Reflections on a Triple Header

[peledre]

With a clear mind and the ability to have 20/20 vision in hindsight I think it's important to look back over the last two weeks to see a few of the things we learned about the 2008 version of the national team.

Point #1
We're learning things about this team!

What I mean is that if nothing else, these three friendlies have provided an excellent barometer for the relative strengths and weaknesses of our squad. US Soccer and Mr. Bradley need to be commended for being able to lineup 3 top 10 squads within a two week window. Had that been a WC group, it surely would've been called the Group of Death, and obviously we would've finished at the bottom of that group, based on these results, but I think its important to get a realistic direct comparison of where we're at. Looking back on this trio of games, if we play a group stage like that 10 times, perhaps 3 or 4 of the times we would get through to the 2nd round.

Point #2
Maybe Scandinavia ain't such a bad place to be.

Heath Pearce played excellent soccer throughout the series, and Danny Califf played his best game in a USMNT uniform ever. It's encouraging to see that some combination other than Onyewu-Bocanegra can show itself strong, and that we may have finally, after a seemingly endless search, a multitude of options at Left Back. The two Jonathons, and Pearce will give us flexibility and depth at a position that has historically been an eyesore for the USMNT

Point #3
We are closer than ever to competing as a top-tier international squad.

Unfortunately, jumping up to the top of the Mount Olympus may be the hardest step in the journey. We've begun to build an impressive football culture in the USA, but its growth has been generational, rather than linear. Each successive 5-10 year generation has been able to build on the growth of its predecessors. I feel there are only 1 or 2 more generations before we are consistently on that mountaintop (an individual squad or two may be able to temporarily reach the top between now and then. We are at the point in our development where we can play on that same level for certain stretches.

Point #4
We are the best team in CONCACAF.

But (and it will be a giant but), we need to win at Azteca. I think the next cornerstone in US development will be a gutsy 2-1 victory at Azteca during qualifying. While I don't want to understate the difficulty of this task, I think we will be capable of it. I think we will have a midfield with a potential to be close to world class within 2 years, a backline that will be competitive with world class players, and a goalkeeping crew amongst the strongest in the world. The last key to that puzzle is a group of forwards that we can dependebly rely on to put the ball in the net on a consistent basis. We haven't found any yet who can do that against world class opponents, and that may be the final hindrance to us climbing to the top of the mountain.

Thank you and good day.

[tab5g]

We are the best team in CONCACAF.


i don't much like reflecting.

but i do look forward to having your final point proven over the next 17 months.

[lmorin]

Point #5
The team is vastly better with talented forwards on the field.

There has been a lot of moaning and groaning about the inability of the midfielders to contribute to the attack. The reason for that failure should now be obvious: when Donovan or Adu is one of the forwards, offensive opportunities involving the midfielders are a direct consequence. Most of the midfielders are good at the possession game; most are pretty good passers. None can consistently succeed with the likes of Wolff and EJ as forwards together. EJ looks and is better with someone else decent up front with him, but is still a relative black hole compared to Adu, Donovan or Altidore. The offensive game truly comes to life with two good ball handlers/passers up front. LD and Adu read the game particularly well and pull the midfield into the play, thereby giving themselves and other players time and space to run off the ball. The attack looks fluid and good, particularly so because it includes the midfielders, while giving the defenders real rest and a chance to focus on their organization.

[Marko72]

Point #1: This line-up of teams is MORE difficult than even a WC group of death. The difference in the end is that these were friendlies, with 6 subs, and nobody dies if they finish 3rd or 4th. However, unlike many friendlies, each of these were lined-up essentially as A team vs A team (each team pretty much fielded the best guys they had that were rested and available) for at least the first 45 minutes of each game. And England definitely were playing for nothing less than a dominant win at home, not unlike a WC match against them. However, no WC draw will ever be as difficult as Argentina-Spain-England. Maybe Argentina-England-Ivory Coast (which would definitely make it the group of death), and that would depend on England not getting a seed. Each group gets one seed, one non-seeded UEFA team (ours last time was the Czech Republic, ouch! but it could just as easily have been, say, Serbia or Poland), and two other non-seeded teams from the rest of the world (we're drawn out of the CONCACAF-CONMEBOL pot, so our opponent would be from Africa or Asia, and as luck would have it, Ghana was one of the best of those, along with one of the best of the UEFA non-seeds, which made ours a group of death). But at least two, perhaps all three of our recent opponents would've been seeded.

Point 5: Yup, pretty much. (Though I would say that most of our midfield, while pretty fair, is only so good at holding the ball and distributing under pressure, particularly against the sort of pressure that, say, a motivated England can provide.)

And aside from not being able to score from the run of play, hardly any team can sustain prolonged attacking pressure from a top team without conceding if their attack can't at least keep them honest... unless your keeper's absolutely on fire the way that Howard was yesterday. Howard's a top-class keeper, but that's an unusually good performance even from him, and on many other nights that would've been probably a 2-0 deficit at the half.

[alocksley]

As we chop through WC Qualifying like a hot scythe through wheat, we need to remember these three summer friendlies and realize where we really stand in the world footie pecking order. These games were exactly what the US needed - an honest barometer of where we are. For example, if EJ starts lighting up Barbados, we need to remember what he did here and look to develop better options (paging mr. Altidore, Mr. Altidore white courtesey phone...).

The mission is two-fold. In the short term, qualify for 2010, obviously. In the long-term, start to identify the players needed for us to make a serious impact at the WC, and start to play them together in order to develop the chemistry they will need to have to succeed. It's hard to believe it took Bob Bradley this long to get Donovan and Adu on the pitch together, and Altidore has to be added to the mix sooner rather than later.

So, while we bask in the glory of CONCACAF success, we need to remember these three mathes and what they taught us.

[cleansheetbsc]

Point #1

Landon Donovan is the most important player on this team. If he is playing well, everyone else seems to follow.

Point #2

Bradley will need to figure out a way to have Donovan and Adu on the field together. This is a work in process, which Adu has not quite figured out how to feed off of/into when on the field with LD.

[Marko72]

Point #6 (even if it's a little bit obvious): We need to find our finishing boots for the Barbados series. That's the one danger with fielding a line-up of friendlies like this just before an important match against a minnow. Three real chances in three games (four, if you count Eddies pretty good volley against England that went about a foot wide, but that was a half-chance that few would convert very often), and we failed to convert them. Obviously, finishing against this caliber of opponent is more difficult, but finishing tends to be contagious, and so is the lack of finishing. That's the one thing that I'm honestly a bit worried about.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should be pissed that USSF scheduled these sorts of matches. I mean our players are about as steeled-up as they could possibly be, and a couple of our guys are justly flying high as a result of good play against the best (Howard, Pearce, Adu, etc), but in hindsight, one easier opponent against which we might've put one or two might've better put us in a finishing groove which we'll need.

We should dominate Barbados in any case, but with our current lack of finishing form, this could easily become a nail-biter, despite clear field dominance (a la Argentina in the first half).

[Marko72]

Point #1

Landon Donovan is the most important player on this team. If he is playing well, everyone else seems to follow.

Point #2

Bradley will need to figure out a way to have Donovan and Adu on the field together. This is a work in process, which Adu has not quite figured out how to feed off of/into when on the field with LD.

Absolutely. It's one central reason why I've wanted us to convert to a 4231, as that combo is just too irresistable (even before you add in a Dempsey, Beasley, or a guy like Rogers into the mix), but these are two headstrong players who each like to play in their own distinct style and it will take time for the two of them to figure out how to play with, feed and feed off one another. (That said, I think the time for the 4231 is yet to come... Altidore needs to be capable of handling a double-team for much of the day first. EJ could do it to a degree, but that's a pretty self-limiting proposition.) We've seen Adu and Altidore combine off each other in youth play, and likewise yesterday Adu and Kljestan seemed to combine better than Adu and Donovan simply because of youth team familiarity. Give them time, and I'm with the majority, for once, in that the time for that to begin is now.

Though none of us are wild about him, it has to be said that Adu and EJ seem to have found the foundation of a rhythm between them.

[cleansheetbsc]

...and likewise yesterday Adu and Kljestan seemed to combine better than Adu and Donovan simply because of youth team familiarity. Give them time, and I'm with the majority, for once, in that the time for that to begin is now.


Sadly, due to LD's injury for the England and Spain games, this combo will not be seen for a while. Qualifying starts on Sunday. Freddy is on the bench, at best and with the U-23's at worst. This combo work probably won't happen until a November friendly or assumed Mexico friendly over the winter, depending on the qualifying schedule.

[Pisscutter]

I'd to see a continued emphasis on blooding the young'uns. Unfortunately, I can see Bob opting for vets more often than not due to the necessity of WC qualification and the conservatism that tends to dominate. Too bad, though, as it was exciting to see more of the kiddies get a whirl vs. Argentina. Some of the best soccer played over the 3 friendlies.

I can only hope Bob learned something about the ability of the younger crew en masse, give or take a Pablo or Frankie out there.

[peledre]

Point #1

Landon Donovan is the most important player on this team. If he is playing well, everyone else seems to follow.

Point #2

Bradley will need to figure out a way to have Donovan and Adu on the field together. This is a work in process, which Adu has not quite figured out how to feed off of/into when on the field with LD.
I had meant to mention your point #1 as well, I mentioned it in the post game thread. It was a pretty clear demonstration of just how valuable he is, and also the types of intangibles that he also brings to the table that impact his teammates.

[cleansheetbsc]

I'd to see a continued emphasis on blooding the young'uns. Unfortunately, I can see Bob opting for vets more often than not due to the necessity of WC qualification and the conservatism that tends to dominate.

There really isn't anyone else out there that MUST be blooded. If we are on 9-10 points after 4 qualifying matches (assuming we get by Barbados), then we might see a guest apparance or two. That was when we were introduced to Gooch and EJ last time around.

[Marko72]

Sadly, due to LD's injury for the England and Spain games, this combo will not be seen for a while. Qualifying starts on Sunday. Freddy is on the bench, at best and with the U-23's at worst. This combo work probably won't happen until a November friendly or assumed Mexico friendly over the winter, depending on the qualifying schedule.

You're most likely correct (I think he's on the bench for Barbados). Sad that the stars didn't align, and all they were able to get together was about 30 mins out of 270.

[Marko72]

There really isn't anyone else out there that MUST be blooded. If we are on 9-10 points after 4 qualifying matches (assuming we get by Barbados), then we might see a guest apparance or two. That was when we were introduced to Gooch and EJ last time around.

True. I think the sort of people that posters are probably thinking of would be guys like Cooper, Rogers, and Orozco (or Subotic if he declares for us). But none of them are going to impact our overall qualifying picture much, and impacting our WC fortunes is at most pure speculation (perhaps correct) as opposed to true insight. Still, there should be a few opportunities here and there to introduce a few new guys that replace a few of the old ones. The time for mass, come-one-come-all try-outs is over, but 2 years is still plenty of time for a few select guys to make their way into the squad and possibly become key players, ie Gooch or Dempsey. Plus the Olympics and the next January camp.

[mattjo]

Another one- Never discount homefield advantage. the crowd was great last night, and apparently the nerves of the US were showing during pre-game at Wembley. We must hold serve in qualifying, and continue to schedule some tough friendlies away and at home.

Also- improvement over the series. In a series where players haven't been together for some time, it is expected to have some fluidity problems. The coordination in the team improved as the camp progressed. For a team like the US which faces a talent gap at nearly every position in the three matches we just played, this coordination is vital.