Again, once again, PLEASE understand:we're just not that good USA v ES [R]

Haha....typical BS meltdown.

While I do agree with some points people have made, I still think people are overreacting. This isn't surprising on BS. I do think we looked like crap and there's definitely room for improvement. I think "we're just not that good," is a vague statement and saying so-and-so sucks, and this guy sucks, and this guy sucks make people sound like a 12 year-old boy trying to make an argument.

Though Bob is catching a lot of flack, I thought his substitutions were superb not only because of who he brought on but when he did. Jozy would have been on in the 58th had the El Salvador keeper not been trying to act like it was his first time to play in the heat. Torres also came on around the 70th. This allowed them to ease into the run-of-play and have time to settle and I thought they both looked good because of it. I think it might be time to give Torres a start.

Anyway, I don't have time to type out all of my thoughts. You guys have fun.

 

Only if one of them is a fake from "Cornell"

 

Huh ... I watched in on DVR because I was out last night, and apparently the game recorded was different than the one showed live. I saw a game where the US controlled the ball for easily two third of the game, was pretty sloppy on the back line, and completely imposed their will on the last 25 minutes of the game once they got down 0-2. Now, it shouldn't have taken going down 0-2 to do that, but the fact that the US took a point down 0-2 after 70:00 would be impressive pretty much anywhere, but especially so in CA.

 

What's worse is we have guys in the midfield playing vastly different styles. Kljestan, Bradley and Beasley had absolutely zero idea where the others were going to be. Where each wanted the ball played to and how quickly they were supposed to play. Kljestan made at least five one touch passes to places where Beasley was before he had made a run that became turnovers and counter attack opportunities. Bradley kept firing balls into Beasley and Kljestan with their backs to goals (both prefer the ball played in front of them). Beasley held onto the ball while Bradley and Kljestan tried to play quickly.

It was like they had never met before. I'd have more confidence in them eventually working it out if I thought this was a strength of our coaching staff, but since it obviously isn't...

And is it just me, or does it always look like Brian Ching is playing on roller skates?

 

I agree.

I also think at this stage it doesn't matter.

Let's take a little trip down memory lane, and check our results from the hex before KJ02, the most successful World Cup for us ever:

After beating Mexico 2-0 in Columbes (God, that never gets old)
we squeaked out a 2-1 win in SanP-S, tied Jamaica, beat Costa Rica by one at home, lost.... LOST at home to honduras, among other, more reasonable results. We'll always have somewhat cobbled-together teams for qualifiers, what with some players in Europe and some in MLS, short camps, etc., etc. That's why the goal is to qualify first and then put together something meaningful for the actual World Cup. We did so in 2002. We failed in 2006. But that's the only way we can look at it.

 

I thought all three of them had bad games actually, Bradley didn't really do anything to distinguish himself, other than a few hard challenges, Beasley and Kljestan had terrible touch and poor ideas.

 

Agreed somewhat. I wouldn't say Bradley played poorly but he didn't have his best game as well. I think he would have been able to do more if pared with better CM. Bradley played better when Torres came on.

Beasley didn't play well, but I wonder if he would have been better if he had another LB behind him. Pearce may have held Beasley back. Obviously, we'll never know.

 

It may not be an optimal solution but it's also not wise to have Califf as the third CB. I don't think Marshall or Parkhurst would be worse than Danny. Especially Danny who is coming of an offseason and an injury.

In fact, Spector playing at CB would be better under the circumstances.

Experience is important, but I think it's a tiebreaker between players of roughly equal ability. A player with more ability should start and Bob should have better options than an out of form Califf.

 

They do, it's called UEFA WCQ's.

It was really disappointing to see this kind of play, but Bob made some good adjustments and the ES team rolled over and that's what happens when you're undersized and just trying to run out the clock with 15 minutes left...

Jozy and Torres were good subs, I would have liked to see Adu on the bench, that was a big mistake in my opinion, could have really used that speed and creativity on the field especially considering the fact that Beasley and Dempsey just seem to be fine standing around all day and trying a bunch of pointless backheels. If Adu could come on instead of Edu as the 3rd sub I think there would have been a 3rd goal.

Everything else is on the players, Pearce and Califf are just awful and the attack looked stagnant and lethargic... Donovan completely disappeared.

Bradley is doing the best he can with our pool of backline players, the quality of which is abysmal as far as I'm concerned. Happy to get the point and stay on top of the group but it should never have come to that, as everyone here knows.

I look for a good game against T&T, with Adu and Altidore as the late subs... Maybe Torres will start, but that feels like asking too much.

 

We really don't have that good of a team...technically, which matters alot. We can't make simple passes on the ground longer than 10 yards, We can't string together 10 passes in a row, we don't move the ball around quick enough or change the speed of the game. Our first touches our horrible. All these things start at the youth level so nothing can be done about this problem this cycle... hopefully by 2014 we're better.

 

I think that's going more than a little too far. Believe whatever you want to believe but henever we lose or tie any game people always say the same things. We have problems for sure, but I think a bunch of our problems are fixable over the next year. The World Cup is a long ways away.

A lot of how we do in the World Cup will depend on the draw. Some groups will be near impossible, but it is possible to get a favorable draw as well.

 

Unless you're one of the super-deep, elite (BRA, ARG, GER, maybe ITA), or a host, getting far enough to win a game or two in the knockout rounds has a ridiculous amount to do with your draw and your injury situation.... and of course the seeding system helps those elite teams even more.

 

Explain how I went a little too far please. Our players can't handle the ball under pressure. If the US gets pressured by a good team I believe we will lose. Our players don't think quick enough to pass the ball when they're being pressured

 

Let's make a list of those who can and are known for it internationally and in MLS:

I'll start.

Altidore, Cooper, Donovan, Dempsey, Torres, Adu, Feilhaber, Bradley, Klejstan, Edu, Rogers, Quaranta, etc.

Please feel free to complete the list, in the meantime maybe some of those guys should start or consistentely see the field for the US.

 

It was a bad game for sure.

But what? Beasley will get better with more playing time at his club. He appears to be climbing his way back at Rangers. Michael Bradley is improving every month, Dempsey and Donovan are capable of playing well. Sasha is Sasha and that means Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. If he can't get more consistent then he will get dropped in favor of one of the many CMs we have.

Spector is getting back into the fold at a solid club and the MLS season is starting. That is only going to help the MLS players we have in our pool.

We played bad and we do have problems. But to say the problems can't be fixed in 15 months with a majority of our players playing in Europe is way over the top.

 

I'd take Kljestan off that list because he can't hold on to the ball.

I'd add Colin Clark

 

And, in point of fact, there are usually multiple road results in UEFA WCQ's that mirror our own for a good team getting bottled up by an inferior opponent inspired by their home crowd.

 

You seriously think that the US will get a result away at Costa Rica where they have never won, at Mexico where they have never won, and at Honduras when they cannot even beat El Salvador. Please take off your rosy glasses. The US had a very easy pre-qualifying group and a dream Hex schedule catching a depleted Mexico at home then against El Salvador and T&T at home. The hard part will come later with the matchup with a full strength Mexico at Azteca and the four games with Honduras and Costa Rica.

 

Quoted for truth

Some people act like they have never followed WCQ's in CONCACAF or across the globe before.

I don't like to excuse our players and coach for making some key mistakes, but these things happen. Hopefuly we learned a valuable lesson from playing in such a hostile place in front of a charged-up team like that. If we learned, we could emerge from last night a much stronger team.

Concacaf road games are among the most hostile places you are ever going to face anywhere in the world.

 

I don't think they can be fixed but they can get better if Adu, Jozy, Torres & Spector start, but Adu and Jozy need more club minutes. Orozco needs to be in the mix for CB. Donovan needs to be on the wing and use his speed and his crossing abilities... I seen enough with him as a forward. Beaz on the bench untill he learns how to cross. Bob needs to bring in Convey and Rogers to contest for the LM spot now and Holden for the RM

 

You're right, Brian. But at the same time, we were not "bottled up by an inferior opponent". We bottled ourselves up by not playing like a dominant team. If we played aggressively and failed to get a result, then I think the analogy would hold.

 

And please take your sunglasses off. We will have good moments this cycle. This is only the 4th WCQ cycle of the modern era so when you say we have "never" done anything you are being overly dramatic.

We are better than we played last night and everyone knows that. We played poorly and that's how it goes. Do you really think that's how we are going to play the rest of the Hex? Playing on the road in CR, Honduras, and Mexico will be a lot more difficult be we have the talent to get draws and maybe poach a win or two.

 

After last night's performance, I think I have the U.S team figured out:

They're going with the Eddie Johnson approach. Paradoxically, they hope to garner more support from the fanbase by enacting a significant stretch of suckitude that in turn amplifies the perceived magnitude of future achievements. Hence, qualifying for the World Cup becomes making it to the knock-out round, winning a World Cup game is akin to making the semis, and making it out of the group will be worthy of the same applause that another nations get for making the finals.

Just not that good becomes pretty damn great! Or at least that's what I'll be telling myself on Wednesday after Howard stands on his head to preserve a 1-0 victory.

 

Exactly, I'd gladly take a draw away at El Salvador for a win at Azteca or Saprissa.

 

In reality, SK is a good player. He did wonders in the Olympics but needs a complimentary middie with him. The Sk-Bradley experiment is over; he needs a creative and not a stuck in type midfielder. That's why JFT-Bradley did wonders. Both are complimentary with each other like BF-MB of old. We have a good team but a brain fart like this wakes us up which is what we needed.