US Surrenders Two-Goal Lead and Gold Cup to Mexico

June 25, 2011 – The US Men’s National Team allowed Mexico to come back from two goals down and win the 2011 Gold Cup Final 4-2. In front of a capacity crowd, composed overwhelmingly of Mexico supporters, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California, the US took the lead with goals from Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan. Mexico tied the game by halftime and scored two second-half goals to win the tournament and cement themselves as the dominant soccer power in the region. As Gold Cup Champions, Mexico also earned themselves a place in the 2013 Confederation Cup in Brazil. For the US, the loss puts more pressure on Coach Bob Bradley as his team seems to have plateaued during the past two years of his tenure.

Coach Bradley had been forced to shuffle his line up during the tournament and that trend continued into the final. With his only established striker, Jozy Altidore, out with a hamstring injury, the coach moved Donovan up to striker. This was not that surprising as Landon has enjoyed a lot of success against Mexico over the years. What was surprising was the coach’s decision to replace the in-form Sacha Kljestan with Freddy Adu, a player who had not played for the US for two years prior to this tournament. So the US Team lined up as follows: Howard, Bocanegra (captain), Goodson, Cherundolo, Lichaj, Jones, Bradley, Bedoya, Adu, Dempsey and Donovan.

Mexico came out strong, earning a free kick and a corner within the first five minutes. Giovani Dos Santos gave the US defense an early scare when he ran right at them before shooting just wide from the top of the penalty box. The US came back, winning a corner of their own in the eighth minute. Adu played the ball into the near post where Bradley was making a diagonal run. His glancing header eluded the Mexican keeper, Alfredo Talavera, and ended up in the back of the net to give the US a somewhat surprising, early lead.

Not everything was going well for the Yanks as they were forced to substitute Steve Cherundolo with Jonathan Bornstein after the experience right back appeared to pick up an ankle injury. Bornstein slotted in on the left, sending Eric Lichaj to right fullback.

After conceding the goal, Mexico came back at the US. In the 12th minute, Javier Hernandez headed a looping cross over the crossbar. Two minutes later Hernandez nearly sprung the offside trap and in the 15 minute, Pablo Barrera saw his shot saved by Tim Howard.

The game was opening up and the US took advantage of the space with a flowing move down the right. Adu turned his defender before centering the ball to Clint Dempsey. The crafty midfielder held the ball momentarily, allowing Donovan to make a run across the area. Dempsey then slid the ball to Landon, who made space for a powerful, left-footed shot that found the bottom corner of the net.
Down two goals, things appeared to be going from bad to worse for Mexico as their left fullback, Carlos Salcido, was forced off with an injury in the 28th minute. However, a minute later the Tri Colores had cut the lead in half. Barrera broke quickly into space down the right as Bornstein had been sucked into the middle. The Mexican winger dribbled into the area before unleashing a low, hard shot past Howard and in at the near post.

Mexico was on the ascendency and they were level eight minutes later as Dos Santos worked his way down the right before driving the ball toward the far post. Lichaj got a foot to it but only managed to leave a 50/50 ball for Howard and Andres Guardado. The Mexican lunged and got to the ball first, pushing it past the US keeper and into the net.

The US Team was on the ropes at this point but they got a brief respite when Mexican Captain Rafa Marquez was forced off with an injury two minutes before the break. Hector Reynoso took his place in central defense. In injury time, Dos Santos had the US defense stretched once more but he blazed his shot across the face of goal and out of play.

So despite having been up two goals, the US was now level and their defense was been pulled apart by the speed of the Mexican forwards. The momentum was definitely with Mexico as the two teams left the field at the break.

The second half picked up where the first had left off and the US almost conceded a goal within two minutes of the restart when Jermaine Jones lost the ball in midfield. That let off was temporary as Mexico took the lead in the 50th minute, again through Barrera. The US defense failed to clear the ball and it fell to the winger, who smashed a shot with the outside of his right foot past a diving Tim Howard and into the net.

The Yanks responded immediately, winning a corner. Donovan took it and Carlos Bocanegra rose in a crowd to head the ball just past the post. Adu was playing well down the right wing and he won a free kick in the 58th minute. He took the kick himself sending it over the wall but into the arms of Talavera at the near post. On the hour mark, the US nearly equalized as Bradley teed up a shot for Dempsey from the top of the box. Clint hit it sweetly, only to see the ball canon off the cross bar with the Mexican keeper well beaten.

It was end to end stuff at this point and Coach Bradley brought on Juan Agudelo for Alejandro Bedoya in an effort to give the US another scoring threat. The US was playing well but the Mexican defense had an answer to everything that came their way.

In the 75th minute, Mexico signaled their intention to close up shop when they replaced the excellent Barrera with Jesus Zavala. However, that’s not how things played out. Less than two minutes later, the Tri Colores had put the game out of reach with another goal. Dos Santos, who had caused the US defense problems all night, received the ball in the area. He dribbled toward net, drawing Howard out of his goal. The US keeper lunged for the ball but came up empty as Dos Santos pulled it back and circled to his left before chipping the ball into the top corner of the net. Lichaj was at the far post in a good defensive position but the ball was so well placed that he was unable to head it to safety.

Despite being down two goals, the US refused to give up. Coach Bradley made one last roll of the dice, bringing on Kljestan for the impressive Adu in the 85th minute. Shortly afterwards, the Yanks almost pulled one back as Dempsey and Kljestan combined to set up Goodson at the near post only for the defender’s shot to roll wide of the target. Mexico saw out the remainder of regulation and the three minutes of added time to win their sixth Gold Cup and take the upper hand in this growing rivalry.

With World Cup Qualification more than a year away, the US has to figure out where their team is headed and who will lead the way. The problems that have plagued the team for years, lack of quality defenders and strikers, continue to be problems. And while the Yanks continue to have a never say die attitude perhaps they could approach matches in a more professional manner. Whether or not Bob Bradley is the man to confront these challenges is something that the men who run US Soccer will have to decide.

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

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (4): A poor match for a player who we’ve come to expect so much from over the years. One could argue that he was at least partially culpable for all of Mexico’s goals.

Carlos Bocanegra, central defender (6): Did his best to cope with Mexico’s speed and nearly headed the US level early in the second half.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (5): Struggled with the pace of the Mexican strikers and failed to get his shot on goal late on.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (6): Was playing well prior to being substituted with what was reportedly a sprained ankle. Whether or not the US would have been better off with a diminished Cherundolo rather than a healthy Jonathan Bornstein is a matter of conjecture.

Eric Lichaj, left fullback (5): Despite being a right-footed player, he’s looked more comfortable at left back. And despite looking comfortable during most of this tournament, he looked a bit out of his depth against Mexico, being primarily responsible for the equalizer.

Jermaine Jones, holding central midfielder (7): I’ve been critical of him in the past but I have to admit that in a big game against strong competition, he played well for the most part. His turnover early in the second half was almost costly but other than that, he made good decisions on the ball and was a strong presence during a physical game.

Michael Bradley, holding central midfielder (7): Scored the opening goal and was an important part of much of the build up play for the US. Perhaps could have helped out a bit more defensively and ran out of gas toward the end.

Alejandro Bedoya, attacking central midfielder (5): Like Lichaj, he was a young player who’d played well in this tournament prior to the final. On the night however, he was very quiet and rightfully substituted in the 64th minute. He probably would have had more success on the wing but I suppose the logic was that Adu was too small to play centrally.

Freddy Adu, right midfielder (7): Worked very hard and coped well with Mexico’s physical play. Along with Cherundolo, he earned the corner that led to the opening goal and was involved in the build up for the second.

Clint Dempsey, left midfielder (7): Set up the second goal with a very clever pass and was desperately unlucky to see his shot come back off the crossbar in the second half. He went to ground too easily on occasion.

Landon Donovan, striker (7): He was put up front to score goals and that’s what he did. As always, he was up for the fight with the Mexicans and delivered some dangerous free kicks too.

Substitutes:

Jonathan Bornstein, left fullback (3): I don’t like to give out such a low score but he had a terrible game. He was way out of position for Mexico’s opening goal and all their other goals developed on his side of the field.

Juan Agudelo, striker (5): Tried hard but got pushed around and looked in over his head against the Mexican defense.

Sacha Kljestan, midfielder (6): within a minute of coming on, he created a dangerous scoring opportunity with Dempsey and Goodson. I would have liked to see him get the start over Bedoya.

US Cruise into Gold Cup Semifinals with Comfortable Win Over Jamaica

June 19, 2011 – Reversing a recent run of shaky play, the US Men’s National Team strolled past Jamaica 2-0 at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. The relative ease with which the US won was more surprising considering that the Reggae Boys had won their three group matches in the tournament without conceding a goal. The Yanks now get a chance to avenge their loss to Panama in the group stage when they face the Central Americans on Wednesday in the semifinals.

There were a couple of surprising changes in the US line up. Sacha Kljestan was rewarded for his recent good form with a start in place of a second striker as the US went to a 4-5-1 formation. More shocking was Landon Donovan being dropped to the bench as the impressive Alejandro Bedoya took his place on the right side of midfield. Apparently both Donovan and Clint Dempsey were attending family weddings on Saturday. Dempsey, traveling from Texas to DC, made the starting eleven while Donovan, traveling from California, did not.

It’s interesting to look at Coach Bradley’s decision to omit Donovan from the starting line up. Perhaps Donovan returned too late to get the rest he needed before the match. Maybe the coach preferred the pacy Bedoya against a speedy Jamaican team. I like to think that Bradley wanted to send a message that there are no sacred cows on his team. After all, Donovan’s play in the tournament had been rather lackluster up to this point.

The US Team was on the front foot from the opening kickoff. In the second minute, lone striker Jozy Altidore settled a long pass in the penalty area, forcing the Jamaican defense to scrabble and knock the ball out for a corner. Kljestan took the corner and picked out Michael Bradley at the near post. He flicked the ball into the mix where it banged around for a while before being shot over the crossbar.

Two minutes later Bradley was involved again but this time he lost the ball as he dribbled through midfield and the Jamaican break was on. Rodolph Austin’s cross into the box from the right found a seemingly offside Ryan Johnson unmarked at the back post. His shot was saved by the feet of Tim Howard with the rebound falling to Luton Shelton. Somehow the Jamaican striker managed to blast the ball over the open net from close range, letting Bradley and the US off the hook.

In the 13th minute, the US was forced to make a substitution as Altidore had picked up a hamstring injury. Juan Agudelo came on in his place. Three minutes later, Austin was cautioned for a hard foul on Kljestan, who was causing Jamaica problems in the center of the park. Later in the half, Jermaine Jones’ name went into the referee’s notebook as well for a petulant trip.

The US Team was enjoying most of the possession as Jamaica seemed to struggle with their formation. The Yanks engineered good build up play and several half-chances but no end product. In the 35th minute Dempsey earned a free kick that he took himself from 40 yards out. His dipping shot produced a very good save from the Jamaican keeper, Donovan Ricketts, that went out for a corner. Four minutes later Ricketts was again forced to push a shot wide, this time off the foot of Kljestan.

In the 41st minute, Bedoya headed a cross wide from the influential Kljestan. The US was finishing the half strong and a minute later Agudelo’s shot was parried right into the path of Jones, who was making the far post run. Unfortunately for him, Jermaine scuffed his shot wide. Shortly after that, Eric Lichaj got off a good shot from Bradley’s through ball that Ricketts managed to hold.

Two minutes of injury time were added to the first half and Jamaica nearly stole a goal just before the break. Miscommunication between Clarence Goodson and Howard resulted in neither of them dealing with a ball near the top of the area. Fortunately for the US, the danger was cleared and the two teams headed to the locker room on level terms.

Jamaica adjusted their formation to start the second half but it didn’t seem to do much good as the Yanks continued to push them back. In the 49th minute, Lichaj got a cross in from the left that was cleared but only as far as Jones, who smashed a shot toward goal. On the way, the ball deflected off Jermaine Taylor and into the net. There was some debate about whether the goal should be ruled an own goal or credited to Jones. In the end, it was awarded to the American midfielder.

The visitors tried to respond to the setback and they enjoyed a good deal of possession over the next five to ten minutes. However, the US defense snuffed out any potential danger.

Just past the hour mark, Cherundolo and Bedoya combined well down the right to free up the fullback for a cross to Dempsey in the area. Clint headed the ball on goal but Ricketts pulled off an amazing reflex save from point-blank range. In the 65th minute, Donovan entered the game in place of the impressive Bedoya.

With the two teams separated by just a single goal and plenty of time remaining, the game turned two minutes later. Jones picked up a loose ball in midfield and burst through the Jamaican defense. Taylor attempted a last-ditch slide tackle as he was breaking free. Jones went down and the referee produced a red card to the Jamaican defender. Replays show that Taylor made no contact with either the ball or Jones. However, the visitors were now down to ten men. Kljestan took the resulting free kick and hit it wide of the target.

With the numerical advantage, the US was finding more space and Dempsey got off a shot from distance in the 73rd minute that required a good save from Ricketts. Two minutes later Maurice Edu came on for Jones, who appeared to have picked up a groin injury. Edu nearly scored within a minute of his introduction when he got a shot on net following some good build-up play. A few minutes later Dempsey and Donovan some how managed to squander a glorious scoring opportunity when one too many passes saw Landon called for offsides.

That miscue was quickly forgotten as the hosts double their lead a minute later. Agudelo and Donovan work a moved down the right before Juan crossed the ball to Dempsey. Realizing that he was in tons of space, Clint controlled the ball and rounded the keeper before calmly sliding the ball into the back of the net. Dempsey’s celebration following goal suggested that he’d taken offense to the criticism he’d received after the Guadeloupe match when some commentators, myself included, had called him out for being too casual in front of goal.

Down a man and two goals with only ten minutes remaining, Jamaica seemed to lose hope. They’d been frustrated all day by the US tactics and had played tentatively. In the final minute of regulation, they did manage to get a shot on net but Howard was up to the challenge. The hosts had one more scoring chance in extra time but Ricketts managed to collect the rebound before Agudelo could pounce and the match came to an end.

So now the US have some of their swagger back and an opportunity for some revenge against Panama. It will be a tough match as the Yanks struggle a bit with Panama’s athleticism. The US will be without one of their most athletic players as well. Altidore is facing a long spell on the sideline with a hamstring injury. Hopefully Agudelo and company can provide the goals needed to reach the final.

Player ratings for the US Team (scored 1-0):

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (7): He didn’t have much to do but took care of business when called upon.

Carlos Bocanegra, central defender (7): It was a pretty quiet night for the captain. The back line seems better organized when he plays in the middle.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (7): He wasn’t much of a threat going forward as he has been in recent matches but Clarence kept Sheldon and the other Jamaican forwards quiet most of the night.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (7): More smart defending coupled with dangerous crosses from the veteran right back. More of the same, please.

Eric Lichaj, left fullback (7): Another poised performance from the young fullback. Eric looks good on the ball and is rarely caught out of position.

Jermaine Jones, holding central midfielder (5): Yes he was credited with a goal and he played well for the most part but I don’t like the way he conducts himself on the pitch. The way he got Taylor sent off was disgraceful. He also picked up a needless yellow card and goes down in a heap too often trying to con the ref. If he’s going to wear the US Shirt, he’s got to play with more integrity.

Michael Bradley, holding central midfielder (6): He put in a lot of work both in attack and defense. However, his turnover early in the game nearly lead to a goal for Jamaica.

Sacha Kljestan, attacking central midfielder (8): He was a constant thorn in the side of the Jamaican defense with both his passing and shots from distance. I believe the lone striker formation can work for the US with him in the hole (man of the match).

Alejandro Bedoya, right midfielder (7): Formed a good partnership down the right with Cherundolo and was a threat with his pace.

Clint Dempsey, left midfielder (7): Took his goal with the coolness of a man who’s done it before. However, I’d love to see him be more ruthless.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6): Showed good touch when he received a long pass in the area early on. Disappointing to see him go off injured. He’ll be sorely missed during the remainder of the tournament.

Substitutes:

Juan Agudelo, striker (7): Did a good job replacing the injured Altidore. He shows flashes brilliance at times but still lacks experience and composure. If he can take the next step, look out. The US will rely on him heavily with Altidore out of action.

Landon Donovan, right midfielder (7): Bedoya was good but Landon was better. The US attack looked more dangerous with his vision and passing. I think it was a masterstroke on the part of Bradley to leave him on the bench until the second half.

Maurice Edu, holding central midfielder (7): He was brought on to close up shop but he nearly ended up on the score sheet. I think his efforts during his second half cameos merit consideration for a start.

US Back on Course with Victory Over Guadeloupe

June 14, 2011 – The US Men’s National Team defeated Guadeloupe 1-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup. After an early scare, the US Team dominated the match but were only able to score a single goal courtesy of Jozy Altidore. The US will now face Jamaica, who finished top of their group.

Coach Bob Bradley, who has to be feeling the pressure after the shocking loss to Panama, made two changes to his starting line up. He moved Carlos Bocanegra to central defense to replace Tim Ream, who’d had a torrid time against the Panamanians. He filled the gap on the left side of defense with young Eric Lichaj. Up front Coach Bradley replaced the mostly-ineffective Juan Agudelo with Chris Wondolowski. So the starting eleven was as follows: Howard, Bocanegra (C), Goodson, Cherundolo, Lichaj, Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore, Wondolowski.

The US looked nervous as the game got underway. Altidore won a free kick in the first minute that came to nothing. Then Jermaine Jones committed a foul near the US penalty area. The ball was knock out for a corner that was played to the near post. It somehow got through a crowd of players, bounced past Tim Howard and rolled across the goal to Landon Donovan, who was defending the back post. Landon tried to clear the ball but only managed to bang it off the chest of his teammate, Clint Dempsey. The ball landed near the penalty spot where Stephane Zubar smashed it toward net. Lichaj raced out and had the shot deflect off his shin, onto the crossbar and out. The referee missed the deflection and awarded a goal kick to the US, who were lucky not to be behind.

The Yanks started to find their feet after that. Dempsey was fouled in the fifth minute around 25 yards from goal. He took the free kick himself and forced an exceptional save from Franck Grandel, the Guadeloupe keeper.

The US was building possession and from that possession, a goal came seemingly out of nothing. In the ninth minute, Michael Bradley played the ball to Altidore, who was about 35 yards from goal. He wasn’t under much pressure so he took a couple of dribbles before unleashing a shot that flew in at the near post. Grandel appeared to be screened or perhaps slip because he hardly moved.

With the lead, the Yanks looked more comfortable while Guadeloupe seemed to drop deeper and deeper. It was all US for the rest of the half as they produced loads of scoring chances but were unable to capitalize. Despite the one-sided nature of the match, the two sides went in at the break with just a goal between them.

It was more of the same in the second half as the hosts picked up where they’d left off. But despite all their dominance, they still couldn’t find a second goal.

In the 64th minute, the US brought on Alejandro Bedoya for Wondolowski, who had been unable to find a way through the Guadeloupe defense. The visitors got forward every now and then but they never looked like scoring. The Yanks continued to spurn chances. No one was more wasteful than Dempsey, who appeared as if he was trying to dribble the ball into the net at one point, only to have it taken off his foot at the last second.

In the 78th minute, the US started to blunt their attack a bit by bringing on Sacha Kljestan for the goal scorer Altidore. Seven minutes later, Coach Bradley appeared to acknowledge that one goal would be enough as he replaced his son Michael with the defensive-minded Maurice Edu.

During the remainder of regulation, and the two minutes of added time, Dempsey managed to miss a couple more chances as there just didn’t seem to be any more goals in the game. The final whistle eventually blew and the US were through to the quarter-finals.

So despite a shock loss in the group stage, the US are moving on. However, that loss to Panama now means that they’ll have to play a strong Jamaican team that has won all three of their matches so far. The Yanks will have to up their game if they want to get anywhere near the final. They still look shaky at times defensively, especially early in games, and they’re struggling to score goals (just four in three matches against rather pedestrian opponents). I don’t think it’s realistic to expect too much from either Agudelo or Wondolowski. If the US does go far in this tournament, they’ll be fired on by goals from Altidore, Dempsey, Donovan and the other usual suspects.

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

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (6): One heart in he throat moment early and very little to do after that. He did a good job of commanding his area when needed and his distribution was sound as well.

Carlos Bocanegra, central defender (7): He didn’t have a whole lot to do but brought a veteran presence to the heart of defense.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (7): With Guadeloupe not sending many players forward, he had the freedom to roam and join in the attack from time to time. He’s become a legitimate scoring threat for the US, especially from set pieces.

Eric Lichaj, left fullback (7): Came in and looked very comfortable in a must-win game for the US. Coming out to deflect Zubar’s shot was a crucial play early on when the hosts were still trying to find their way in the match. He faded a bit in the second half but has put himself in the mix at left fullback.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (8): He was another defender who took advantage of Guadeloupe’s anemic attack to get forward early and often. Steve send in numerous crosses. The veteran right back has been in great form this tournament and has probably been the best player for the US (man of the match).

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (7): He looked pretty good when he had lots of time to pick out long passes from central midfield. I don’t think Mexico will allow him that much time. Again one of his fouls almost got the US in trouble early on.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (7): His pass to Altidore, a simple square ball above the penalty area, led to the US goal. He did a good job orchestrating the attack without ever really taking the game by the throat.

Clint Dempsey, left midfielder (5): Created a lot of chances, wasted a lot of chances. If it had been training, he’d be doing pushups for missing that sitter in the second half.

Landon Donovan, right midfielder (5): The straw that stirs the drink for the US has had a pretty quiet tournament so far. He too had a glaring miss in the second half.

Chris Wondolowski, striker (5): Even against a weak opponent like Guadeloupe, there’s still a gap between MLS and international soccer. Chris needs to figure out how to close that gap.

Jozy Altidore, striker (7): Good things happen when you put a shot on net. Jozy really got hold of that one early on but seemed reluctant to pull the trigger afterwards.

Substitutes:

Alejandro Bedoya, midfielder (7): Looked active and dangerous when he came on. Alejandro adds real speed to the US attack, which is something that has been missing since Charlie Davis was injured in a car accident in late 2009.

Sacha Kljestan, midfielder (7): I was a bit surprised that he didn’t get the start over Jones as he’s played well during his substitute appearances this tournament. After his form dipped a year or so ago, he seems to have new enthusiasm for the game following his move to Anderlecht last summer.

Maurice Edu, midfielder (6): Came on late to close up shop and didn’t have much to do as the game was pretty much over by that point. Despite being in good form for his club, Maurice seems to be third choice to partner Bradley in central midfield.

USA Stunned by Panama

June 11, 2011 – The US Men’s National Team was beaten 2-1 by an athletic and determined Panamanian squad in the Gold Cup. The match, play on a hot and humid night at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, marked the first time that the US has been beaten during the group stage of the tournament. As has happened far too often recently, the US started slowly and found themselves two goals down after 36 minutes. The Yanks dug in and outplayed the visitors in the second half, pulling a goal back through Clarence Goodson. However, they were unable to find an equalizer despite two excellent chances late on. The US Team now has to beat Guadeloupe on Tuesday to advance to the knock out phase of the competition and Coach Bob Bradley will probably have to do more than that to keep his job beyond this tournament.

No changes were made to the starting line up as the US went with the same eleven players who’d beaten Canada four days earlier (Howard, Ream, Goodson, Cherundolo, Bocanegra (C), Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, Agudelo & Altidore).

In the forth minute, the Panamanians signaled their intent as Luis Tejada couldn’t quite make meaningful contact with a cross into the box from the left. The visitors enjoyed most of the possession in the early going.

The US started to get into the game and have some possession of their own. In the eighth minute, Clint Dempsey smacked a half-volley just wide of the near post. Six minutes later Juan Agudelo won a free kick that was taken by Landon Donovan and eventually cleared.

In the 18th minute, Jermaine Jones was booked for tackling Nelson Barahona from behind as he prepared to shoot. The resulting free kick was cleared but only as far as Gabriel Gomez, who sent in an inviting cross to the far post. The US defense was pushing up field, trying to leave the Panamanians in an offside position. However, someone played Eduardo Dasent onside and the defender headed on net. Tim Howard dove to his right and parried the ball. A retreating Goodson tried to clear the danger but Tejada beat him to the ball by a whisker and knocked it into the net to give Panama the lead.

The US tried to respond to falling behind and created a few, half chances through Agudelo, Carlos Bocanegra and Dempsey. The temperature of the match was rising as heavy challenges were flying in from both teams. In the 25th minute, both Barahona and Jozy Altidore were booked as Altidore reacted angrily to a hard foul by Panamanian midfielder. Donovan took the resulting free kick and picked out Dempsey in the box, who headed on goal. Jaime Penedo made the save with Goodson lurking nearby. Two minutes later Agudelo won a free kick in the right corner. Donovan sent over a free kick but Goodson headed wide in heavy traffic.

Things were looking up for the hosts until Dempsey lost the ball in midfield with ten minutes to go in the half. Panama played it into the US penalty area where Tim Ream tired to clear. However, as he swung his leg at the ball, he caught Blas Perez , who was applying pressure. Perez went down and Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez pointed to the penalty spot. Gomez stepped up and blasted the ball over Howard, even though the US keeper had guessed correctly. That was the last meaningful action of the first half and a stunned US team headed to the locker room down two goals.

Coach Bradley must have had some choice words for his team at halftime because they came out strong in the second interval. Panama, on the other hand, looked content to sit back and defend their lead. Steve Cherundolo got forward down the right, sent in a dangerous cross and had a second cross attempt deflected by the hand of a defender. Unfortunately for the home team, Donovan over hit the resulting free kick.

In the 54th minute, the US conceded a free kick that Gomez blazed just over the bar. Two minutes later Goodson was cautioned for a foul on Barahona. On the hour mark, Coach Bradley made a double substitution bringing on Sacha Kljestan for the ineffective Jones and Alejandro Bedoya for Agudelo. Bedoya’s first notable contribution to the match was getting booked for diving in the penalty area.

Cherundolo was continuing to cause the visitor’s problems and he earned a corner in the 68th minute. Donovan played the ball to the near post where Michael Bradley headed it across goal. Goodson was there to head home and cut Panama’s lead in half. A minute later it was Cherundolo again getting a cross in that Bradley headed just over the crossbar. The US were really putting the pressure on at this point and they won a series of corners and free kicks but they were unable to get anything meaningful on net.

In the 78th minute, the hosts made their last substitution, bringing on Chris Wondolowski for Goodson. Replacing a defender with a striker was a clear indication that the US would go out with their guns blazing. Just three minutes after coming on, Wondolowski spurned a wonderful chance to tie the game. Good work on the right by Altidore saw him slip past his defender before driving a cross toward Wondolowski. Sadly, the young forward got his connection all wrong and skied the ball high and wide of the net.

It was all US at this point and both Dempsey and Cherundolo saw decent efforts go wide of the post. The last good chance for the US came in the 90th minute when some lovely one touch passing set up a shot for Bradley. The midfielder hit the ball well but it curved agonizingly around the outside of the post. There was one more half-chance for the Yanks to equalize in injury time but it wasn’t to be. After four added minutes, the final whistle sounded and the Panamanians celebrated one of the greatest victories in their history while the US was left to ponder where they go from here.

Of course the answer is on to the next match and fortunately for the Yanks, it comes along quickly. They face Guadeloupe on Tuesday. The US Team must win that game to advance in the tournament and restore their belief in who they are and what they’re trying to accomplish. That being said, the damage might already be done for Coach Bradley. The team’s record in 2011 is 1-3-2 and their development seems to have plateaued under his management. I estimate that the US will have to make it to the Gold Cup Final and play well in order for him to hold onto his job. If they fail to make the finals or if they make it and are beaten soundly by a rampant Mexican team, I think it will be the end of his tenure as US National Team Coach.

Ratings for US players (scored 1-10):

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (6): Not the best of games for the normally excellent Howard. He could only parry Dasent’s header when it seemed he could have held it. He was a bit unlucky with the penalty and didn’t have a whole lot to do otherwise.

Tim Ream, central defender (4): Conceding the penalty was his most glaring error but Tim was never able to come to terms with the physicality of the Panamanian forwards.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (7): Scored the only goal for the US and was involved all over the pitch, especially on set pieces. However, his marking was a little lax and he was unable to clear the ball that led to Panama’s opening goal.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (7): Saw to his defensive duties pretty well and when Panama became more defensive in the second half, he was able to get forward and deliver a series of good crosses.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (6): A fairly quiet game for the captain. He defended well and got forward to support the attack from time to time without ever really influencing the outcome of the match.

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (5): By the time the 2014 World Cup rolls around, it’s possible that Jones will be an important part of the US Team but at the moment, it’s just not working out. He doesn’t seem to be on the same page as his teammates, loses possession too often and concedes to many fouls.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (6): Put in his regular shift with a lot of work from box to box but was never able to impose himself on the match. He was unlucky to see his shot go the wrong side of the post late on.

Landon Donovan, right midfielder (6): Decent service from set pieces, including the corner that set up the goal for the US, but he was another veteran player who failed to take control of the game.

Clint Dempsey, left midfielder (5): Created a few scoring chances but was unable to convert. Lost the ball in midfield in the build up to Panama’s second goal.

Juan Augdelo, striker (6): The young striker tried hard but struggled to cope with the hard-nosed tactics of the Panamanian defense. Substituted after an hour.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6): Unable to follow up his strong performance against Canada, Jozy appeared to be the player who kept Dasent onside for the opening goal. He didn’t do too much offensively until he set up Wondolowski with a great cross that the substitute somehow put into the stands.

Substitutes:

Sacha Kljestan, midfielder (7): Looked good when he came on and contributed to both the attack and the defense. Based on this performance, I’d say he deserves to start in place of Jones against Guadeloupe.

Alejandro Bedoya, midfielder (5): Came on for Agudelo, allowing Dempsey to push up to striker for the last half hour of the match. Bedoya put him self about pretty well but I have to deduct a point for diving in the penalty area and receiving a yellow card for his deceit.

Chris Wondolowski, striker (4): You have to, have to, have to put chances like that on net.

At Least We Can Still Beat Canada

USMNT Open Gold Cup with a 2-0 Victory Over their Northern Neighbors

June 7, 2011 – After losing two and drawing two of their first four fixtures in 2011, the US Men’s National Team defeated Canada 2-0 in their opening game of the Gold Cup. The match, played at Ford Field in Detroit, was the first competitive fixture of the year for the US Team. With two more group matches coming up against Panama on Saturday and Guadeloupe next Tuesday, the Yanks are in a good position to advance in the bi-annual tournament.

Coach Bob Bradley sent out what was arguably the strongest side available. The only choices that could be questioned were the selection of Tim Ream over Oguchi Onyewu and Jermaine Jones over Maurice Edu. Otherwise it was the first team: Howard, Goodson, Ream, Cherundolo, Bocanegra (captain), Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, Agudelo and Altidore.

From the kick off it was clear that the US meant business. Still smarting from the humiliating loss they suffered at the hands of Spain on Saturday, the Yanks came out with a high energy level, pressuring the Canadians whenever they were on the ball. In the forth minute Jozy Altidore was pulled down right on top of the Canadian penalty area by Andre Hainault. Clint Dempsey’s free kick appeared destined for the upper corner until it clipped the top of the Canadian wall and deflected out for a corner. Landon Donovan’s ball into the box was eventually cleared but not before Carlos Bocanegra got off a dangerous shot.

The US had seized control of the match and they won three more corners through the work of Steve Cherundolo, Juan Agudelo and Donovan. In the 15th minute, Donovan hit a long pass forward to the feet of Altidore in the Canadian penalty area. The big striker was marked closely by Kevin McKenna but was able to take a quick touch and get off a low, hard shot that crept under the Canadian keeper, Lars Hirschfeld, and into the net. It was a big goal for both the US Team and Altidore, who had failed to score for the US since a friendly last October against Poland.

With a lead, the US continued their dominance. They enjoyed long periods of possession for much of the first half. In the 26th minute, the Yanks won a free kick that Donovan played into the penalty area. Some good work by Altidore set up a shot for Agudelo that was saved.

Canada rallied a bit and earned a corner in the 31st minute that the US defense dealt with easily. Two minutes later, MLS veteran Dwayne De Rosario curled a shot from distance just wide of the post. Tim Howard was at full stretch but he appeared to just about have his goal covered.

With Canada finding their feet, the game opened up. In the 40th minute, Cherundolo made a good run and cross to set up an awkward shot for Agudelo. A minute later, the 18-year-old striker took a shot from distance when he saw that Hirschfield was out of position. However, the Canadian keeper was able to scrabble back and push the ball wide. Canada got forward a few times in the last few minutes of the half but resolute defending by the US ensured that they went into the locker room with the lead.

The Canadians came out much stronger in the second half and exerted some pressure on their hosts . Michael Bradley picked up a needless yellow card in the 51st minute for not giving the ball back after a foul had been called. Shortly after, Jones had a mazy run through midfield halted by a foul from Will Johnson. The Canadian midfielder was cautioned as well.

Ten minutes into the half and the US were in ascension again. Dempsey settled a flighted pass, did some fancy dribbling and sent over a dangerous cross toward Altidore. Confusion reigned momentary in the Canadian area before Hainault headed the ball out for a corner just past the post. Then Cherundolo started finding space down the right. He got a couple of good crosses over, the second was just behind Dempsey but the Fulham midfielder tried an audacious scorpion kick that was deflected out at the last moment by a Canadian defender for a corner.

The good attacking play by the US Team finally paid off in the 61st minute. Donovan played the ball up the right wing to Altidore, who played a delightful ball across the Canadian goal mouth. Dempsey was making the far-post run and lunged to get a foot to it just ahead of his marker. The ball hit the back of the open net and the home team had a two goal lead.

In the 65th minute Coach Bradley made his first substitution, bringing on Chris Wondolowski for Agudelo. Five minutes later Howard pulled off an amazing save as he leaped high and to his right to tip substitute Ali Gerba’s shot over the bar. Shortly after that Coach Bradley replaced the impressive Altidore with Sacha Kljestan as he looked to close up shop.

However, the home team was still getting forward and some nice build up play resulted in Donovan sending a dangerous cross into the area. Unfortunately, none of his teammates could get on the end of it. In the 79th minute, the US was forced to make their final substitution as Maurice Edu came on for the injured Jones.

Canada hadn’t given up on the game and Howard was forced to make an incredible double save with five minutes to go. After a scramble in the area, the big American keeper saved bravely at the feet of Simeon Jackson and then pushed to ball over the bar with a quick, reflex save. Those were the last clear-cut chances of the match. The hosts played out the last few minutes of regulation and injury time for the win.

After a shaky start to the year, it was good to see the US Team finally taste victory. It was also encouraging to see Jozy Altidore not only score but play well. The Yanks will be favorites in their remaining group matches before facing tougher tests later in the tournament.

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

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (9): He had almost nothing to do in the first half but had to be at his best in second to preserve the victory. His save of Ali Gerba’s shot was of the highest caliber.

Clarence Goodson, central defender (7): Strong in the tackle and commanding in the air, he had a pretty solid match despite being caught out of position a couple of times.

Tim Ream, central defender (7): A calm and composed performance for a young player. Coach Bradley seems to like playing a smaller, skilled central defender (Ream) alongside a bigger, stronger partner (Onyewu or Goodson) so expect to see more of Tim in the future.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (8): The veteran fullback coped very well with the pacy Josh Simpson on the defensive end and got forward repeatedly to support the attack and send in dangerous crosses.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (6): I’m not sure how much longer the captain can continue to play fullback at the international level as he struggled to deal with the speed of Jackson on the flank. He might need to move to central defense to prolong his career with the National Team.

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (6): I’m still not convinced this guy’s a better option than Maurice Edu. He’s got nice skills but he loses the ball too often in the middle of the park. I’d prefer to see someone who plays more simply in this position.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (6): Put in a good shift at both ends of the field and played some intelligent passes. I have to dock him a point for picking up a needless caution in the second half. Card accumulation (both yellow and red) is a problem that’s followed him throughout his career and he needs to do something about it.

Landon Donovan, right midfielder (8): He did a great job in the playmaker’s role for the US and his service from set pieces was dangerous as well. His long pass to Altidore in the area set up the first goal.

Clint Dempsey, left midfielder (8): As usual, Clint drifted in and out of the match but he was involved more in the second half and scored a goal. He has those flashes when he displays astonishing skill. I’d love to see him assert himself for an entire match.

Juan Agudelo, striker (6): Not much to show for his endeavor during the 65 minutes he was on the field. He got a few shots on net and looked composed for a young player

Jozy Altidore, striker (9): He scored one goal and created another. It was good to see him have a solid game after struggling for quite a while. Hopefully he can get a few goals in this tournament and boost his confidence (Man of the Match).

Substitutes:

Chris Wondolowski, striker (5): He didn’t do much of note during the 25 minutes he was on the field.

Sacha Kljestan, midfielder (6): Got in some important tackles and defended well as the US looked to preserve their lead in the second half.

Maurice Edu, midfielder (6): Wasn’t on long but made a positive impact at both ends of the pitch.

Hot Goalkeeping Condemns USMNT to Defeat

March 29, 2011 – Despite playing better than they had three days earlier in their draw with Argentina, the US Men’s National Team lost 1-0 to Paraguay in Nashville, TN. The main reason for the setback was the outstanding play of Paraguayan goalkeeper, Justo Villar. He pulled off a series of outstanding saves to deny the hosts, who outplayed their guests for most of the game.

Coach Bob Bradley made five changes to the team that faced the Argentineans at the new Meadowlands Stadium on Saturday. Marcus Hahnemann replaced Tim Howard in goal. Jonathan Bornstein came in for Carlos Bocanegra at left fullback while youngsters Tim Ream, Timmy Chandler and Juan Agudelo took the places of their more experienced counterparts; Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector and Jermaine Jones.

After a slow, choppy start to the match, the US started to impose themselves on the visitors. In the 12th minute, Bornstein failed to make meaningful contact with the ball in the penalty area after some good work by Landon Donovan. Three minutes later Agudelo’s shot was blocked following another pass from Donovan.

In the 18th minute Paraguay took the lead against the run of play. A corner kick, taken from the right side, was allowed to land in the center of the area after two US defenders collided trying to clear the danger. The ball bounced around in the box for a moment before Oscar Cardozo banged it into the corner of the net.

The hosts responded immediately to the setback creating a series of half-chances from shots, corners and free kicks. However, none of them really troubled Villar in Paraguay’s net. The visitors seemed content to soak up the US pressure and break up play with a series of fouls. As the half wound down, Bocanegra was forced to come on for the injured Jay DeMerit. Paraguay tried to steal another goal before halftime, forcing Hahnemann to make a couple of decent saves. However, the veteran US keeper was equal to the challenge and the two teams went to their dressing rooms with just the single goal separating them.

The US made two substitutions at the beginning of the second half. Jones replaced Maurice Edu in midfield while David Yelldell made his National Team debut in goal in place of Hahnemann. The game resumed with the hosts heaping pressure on their guests. The Americans earned several more corners but were unable to convert any of them into goals.

Just past the hour mark, Coach Bradley replace striker Jozy Altidore with young fullback Eric Lichaj, allowing Chandler to push forward. In the 75th minute, Donovan’s shot hit the outside of the post from Lichaj’s long throw. Two minutes later, the US replaced fullback Bornstein with midfielder Sacha Kljestan as the one-goal deficit was forcing them to gamble. The hosts were nearly punished immediately as Paraguay hit the post with a shot from distance.

In the 80th minute Spector came on for Chandler. Six minutes later the Americans had their best chance of the match as Michael Bradley’s shot from 30 yards out was beaten away by a miraculous save from Villar. The US continued to pass the ball around but couldn’t break down the composed Paraguayan defense. Late in injury time Jones got off one more good shot but it too was stopped by Villar and the match came to an end.

After playing two competitive friendlies against strong, South American competition, the US appear to be in a similar situation to the one they found themselves in a year ago. They have a core group of experience players but are still struggling to score goals. The hope must be for Agudelo to develop into a strike partner for Altidore, whose ineffectiveness in front of goal is becoming a real concern. With a friendly against Spain and the Gold Cup coming up later this summer, there will be opportunities to address this problem with the current squad or perhaps find new players who can put the ball in the net.

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

Marcus Hahnemann, goalkeeper (6): Solid enough between the sticks in the opening 45 minutes. There wasn’t much he could have done to prevent the goal as the corner fell too far out for him to reach and the resulting shot came from too close for him to react.

Jay DeMerit, central defender (5): Failed to clear the corner which led to the goal in the center of the penalty area where he should be dominant. Forced off before halftime with an injury.

Tim Ream, central defender (6): Like DeMerit he was unable to successfully defend the corner which led to Paraguay’s goal but looked pretty solid otherwise.

Timmy Chandler, right fullback (7): Another impressive outing for the youngster. Did well going forward and even pushed up to right midfield before being substituted late on.

Jonathan Bornstein, left fullback (6): Put in a solid shift without doing anything spectacular. Substituted late for an attacking player as the US searched for an equalizer.

Maurice Edu, central midfielder (7): In what seems to be the best central midfield partnership for the Yanks, he and Bradley pretty much controlled the center of the park in the first half. Edu was strong in the tackle and also passed the ball pretty well.

Michael Bradley central midfielder (7): Got through a lot of running and his long-distance shot in the 86th minute was the best chance the US had all night(man of the match).

Clint Dempsey, right midfielder (7): Paraguay seemed to target him as the greatest threat and he spent much of the first half picking himself up off the ground after being fouled. Clint made some good runs and caused some problems but faded after the break.

Landon Donovan, left midfielder (7): While his free kicks aren’t what they were last year, the defensive side of his game has improved. He did a good piece of defending just before halftime to ensure that the US didn’t go two goals down. He had a couple of chances to score, the best being a shot off the outside of the post in the 75th minute.

Jozy Altidore, striker (5): Still no goals from our most recognizable striker. Jozy was substituted after an hour. Perhaps more than any other player, he needs to step up his game for the US to be successful.

Juan Agudelo, striker (6): Pretty good performance in his first start with the senior players. He looked more likely to score than his more experienced strike partner.

Substitutes:

Carlos Bocanegra, central defender (6): Did a good job of keeping the visitors fairly quiet in the second half on what was suppose to be a night off for the US captain.

David Yelldell, goalkeeper (6): Perhaps looked a little shaky in his debut for the National Team but didn’t allow any goals.

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (7): Looked much better than in his start against Argentina. Jones had a good shot on goal late in injury time but like everything else the US sent his way, it was dealt with by Villar.

Eric Lichaj, right fullback (6): Replaced Altidore on the hour and slotted in at right back, allowing Chandler and Dempsey to push forward. Lichaj did a solid job defensively and also managed to get forward to support the attack.

Sacha Kljestan, midfield (6): Managed to get in a decent cross that Donovan headed wide in his 15 minutes on the field.

Jonathan Spector, midfield (6): Came on for the fading Chandler in the 80th minute but wasn’t able to do a whole lot in his short time on the field.

USMNT Do Themselves Proud, Drawing Argentina 1-1

March 26, 2011 – The US Men’s National Team came from behind to earn an impressive 1-1 draw against a rampant Argentinean team in front of a sellout crowd at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Although just a friendly, both managers approached the game seriously, putting out strong sides. While the visitors dominated the first half, taking a deserved lead in the 42nd minute, the Americans matched the two-time World Champions in the second interval, drawing even through a goal from teenage substitute Juan Agudelo.

Coach Bob Bradley deployed a line up that closely resembled his World Cup team from last summer. The only notable changes were Jonathan Spector, who filled in for the injured Steve Cherundolo at right back, and Jermaine Jones, who took up a holding, central, midfield position as the US decided to play a 4-5-1 formation against the formidable Argentine attack.

Early possession was dominated by the visitors but Clint Dempsey managed to intercept a pass in the forth minute. The Fulham midfielder then drove into the area and got off a shot that forced a decent save from Mariano Andujar. After that it was all Argentina for the next half hour as the US defense was stretched to its limit.

US goalkeeper Tim Howard had to be in top form to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. In the 23rd minute, he sprang off his line to smother the ball at the feet of the dangerous Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star blazed a shot across the face of goal five minutes later. More Argentine possession followed and Maurice Edu went into the referee’s notebook in the 35th minute for a hard foul on Messi.

A couple of minutes later, the US managed just their second shot on target as Landon Donovan drove toward goal before setting up Dempsey. Clint’s first effort was blocked but he collected the rebound and sent a curling effort toward the far post that was well saved by Andujar. Dempsey wasn’t done as he raced all the way back to snuff out a dangerous run by Messi at the top of the US penalty area.

A minute later it was Messi again who dribbled right down the heart of the host’s defense before unleashing a high, hard shot. Howard knocked the ball down and was able to collect at the second time of asking.

Three minutes before halftime Argentina’s pressure finally paid off. Again it was Messi driving into the box on the left before setting up a teammate with a cutback pass. Howard was able to block the first shot with his legs but Esteban Cambiasso followed up and blasted the ball into the roof of the net. The US was on the ropes at this point but they managed to make it to halftime without conceding another goal.

Coach Bradley made two changes at halftime, bringing on Agudelo for Jones and Timmy Chandler for Spector. The visitors picked up where they’d left off as Angel Di Maria curled a shot over the bar in the 47th minute. Not long after, Howard bravely came off his line to again claim the ball at Messi’s feet.

Chandler got down the right wing and put in a decent cross before fouling Javier Mascherano as he retreated to his defensive position. The Mexican referee saw fit to book the young fullback for the foul even though it was his first of the match. Four minutes later Chandler got forward again to cross the ball to Jozy Altidore, who headed on to Maurice Edu. The Rangers midfielder pulled his shot wide of the far post when he really should have hit the target.

Just before the hour mark the US was level. Altidore was fouled by Mascherano 40 yards out. Donovan put in a lovely free kick that was headed on goal by team captain Carlos Bocanegra. Andujar was able to parry the ball but not hold it. Agudelo, who was making the far post run, lifted his shot over the fallen keeper to even the match and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Argentina responded to the setback and again it was Messi who orchestrated their attack. The mercurial midfielder earned a free kick after being brought down by Michael Bradley 25 yards from goal. Messi took it himself but curled the ball just over the bar. In the 65th minute the visitors won a corner that Bradley initially headed clear before Howard was able to collect.

Unlike the first half, it was not on-way traffic and the US created a chance of their own two minutes later. Altidore sent in an excellent cross that Agudelo shot on goal. The ball was deflected out for a corner that was taken by Donovan. Bocanegra again got a head to it but Agudelo failed to connect with the flick on.

The game was getting chippy at this point and Altidore was the unlucky recipient of a particularly hard foul. Jay DeMerit nearly gifted a goal to the South Americans with a bad giveaway but he did well to race back and make a vital tackle on Di Maria. Moments later Chandler put in another good cross that Agudelo headed over.

The action was end to end at this point and the tackles were flying in all over the pitch. Donovan was booked in the 79th minute for a foul on Javier Mascherano. Bocanegra was also cautioned during stoppage time. In the dying seconds of the game, Oguchi Onyewu gave away a free kick 40 yards out but neither that set piece nor the resulting corner produced a goal and the match came to an end.

So despite being on the back foot throughout the first half, the US recovered to take something from the game in the second half. The field conditions were poor and this helped the hosts to cope with Argentina’s pace. However, I think it’s fair to say that the Yanks demonstrated again that they now have the ability to compete with the best teams in the world on a fairly consistent basis.

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

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (9): Playing Argentina in his home state seems to bring out the best in Howard. This is the second time he’s had an outstanding match at the Meadowlands against the South American giants. While there was nothing he could do about the goal, Tim was courageous coming off his line to smother the ball at the feet of the Argentine attackers. He made numerous fine saves and kept the US in the game when under siege in the first half (man of the match).

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (7): He’s getting back to his best after recovering from a serious knee injury. Surely playing regularly at FC Twente has helped a lot. He coped well with the pace and skill of the Argentine attack despite being under tremendous pressure, especially in the first half.

Jay DeMerit, central defender (7): The old campaigner showed that he can still do a job, even against a team as quick and skillful as Argentina. He cleaned up his own mess on the give away in the second half and provided hard-nosed defending throughout. I’ll be interested to see what will happen with Jay’s roll in the National Team now that he’s entering the twilight of his career.

Carlos Bocanegra, left fullback (8): Not only did the captain keep Argentina pretty much in check on the left but he got forward on set pieces to get his head on the ball. The 30-something defender looks like he wants to play in one more World Cup.

Jonathan Spector, right fullback (6): While the visitor’s goal did develop in his area and he had a torrid time with Messi and company, I thought he defended as well as I’ve ever seen. I felt he was a bit unlucky to be substituted at halftime. Perhaps the fact that he never got forward was the rationale for the change.

Maurice Edu, central midfielder (7): Worked hard and got in several important tackles. He should have hit the target when he had a shooting opportunity in the area but overall he gave a solid performance. Playing regularly in the SPL has done wonders for him.

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (5): There was a lot of hype around this player when he became a US citizen but I’m still not sure what all the fuss was about. I still haven’t seen him do anything spectacular for club or country and I’m not sure how well he fits in with the National Team. After a rather lackluster first half, he was the sensible choice to be sacrificed for another striker.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (7): A true box to box performance. Bradley was involved at both ends of the field throughout the evening.

Landon Donovan, left midfielder (6): I only remember him getting forward on a few occasions and his free kicks were generally below par. However, he did work hard on the defensive end. He looked like what he is; a player getting back into the swing of things after a lengthy off-season.

Clint Dempsey, right midfielder (7): Although he faded during the second interval, Clint was pretty much the only offensive threat for the US in the first half. He usually plays well against strong competition and tonight was no exception. I was especially pleased to see him race back from one penalty area to the other to snuff out a counterattack by Messi.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6): Isolated in the first half, Jozy came to life when Agudelo partnered with him during the second 45 minutes. His passing was good and he won several free kicks but he never really looked like scoring and that’s a concern.

Substitutes:

Timmy Chandler, right fullback (8): While I might argue that Spector played well enough to stay on for the second half, I can’t deny that Chandler was a big improvement. He got forward early and often with good crosses and did well enough defensively.

Juan Agudelo, striker (8): He was brought on to score and that’s what he did. Coach Bradley couldn’t have asked for more from the 18-year-old striker, who played with great poise and confidence. Although still very young, there’s hope that Juan could be the attacking partner that Altidore has been missing since Charlie Davis was injured in a car crash back in 2009.

Young US Team Battles Chile to a 1-1 Draw

January 22, 2011 – Coach Bob Bradley gave numerous young American players the chance to show what they could do at the international level in a dreary 1-1 draw with Chile. The game, played in front of an announced crowd of 18,580 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, only produced one moment of true quality: The visitor’s goal in the 53rd minute, which was the result of some fine passing down the right culminating in an excellent half-volley by striker Esteban Paredes. The US would equalize 22 minutes later when substitute Teal Bunbery converted a penalty after fellow sub, Juan Agudelo, was tripped in the box. The draw was a fair result from a match that neither of the young sides were able to take by the scruff of the neck.

For the first match of 2011, Coach Bradley put out a starting XI with only a few familiar names. Nick Rimando started in goal with Alejandro Bedoya and Dax McCarty in midfield. The balance of the team was composed of young, primarily MLS players.

The match started out slowly as both sides appeared a bit nervous. There were several fouls that prevented any kind of rhythm from developing. McCarty and Chris Wondolowski tested the Chilean keeper with a couple of speculative shots from distance. Feisty, American, left fullback Zach Loyd was cautioned in the 23rd minute for a late sliding tackle. As the half wore on, the visitors were able to put a couple of crosses into the US area but Rimando and his defense were able to cope with the threats. Halftime arrived with neither team looking like they were going to break the deadlock.

The US made two substitutions at the beginning of the second half. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson replaced Rimando and right fullback Marvell Wynne came in for Omar Gonzalez. The Americans nearly played themselves into trouble shortly after the restart when Tim Ream’s pass out of the back was stolen by the visitors. However, Wynne was on hand to intercept their dangerous through ball. The reprieve didn’t last long as the visitors took the lead five minutes later. The Chileans managed to string several passes together down the right before crossing the ball to Paredes. His scissor-kick half-volley in traffic gave Johnson no chance.

To the young Americans credit, they didn’t panic after going down and were actually the better team over the following 10-15 minutes. On the hour mark, Bradley sent on Agudelo in place of Brek Shea and Bunbery for Wondolowski. The US continued on the ascendancy. In the 73rd minute, Loyd was substituted for Anthony Wallace. Four minutes later Agudelo was tripped as he dribbled into the area and the referee pointed to the spot. Bunbery stepped up and calmly sent the Chilean keeper the wrong way as he slotted the ball into the corner of the net. It was no less than the hosts deserved for their dominance over the preceding 20 minutes.

The game began to peter out after the equalizer. Chile put the ball in the net in the 80th minute but the goal was correctly ruled out for off sides. A few minutes later Chile’s Sebastian Toro was cautioned for a farcical dive in the US area. Eric Alexander came on for the disappointing Bedoya in the 83rd minute. Nothing much happened after that as the two sides settled for the tie.

As the US National Team starts a new four year cycle building up to the 2014 World Cup, this was the appropriate time to give young players a chance. No one really distinguished themselves on the night but it was a credible, battling result against a good footballing nation. A lot can happen in four years and a few of these young players just might find their way onto the US World Cup squad in Brazil.

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

Nick Rimando (goalkeeper, 6): Dealt well with a couple of crosses into the area and made a few routine saves. He really wasn’t tested that much during his 45 minutes between the posts.

Sean Franklin (central defender, 6): Steady, unspectacular performance. Perhaps could have been marking Paredes tighter when he scored.

Tim Ream (central defender, 6): Like Franklin he could have been better positioned for the Chilean’s goal. Aside from that and an arrant pass out of the back early in the second half, he put in an assured performance.

Omar Gonzalez (right fullback, 5): I have to admit that I’m guessing on this one because I honestly don’t remember him doing a thing during the 45 minutes he was on the field.

Zach Loyd (left fullback, 7): Arguably the best player for the US he put himself about in an effort to make an impression on the match. Booked in the 23rd minute, he did well not to get sent off before he was substituted late on.

Dax McCarty (central midfielder, 7): Another American who put in a good shift, the captain got through a lot of hard work in the center of the park and played a few nice passes here and there.

Jeff Larentowicz (central midfielder, 6): Along with McCarty worked hard to cancel out the visitors in central midfield. Otherwise he didn’t really do anything of note.

Mixx Diskerud (central midfielder, 6): He played pretty well, tracking back on one occasion in the first half to win the ball.

Alejandro Bedoya (right midfielder, 5): Probably the most skilled and experienced field player out there for the US, Bedoya failed to dominate a match against relatively weak opposition. He tried to run at the Chilean defense on a few occasions but things just weren’t coming off for him on the night.

Brek Shea (left midfielder, 4): Lost every challenge in the first half and was dispossessed several times. Faired a bit better after the break but was rightfully taken off after an hour.

Chris Wondolowski (Striker, 6): Played pretty well in the first half getting off a decent shot from distance. Started to fade a bit during the second interval and, along with Shea, was subbed on the hour mark.

Substitutes:

Sean Johnson (goalkeeper, 5): Didn’t have much to do aside from pick the ball out of the net after Paredes had scored. No real chance to prevent the goal.

Marvell Wynne (right fullback, 5): He’s played several times for the National Team now and he’s never impressed me. He made a good interception shortly after coming on but looked shaky defensively at other times. With Steve Cherundolo approaching his mid 30s and Jonathan Spector proving to be a better midfielder than fullback for his club team, right back could prove to be a troublesome position for Coach Bradley.

Juan Agudelo (striker, 7): Changed the game when he came on for Shea in the 60th minute. The Chilean struggled to contain him and ended up fouling him in the area, leading to the penalty-kick equalizer.

Teal Bunbery (striker, 6): Didn’t do a whole lot aside from score the penalty but he did that extremely well. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen a keeper that badly fooled.

Anthony Wallace (left fullback, 5): Did alright over the last 15-20 minutes filling in for the impressive Loyd.

Eric Alexander (right midfielder, 5): Didn’t have much of an opportunity to contribute to a match that was all but over by the time he came on in the 83rd minute.

January Transfer Window Poses Important Questions to USMNT Members

How to balance the need for competitive football with the need for playing time

January 24, 2011 – The transfer window for European clubs has been open for more than three weeks now. With only a week remaining, some US National Team members have already been on the move while others may still change clubs before the end of the month. Making the right decision of whether to leave one’s current club and where to go once the decision has been made to leave are critical.

Generally speaking, all players want to compete at the highest possible level while enjoying regular playing time. Choose too small a club or league and the player’s development stagnates. Select too big a challenge and the player ends up stuck on the bench or frozen out of the squad entirely. So how have American players done in striking this delicate balance during the current transfer window? This article takes a look at a few key cases.

Oguchi Onyewu: Strategic Retreat

On January 11th the big US defender left AC Milan on loan to FC Twente of the Dutch Eredivisie for the remainder of the season. This was a necessary move to a less-prestigious league for a player who’d failed to make a single appearance for the Italian giants this season. It wasn’t the first time that Onyewu had failed to make a positive impression in one of Europe’s top leagues. He was less than impressive during a loan spell at Newcastle United back in 2007 as well. A permanent move to Twente would probably be a positive development for him.

Oguchi is returning to full fitness after suffering a severe knee injury back in October of 2009. While he was able to play a couple of games for the US National Team during last year’s World Cup, he’s not back to being the player he was before the injury. Now that he’s healthy again, he needs competitive matches to regain his form. Sitting on the bench and playing in the reserves for Milan wasn’t enough. Onyewu needs regular first-team football. In the two weeks since arriving in the Netherlands, he’s already played two games. Hopefully he can continue to play regularly for the Dutch Champions and be ready to reclaim his central defensive position for the US at the Gold Cup this summer.

Jermaine Jones: Change of Scenery

Things had grown stale for the German-born, US international at Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04. He had been there since 2007, making 70 appearances for the club. Earlier this season, Jones had a falling out with the manager, Felix Magath, and was dropped from the squad. So it was no surprise when the defensive midfielder went out on loan to Blackburn Rovers on January 18th for the remainder of the season.

Jermaine made his first appearance for Rovers in a 2-0 home win over West Brom on Sunday. If he does well over the remaining four months of the season, he could secure a permanent move to England. This would come as a welcome change for Jones as playing time at Schalke will probably be hard for him to come by as long as Magath is in charge. What’s more he’d put himself in a good position to compete for a spot in central midfield with the US National Team. This will be no small task as the likes of Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Stewart Holden, and Sacha Kljestan are already in the mix in the center of the park.

Landon Donovan: Lack of Ambition?

Finally there was the move that didn’t happen. Despite enjoying a successful loan spell there last season, Donovan turned down the chance to go back to Everton on loan this year. He sighting fatigue after a long club season with the LA Galaxy and competing in the World Cup for the US as his reasons for staying put. While all players need to recharge their batteries, I believe it was a mistake for Landon to pass up the opportunity to play in one of the world’s best leagues. America’s all-time leading scorer has already done everything there is to accomplish in the MLS. At 28, he’s in the prime of his career and can still improve if he’s in the right situation. Another successful loan stint with the Toffees could have led to a permanent move to the EPL. Things have a way of changing quickly in football and the opportunity to join a club like Everton might not come again for a player who is so vital to the US team.

Thus far these have been the major moves, or lack of movement as in Donovan’s case, for US players during this transfer window. It will be interesting to see how things turn out for the three of them going forward. Coach Bob Bradley will want to have as many of his regulars playing week in and week out for their clubs. It’s a constant concern for a national team coach. Hopefully the top US performers will be healthy and in good form when the major international tournaments roll around.