US-Honduras, the midfield (R)

[superdave]

Dempsey was at fault on the first goal, and made a hash of Feilhaber's beautiful pass. But oh my GOD! What hops on the 2nd goal!.

Donovan was phenomenal on both sides of the ball. Clark was good. Feilhaber changed the game.

Mastroenni...ugh.

[keller#1]

Feilhaber-bradley

[elephantstone]

Our midfield play completely turned around when Feilhaber replaced Mastroeni. Makes you wonder what would have happened Weds night without having his destructive presence on the field.

[SUDano]

Feilhaber Feilhaber Feilhaber...He simply has ball skills in the midfield no one else has. Feilhaber Bradley at the top of their games is our best midfielders.

[MrHobbles]

Benny Feilhaber.

[FCmagic01]

Donovan=Great
Feilhaber=Great
Clark=Great
Dempsey= I think he needs to bench for a game.

Pablo= needs to retire

[DaMa]

I had a joke about all the Benny/Bradley posts we were going to see. I decided to bag it because it might just be a valid claim. Sort of wierd how we are back to that now. Benny definitely changed the game but lets not go crazy yet. Part of that was a function of just how terrible Pablo was. I dare say Torres would have had a similar effect out there. Dempsey missed one that I would say he'd make 96 times out of 100 (or at least put on net). Not Clint's best tonight.

[elephantstone]

After his terrible mistake, Dempsey looked a ton better tonight than Wednesday. He was a lot more active, played better defense, showed for passes more, and made more insightful passes forward.

[Nutmeg]

If Feilhaber keeps this type of form, I'd take he and Edu or he and Clark every time.

Edu or Clark + Feilhaber = good balance in midfield.

Edu or Clark + Mastroeni = not enough skill.

Feilhaber + Bradley = not enough defensive discipline.

[Tonerl]

It's interesting to me that what I consider to be the three best performances by a central midfield pairing in the Bob Bradley era have come from Feilhaber-Clark.

Clark proved again that he's just a better player than Mastroeni.

Donovan was very good, but can (and has done) make better decisions when facing defenders.

Dempsey was hot and cold. Did a ton of work defensively and had a few moments. Just a mess on Feilhaber's service, but shit happens sometimes.

[alocksley]

Clark was a monster tonight. Benny shows why we should never play with two defensive mids. Landon had the passion and drive tonight and led by example. Dempsey was better after the mistake. Mastro useless.

[onefineesq]

If Feilhaber keeps this type of form, I'd take he and Edu or he and Clark every time.

Edu or Clark + Feilhaber = good balance in midfield.

Edu or Clark + Mastroeni = not enough skill.

Feilhaber + Bradley = not enough defensive discipline. Ding ding ding. You hit it right on the head.

[DaMa]

Ding ding ding. You hit it right on the head.

I don't buy into this. First of all I thought Benny was as good behind the ball as with the ball tonight. Might have been the best defense I've seen from him. Second I think we have to reevaluate the old conceptions of players. I am not sure that Bradley is still the impulsive defender he was a year or so ago.

[TrueCrew]

Agree wholeheartedly with everyone else.

Clark and Benny were great. Benny's return is huge. We looked like a real team in the second half, and Palacios and Guevara couldn't dominate anymore.

Deuce was at fault on the first goal, but Honduras did have some work to do once they got the ball. He also missed the sitter. He also set up a great play with the back heel to Spector, and started the play for the second goal.

Donovan was better, and more aggressive. FK's need to be better.

Pablo was poor, but he also probably was the victim of the needed sub. I mean, if BB would have taken Clark out instead, things still would have improved. That pairing just doesn't work.

[MyHouse!]

I thought the best part of the night was the fact that from about 35-30 mins on into the 2nd half they played with some purpose, with incisiveness. We didn't see that at ALL Wedn and for most of the first half.

Gotta ask though, did Torres tell BB to suck his dyck or something to not even make the 18? Curious...

[Betamax]

Ding ding ding. You hit it right on the head.

I wouldn't mind seeing a five man midfield with Bradley and Torres deep with Feilhaber in front playing a la Gerrard at Liverpool. Need more defensive bite, sub Clark or Edu for Torres. If Benny is off his game, bring in Adu to play in the hole. This asks a lot from Donovan and Dempsey on the wings, but if they are your best players and leaders, they should be up to it.

[Deep Wilcox]

After his terrible mistake, Dempsey looked a ton better tonight than Wednesday. He was a lot more active, played better defense, showed for passes more, and made more insightful passes forward.

oy. horribly dispossessed for a goal, and missed a sitter that Ted Eck would have finished. Dempsey was awful.

[jd6885]

Feilhaber Feilhaber Feilhaber...He simply has ball skills in the midfield no one else has. Feilhaber Bradley at the top of their games is our best midfielders.

Don't forget Clark/Edu. We'll need a dedicated DM.

Benny is the playmaker, MB the box to box, Clark/Edu as Dmid. Of course we'll need Beasley/Donovan/Adu as wingers too.

[jd6885]

oy. horribly dispossessed for a goal, and missed a sitter that Ted Eck would have finished. Dempsey was awful.

Yeah that was an inexcusable miss.

Other than that, I don't like him because he's lazy. In the 2nd half, Bornstein works hard for the ball and crosses the ball low into the box for Dempsey. It's 2 or 3 yards off, yet Dempsey doesn't hustle for the ball and lets the defender clear it WITHOUT PRESSURE. Laziness from our attackers is something we need to address.

[Maximum Optimal]

If Feilhaber keeps this type of form, I'd take he and Edu or he and Clark every time.

Edu or Clark + Feilhaber = good balance in midfield.

Edu or Clark + Mastroeni = not enough skill.

Feilhaber + Bradley = not enough defensive discipline.

Agree completely. And I would add if Feilhaber is injured/unavailable/out of form we would be much better off finding a replacement among the relatively skillful mids on the team (Torres, Donovan, Dempsey) than going with the two-destroyer arrangement that has been the norm during the Bradley era.