the penalty area at the time, but the Americans could not force a shot into the back of the net despite having plenty of time to do so.

The Americans were also able to stretch Peru's defense and speed the game up after the 35th minute, getting the ball into the penalty area on several occasions as a result. But not only were they unable to crack Peru's defense, but critical misses and fouls - one of which saw Giovanni Reyna pick up a yellow card - slowed the USMNT's momentum.

And it's not like these were isolated incidents stemming from poor buildup on Peru's part. The Americans' pressure encouraged movement further up the pitch as the first half went on; there was a point just past the half-hour mark where a handful of defenders were right outside Peru's penalty area. That instance saw Alex Freeman trying to create a cross on the right-hand side, with Auston Trusty stationed just to the right of the penalty spot.

But then again, if the USMNT is going to get these opportunities and be incentivized to strategically move up the pitch, they have to capitalize on them. These opportunities might not present themselves against a top-20 opponent like Mexico, which will only make it harder for the Americans to create offense in such contests.

That said, the USMNT was able to do enough to secure the win at the last time of asking

Despite being deadlocked at 1-1 for almost an hour, the Americans were eventually able to create the breakthrough, with Malik Tillman converting a penalty kick to make it 2-1.

From there, the floodgates well and truly opened. Julian Hall scored his first USMNT goal six minutes after Tillman scored, while Sebastian Berhalter added a second insurance goal on the cusp of stoppage time.

When all was said and done, the USMNT outshot Peru 10-5, with the shots-on-target margin going in favor of the Americans 5-2. But again, there is still room for improvement.

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