US-Mexico - What We Learned[R]

[Nutmeg]

Greetings from Houston. With the point of friendlies, even ones against Mexico, being to evaluate players and assess where we stand as a team, here are some things that I learned by watching the game up close and personal.

Mastroeni is uncomfortable in his role, and has been struggling to learn his place in Arena-ball. This is not a knock on his skills, his physical attributes, or his attitude. I like Pablo a lot as a DMid, and he was one of the biggest reasons we did what we did last summer. This year, though, he appears to be really undecided on when to “destroy” and when to hold his position. That indecision gives opposing players too much time on the ball and exposes US defenders.

Armas looked great defensively. I have always believed that in a 5-man midfield, Armas is our best option. What I didn’t like about last night was that with Pablo beside him, a lot of offensive responsibility fell back to Chris. And Chris struggled offensively. His passing lacked imagination, but it didn’t matter, because most of the time the passes didn’t connect with their intended destination. When Convey came in and assumed some of the offensively responsibility, Chris stepped up his play. It was immediately noticeable.

Our young defenders have to be more comfortable on the ball. They have to be an outlet for our midfielders, and they need to connect on more of their passes. I am all for a counter-attacking strategy against Mexico, but I don’t think it should be an all-or-nothing approach. When your defenders are giving the ball away on 80% of their touches, that’s what it turns in to. Maintaining some possession relieves pressure on your defense and can give your team a break from the constant ball chasing defending against Mexico requires. My brother and I watched the game next to a pretty prominent coach in US Soccer, and one of the main points of our discussion was that the defenders could do a better job of positioning themselves as an outlet for our midfielders. This should come in time.

DMB is almost everything you want in a wing midfielder. The kid is amazing. The real special part about him is that as good as he is offensively, he is better on defense. In fact, I think he is a better defensive winger right now than Hejduk. He was last night anyway. I would like to see him place his crosses better.

Landon maintains his composure on the ball better than all but two US players – Reyna and O’brien. He doesn’t panic. He sees the field well. He supports his teammates and checks back. He has speed to burn, and times his runs well. If I could ask one thing of Arena, I’d love to see Donovan in the Stewart role with McBride and Buddle/Mathis up top.

Convey is a very good player. His juke in the box then cross to McBride was pure class, and I hope Ray Hudson was paying attention. Convey, not MAE, should be in the center of the field for DCU, and I hope we see more of him there for the US.

During half-time, we talked about who we would start if the US had a full compliment of healthy players available for the game. My take – Buddle for Mathis (and swap Donovan & Buddle); Reyna for Hejduk; Sanneh for Califf; O’brien for Mastroeni; and BigBadBrad for Howard.


Overall, a very fun, entertaining game. And from where we sat, the Houston crowd was pure class.

[Detective40oz]

I learned that Bocanegra can cross the ball! That play where he crossed to Mcbride who nodded it down to Beasley was one of our best chances of the game and that cross was struck perfectly..too bad Beasley hasn't fine tuned his finishing yet.

[Nutmeg]

Actually, the point about Boca is a good one. People around here who have constantly ragged on Califf are quietly eating crow after today's game, as he played every bit as well as Boca today, minus the dead-on cross.

When it comes to defense, our defenders are excellent. But they still have room to grown when it comes to providing outlets to a midfield that's under a huge amount of pressure.

If you taped the game, watch how often Mexico used their defenders to slow things down and regroup offensively. Then compare that with the US. The styles of play were different, obviously, but as I said before, I don't believe it should be an all or nothing approach, even in the counter attack.

[lurking]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
Armas looked great defensively. I have always believed that in a 5-man midfield, Armas is our best option. What I didn’t like about last night was that with Pablo beside him, a lot of offensive responsibility fell back to Chris. And Chris struggled offensively. His passing lacked imagination, but it didn’t matter, because most of the time the passes didn’t connect with their intended destination. When Convey came in and assumed some of the offensively responsibility, Chris stepped up his play. It was immediately noticeable.

Our young defenders have to be more comfortable on the ball. They have to be an outlet for our midfielders, and they need to connect on more of their passes. I am all for a counter-attacking strategy against Mexico, but I don’t think it should be an all-or-nothing approach. When your defenders are giving the ball away on 80% of their touches, that’s what it turns in to. Maintaining some possession relieves pressure on your defense and can give your team a break from the constant ball chasing defending against Mexico requires. My brother and I watched the game next to a pretty prominent coach in US Soccer, and one of the main points of our discussion was that the defenders could do a better job of positioning themselves as an outlet for our midfielders. This should come in time.


Agreed that our defense needs to be better on the ball, but then giving Armas a free offensive pass when Convey came in is inconsistent on your part. First ALL our midfielders need to be able to pick a teamate out and connect with a pass and in turn make themselves available for passes before I worry about the same thing from our backline. Armas was not just failing to add to the attack he was actively taking away from it with errant balls all over the place and little to no supporting runs for his fellow midfielders.

[USA4Life]

We learned for the first time ever and I mean ever that Hejduk got tired. It was like he was human again. Hopefully this is not a sign of a downward slide for Hejduk because his workrate and speed adds alot to the team.

I was think Cherundolo may add a bit better touch over Hejduk, but not as much physical strength.

Don't forget Eddie Lewis. Eddie may not create as many opportunities as Beasley, but he finishes and crosses much, much better.

I won't mind seeing Beasley at the ACM roaming the field with Lewis out wide. We also need a scoring burst off the bench.

The game versus Venezuela Donovan was awesome off the bench. I had a thought that the US would have scored in the second half if Donovan had entered for Mathis in minute 45. Half the minutes, but double the production.

Beasley would be another good super sub.

Klein is better as a starter because of his ability to defend. However, when the game gets opened up the skilled players are more effective. This why Convey added such a spark.

[Fah Que]

The thing that help US getting into final 8 in WC the most is Armas's injury.

[ricv56]

Originally posted by USA4Life
Beasley would be another good super sub.

I think the same thing. Having watched both teams for a while, Beasley at this point reminds me of when El Tri started to break in Arellano. He was used mainly as a late game sub to disrupt things on the wings with his speed and dribbling ability. When he developed a better touch in the box he was given more responsibility with the attack. Beasley is developing at a much younger age than Arellano did, Beasley is 20 or 21 right now and when Arellano was at a similar stage, he was 24 or 25. Big things for him if they develop in a similar fashion.

ricv56

[FlashMan]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
Actually, the point about Boca is a good one. People around here who have constantly ragged on Califf are quietly eating crow after today's game, as he played every bit as well as Boca today, minus the dead-on cross.



I'm not so sure about Califf. Not sure he connected on one outlet pass all day, consistently sending them long to no one. At least Boca connected on a few.

Also, Califf followed his man across the center of the field more than once when he should have shuffled him off to a defensive mid, leaving a gaping hole behind him, one of which ended up being a dangerous opportunity.

He has soldier's boots instead of soccer boots to kick with; don't think he'll ever cut it at the international level on a consistent basis.

I also cringe every time he's marking closely in the box. He gives up way too many PKs, a la v. Ching and the Quakes a few weeks ago (admittedly a close call). But I guess last night is the type of experience needed to learn how to avoid such moments and I agree he did a good job in this regard last night.

Anyway, he played alright, but I fully agree with you that our defenders need to be able to play with their feet offensively much more than they do, and that Califf was the biggest culprit at not doing so last night.

Am hoping to watch a tape of the game in the next few days to see if my initial impressions match up with reality.

[The Wanderer]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
Our young defenders have to be more comfortable on the ball. They have to be an outlet for our midfielders, and they need to connect on more of their passes. I am all for a counter-attacking strategy against Mexico, but I don’t think it should be an all-or-nothing approach. When your defenders are giving the ball away on 80% of their touches, that’s what it turns in to. Maintaining some possession relieves pressure on your defense and can give your team a break from the constant ball chasing defending against Mexico requires. My brother and I watched the game next to a pretty prominent coach in US Soccer, and one of the main points of our discussion was that the defenders could do a better job of positioning themselves as an outlet for our midfielders. This should come in time.

How much time though?????

[ledu2nirvana]

Originally posted by nancyb
http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2003/0508_usa_mex_ajm/web_ajm_1598.jpg



That Arellano can still play.

[GaHoo]

My observation from last night is that the 3-5-2 doesn't work without an OBrien or Reyna to distribute the ball out of the midfield. Last nights lineup did remind me of the botch up against Costa Rica. With Mexico's first string forwards in to finish better, could the US defense have been able to stave off as many attack as they did?

On one hand the defense did a great job in making sure the Mexicans attacks were snuffed out. On the other, for much of the game, every time the US won possession in defensive third, there was not enough midfield support to create sustained offensive chances. Armas and Mastro are not creative enough distributors or simply cant dribble / pass well enough to build an attack. There needs to be a link to the offense.

I was very disappointed with the subsititution pattern last night. Mathis was having a good game. Arena could have brought Stewart in and taken Armas or Mastro out.

Given Armas's numerous giveaways, when Arena did sub out a d-midfielder, I would have taken Armas out rather than Mastro for Convey.

[seeds]

Originally posted by GaHoo
My observation from last night is that the 3-5-2 doesn't work without an OBrien or Reyna to distribute the ball out of the midfield. Last nights lineup did remind me of the botch up against Costa Rica. With Mexico's first string forwards in to finish better, could the US defense have been able to stave off as many attack as they did?

On one hand the defense did a great job in making sure the Mexicans attacks were snuffed out. On the other, for much of the game, every time the US won possession in defensive third, there was not enough midfield support to create sustained offensive chances. Armas and Mastro are not creative enough distributors or simply cant dribble / pass well enough to build an attack. There needs to be a link to the offense.

I was very disappointed with the subsititution pattern last night. Mathis was having a good game. Arena could have brought Stewart in and taken Armas or Mastro out.

Given Armas's numerous giveaways, when Arena did sub out a d-midfielder, I would have taken Armas out rather than Mastro for Convey.

Bull's Ear Catnip! This is what I took away from this game exactly. I thought this game really exposed what Reyna & O'Brien bring to the team when they are healthy.

Finishing by both teams was obviously pretty bad, but we had our best scoring threats in the game, so we don't have much of an excuse. Beazer is getting too much slack from people on his two chances.

[Mason16]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
Mastroeni is uncomfortable in his role, and has been struggling to learn his place in Arena-ball. This is not a knock on his skills, his physical attributes, or his attitude. I like Pablo a lot as a DMid, and he was one of the biggest reasons we did what we did last summer. This year, though, he appears to be really undecided on when to “destroy” and when to hold his position. That indecision gives opposing players too much time on the ball and exposes US defenders.

Armas looked great defensively. I have always believed that in a 5-man midfield, Armas is our best option. What I didn’t like about last night was that with Pablo beside him, a lot of offensive responsibility fell back to Chris. And Chris struggled offensively. His passing lacked imagination, but it didn’t matter, because most of the time the passes didn’t connect with their intended destination. When Convey came in and assumed some of the offensively responsibility, Chris stepped up his play. It was immediately noticeable.



I disagree here. Maybe Pablo was unsure in a twin d-mid role, but this is unusual in BA's MNT setup anyway. Mastro is clearly the better passer and offensive asset as d-mid compared to Armas, which is why I like Mastro better in the d-mid role. Armas has more experience (# of years) and he may be a more consistent destroyer than Pablo, if not still a half-step slower than pre-injury.

How many times has Mastro and Armas played together in a twin d-mid 3-5-2? Perhaps that is why the midfield was not as effective versus Mexico. Neither had a good game but perhaps this is why.

[ramckay]

Originally posted by seeds
Bull's Ear Catnip! This is what I took away from this game exactly. I thought this game really exposed what Reyna & O'Brien bring to the team when they are healthy.

Finishing by both teams was obviously pretty bad, but we had our best scoring threats in the game, so we don't have much of an excuse. Beazer is getting too much slack from people on his two chances. I think it's pretty obvious from this game that the team really needs a player that can run the offense, ala Reyna. I also think that it's important that Arena finds a replacement for him that he can live with. I say "live with" because who else is there that measures up? That's going to be a big question mark for us for the next couple of years, especially since we're going to continue to see Claudio help with qualifying, but I don't know that we'll see him playing for us in Germany.

I disagree that we are being too lenient about Beasley. His special talents are obvious, and it would be silly to leave him off the seleçao.

I'm very, very happy with Bocanegra. I haven't heard Bruce sing his praises, muted or otherwise, the way he has Cherundolo, but Boca is clearly better (not to mention that he's not a midget). Sure, he's no Pope, but I think with time he will be as good as Eddie, especially if as the spend time playing together on the national squad.

Lastly, the reports of Clint Mathis' death have been greatly exaggerated.

[GaHoo]

Originally posted by ramckay
I think it's pretty obvious from this game that the team really needs a player that can run the offense, ala Reyna. I also think that it's important that Arena finds a replacement for him that he can live with. I say "live with" because who else is there that measures up? That's going to be a big question mark for us for the next couple of years, especially since we're going to continue to see Claudio help with qualifying, but I don't know that we'll see him playing for us in Germany.

If Martino continues to develop, I think he will start filling in. Since Reyna and JOB both play in Europe, and seem fairly injury prone, it seems imperative to build a US based playmaker. With all the country v club conflicts that occur, it would appear that having a US based playmaker makes sense.

Looking around the league, Martino is one of the few, if only Americans that runs the offense. Arena has used LD or Mathis in the role of O-Mid, but neither is a true holding midfielder. Their strengths is in creating chances or in shooting. Would love to see Kyle get a callup for Wales

[CbR]

hopefully convey can develop into that midfielder who can spread the offense around,,i saw him open up the field vs. metro last night a few times with some nice long balls

[Eliezar]

I don't know how people can think substituting Mathis was a mistake.

If you were at the game you would have seen Mathis walking A LOT. Walking back on defense and thus revealing that we were playing with 3 forwards for a lot of the game. Making a pass and then standing and watching was also becoming a Mathis trademark. Clint simply looked like he didn't have enough energy to play much more.

[Karl K]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
When your defenders are giving the ball away on 80% of their touches, that’s what it turns in to.

Just curious, do you have some numbers to support this assertion?

[Karl K]

Originally posted by lurking
Armas was not just failing to add to the attack he was actively taking away from it with errant balls all over the place and little to no supporting runs for his fellow midfielders.

How often were the "errant balls over the place?"

[Karl K]

Originally posted by GaHoo
. Given Armas's numerous giveaways, when Arena did sub out a d-midfielder, I would have taken Armas out rather than Mastro for Convey.

What's "numerous" in your view?