Answer: In 09, the USSF chose the correct tournament to take seriously.
With the Confederations Cup behind us, it is now the Gold Cup that comes to Bob Bradley's attention. A less-than B strength roster has been called up, leading many to believe that the US will not retain the title this time around. The official roster includes:
GOALKEEPERS- Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (IK Start), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern)
DEFENDERS- Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)
MIDFIELDERS- Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS- Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)
Obviously this roster is missing a lot of talent. Mostly this is because players are not typically expected to be available for two tournaments over the course of a single off-season, and given that the US made the Confed. Cup its primary tournament this year, that's where all of the talent went. So now we are left with the upper-tier of MLS and our contingent of Denmark players who are (hopefully) all vying to make a name for themselves in the USMNT picture. Given my somewhat limited knowledge of our roster, here is my starting XI:
Busch
Cherundolo Conrad Parkhurst Marshall
Holden
Rogers Clark
Adu
Davies Cooper
Busch in goal for me is a no-brainer. MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is not an award to scoff at, given the quality of keepers in America's top flight.
Cherundolo and Conrad- pencil them in. These are experienced guys who are still in the conversation for spots on our A-team, much less this C+ roster.
Parkhurst and Marshall are the two latest winners of MLS Defender of the Year, and it is for this reason that I put them in the team. I know next to nothing about the rest of our defenders (except for Heath Pierce, but I think I've seen enough out of him for a while...).
Holden I remember as being the BOSS back when I first started to watch MLS (summer of 2007). He was part of a Dynamo midfield that included Ricardo Clark and Dwayne de Rosario, a combination that yeilded back-to-back MLS cups.
Robbie Rogers is an obvious choice for RM, he's been a key to Colombus' recent success and at 22 is looking to trade in MLS for Europe very soon.
Colin Clark I am not so sure of. I know for a fact that he plays the LW for Colorado, though honestly I am not sure of his skill level. I know he has had a break-out year in 2009, but is that really saying something? For what it's worth, Colorado have been a great turnaround story this season.
Adu is another obvious choice, he's probably got the most talent of anyone on the roster. He has ALWAYS played well in a US jersey, I can't wait to see him in that attacking midfielder/playmaker role once again. Maybe he can use this tournament to convince a club to buy him (preferably a club that will PLAY HIM).
Davies and Cooper up top is not exactly a given, but I think it will work very well. Honestly I think a Ching-Cooper pairing would be more effective, but there is no way Charlie Davies is going to ride the bench in this tournament, given that everyone is all about him after the Confed Cup. Davies is another player I would love to see move to a better league (Sweden? Come on, man, you're better than that...).
Let me be honest in saying that I do not know if Chad Marshall has ever played left back, I just desperately wanted to keep Heath Pierce out of my starting XI. Also I am not totally sure of whether or not Stuart Holden is a holding midfielder by trade at the Dynamo, I am reasonably confident that he is but I could be wrong. Really I put him in because he is just a much better player than the other of the midfielders on the roster that could potentially fill that DM position (maybe Kyle Beckerman could play there instead? Those dreads would be enough to break up any kind of offense that Mexico throws at us...).
Some notable absentees that I wanted to see in this squad are:
Chris Seitz- I was under the impression that he was the next Marcus Hanneman (always overshadowed by his contemporary keepers, but still a quality shot-stopper), so I figured that this would be a great tournament for him to showcase himself in.
Eddie Johnson- I know that Eddie has improved during his time in England. Now I want to see him show his improvement for the Nats... Unfortunately he won't be getting that chance in the Gold Cup. I just have to wonder why.
Jose Francisco Torres- The lone standout of the USA-Costa Rica match, I have been dying to see him get some more games for the US. He didn't get any time at the Confed Cup, which I was ok with, assuming that he would play a big role in the Gold Cup. I guess I was wrong. I assume that his club team (Mexico's Pachuca) didn't want to lose him for a further three weeks, given that they are preparing for the start of La Apertura.
Michael Orozco- Michael is a great defender, but he has not been called up since the Olympics. The Gold Cup seemed like the perfect venue for him to throw himself into the mix for the future of the US defense.
Sal Zizzo and Danny Szetela- I will group these guys together because they are basically the exact same story- midfielders who excelled at the U-20 WC a few years back, made moves to European clubs (Hannover 96 and Racing de Santander, respectively) but have seen little to no playing time. Szetela was loaned out to Serie-B side Brescia, where according to wikipedia he made 26 appearances. In any case, Serie-B is not much (if any) better than MLS so a season there is not much to speak of. These two haven't been getting any time on the International stage mainly because they have not showed development (through a lack of playing time), which is a perfectly good reason to not call someone up to an important match... but for this Gold Cup, which we are clearly not valuing as a major tournament, you would think that Bradley would give these two VERY promising players a chance.
Ok, so now on to my predictions: We will come out of group B on top (honestly I could see us faltering vs Honduras and coming in second, but let's be optimistic for a moment here). Winning group B will put us against a third-place team from group A or C, which could concievably be any of Panama, Jamaica, Canada, or El Salvador. None of those teams scares me, though with this roster, Canada could probably manage to beat us.
However, I am going to go with my head and say that we get past the 1/4 finals. In the next round we will most likely play Cosa Rica, and it is here in the Semis that I see our squad failing. Sadly, the USA will not retain the Gold Cup title.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Freddy A-Who?
It seems like a long time ago that Freddy Adu was big news. In fact, it seems like a long time ago that Freddy Adu was even worth mentioning, for any reason whatsoever. The golden child is suddenly the red-headed stepchild, and considering how much playing time he is getting for his national team (riding the pine), his club team (loaned out) OR the team he was loaned to (lucky to ride the pine), it doesn't appear like Freddy is getting his fair shakes. Perhaps we are expecting too much of Adu too soon, as he is still very young (only just turned 20) and outside of England, most countries are reticent to give major playing time to youngsters (there were some brilliant articles about this in relation to the Federico Macheda saga and how that would not have been possible back home for Lazio). Lets just give a recap of the already-quite-eventful career of Mr. Adu (Adu's age is in parantheses):
1997: Family wins immigration lottery and moves to the DC area from Ghana (8)
Spotted early on by some soccer scouts, and is quickly put into to advanced soccer training and plays with the US Development Academy
At a U-14 tournament involving many strong club sides youth squads, Adu finishes the tournament as the MVP, leading scorer and leads his team to victory. Was offered a six-figure transfer to Inter Milan but his mother turns it down due to advice of his agents. Adu is 10.
2004: Selected first in the MLS Superdraft by DC United (14).
April 3, 2004: Youngest player to ever appear in the MLS
April 17, 2004: Youngest player ever to score in the MLS
2004-2006: Adu sees regular action for DC United, and eventually starts for them in 2006. He is selected as an all-star twice, though his first appearance was widely seen as a publicity stunt considering his less-than-all-star performance (not shameful when he is only 14). Over 87 total appearances, Adu found the net 11 times, though this goal average is hard to truly measure considering how often he was a substitute.(14-17)
February 2006: A very overhyped two-week trial with Manchester United sees Adu receive praise from Sir Alex, however he only plays with academy players for a couple weeks and then returns home, to much fanfare. (16)
December 2006: Adu is traded to Real Salt Lake. He has a rather uneventful season, falling below many expectations. He scores 2 goals in 11 appearances. (17).
Summer 2007: Adu captains the US U-20 squad in the U-20 World Cup, an event where the US played considerably well and raised expectations for the future of American talent. The United States is bounced in a rough semifinal match with Austria, losing in extra time. Adu finishes the tournament with 3 goals (a hat-trick against Poland)and is widely considered to have had a very strong showing in the tournament. Other notables on the team were now-senior-squad-regulars Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley. (18)
July 30, 2007: Adu, after years of overseas transfer speculation, is finally transfered to Portugese side Benfica. Adu is initially very well-received by the coaching staff, and is promised increasing playing time and impresses the few times he is on the pitch. With a few weeks, that coaching staff is entirely fired. Adu does not see playing time again, and ends the season with only 11 total appearances, with 2 goals. (18).
July 2008: The following summer, as opposed to having Adu ride the pine all season again, Adu is sent for a full-season loan to AS Monaco, with an option to buy. Monaco took to Adu as enthusiastically as the new Benfica coaching staff, and Adu has 9 appearances for Monaco, all of them as a substitute. Monaco declined the right to buy Adu, and he will be returning to Benfica in the fall. (Currently 20)
So, there you go, a rather topsy-turvy tale for Mr. Adu, but one many footballers can relate to. You can pepper in there that Adu has only had 12 senior squad apperances, mostly as a substitute or in friendlies and has one goal to his name. There is good news and bad news. The good news is Adu is less than a month from turning 20, so he has plenty of time on his side, as he is still very young for a footballer of any class. The bad news is that he really needs to get out of Benfica and go to a league more focused on youth development, maybe a Holland or a lower-tier English squad. Really it doesn't matter where he goes, as long as he plays. In the last two injury-free years, he has made 20 appearances for a club team, and he started all of ZERO of them. Look, I know, younger players don't start, younger players need to develop, but Adu is in what I like to call the "Michelle Wie Zone." He was so good, so young that he was considered too advanced to play with his own age group, but his development was ironically stunted by him jumping so high so fast. He can't compete with seasoned professionals because he is too young, so he spends too much time languishing on the bench while players younger than him who come up in a more organic way, say a Jozy Altidore, end up flourishing before them as they were given time to develop. Adu hasn't been allowed to develop since he was 14. He has been constantly pushed as the next big thing. I mean, as a 15 year old, he whined to the media that he wasn't getting enough playing time. YOU ARE 15! He was a prima donna superstar at 15! Adu needs to stop being called up to tournaments he won't play in, and just start focusing on a league where he can play. He isn't getting much time in the reserves with Benfica/Monaco because he is too busy riding pine to actually play with *cough* lesser talents. Adu could use the consistent playing time, and he does quite well in slightly-less-talented situations. While he is an afterthought for the senior squad, Adu has dominated in every youth tournament he has ever been in, be it U14 through U23. Adu is far too young and talented to write his career off now, but for it to be saved, we need to stop worrying about him and let him work his way up through a club system. And no, that club system doesn't have to involve champions league.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
USA-Costa Rica Game Diary
Hey Colin, I really don't mean to be a dick and post the earlier game after yours, but I was busy before. Sorry dude. Anyways, here it goes.
Gotta say, Marvel Wynne is getting into the National Anthem. That's the type of spirit I want to see! By contrast, Dempsey looks like he just finished smoking a bowl.
4-3-3?!?!? I know Bradley is trying to shift things up, but how did Mr Two-Holding-Defensive-Midfielders suddenly bust out a three-striker formation? 20 Dollars says the most this is a 4-2-2.
Not too encouraged by the lineup out there. First off, Beasley at left back? The man isn't a good winger, and the only reason he is any good is because he is speedy. How is he going to stop anyone. Furthermore, it is a sad state of American Soccer that Pablo Mastroeni is still starting. The man belongs in a museum at this point. And I've never heard of Jose Torres. Looking great.
On a plus side, I haven't heard of a single Costa Rican player.
Costa Rica is currently 6-0-1 in their last 7 games against the US in Costa Rica. Shit. Considering I have NEVER heard of a Costa Rican player, this could actually prove to be a bad omen.
The ref is from Trinidad & Tobago. Great. Didn't we learn our lesson with refs from small countries with Ovrebo?
1' Howard has got some interesting sweats on. Looks like he just got out of an aerobics class for elderly women. Isn't it supposed to be sweltering here?
2' Uh....well then. I mean, credit where credit is due, that's a sick goal by Saborio. But Torres got turned pretty badly, and Old Man Winter (Pablo) was pathetic. Gave him way too much space.
6' My initial reaction to "there are 8 MLS players on the field" is OH GOD THIS IS DOOMED. However, Howard, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Torres, Beasley, Dempsey, Altidore...what is he talking about. Does he mean 8 field players who have, at one point in their career, played in the MLS? Would a baseball announcer start a game with "9 of the players on the pitch have played Minor League Baseball!" What a stupid comment.
7' This is Jozy's first game since December. Always makes you feel good when your starting striker is totally on-form.
10' And Beasley hasn't played since the beginning of April. Injuries or not, not good omens for the US.
13' Well that just made things go from bad to worse. Yet again, credit where credit is due, great attacking play and a fine finish by Borges but seriously? 2-0 Costa Rica
15' Torres gets the Alexsandr Hleb "Worst Attempt on Goal" award for this match. Congratulations young man!
16' Donovan looks disinterested and this shot reflects it. Like a golf chip, probably from a course he wishes he was playing right now...
18' USA FIFA Rank: 14. Costa Rica FIFA Rank: 41. Unless this is opposite day, you'd imagine play would reflect this. Also Wynne nearly shipped a goal by giving Saborio a free header.
22' I swear, John Harkes is a pseudonym. This guy sounds just like Pat McEnroe. As you can probably gather, I only watch sports that Americans suck at.
24' Wow, lazy passes all game. It can't be just the surface. Speaking of passing, is Michael Bradley playing? Where is he?
26' Quality free kick attempt from Demps. Though as Scoops pointed out to me, Harkes used the classic "we've seen him blast these in before" line. But have we?
30' Beasley just won a free kick by using the classic "out of control freight train" style of running into people. Naturally we botch the free kick.
37' UGLY UGLY Defense. No pressure on the ball whatsoever. Can we really lose to a team that has jerseys that make them look like a high school traveling team?
38' I just learnt that Saborio, the man with the sweet name that is KILLING us, has five goals in 36 Swiss League appearances. I'll repeat that. The striker, who only manages to score about once every six games in a borderline amateur league, is absolutely shredding us. Awesome.
42' Altidore may not play often in Spain but they sure are teaching him to dive well.
45' Another low and crappy free kick by Landy Cakes.
Well, that really couldn't have gone worse, other than the fact that we could be down more. I can't say that anything should be different in this match. We have not been robbed. We have not taken any good chances. Surprisingly, the best player on the pitch has been Torres. Well done. Mastroeni should be dragged out back and shot. Bradley is not playing apparently. Dempsey and Donovan definitely smoked some weed before the game. Altidore is rusty. The entire defense, noticeably Beasley, have been god-awful and Tim Howard is two more goals from killing everyone on the field.
45' Naturally, the ineffective Sacha Klejstan replaces Jose Torres. Brilliant.
51' And we should be down 3-0. Bob Bradley has told them that they should jump for headers right?
54' U-S-A! U-S-A!
57' A Mortal Kombat style clearance. I whole-heartedly approve.
63' Adu for Mastroeni! YES!
64' Another day, another shitty and low free kick.
67' I'd like to give you a new series, one I'd like to call "What's Clint Thinking?" This will start with "God, everyone around here sucks so much. Why am I even here? It's hot as balls, the surface sucks, my team sucks and I only get two months off every year! These assholes play in MLS, our reserves would run the table in that shitshow! Beasley just lost the ball again, fuck my life man. If I start sobbing uncontrollably, would Bradley sub me then?"
69' Wow, everyone just stopped on that one. Bradley gets burnt and then Bocanegra gives the guy 5 yards IN THE BOX. Howard had no chance and laid on the ground sobbing for a few minutes after the goal. Surprised by Bocanegra, normally reliable. Maybe we should start a "What's Carlos Thinking?" too. Probably sounds a lot like Clint.
71' Going to plagerize my fave sportswriter Bill Simmons (as if the running diary wasn't already a decently large ripoff) but sometimes you have to look around and ask "Can you go to war with these guys?" Outside of the Gooch and Howard, I don't think so. If you can't go to war with them, you're going to lose when it matters, and I see no reason why this team won't be another 1-point wonder like 06.
74' Ah yes, the Ole's have begun.
76' Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the first good shot of the night by the Americans! Congratulations boys, better late than never.
79' Jozy Altidore gets the Didier Drogba "Big Men Who Fall Easily" award for the night.
80' Dempsey for Charlie Davies. I mean, doesn't matter.
83' Wow, big acting job by the Costa Rican defender there. A literal two second difference between contact and the holding of the face. What possibly use would that serve now? You're up 3-0!
85' Davies should have been in all game! Maybe no one else cares anymore, but the US looks spirited and attacking now.
87' A horrible cross by Beasley. I mean, the man got dumped in Scotland. What do you want from him?
89' A very elaborate, four-man set piece clearly saved for games where they have insurmountable leads and want to fuck with the opponent. Surprisingly effective but a great save by Timbo Slice.
91' PENAL! Clinically taken by Landy Cakes. Well this changes everything.
93' And that's all she wrote! Suddenly, we find ourselves second and with the need to beat Honduras in a supposedly pro-Honduran environment. I don't care if we play on the White House Lawn, you can't win with how we played tonight. Onto Soldier Field!
Gotta say, Marvel Wynne is getting into the National Anthem. That's the type of spirit I want to see! By contrast, Dempsey looks like he just finished smoking a bowl.
4-3-3?!?!? I know Bradley is trying to shift things up, but how did Mr Two-Holding-Defensive-Midfielders suddenly bust out a three-striker formation? 20 Dollars says the most this is a 4-2-2.
Not too encouraged by the lineup out there. First off, Beasley at left back? The man isn't a good winger, and the only reason he is any good is because he is speedy. How is he going to stop anyone. Furthermore, it is a sad state of American Soccer that Pablo Mastroeni is still starting. The man belongs in a museum at this point. And I've never heard of Jose Torres. Looking great.
On a plus side, I haven't heard of a single Costa Rican player.
Costa Rica is currently 6-0-1 in their last 7 games against the US in Costa Rica. Shit. Considering I have NEVER heard of a Costa Rican player, this could actually prove to be a bad omen.
The ref is from Trinidad & Tobago. Great. Didn't we learn our lesson with refs from small countries with Ovrebo?
1' Howard has got some interesting sweats on. Looks like he just got out of an aerobics class for elderly women. Isn't it supposed to be sweltering here?
2' Uh....well then. I mean, credit where credit is due, that's a sick goal by Saborio. But Torres got turned pretty badly, and Old Man Winter (Pablo) was pathetic. Gave him way too much space.
6' My initial reaction to "there are 8 MLS players on the field" is OH GOD THIS IS DOOMED. However, Howard, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Torres, Beasley, Dempsey, Altidore...what is he talking about. Does he mean 8 field players who have, at one point in their career, played in the MLS? Would a baseball announcer start a game with "9 of the players on the pitch have played Minor League Baseball!" What a stupid comment.
7' This is Jozy's first game since December. Always makes you feel good when your starting striker is totally on-form.
10' And Beasley hasn't played since the beginning of April. Injuries or not, not good omens for the US.
13' Well that just made things go from bad to worse. Yet again, credit where credit is due, great attacking play and a fine finish by Borges but seriously? 2-0 Costa Rica
15' Torres gets the Alexsandr Hleb "Worst Attempt on Goal" award for this match. Congratulations young man!
16' Donovan looks disinterested and this shot reflects it. Like a golf chip, probably from a course he wishes he was playing right now...
18' USA FIFA Rank: 14. Costa Rica FIFA Rank: 41. Unless this is opposite day, you'd imagine play would reflect this. Also Wynne nearly shipped a goal by giving Saborio a free header.
22' I swear, John Harkes is a pseudonym. This guy sounds just like Pat McEnroe. As you can probably gather, I only watch sports that Americans suck at.
24' Wow, lazy passes all game. It can't be just the surface. Speaking of passing, is Michael Bradley playing? Where is he?
26' Quality free kick attempt from Demps. Though as Scoops pointed out to me, Harkes used the classic "we've seen him blast these in before" line. But have we?
30' Beasley just won a free kick by using the classic "out of control freight train" style of running into people. Naturally we botch the free kick.
37' UGLY UGLY Defense. No pressure on the ball whatsoever. Can we really lose to a team that has jerseys that make them look like a high school traveling team?
38' I just learnt that Saborio, the man with the sweet name that is KILLING us, has five goals in 36 Swiss League appearances. I'll repeat that. The striker, who only manages to score about once every six games in a borderline amateur league, is absolutely shredding us. Awesome.
42' Altidore may not play often in Spain but they sure are teaching him to dive well.
45' Another low and crappy free kick by Landy Cakes.
Well, that really couldn't have gone worse, other than the fact that we could be down more. I can't say that anything should be different in this match. We have not been robbed. We have not taken any good chances. Surprisingly, the best player on the pitch has been Torres. Well done. Mastroeni should be dragged out back and shot. Bradley is not playing apparently. Dempsey and Donovan definitely smoked some weed before the game. Altidore is rusty. The entire defense, noticeably Beasley, have been god-awful and Tim Howard is two more goals from killing everyone on the field.
45' Naturally, the ineffective Sacha Klejstan replaces Jose Torres. Brilliant.
51' And we should be down 3-0. Bob Bradley has told them that they should jump for headers right?
54' U-S-A! U-S-A!
57' A Mortal Kombat style clearance. I whole-heartedly approve.
63' Adu for Mastroeni! YES!
64' Another day, another shitty and low free kick.
67' I'd like to give you a new series, one I'd like to call "What's Clint Thinking?" This will start with "God, everyone around here sucks so much. Why am I even here? It's hot as balls, the surface sucks, my team sucks and I only get two months off every year! These assholes play in MLS, our reserves would run the table in that shitshow! Beasley just lost the ball again, fuck my life man. If I start sobbing uncontrollably, would Bradley sub me then?"
69' Wow, everyone just stopped on that one. Bradley gets burnt and then Bocanegra gives the guy 5 yards IN THE BOX. Howard had no chance and laid on the ground sobbing for a few minutes after the goal. Surprised by Bocanegra, normally reliable. Maybe we should start a "What's Carlos Thinking?" too. Probably sounds a lot like Clint.
71' Going to plagerize my fave sportswriter Bill Simmons (as if the running diary wasn't already a decently large ripoff) but sometimes you have to look around and ask "Can you go to war with these guys?" Outside of the Gooch and Howard, I don't think so. If you can't go to war with them, you're going to lose when it matters, and I see no reason why this team won't be another 1-point wonder like 06.
74' Ah yes, the Ole's have begun.
76' Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the first good shot of the night by the Americans! Congratulations boys, better late than never.
79' Jozy Altidore gets the Didier Drogba "Big Men Who Fall Easily" award for the night.
80' Dempsey for Charlie Davies. I mean, doesn't matter.
83' Wow, big acting job by the Costa Rican defender there. A literal two second difference between contact and the holding of the face. What possibly use would that serve now? You're up 3-0!
85' Davies should have been in all game! Maybe no one else cares anymore, but the US looks spirited and attacking now.
87' A horrible cross by Beasley. I mean, the man got dumped in Scotland. What do you want from him?
89' A very elaborate, four-man set piece clearly saved for games where they have insurmountable leads and want to fuck with the opponent. Surprisingly effective but a great save by Timbo Slice.
91' PENAL! Clinically taken by Landy Cakes. Well this changes everything.
93' And that's all she wrote! Suddenly, we find ourselves second and with the need to beat Honduras in a supposedly pro-Honduran environment. I don't care if we play on the White House Lawn, you can't win with how we played tonight. Onto Soldier Field!
USA v Honduras: Game Log
Halftime thoughts:
Overall we are easily outplaying Honduras, from whom I actually expected much more of a fight. We seem to have put the Costa Rica performance out of our minds, as we are really going after this game, possessing the ball well, and dictating play reasonably well.
Their goal was well taken, a capitalization on Dempsey's dribbling error. Other than that goal, however, I have not been scared by many of the Hondurans' possessions. Palacios looks good in the middle (TOTTENHAM REPRESENT, SON!!!) but he has been offset by the total anonymity that his midfield partner Amado Guevara has assumed.
Our goal was (what else?) a Landon Donovan penalty, perhaps an unlucky break for the Hondurans, but it was fully deserved according to the run of play. The last 30 minutes of the half I felt were a solid shift for the US, particularly Clint Dempsey, who seems to have pulled his finger out of his anal sphincter. He has actually seemed to care this entire game!! It's a miracle!! Seriously though, I wonder what Bob Bradley did to motivate Dempsey... I am willing to bet it went something like this:
"Hey Clint, is there anything I can do to motivate you?"
"Sure Bob. Here is the starting line-up I want... Make it happen, or I will once again roam around as if I am 7000 times better than the rest of my country."
Other than Deuce coming through with some sick skills, Specter has looked like a stud out there, hopefully he can cement a place in the first team (perhaps at LB, with Cherundolo when healthy at RB). Clarke I think has looked good, especially when you see him next to Pablo Mastroeni who has been AWFUL once again (looks like he is being subber out for Feilhaber at halftime... nice). Altidore and Casey have been putting in the effort... no results yet, but don't be surprised to see one or both of them get on the scoresheet.
OK, second half is starting... peace out, suckas!!
2nd Half:
Feilhaber is immediately making an impact, and a BIG one. I wasn't there when Napoleon came out of exile and shook stuff up in France, but I would imagine that it was something like what Feilhaber is doing right now. This is arguably the most influential substitution that I have ever witnessed in any USA match. Take the black hole that is Pablo Mastroeni and replace him with Napoleon. It's kind of strange to say this, but Feilhaber's greatest strength (which he is displaying finely tonight) is that he just knows what to do. His field vision leads him to make the correct play almost every time.
******
(In proofreading the above paragraph, I realize that I may be jumping to conclusions with Feilhaber... He has provided excellent play for the US in the past (Gold Cup 2007 anyone?), but 45 minutes of excellence tonight does not forgive his 21 consecutive months of not impressing for club or country. Here's to hoping that Feilhaber can finally realize his massive potential.)
******
Other subs:
Jay Demerit played 20 solid minutes after Bocanegra went off. If Boca is going to be out for the Confederations Cup (I have no idea how serious his injury is, just saying worst case scenario) then I would feel pretty confident in Demerit to fill in. The only thing is that we would need someone else in the outfield to step up in terms of leadership (Boca is captain, after all...). This is where Benny "Napoleon" Feilhaber steps in...
Beasley looked below average, he didn't make any of the blunders that he made in Saprissa but he also did nothing to impress. He made a few stupid passes, had a few miscommunications, and all in all was unimpressive. Amazing that he managed to do so all in what, 10 minutes?
On to Donovan, who picked up his game big time in this second half. That LM role which has been often filled by Beasley seemed to suit Donovan well in the final 45 minutes (the first half not so much... I will give him a mulligan, as I can't remember a time when he has ever had to play LM before). He settled in perhaps a little more forward than the rest of the midfield line, but still behind the strikers enough that he could provide service from the left flank. Perhaps we have finally found a position for the jostled-around Landycakes?
Player Ratings:
Howard: 7- made some great clearences, even coming out of the box on several occasions
Specter: 7- solid defending, got forward very well... definitely convinced me that he should have a spot in the team.
Bocanegra: 8.5- best performance out of him since Guatemala. Classic Bocanegra goal, no scary moments that I can recall.
Bornstein: 6- didn't do much to impress until the final 10 minutes, which at least means that he's got plenty of endurance. And you know as a marathon runner myself that I value endurance very, very much.
Dempsey: 8 (MotM)- finally we see the same Clint Dempsey that plays at Fulham play for the USA. He wanted this game, you could see it from the opening minute when he chased down Guevara right off of the kick-off. Great footskills, which the USA sadly lacks very much, he took people on and scared the crap out of Honduras' defense.
Clark: 6- I was not blown away by his attacking, but he was great in the middle, breaking up play all over the place (a la Wilson Palacios?). I would assess him at this point as a poor man's Maurice Edu.
Donovan: 6.5- silent first half was made up for by a stellar second half. He looked comfortable on that left wing and did well to take players on 1v1. Also ran past Wilson Palacios like he was a red headed stepchild. But then he gave it away. But it was sweet.
Altidore and Casey: 5 each- like I said, they were trying really hard, running after everything (or maybe "chasing" after everything...implications that they were a bit unsuccessful), but just could never get anything to really scare los Catrachos. We missed Brian Ching, who is great at setting his strike partner up. Too bad Brian Ching is injured (NEVER thought I'd say that... but I am warming up to Ching. He's like a poor man's Emile Heskey).
Subs:
Feilhaber: 8- Napoleon reincarnated. Need I say more?
Demerit: 6- no-nonsense defending that he has put into practice in England for years. Great to have him as backup.
Beasley: 4.5- what has happened to the man who was at one point our undisputed 2nd best field player? He and Donovan used to tear it up. He needs to get his club career back on track, either by coming back to MLS (it might be a little early to do this, but the league would certainly welcome him) or maybe a move to a midlevel team in a league like France, Portugal or Holland. Anywhere really, just so long as he gets on the field with regularity, otherwise this could be the beginning of the end for the once feared DMB.
******************
Also I just want to say that as I have been writing my post game analysis, I have had the last 20 minutes of El Salvador vs Mexico on Telefutura... I love El Salvador. Period. They may have taken 2 points away from us, but they took all 3 away from Mexico tonight! Mexico are, as I write this, NOT in a good enough position to qualify for the World Cup (not even for the playoff with CONMEBOL). I fully expect them to turn it around and at least make come in 4th, probably 3rd, in the hexagonal... but here's to hoping...
This is Scoops Callahan... over and out.
Overall we are easily outplaying Honduras, from whom I actually expected much more of a fight. We seem to have put the Costa Rica performance out of our minds, as we are really going after this game, possessing the ball well, and dictating play reasonably well.
Their goal was well taken, a capitalization on Dempsey's dribbling error. Other than that goal, however, I have not been scared by many of the Hondurans' possessions. Palacios looks good in the middle (TOTTENHAM REPRESENT, SON!!!) but he has been offset by the total anonymity that his midfield partner Amado Guevara has assumed.
Our goal was (what else?) a Landon Donovan penalty, perhaps an unlucky break for the Hondurans, but it was fully deserved according to the run of play. The last 30 minutes of the half I felt were a solid shift for the US, particularly Clint Dempsey, who seems to have pulled his finger out of his anal sphincter. He has actually seemed to care this entire game!! It's a miracle!! Seriously though, I wonder what Bob Bradley did to motivate Dempsey... I am willing to bet it went something like this:
"Hey Clint, is there anything I can do to motivate you?"
"Sure Bob. Here is the starting line-up I want... Make it happen, or I will once again roam around as if I am 7000 times better than the rest of my country."
Other than Deuce coming through with some sick skills, Specter has looked like a stud out there, hopefully he can cement a place in the first team (perhaps at LB, with Cherundolo when healthy at RB). Clarke I think has looked good, especially when you see him next to Pablo Mastroeni who has been AWFUL once again (looks like he is being subber out for Feilhaber at halftime... nice). Altidore and Casey have been putting in the effort... no results yet, but don't be surprised to see one or both of them get on the scoresheet.
OK, second half is starting... peace out, suckas!!
2nd Half:
Feilhaber is immediately making an impact, and a BIG one. I wasn't there when Napoleon came out of exile and shook stuff up in France, but I would imagine that it was something like what Feilhaber is doing right now. This is arguably the most influential substitution that I have ever witnessed in any USA match. Take the black hole that is Pablo Mastroeni and replace him with Napoleon. It's kind of strange to say this, but Feilhaber's greatest strength (which he is displaying finely tonight) is that he just knows what to do. His field vision leads him to make the correct play almost every time.
******
(In proofreading the above paragraph, I realize that I may be jumping to conclusions with Feilhaber... He has provided excellent play for the US in the past (Gold Cup 2007 anyone?), but 45 minutes of excellence tonight does not forgive his 21 consecutive months of not impressing for club or country. Here's to hoping that Feilhaber can finally realize his massive potential.)
******
Other subs:
Jay Demerit played 20 solid minutes after Bocanegra went off. If Boca is going to be out for the Confederations Cup (I have no idea how serious his injury is, just saying worst case scenario) then I would feel pretty confident in Demerit to fill in. The only thing is that we would need someone else in the outfield to step up in terms of leadership (Boca is captain, after all...). This is where Benny "Napoleon" Feilhaber steps in...
Beasley looked below average, he didn't make any of the blunders that he made in Saprissa but he also did nothing to impress. He made a few stupid passes, had a few miscommunications, and all in all was unimpressive. Amazing that he managed to do so all in what, 10 minutes?
On to Donovan, who picked up his game big time in this second half. That LM role which has been often filled by Beasley seemed to suit Donovan well in the final 45 minutes (the first half not so much... I will give him a mulligan, as I can't remember a time when he has ever had to play LM before). He settled in perhaps a little more forward than the rest of the midfield line, but still behind the strikers enough that he could provide service from the left flank. Perhaps we have finally found a position for the jostled-around Landycakes?
Player Ratings:
Howard: 7- made some great clearences, even coming out of the box on several occasions
Specter: 7- solid defending, got forward very well... definitely convinced me that he should have a spot in the team.
Bocanegra: 8.5- best performance out of him since Guatemala. Classic Bocanegra goal, no scary moments that I can recall.
Bornstein: 6- didn't do much to impress until the final 10 minutes, which at least means that he's got plenty of endurance. And you know as a marathon runner myself that I value endurance very, very much.
Dempsey: 8 (MotM)- finally we see the same Clint Dempsey that plays at Fulham play for the USA. He wanted this game, you could see it from the opening minute when he chased down Guevara right off of the kick-off. Great footskills, which the USA sadly lacks very much, he took people on and scared the crap out of Honduras' defense.
Clark: 6- I was not blown away by his attacking, but he was great in the middle, breaking up play all over the place (a la Wilson Palacios?). I would assess him at this point as a poor man's Maurice Edu.
Donovan: 6.5- silent first half was made up for by a stellar second half. He looked comfortable on that left wing and did well to take players on 1v1. Also ran past Wilson Palacios like he was a red headed stepchild. But then he gave it away. But it was sweet.
Altidore and Casey: 5 each- like I said, they were trying really hard, running after everything (or maybe "chasing" after everything...implications that they were a bit unsuccessful), but just could never get anything to really scare los Catrachos. We missed Brian Ching, who is great at setting his strike partner up. Too bad Brian Ching is injured (NEVER thought I'd say that... but I am warming up to Ching. He's like a poor man's Emile Heskey).
Subs:
Feilhaber: 8- Napoleon reincarnated. Need I say more?
Demerit: 6- no-nonsense defending that he has put into practice in England for years. Great to have him as backup.
Beasley: 4.5- what has happened to the man who was at one point our undisputed 2nd best field player? He and Donovan used to tear it up. He needs to get his club career back on track, either by coming back to MLS (it might be a little early to do this, but the league would certainly welcome him) or maybe a move to a midlevel team in a league like France, Portugal or Holland. Anywhere really, just so long as he gets on the field with regularity, otherwise this could be the beginning of the end for the once feared DMB.
******************
Also I just want to say that as I have been writing my post game analysis, I have had the last 20 minutes of El Salvador vs Mexico on Telefutura... I love El Salvador. Period. They may have taken 2 points away from us, but they took all 3 away from Mexico tonight! Mexico are, as I write this, NOT in a good enough position to qualify for the World Cup (not even for the playoff with CONMEBOL). I fully expect them to turn it around and at least make come in 4th, probably 3rd, in the hexagonal... but here's to hoping...
This is Scoops Callahan... over and out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)