re: Landon Donovan on McKennie's MIA | UPDATE: McKennie heads back to Italy

The thruth is, we don't know what is going on in tha tlocker room, but we can make some educated guesses based upon the things Broski has posted from the media and quotes from the team.

And one of the biggest challenges for any international side is to act and play like a team. There's limited practice time and let's face it, your paycheck comes from your club. The national team is not your first loyalty, so the most important job of an international manager is somehow crafting a feeling of a team.

That's why this was a good suspension. If some of the players were asking for it in public, it at least hints at a fractured locker room, and you have to nip that sort of stuff in the bud. By suspending one of his best players for a crucial game, Berhalter can now honestly tell his team that no player is above the team. And while that stuff is sort of hokey, players eat that sort of stuff up.

If they play their cards right, this could be the turning point for the team where it all comes together. McKennie can come back into the fold, and the locker room can preach that it places nation over self. This can be that unifying moment where they become a team, and show their emotional commitment to the USMNT.

It's a gutsy move by Berhalter which could have blown up spectacularly.