USA-MEX: revieow of the last 30 min

[lmorin]

Every penetration into the attacking half by the US has been tracked, beginning with the arrival of Feilhaber. (D) indicates that the ball is in the defensive half; (A) indicates it is in attacking half.

Feilhaber on.
63:00 Feilhaber (D) passes to Altidore (A); ball lost.
64:00 Feilhaber (D) plays outside of Rt foot from touch line diagonally Rt to Clark (A) to Altidore (one of the best attacks of the game-fast, smooth involving several players).
66:00 Feilhaber (D) to Adu (A) back to Feilhaber (D) back to Adu (A) back into (D); long crossfield pass by Feilhaber (D) to Moor (A) who plays it back into (D) (66:35) at which time Harkes says, “Already this is a lot better from the US. This is talking about managing the game.”) Feilhaber plays over the top to Altidore (A) who cannot control under pressure (66:10)
71:30 Boca (D) long ball to midfield line; Lewis heads ball into (A); ball lost
72:02 Clark intercepts (D); passes; pass to LD (A) to Altidore, but pass is deflected by Mex and intercepted; Altidore fouls
72:55 Altidore comes into (D); successful tackle; won ball goes to Feilhaber who holds it and is fouled (D). Rapid free kick (73:13) into (A); LD wins corner.
74:04 Howard to Boca to Feilhaber to Clark (all D) to Adu (A) who tries to dribble and loses it.
74:28 Moor steps up to midfield line and intercepts; passes to LD (A) who flicks to Altidore who mis-heads to Feilhaber (ball lost)
77:51 Throw-in (A) lost
78:40 Edu on; throw-in (A) lost; win right back (A)
78:50 Edu gives away (A), but is fouled; LD takes free kick; US offside on kick.
80:05 Boca (D) flick to Feilhaber (A) who is forced to touch line; plays along line to Lewis who can’t control tough ball under pressure; Mex throw-in
81:11 Howard kick (D) lost in (A), but Lewis (A) intercepts Mex pass; plays to Feilhaber (A)->Adu->Edu->Moor->LD->Moor->Edu->Adu (A); ball lost; 50/50 skirmish (A) US wins, but Mex kicks long ball out over US goal line for goal kick
82:09 Howard (D) goal kick to Edu (A) who wins header; flicks to Adu; won by Mex
82:22 Harkes remarks that LD is “quiet.”
83:33 Feilhaber (D) near midfield line dribbles into (A); fouled; US free kick (A); Mex heads out of bounds; US throw-in into the PA; Mex clears, but Moor intercepts; US offside
85:53 Boca (D) wins header on ball from Mex keeper; head to Feilhaber->Moor->LD just over midfield line; LD dribbles (A) 20 yds along touch line and loses to a tackle
87:06 Moor (D) receives goal kick from Howard; plays long ball to Adu (A) who flicks on toward Altidore (A); ball not controlled; turmoil; Adu comes up with it and dribbles to the corner of the penalty area; passes too hard, too far in front of LD who cannot control; out of bounds for Mex throw-in
90:00 Direct kick (A) lost to Mex
92:17 Howard (D) goal kick long to (A); Mex header
92:25 Corrales (D) plays nicely placed long ball over Mex defense right onto Adu (A) who controls; dribbles well and draws a foul at corner of penalty area
93:23 LD free kick (A); Mex heads out
Game Over

About Feilhaber:
1. He was more active than any US player on the field at the time;
2. He covered a lot of territory, north/south; east/west
3. He contributed to some good sequences (64:00; 66:00; 74:04; 81:11)
4. He made some real blunders (76:20 intercepts in defensive zone and gives the ball right back to Mex; 86:33 receives ball at top of the defensive third from Boca; then, facing his own goal, he dribbles to his right and somewhat toward the corner flag and loses ball in the defensive third on a Mex tackle that leads directly to a Mex attack with a cross into the penalty area; 91:50 receives throw from Howard, but gives away a pass at the top of the defensive third)

Note the following:
1) The ball rarely moves down either flank, or down the middle.
2) Donovan is almost never given the ball and the ball is seldom in a position to be given to him
3) The US never controls the ball using 1-touch in the attacking half
4) About when Feilhaber entered the game, Mexico pretty much stopped its high pressure when the US had the ball in the defensive half, hence, the remarks by Harkes at 66:35 have nothing to do with a better US effort, if indeed there was one.
5) Quite unlike Mexico, the US did not even try to play 1-touch in the defensive half as a prelude to working the ball into an attacking effort. The US did not even try. A successful 1-man effort to play out of pressure occurred at 92:25 when Corrales, very close to the goal line, outmaneuvered his opponents and delivered a lovely long ball right on the money to Adu. This precipitated the best effort by Adu of the night.
6) The impoverished US play, in terms of quick footwork and 1-touch play to retain ball possession under pressure, is remarkably clear when throw-ins are examined. This should be pretty much a gimmee. at least for 2-3 passes, but the US almost always ceded possession instantly after one of its own throw-ins in the attacking end.
7) The majority of free kicks were neutralized by a minor infraction called against the US, usually offside

CONCLUSION: By far the worst aspect of this game was the unwillingness/inability of the US players to engage in 1-touch keep away at any place on the field. In its absence, the attack was too helter-skelter. There could be no buildup, no thoughtfulness and it became virtually impossible to get multiple players involved in any attacking opportunity. All else pales relative to this criticism.

[Raulduke]

This is exactly what I've been saying for the last several years. We don't have the players, although there are a few exceptions with the technical skill necessary to move the ball effectively through the midfield and maintain possession when pressured. Some of those exceptions are Donovan and Dempsey, which is why I am utterly flabergasted by the decision to play them as forwards. Who's going to get them the ball, no one which is why Donovan looked almost as if he wasn't in the game against Mexico.

[PVancouver]

The plays at 66:00 and 66:35 actually occurred at 65:00 and 65:35.

You did not include...

63:56 Throw-in bounces high to Altidore, his weak header back is easily won by Mexico.

85:15 Onyewu throw-in deep in Mexico territory finds Edu at the 6.

86:07 Donovan's dribble up right side of field is stolen from behind by Mexico.

86:35 One-touch pass by Feilhaber rejected by his defender, he then fouled the Mexican receiving the ball to recover it (foul was not called), which was then won immediately back by Mexico as you noted.


64:00 Feilhaber (D) plays outside of Rt foot from touch line diagonally Rt to Clark (A) to Altidore (one of the best attacks of the game-fast, smooth involving several players).

Clark actually would have been better off one touching it to Altidore, or switching it to the upper left corner of the field, rather than holding the ball and making a late pass to Altidore.


Feilhaber plays over the top to Altidore (A) who cannot control under pressure (66:10)

Actually, it was Bocanegra who played it over the top, which was one of the best long balls of the day. Altidore had plenty of space but took too much time to control the ball. It was a major wasted opportunity. Frankly I don't think all of the passing in the back is all that valuable except to give players a breather and a chance to strategize but it clearly worked in the US favor in this case.


74:04 Howard to Boca to Feilhaber to Clark (all D) to Adu (A) who tries to dribble and loses it.

Adu tried an outside of the right foot pass to Lewis but hit it much too weakly.


77:51 Throw-in (A) lost...

after a one-touch pass from Adu to Lewis (when Clark was wide open) was intercepted by Mexico.


78:40 Edu on; throw-in (A) lost; win right back (A)

Since the camera was showing the crowd, it is unclear what went wrong on this play.

The play at 81:11 was an attempt at the US to play keep-away in the attacking end.




As to your points...

About Feilhaber

Are you trying to say Feilhaber was not all that great? I would agree.


1) The ball rarely moves down either flank, or down the middle.

That would be a problem.


2) Donovan is almost never given the ball and the ball is seldom in a position to be given to him

And your point is?


3) The US never controls the ball using 1-touch in the attacking half

I disagree with this. I believe the US tried there best to play 1-touch soccer, they just weren't very good at it. One reason the Mexicans were better at is is that the US did not try to tightly mark Mexicans all over the field, so they usually had an outlet. A larger camera angle would help to explain/debate some of these issues.


4) About when Feilhaber entered the game, Mexico pretty much stopped its high pressure when the US had the ball in the defensive half, hence, the remarks by Harkes at 66:35 have nothing to do with a better US effort, if indeed there was one.

I think the US could have passed the ball in the back a lot more often if they wanted to, but why bother?


5) Quite unlike Mexico, the US did not even try to play 1-touch in the defensive half as a prelude to working the ball into an attacking effort. The US did not even try. A successful 1-man effort to play out of pressure occurred at 92:25 when Corrales, very close to the goal line, outmaneuvered his opponents and delivered a lovely long ball right on the money to Adu. This precipitated the best effort by Adu of the night.

I'm sorry I can't determine what point you are trying to make here.


6) The impoverished US play, in terms of quick footwork and 1-touch play to retain ball possession under pressure, is remarkably clear when throw-ins are examined. This should be pretty much a gimmee. at least for 2-3 passes, but the US almost always ceded possession instantly after one of its own throw-ins in the attacking end.

The throw-in at 63:56 can probably be explained by a bad hop, although it is difficult to say if Altidore had any intention of heading it back to the thrower, which would have been his best play.

The throw-in at 77:51 was lost after a one-touch pass from Adu.

The throw-in at 78:40 is not viewable.

The throw-in at 85:15 hit Edu on the head at the 6 yard box.

Are you referring to other throw-ins?


7) The majority of free kicks were neutralized by a minor infraction called against the US, usually offside

I would not consider offside to be a minor infraction. There is little excuse to be offside on a free kick.


CONCLUSION: By far the worst aspect of this game was the unwillingness/inability of the US players to engage in 1-touch keep away at any place on the field....All else pales relative to this criticism.

I like the fact that you are looking for answers, but I disagree with this conclusion. In the last half hour, the main problem was that Adu, Altidore, Corrales, Donovan, Edu, Feilhaber, and Onyewu just weren't very good.

[PVancouver]

Donovan did not play as a forward, he was a right wing midfielder that switched every ten minutes to the left side with Convey.

[sidefootsitter]

I couldn't watch the last 10-15 minutes - too helter skelter.

One-touch is OK in own half when you move the ball around.

What I'd be more interested - and this would be time consuming to track - is the number of "Lippi passes" for the US.

And I'll define a "Lippi pass" (this was first brought up by Scotty before the WC'06 off some Italian publications) as those that leave fewer players between the receiver and the goal than between the passer and the goal.

In other words, if there were 8 Mexican players between Feilhaber and the Mexican goal, how many were after the pass was completed?

One of the worst aspects of Bradley's 2-touch keep-away is that it makes very litlte progress forward. You pass back and forth, as you would in the drill, but you don't advance the ball quickly and the defense then sets up its 8-9 men behind the ball and the only thing you have left is a hopeful long ball.

[lmorin]

I couldn't watch the last 10-15 minutes - too helter skelter.

One-touch is OK in own half when you move the ball around.

What I'd be more interested - and this would be time consuming to track - is the number of "Lippi passes" for the US.

And I'll define a "Lippi pass" (this was first brought up by Scotty before the WC'06 off some Italian publications) as those that leave fewer players between the receiver and the goal than between the passer and the goal.

In other words, if there were 8 Mexican players between Feilhaber and the Mexican goal, how many were after the pass was completed?

One of the worst aspects of Bradley's 2-touch keep-away is that it makes very litlte progress forward. You pass back and forth, as you would in the drill, but you don't advance the ball quickly and the defense then sets up its 8-9 men behind the ball and the only thing you have left is a hopeful long ball.
That's pretty much my point. I view 1-touch as the method (particularly when under pressure) for set up such "Lippi" passes, as you call them. There were extremely few passes that were effective at all in the last 30 min, let alone contributed to placing the ball in a better scoring position. Where I would disagree with you is with respect to the suggestion that failure to play properly in tight space under severe pressue is a consequence of Bradley's coaching. Player choice, perhaps, but not game tactics.