Two Questionable Decisions and a Lot of Heart Result in a Point for the US

June 18, 2010 – The US Men’s National Team came from two goals down at halftime to earn a 2-2 draw with a quality, Slovenian team in their second Group C match. The result keeps the US hopes of advancing alive but things could have gone better for the Americans if not for two controversial decisions.

The first of these decisions was made by US Coach Bob Bradley. Despite the team’s solid performance against England, Bradley decided to make a change to his line up, replacing the defensive-minded Ricardo Clark with Jose Torres in central midfield.

This move seemed to bite the US in the 13th minute when Valter Brisa found space in front of the US back line, an area normally patrolled by Clark. The Slovenian midfielder took a couple of touches before putting his head down and drilling a left-footed shot into the corner of the net from 25 yards out. Tim Howard could do nothing but watch as the ball flew past him.

Trailing early once again the Americans fought back, winning a free kick two minute later. Landon Donovan’s ball into the box looked threatening and it required a good punch from the Slovenian keeper, Samir Handanovic, to clear the danger.

In the 22nd minute, it was Howard who had to deal with a free kick. He did well to get to his far post and collect the ball with a Slovenian player making a run right in front of him.

In the 35th minute, Bostjan Cesar was cautioned for a foul on Jozy Altidore as he drove toward the penalty area. From the resulting free kick, Torres fired a well-placed shot toward the near post that Handanovic did well to push out for a corner. Torres’ corner kick was cleared only as far as Jay DeMerit, who headed wide from the top of the area.

The US was putting a lot of pressure on the Slovenians, looking for an equalizer. In the 39th minute, Donovan stole the ball in midfield and played it up to Robbie Findley, who drove into the box. The Real Salt Lake striker saw his cross cut out for a corner when shooting might have been the better option. From the resulting set piece, Findley was curiously given a yellow card for hand ball. Replays showed that the ball came through traffic and hit him in the face before bouncing off his hand.

A minute later, the Americans put together their best sequence of the half. Steve Cherundolo won the ball in the US half and played it to Torres in a central position. He in turn knocked it forward to Donovan, whose clever one-touch pass sent Altidore on his way. Jozy passed to Findley who played it out to Clint Dempsey. The Texan sent an inviting cross toward Donovan, who’d continued his run from midfield. Landon nearly got on the end it but the ball was intercepted in the last second by Miso Brecko for yet another US corner.

The Americans were pushing lots of players forward and got caught on the counter attack three minutes before halftime. Donovan was disposed at midfield and the Slovenians put together a couple of quick passes, beating the offside trap before Zlatan Ljubijankic slipped the ball under the stranded Howard to make it 2-0.

The US made two substitutions at the start of the second half. Maurice Edu came on for Torres and Benny Feilhaber replaced Findley, who will miss the last group match against Algeria unless his yellow card is rescinded. After just three minutes, the US was back in the match. Cherundolo’s ball up to Donovan eluded the Slovenian defender and the US playmaker dribbled into the area from the right corner. He looked up to see if any of his teammates were available for a cross. Realizing he was alone, Landon ran at Handanovic and blasted the ball into the roof of the net. The US almost leveled the score a couple of minutes later but Oguchi Onyewu couldn’t quite get on the end of Donovan’s free kick towards the far post.

The American pressure continued as the US creating several half-chances over the next 10-15 minutes with only the occasional response from Slovenia. In the 69th minute, Marko Suler was cautioned for pulling down Altidore on the top of the box as the young striker tried to get to a pass from Donovan. Landon knocked the free kick into the area where a scrabble ensued. Altidore got to the ball, swiveled an shot but his effort was saved by Handanovic.

Slovenia’s defending was becoming increasingly desperate and Andraz Kirm went into the referee’s notebook three minutes later for a cynical foul on Cherundolo. The right fullback took the free kick and Feilhaber managed to get his volley from the top of the box on net without really troubling the keeper. Bojan Jokic received a yellow card in the 75th minute for a foul from behind on Donovan.

In the 80th minute, Coach Bradley went for broke, replacing one of his central defenders, Onyewu, with striker Herculez Gomez. The gamble paid off two minutes later when the outstanding Donovan played a great ball up to Altidore, who headed the ball down and into the path of Michael Bradley. The coach’s son applied the perfect touch to direct the ball past Handanovic and the US were level.

Slovenia was on the ropes now and they conceded another dangerous free kick with four minutes to play when Altidore was pushed over near the right corner of the penalty area. Donovan’s free kick found Edu making an intelligent run and the substitute knocked the ball into the back of the net. But it was all for not as the second questionable decision was made by the Malian referee, Koman Coulibaly. The official apparently spotted a foul against the US but several replays failed to show any infraction.

The decision seemed to take some of the wind out of the US sails and it was Slovenia that had the better chances in the dying minutes of the match. Howard was forced to make a couple of good saves. In the end, the was US left with a point when earlier it had seemed as if they would lose and then win the match.

The tie leaves the US in an uncertain situation. They’re still alive to advance but might need help to do so. The outcome of Group C play will not be known until the final whistle blows on June 23.

Player rating for the US team follows (scored 1-10):

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (7): Nothing he could do about either goal. He made some quality saves throughout the match and commanded his penalty area with authority.

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (5): Quite a drop off from his performance against England as might be expected form a player returning from a lengthy injury. He looked a bit slow and tired before being sacrificed late from another striker.

Jay DeMerit, central defender (7): Tight marking, strong tackles and clearances defined his performance today. He even got forward to put in a dangerous header in the first half. America’s best defender on the day.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (6): Another US defender who failed to replicate his fine performance from Saturday. He didn’t get forward as often or look as sure of himself in defense. That being said, he still caused some problems for the Slovenians down the right flank.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (5): A second consecutive quiet performance from the captain. He didn’t look that commanding defensively, failed factor on set pieces and was unable to distribute the ball out of the back with any precision. One has to wonder if he’s completely recovered from hernia surgery.

Jose Torres, central midfielder (5): The talent’s there, as was evident on his free kick, but he just doesn’t fit in with the US setup. His substitution at halftime was not unexpected.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (7): A very mature and composed performance by Bradley. His vital, late goal was just reward for a match full of hard work and intelligent passing.

Landon Donovan, left midfielder (8): A constant threat going forward, he scored one goal and set up the other. Perhaps bore some of the responsibility for Slovenia’s goals but more than atoned for them with his offensive contributions (Man of the Match).

Clint Dempsey, right midfielder (5): He was combative throughout but on the day lacked the skill and technique we know he possesses.

Robbie Findley, striker (5): His lack of confidence was apparent, especially in the first half when he elected to pass from inside the area when shooting seemed like the better choice.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6): Fairly quiet in the first half, he came on in the second interval to cause the Slovenian defense all kinds of problems. He won numerous free kicks and his header to Bradley set up the equalizer.

Substitutes:

Maurice Edu, central midfielder (5): He struggled to get into the match and I really don’t remember him doing much of anything until his goal was ruled out late in the game.

Benny Feilhaber, midfielder (6): He was involved in a lot of the build up during the second half onslaught by the US. He was perhaps a bit negligent defensively but looked good going forward.

Herculez Gomez, striker (no rating): Didn’t receive any service during the 10-15 minutes he was on the field.

Luck and Grit Earn US a Precious Point against England

June 12, 2010 – The English commentator for ABC’s broadcast of Saturday’s Group C World Cup match said “Sometimes when you buy a ticket, you win the raffle”. This was how he summed up the goal scored by Clint Dempsey; a hopeful, long-range effort that somehow, inexplicably, proved too much to handle for English goalkeeper Robert Green. After blocking the bouncing shot with both hands, Green’s legs seemed to get caught underneath him, leaving him unable to follow the ball as it spun away and slowly dribbled into the net. What was perhaps one of the luckiest goals in World Cup history had pulled the US even with England and would ultimately earn the Americans a valuable 1-1 draw in their opening match of the tournament.

Things had not started well for the US in one of the most-anticipated matches in the history of American soccer. Looking slightly nervous and tentative in the opening moments of the game, England caught the US flat-footed from a throw in. Glen Johnson tossed the ball to teammate Frank Lampard Jr. in the center of the field. He in turn passed it up toward Wayne Rooney but the ball slipped passed him to Emile Heskey, who deftly laid it off for Steven Gerrard. The English Captain had run past his marker, Ricardo Clark, and calmly stuck the ball into the back of the net with the outside of his foot.

Unfortunately, this was not unusual territory for the Americans. Surrendering early goals to the powers of international soccer was nothing new for this team. Perhaps the experience of being down early prevented panic in the US ranks and allowed them to find their feet in the match. Within a couple of minutes of the restart, England’s James Milner was forced to chop down Steve Cherundolo with a hard foul after the lively fullback had gotten past him with a good first touch. In the 11th minute, Dempsey got a header on goal and two minutes later the US won a series of corner kicks that ultimately came to nothing.

The Americans were gaining confidence and again threatened England’s lead in the 19th minute when Landon Donovan was given the time and space to send a dangerous cross into the area. However, Jozy Altidore was only able to apply a glancing header to the ball with Dempsey trailing the play at the far post.

England responded immediately. Rooney got on the end of Green’s long goal kick and played the ball out wide for Aaron Lennon. The speedy winger drove into the area but his cross was cut out by the retreating Cherundolo when shooting might have been the better option.

In the 26th minute, Milner was cautioned for a second foul on Cherundolo. Oguchi Onyewu, who’d recovered sufficiently from knee surgery to start the match, headed Donovan’s resulting free kick wide of the target in heavy traffic.

A couple minutes later, England got forward on a counter attack and won a corner. The US defense struggled to clear the danger. England kept the pressure on and Johnson was able to send in a dangerous cross from the right. Tim Howard came out bravely to get a hand to the ball but he also caught the studs of Heskey in his ribs as the big, English striker stretched to get a foot on the ball. Howard stayed down for a long time in obvious pain. During the stoppage of play, England brought on Shawn Wright-Philips for Milner, who apparently hadn’t recovered fully from an illness that had kept him out of training earlier in the week.

The injury to Howard slowed the tempo of the match and not much happened for the next ten minutes. Both sides created a couple of half chances but it was starting to look like the game was heading toward halftime without further incident. Cherundolo was cautioned in the 39th minute for a professional foul on Wright-Philips. Then the US got back into the match in the most improbable way. The Americans won the ball in midfield and Dempsey dribbled toward the penalty area with the excellent Gerrard defending him closely. Clint tried a couple of spin moves but couldn’t shake the dogged, English Captain. I doubt Dempsey had much hope for his speculative, left-footed shot. He probably didn’t even stay forward to watch it elude Green and roll into the net. But roll in it did and the US were level.

England came back at the US almost instantly as Johnson cut in from the right to unleash a low, hard shot from the top of the US area. Howard did brilliantly to smother the fierce drive. In the 45th minute, Onyewu was forced to clear a cross out for a corner. Nothing came of the resulting set piece and the two sides went into the break on level terms.

England made another substitution at the start of the second half with Ledley King making way for Jamie Carragher in central defense. The Three Lions came out flying as play resumed and the US appeared a bit flustered. Jay DeMerit was cautioned for an intentional hand ball at midfield in the 48th minute. Four minutes later, Heskey came steaming in on the US penalty area. He unleashed a rocket of a shot but it went straight at the advancing Howard, who was able to hold on.

The Americans managed to weather the onslaught and gradually got back into the game. In the 60th minute Carragher was cautioned for cutting down the fleet-footed Robbie Findley. Five minutes later, Altidore picked up the ball on the left and ran at the veteran, English defender. Carragher couldn’t match Altidore’s pace and couldn’t foul for fear of being sent off for a second bookable offense. Jozy rounded Carragher, drove into the area and fired a low shot toward the near post. Green did well to get down to it and deflect the ball onto the upright. The rebound was eventually cleared after the US had come inches away from taking the lead.

DeMerit and Onyewu had done a good job of keeping Rooney in check but the English danger man was starting to find room to operate. In the 71st minute he headed wide of the target from a Steven Gerrard cross. Four minutes later Rooney’s shot from distance went narrowly wide. England was ratcheting up the pressure, looking for a winning goal. In the 76th minute, the amazing Howard stood his ground bravely to deflect a close-range shot from Wright-Philips out for a corner. The American goalkeeper was called into action again from the resulting set piece as he stuffed Rooney’s effort at the near post.

The game began to wind down at this point. Edson Buddle came on for Findley, who’d been booked in the 74th minute for a foul on Gerrard. England continued to push forward, looking for a winner but the US defense had an answer for all of England’s questions. Fabio Capello made one final roll of the dice in the 79th minute, bringing on the towering Peter Crouch for Heskey. It was no use. The US were able to hold on and earn a priceless, if fortuitous, draw.

While England will be cursing their luck, the American team will be in high spirits coming out of their first group match. The US overcame early adversity and proved that their defense can hold up against quality competition. Having faced their toughest group opponent, they have every reason to be confident heading into their next match against Slovenia on June 18th.

Player ratings for the US players follows (scored 1-10):

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (8): Not much he could have done on the goal and he was fantastic from then on, making numerous, vital saves. He showed great courage coming off his line against Heskey and great toughness to continue with what looked like a painful injury. Hopefully he’ll be ready to play against Slovenia (Man of the Match).

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (7): The only thing more surprising to me than the fact that he started was how well he played. He must have been playing at about 75% during the build up to the World Cup because I never saw this performance coming. Strong in the air, quick enough on the ground, Gooch takes our back line to another level.

Jay DeMerit, central defender (7): While he was probably the least-talented player on the field he was determined not to be the least effective. By hook or by crook he kept Rooney in his pocket for most of the match as he made some crucial clearances as well. Perhaps could have avoided picking up the yellow card for a hand ball that could have seen him sent off by a different referee.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (8): It’s wonderful to see the most under-rated US player in top form for this tournament. He was again quick and dangerous going forward while playing even better defensively with several key interceptions. I loved watching him absolutely stuff Wright-Philips in the 55th minute. However, the yellow card he picked up against the same player is a concern.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (6): A smart, steady performance from the captain, who did enough to deal with the pace of Aaron Lennon. As a result, he wasn’t able to get forward or distribute the ball much but he played well within the US defensive scheme.

Ricardo Clark, central midfielder (5): He let Gerrard get away from him for the opening goal and struggled to deal with the English Captain, who had a terrific game. However, he stuck at it and protected the back line as best he could.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (6): With Donovan and Dempsey playing on the wings, the coach’s son will have to sit deep for the US in this tournament. He did this pretty well against world-class opposition in Gerrard and Lampard Jr.

Landon Donovan, winger (6): He was forced to defend more than he’s use to but America’s #10 still got forward to create problems for the English defense. His deliveries from set pieces and crosses were dangerous and he managed a couple of decent shots from distance too.

Clint Dempsey, winger (7): He got the goal of course but it was his defensive work, especially in the second half, that impressed me. He repeatedly joined Bocanegra on the flank to bottle up Aaron Lennon and kept running for the full 90 minutes.

Robbie Findley, striker (6): While he never really threatened the opponent’s goal, his mere presence kept the British defense honest. He made a couple of good runs and dropped back regularly to defend. Again, it would have been better if he could have avoided picking up a card.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6): Like Findley, his pace and power were concerns for England. Perhaps should have done better with his header in the first half. His drive into the area and near-post shot required an excellent save from Green just to push the ball onto the post.

Substitutes:

Edson Buddle, striker (6): Didn’t get many chances as it was all hands to the pumps by the time he came on for Findley. However, he did his part to preserve the point.

Stuart Holden, striker (6): He was only on briefly but his speed gave England something to worry about in the dying minutes of the match.

US Defeats Australia in Final Warm Up before World Cup

June 5, 2010 – The US Men’s National Team defeated Australia 3-1 in a physical, action-pact match in Roodepoort, South Africa. Two, first-half goals from Edson Buddle and a late tally from substitute Herculez Gomez were more than enough to cancel out a first half strike from Australia’s Tim Cahill. While the Americans created numerous chances going forward, they still looked a little vulnerable at the back.

Coach Bob Bradley sent out a strong side. It was a starting XI we might see against England in a week with the possible addition of Jozy Altidore. The young striker missed out after spraining his ankle in training during the week.

The US started well and Landon Donovan headed a cross on net in just the 3rd minute but the big, Australian keeper, Mark Schwarzer, made a comfortable save. A minute later the Americans had the lead. Robbie Findley pressured Vince Grella as he tried to dribble away from his area. Buddle pounced on a heavy touch by the Australian then calmly dribbled forward, shifted the ball to his favored, right foot and blasted it past Schwarzer from the top of the box.

Not much happened for the next ten minutes until the US sprung the off-side trap with Findley breaking free on goal. The speedy striker rounded the advancing Schwarzer but couldn’t get his shot on net when it really should have been 2-0.

Two minutes later the Americans were punished for their wastefulness in front of goal. Jay DeMerit headed a cross out for a corner when it seemed like he should have steered it up field or at least out into touch. From the resulting set piece, the clever Cahill ghosted in at the far post to squeeze a volley between Steve Cherundolo and the upright. The veteran fullback really should have kept it out but the two sides were level.

In the 27th minute, the US put together several good passes on a lightning-quick counter attack. Clint Dempsey got off a good, left-footed shot from inside the penalty area. However, the busy Schwarzer pulled off an excellent save, diving to his left to palm the ball around the post for a corner. Three minutes later Tim Howard did well to smother a fierce drive from distance at the other end of the pitch.

In the 31st minute, the Americans regained the lead when Ricardo Clark wisely switched fields to a wide-open Cherundolo. The talented fullback skipped past his defender to send over a delightful cross from deep in the corner. Buddle was making the far post run as he rose to head the ball down and into the net. The Soccerroos could have been level just four minutes later but Josh Kennedy headed wide of the far post after his maker, DeMerit, had fallen over.

In the 36th minute, both sides were lucky not to be reduced to ten men after a bust up between Dempsey and Craig Moore. The US midfielder was cynically chopped down by the Australian defender as he dribbled through the middle of the park. As Clint got up, Moore grabbed the American, who had a few choice words for his assailant. The Aussie then shoved Dempsey and the two literally went head to head before they could be separated by teammates. If this had been a World Cup match, both players would have been sent off but the South African referee prudently decided that yellow cards were sufficient in this particular incident. Not much else happened for the remainder of the half and the US went into the break a goal up.

At the beginning of the second half, Marcus Hahnemann replaced Howard in net for the Americans. Australia started quickly in search of an equalizer and could have been level after Cherundolo allowed his man to get a cross in that bounced across the six-yard box.

The Soccerroos’ pressure was leaving space at the back and the US nearly scored on a counter attack in the 52nd minute. Donovan did very well to settle a long ball out of the back and find Buddle with a delicately-weighted pass. Despite being a goal away from a hat trick, Buddle generously squared the ball to Findley, who somehow managed to hit the crossbar from just six yards out with the net empty. Michael Bradley, who was trailing the play, lashed the rebound goalward but Schwarzer managed to parry the ball into the path of the on-rushing Dempsey, who powered the ball into the back of the net with a diving header. However, by this time the linesman had raised his flag after spotting the unfortunate Findley in an offside position.

Three minutes later, Jonathan Bornstein came on for Carlos Bocanegra, who seemed to be recovering well from hernia surgery. Oguchi Onyewu then replace Clarence Goodson in the 61st minute. Mounting Australian pressure saw Hahnemann called into action repeatedly in the US goal. While the veteran keeper made a couple of fine saves, he struggled to deal with a series of crosses. His punched clearance of the first lacked power while he completely missed the next two balls into the area. Hahnemann’s struggles could partly be contributed to the setting sun.

In the 75th minute, DeMerit’s horrendous give-away forced Hahnemann to make another fine save. Fortunately, with Cahill having departed at halftime, the Aussies were rather inept in front of goal and the US retained the lead.

The US made a couple of late substitutions in an effort to take some of the sting out of the game. DaMarcus Beasley came on for the goal scorer Buddle and Herculez Gomez replace Dempsey but not before the later absorbed several hard fouls from the Australians.

The Soccerroos weren’t giving up as they pushed hard for a tying goal late into the game. This led to a series of half-chances for the Americans on the counter attack. They finally converted one in the third minute of stoppage time when Donovan fired a precise cross into the area where Gomez expertly directed his volley past Schwarzer. This killed off the match with the US deserving victors.

Coach Bradley and his team should be feeling pretty good heading into their opening match with England. They created loads of scoring chances and passed the ball around nicely at times. However, they’ll have to tighten things up defensively if they are to advance in the tournament. Had they been trying to contain a striker like Peter Crouch instead of Josh Kennedy, the result might have been different.

Player ratings for the US Team (scored 1-10):

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (6): A solid, first-half performance from America’s #1. He saved a couple of shots from distance but was let down by Cherundolo at the back post for the goal.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (6): Quietly and effectively saw to his defensive duties until he was replaced by Onyewu just past the hour mark.

Jay DeMerit, central defender (5): A shaky performance from the normally reliable defender. The corner he conceded led to the Aussies goal. He had a couple other slip ups as well. Hopefully he’s gotten it out of his system before the tournament begins.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (6): Another defender who quietly went about his business before being substituted. He looks to be closing in on full fitness in time for the opener against England.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (6): His rating would have been much higher if not for a couple of defensive miscues as he was fantastic going forward. He should never have allowed the goal as guarding the post was his only responsibility on the corner. He allowed a dangerous cross early in the second half as well. However, his cross for the second goal was sublime and he was a constant threat to the Australian defense.

Ricardo Clark, central midfielder (6): He also had a pretty quiet game with some good, some bad and some indifferent touches. All in all, his work with Bradley shaded the midfield battle in favor of the Americans. Hopefully the injury he suffered late in the match isn’t too serious.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (6): He looked composed and wisely sat deep most of the game with two offensive-minded wingers on either flank. He nearly scored when following up Findley’s surprising miss off the crossbar.

Landon Donovan, left midfielder (7): The US team looks so much more dangerous with him in the line up. He made some good runs and passes as well as setting up the third goal for Gomez. He’ll need to put in a bit more defensive work against stronger opponents.

Clint Dempsey, right midfielder (6): Not sure what he said but the Aussies really hated him. He was sent to ground with extreme prejudice on four or five occasions. He looked dangerous in the first half, drifted out of the game a bit in the second before being substituted for his own protection late on.

Robbie Findley, striker (4): If he’d had any luck at all it could have been 5-1. He missed a couple of real sitters as things just weren’t coming off for him. Findley does deserve some credit for the opening goal as it was his pressure that led to the turnover.

Edson Buddle, striker (7): When the World Cup squad was announced, I thought Brian Ching should have made it over Buddle but Coach Bradley seems to have gotten it right. He looked poised, calm and took his goals well. Should Altidore fail to overcome his ankle injury before the England match, Edson is a ready replacement.

Substitutes:

Marcus Hahnemann, goalkeeper (5): He made three nice saves but struggled mightily with several crosses. No question about who will start in net this tournament.

Jonathan Bornstein, left fullback (6): The best I’ve seen him play all year. He was assertive, decisive and didn’t commit any of the mental mistakes that have plagued him recently. Coach Bradley will probably feel that he’s got some measure of defensive insurance now with the questionable health of his back line.

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (5): Sadly I haven’t seen anything to indicate that he’ll be able to play in this tournament. He positioned himself intelligently to make a couple of key interceptions but his movement looks slow and labored. Perhaps he can be a factor if the US reach the knock out phase of the tournament.

DaMarcus Beasley, left midfielder (no rating): Came on late, didn’t do anything that I can remember until he got knocked on his ass near the US bench and that doesn’t warrant much of a rating, does it?

Herculez Gomez, striker (6): Badly scuffed a pass to Findley in front of goal. Gave away a dangerous free kick but then he confidently deposited the ball in the back of the net and isn’t that what the US is going to need from him?