US Held to Scoreless Draw in Canada

Toronto, ON - In their final warm-up before the start of World Cup Qualifying, the US Men’s National Team had to settle for a scoreless draw against a resolute Canadian team at BMO Field.  Following quickly on the heals of an inspiring 5-1 win over Scotland and a sloppy 1-4 loss to Brazil, the US looked rather tired and devoid of ideas against their northern neighbors.

Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann was set to make just two chances to the team that started against Brazil on Wednesday with Clarence Goodson coming in for Oguchi Onyewu in central defense and Clint Dempsey replacing Maurice Edu.  However, Fabian Johnson strained his calf in warm-up, pressing Edgar Castillo into action.  The US starting line-up was as follows:  Howard, Bocanegra (captain), Goodson, Cherundolo, Castillo, Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Torres, Dempsey, Gomez.

The Yanks enjoyed most of the early possession and won a couple of corners, the second resulting in a shot for Goodson but he was unable to get his effort on goal.  In the 6th minute, Francisco Torres put in a good cross from the left that was headed clear just in front of Dempsey.

Canada started to get into the game a few minutes later.  Dwayne De Rosario saw his shot across goal deflect off Steve Cherundolo and go out for a corner.

In the 14th minute, Canada’s Julian De Guzman was cautioned for a foul on Castillo and Torres took the resulting free kick.  The ball into the box was partially cleared to Castillo, who hit a half-volley from 40 yards out.  The shot looked like it might dip under the crossbar until Canadian keeper, Lars Hirschfeld, punched it over for another corner.

Ten minutes later it was Tim Howard who was called into action.  The US defense were unable to clear a long throw into their area and Tosaint Ricketts got off a shot from close range that the US keeper did well to smother.

A moment of real controversy arose in the 34th minute when Castillo got caught in possession down in the corner.  De Rosario pressured him with a kick and a push in the back of the young defender, whose pass towards the area was intercepted by Nik Ledgerwood.  The Canadian midfielder took a couple of touches before finishing neatly into the roof of the net from a very tight angle.  However, the referee had already blown his whistle after his assistant, who was right on top of the tussle between Castillo and De Rosario, raised his flag very late to signal a foul.  The Canadian players were annoyed, and not without reason, as such physical play often goes unpunished at this level.

Not much else happened during the remainder of the first half.  Dempsey and Landon Donovan did start to work some nice passing moves in their first appearances together since the 2011 Gold Cup Final.  Clint did get off a hard shot from the top of the box in the 41st minute but unfortunately for him, it was straight at the keeper.

Canada came out quicker in the second half and Goodson was called upon a couple of times to clear the danger.  Then in the 52nd minute, Donovan sent a good cross over to the far post.  Jermaine Jones was on had to make contact with a fine diving header but his effort was blocked by a defender.

Two minutes later Jones earned a free kick in a dangerous position on the right.  Torres sent in a low, curving free kick that Carlos Bocanegra headed over.  The game began to open up more and there were half-chances at both ends of the field.

Just past the hour mark, Coach Klinsmann made the first substitutions of the game, replacing Bocanegra with Onyewu and Torres with Jozy Altidore, who’d just joined the US Team from his club side AZ Aikmaar.  For the next ten minutes or so, Canada were in the ascendancy, stretching the US defense and forcing Howard to make a good save.

Sensing the increased Canadian threat, Klinsmann replaced one of his attacking players, Donovan, with a defensive midfielder, Maurice Edu, in the 73rd minute.  The switch seemed to have the desired effect as Canada’s attacks were blunted for the most part.

With the upcoming qualifiers clearly on his mind, Coach Klinsmann withdrew Cherundolo and Hercules Gomez seven minutes later.  He brought on Michael Parkhurst and Chris Wondolowski in their spots.

Canada started to look dangerous again, winning a free kick and a couple of corners.  Goodson and Altidore did well defensively to ensure that the score stayed level.

In added time both teams had a chance to win the game.  First the US failed to clear a free kick, giving substitute Simeon Jackson a shooting opportunity from point-blank range.  Some how he managed to push his shot wide of the near post when putting it on frame seemed far easier.

A minute later Michael Bradley served a lovely free kick into the Canadian penalty area from the right.  Goodson rose to smack a powerful header on net.  Hirschfeld pulled off the save of the match, acrobatically punching the ball over the bar.  Nothing came from the resulting corner and the referee blew the whistle for full time.

This was not the result the US wanted going into qualifying but credit to Canada for defending well throughout and looking menacing on several occasions.  Both teams now start their qualifying campaigns and will likely meet again in meaningful games down the road.

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

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (7):  A solid performance in keeping the clean sheet.  He made the saves one would expect him to make and didn’t give up any rebounds.  The one time he was beaten was after the whistle had blown.

Carlos Bocanegra, central defender (7):  He did well defensively and played some good balls out of the back.  Will probably feel that he should have put his header on target early in the second half.  The captain was withdrawn early to keep him fresh for the qualifiers.

Clarence Goodson central defender (8):  Slotted in very comfortably alongside Bocanegra in his first start for the National Team since February.  His positioning and headed clearances were excellent.  Only an amazing save from Hirschfeld prevented him from netting the winner at the end (man of the match).

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (6):  Another veteran who put in a solid if unspectacular performance.  He was also withdrawn with the upcoming qualifiers in mind.

Edgar Castillo, left fullback (6):  For a guy who wasn’t even in uniform until Johnson’s injury, the young defender did well for the most part.  He looked quite lively getting forward and his dipping half-volley was the best scoring chance of the first half for the visitors.  However, he did need the referees to bail him out a bit when Canada had the ball in the back of the net towards the end of the first interval.

Jermaine Jones, central midfielder (7):  Another all-action performance as he got involved at both ends of the field.  He was cautioned for a second match in a row, which is a bit of a concern.

Michael Bradley, central midfielder (6):  After an outstanding performance against Scotland, he’s been quieter the last two games as he’s been forced to play more of a defensive role.  Great delivery at the end for Goodson’s header.

Landon Donovan, right midfielder (6):  He was good in fits and starts during his time on the field but never took control of proceedings.  His deliveries from set pieces were hit and miss as well.

Francisco Torres, left midfield (7):  He’s looked good lately and one got the feeling that if the US was going to score from open play, it would come through him.  Quick, lively and accurate with his passing, he’s staking a real claim to the left midfield position.

Clint Dempsey, striker (6):  Like Donovan he had his moments but they were few and far between.  That being said, the US will surely need his goals in qualifying.

Herculez Gomez, striker (6):  After being one of the few bright spots against Brazil, Gomez was largely stymied by the Canadian defense.  However, he’s now starting to push Altidore for the starting striker position.

Substitutes:

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (5):  He didn’t do a whole lot wrong but Canada looked more dangerous after his introduction.

Jozy Altidore, striker (6):  He put over one looping cross from the left but his most important contribution was a headed clearance from a Canadian corner.

Maurice Edu, central midfielder (6):  After an uncharacteristically shaky performance against Brazil, Edu’s introduction solidified the US defense at a time in the match when Canada was looking dangerous.

Chris Wondolowski, striker (4):  Again did absolutely nothing as far as I can remember.  He’s not a National Team player in my estimation.

Michael Parkhurst, right fullback (6):  Came on and did a solid job.  He’s arguably the US Team’s most dependable reserve defender.

USA Demolish Scotland as They Prepare for World Cup Qualifying

Jacksonville, FL - Going into an important tournament, the goal for a team is to be playing their best soccer.  With the start of World Cup Qualification looming on the horizon, one might ask if the US Men’s National Team might have peeked too early after the way they dismantled Scotland on Saturday night.  A hat trick from Landon Donovan along with goals by Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones saw the US enjoy an easy 5-1 win in front of a crowd of more than 44,000 at Everbank Field.  In fact, the Scots only response came in the form of an own goal off the chest of the unfortunate Geoff Cameron.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann put out a strong side for the team’s first match since late February.  Clarence Goodson, Clint Dempsey and Josie Altidore were probably the only regular first-teamers not in the starting eleven, which lined up this way:  Howard, Bocanegra (captain), Cameron, Cherundolo, Johnson, Edu, Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Torres, Boyd.  Scotland put out a decent side but veteran Kenny Miller was the only recognizable attacking threat.

The hosts got off to the best possible start as Donovan scored in the third minute.  Bradley won the ball just inside the Scotland half before passing it up to Jones.  The nationalized German dwelt on the ball too long, allowing a Scottish defender to track back and knock it free.  Fortunately for the Americans, the ball went straight to Donovan, whose shot was charged down by the Scottish Keeper Allan McGregor.  Landon was able to collect the rebound and blast it into the roof of the net before the defense could react.

The goal seemed to lift the US and they began knocking the ball around confidently.  Some really good build up work led to the American’s second goal eight minutes later and it was beauty.  The Yanks strung together several passes down the right before Donovan crossed the ball to Jones.  He knocked it down into the path of a charging Bradley, who curled his half-volley shot off the outside of his right foot and into the upper corner from 25 yards out.  The son of the former National Team Manager can play another 65 games for the US and never score a better goal.  It was that good.

At this point it looked like the Americans might run away with the match but Scotland pulled a goal back in the 15th minute.  Charlie Mulgrew crossed the ball into the US area from the right where Miller headed it back across the six yard box.  The ball struck the chest of the retreating Cameron and went into the net at the near post.

The hosts reacted well to this setback and produced another good scoring chance seven minutes later.  A good run down the left by Fabian Johnson set up a shot for Terrence Boyd.  His effort was deflected out for a corner.  From the ensuing set piece, the US earned a free kick near the top of the box.  Francisco Torres took it early before the Scots could set up their wall, putting his shot just over the crossbar.

The US continued to push forward with fine passing and movement off the ball.  They created several half-chances but nothing that really trouble McGregor in the Scotland goal.  The visitors struggled to produce much in the attacking third but did force Tim Howard to come out and punch away a dangerous cross in the 38th minute.

In the dying moments of the first half the Scots looked like they might have something on but Maurice Edu got in a fantastic retreating tackle to make sure that the US went into the break with a lead.

Surprisingly for a friendly, neither team made any changes at halftime and the Americans picked up where they’d left off.  Two minutes into the second half Steve Cherundolo got down the right wing to put in a cross that was cleared for a corner.  Two minutes later Cherundolo sent over another cross.  Boyd got a head on it but it was deflected and McGregor beat Jones to the loose ball to clear the danger.  There were some appeals from the midfielder and the home fans for a penalty but the Salvadoran referee wasn’t interested.

The US was looking really dangerous at this point and some excellent build up play down the right allowed Donovan to dribble across the top of the area before placing his shot off the near post.  Jones, who seemed to be everywhere, collected the rebound but put his shot wide.

The Scottish defense managed to keep the increasingly rampant US off the scoreboard until the hour mark when more good passing gave Jones the chance to pick out a wide open Donovan in the area.  His first-time shot found the far corner making it 3-1 and effectively putting the game out of reach for Scotland.

With the contest pretty much decided, Klinsmann decided to change things up four minutes later.  Oguchi Onyewu came on for Carlos Bocanegra, who’d picked up a yellow card in the first half.  Kyle Beckerman replaced the stellar Maurice Edu and Hercules Gomez went up front in the place of Boyd, who’d failed to put away any of his chances despite good service.

Just one minute after those changes it was 4-1 as Donovan completed his hat trick.  Bradley, who along with Jones and Edu had controlled the midfield all night for the US, picked out Landon’s diagonal run into the area with a perfectly-weighted through ball.  The all-time leading scorer for US was then able to place his shot into the far corner off the post.

Joe Corona came on for his debut in the 68th minute, replacing Francisco Torres.  Two minutes later the Americans added a final goal when goal scorer turned provider.  Donovan’s cross into the box from the right was a little behind Jones but the big midfielder was able to adjust his body and nod the ball into the near post.

With his thoughts clearly turning to the upcoming fixtures, Klinsmann made two more substitutions, replacing Tim Howard with Brad Guzan in goal and the impressive Johnson with Edgar Castillo.

Scotland managed to get hold of the ball and possess it for long periods as the match wound down.  They seemed content to limit the damage and the US were happy to sit back and defend.  The Scots did manage a couple of half chances in the closing ten minutes but Beckerman bravely charged down a shooter on the top of the box and Miller could only balloon his shot from distance over the crossbar with two minutes to go.  After just 60 seconds of added time, the referee blew the final whistle and the US celebrated a very comfortable victory.

Player Rating for US Team (scored 1-10)

Tim Howard, goalkeeper (7):  He didn’t have a whole lot to do but did a good job of coming off his line to punch away a dangerous cross late in the first half.  His throws were good as well, setting up many of our counter attacks.  Otherwise, he just had to pick the ball out of the net following Cameron’s own goal.

Carlos Bocanegra, central defense (7):  An uncompromising performance from the captain.  He provided the steel in the center of defense and played some nice passes as well.

Geoff Cameron, central defense (5):  I have to mark him down for putting the ball in his own net.  Otherwise he did pretty well.  Of course, Scotland didn’t mount much in the way of a threat most of the night.

Steve Cherundolo, right fullback (7):  It was a pretty quiet first half for the veteran right back but he came alive early in the second with two good crosses into the area.  He held down the right flank defensively with relative ease.

Fabian Johnson, left fullback (8):  Generally speaking, I don’t like this practice of nationalizing Germans into our National Team but this kid is so damn good.  He was solid defensively and his electric pace and skill on the ball saw him go on several attacking runs that caused the Scottish defense serious problems.

Maurice Edu, central midfield (8):  He kept things very tidy defensively and did it with style.  He tracked back to make a vital tackle late in the first half that ensured we kept the lead.

Jermaine Jones, central midfield (8):  Another player who makes me doubt my stance on nationalizing Germans, even though they’re taking opportunities away from players developed in this country.  This was the best I’ve seen him play in a US shirt.  He was absolutely everywhere; defending, attacking, scoring.

Michael Bradley, central midfield (8):  Along with Edu and Jones he dominated the midfield.  His outstanding passing was overshadowed by the wonder-strike that resulted in the second goal.

Landon Donovan, right midfield (9):  After scoring the opening goal and playing an important part in the build up for the second, he kind of drifted out of the game for the rest of the half and even turned the ball over a few times with loose passes.  However, he was absolutely unplayable in the second half and only the post prevented him from scoring four (man of the match).

Francisco Torres, left midfield (7):  He actually had quite a good game but was just overshadowed by even better performances around him.  While he started out wide on the left, he drifted centrally and even popped up on the right from time to time, causing the Scottish defense marking problems.  Torres nearly scored as well with a quickly taken free kick.

Terrence Boyd, striker (6):  He did good work getting open and receiving passes but wasn’t quite quick enough to get a shot off with much regularity.  If Altidore isn’t going to play, I’d rather see Agudelo or Bunbury get a chance rather than another foreign legionnaire.

Subs:

Oguchi Onyewu, central defender (6):  It’s good to see Gooch back in the National Team fold.  Hopefully his injury problems are behind him as we need more depth in central defense.  The game was winding down by the time he got out there but he still made a couple of strong clearances.

Kyle Beckerman, central midfielder (6):  He charged down a shooter late on and made a really good block that I’m sure stung.  However, I’m still going to deduct a point for that hair.  You represent the United States Kyle.  Get a haircut.

Hercules Gomez, striker (5):  To be honest, I don’t remember him doing anything during the 25 minutes or so he was out there.

Joe Corona, left midfielder (5):  The debutant got a few touches and saw to his defensive duties but the game was pretty much over by the time he replaced Torres.

Brad Guzan, goalkeeper (5):  He was another player who didn’t have anything to do while he was out there.

Edgar Castillo, left fullback (5):  Didn’t do much wrong during the 15 minutes or so he was on as the game was all but over by that point.