Howard - 8, 9 whatever. He was fine. Dolo - 6 gets beat from time to time, but nothing came of it and looked good going forward. Gooch - 7 seems to be playing very well lately. Boca - 7 passed the ball with his feet! Pearce - 6 Sure, fine, whatever. Beasley - 6 I think he's one of our most tactically astute players, even if his technical skill is so-so. Actually tried to take his defender on a few times, which was nice. Kljestan - 6 I was concerned about Bob playing him at D-mid but then I realized that it would work ok since T'dad was playing with like 15 guys in their own half. Had a few dicey moments but otherwise good. Bradley - 7 Gol. Only a few mistakes and no ejections. Donovan - 7 Looked good but he frustrates me because, for all his skill, he doesn't seem to impose himself on the game as much as he should. Ching - 5 Missed some chances, but scored a goal and did well in helping the build up. Dempsey - 8 Seems to have re-found that chip on his shoulder. Occasionally got too cute for his own good, but scored a nice goal. Lewis - 6 Was ok, I guess. Johnson - 3 Needs to go take some peyote, read Castaneda, and come back when he's found himself. Maybe a trip to India or something. Clark - 6 Seemed ok.
Howard - 8 Not asked to do anything special but was rock-solid. Cherundolo - 5 Not great defensively, merely ok. Also it seems like his crossing wasn't up to his usual standard. Onyewu - 8 Showed his usual power and instincts, but also flashed some quickness and was better distributing the ball out of the back than usual. Boca - 7 Solid. Pearce - 6 Very good defensively, would be a seven except he's one of the players who couldn't seem to find the range for a cross. Can anyone get it over the first defender and not punt it out? Beasley - 7 Was someone T&T had to worry about all game. If he gets some better service he could easily have sprung free with the goalie at least twice. Kljestan - 6 One assist to a wide open Dempsey and wasn't really pressured on defense. Was pretty good with ball control. Bradley - 7 Not as good as he was against Cuba, but seems to be growing into a true two-way midfielder at this level. Donovan - 8 Service on the Bradley goal was perfect. Showed a lot of great vision finding his teammates making runs. Also was dangerous himself, could have assisted on another goal with a good finish from Ching. Also though, his service to the attackers was inconsistent. Most teams won't give you 20 chances to make a couple perfect assists like T&T did. Ching - 6 Probably the lowest rating I've ever given to a forward who scored a goal. He's ok for these CONCACAF guys, but I hope we have some more people surpass him before 2010. Dempsey - 8 Would have been a nine if not for a couple wasted crosses. Instead of being solid under pressure he actually made them pay when they pressured him. Lewis - 5 Was he even on the field? Johnson - 5 We were already up 3-0 and T&T was playing to avoid embarassment. Not a great effort by Johnson certainly, but I'm not going to judge him based on his time as a sub against a bunkering team when we'd already won. Clark - 5 We were noticeably less dangerous when Johnson and Clark came on. Both were probably downgrades compared to those they replaced, but I have a hard time giving below a five when they didn't really do anything wrong.
I think everyone except Ching played very well. Ching's goal would have been scored by everyone except Johnson, he would find away to pass that ball or just missed the goal completely. Subs: Clark - did good and made an impression Lewis - very good with a nice pass to Johnson, who again found away to not score Johnson - keeps proving he doesn't belong at that level, how many times can he be offsides in one game and only play 13 minutes? Damn! Next match bring in Cooper for Ching and tell Johnson we don't have any games until 2009.
Bradley was MOTM for me. Bradley - 8 (Was super solid, plus goal) Dolo - 7 (lots of nice movement forward) S.Klesj. - 5 (having control issues) Ching - 5 GAM - 4 Where is this guy?
Bradley's start to the match was awful, and it looked like another Cuba-type performance was coming. He had two straight up give-aways and a stupid foul that set up a free kick in a dangerous position. Luckily, just as I commented on this last night, he scored. That goal seemed to pick up his game and the silly mistakes early then seemed to fade away.
Won't rate them all, but: Eddie Johnson: 2, Just not good. A late attacking sub needs to have some energy and spark and must have the desire to get the ball and attack. How many touches did he have? Three? Were any of them good? Boss Bradleyneeds to wake up and smell the rotten eggs he has been laying for club and country for the past two years.
Howard - 6 average Cherundolo - 5 Silly yellow. I think his game is deteriorating slowly but steadily. Questionable for 2010. His crosses were way too high and slow. Onyewu - 7 He's not the old Gooch. Where are his pawing hands and the yellow cards? He's reading the game well and even showed some decent footwork, for a change Boca - 5.5 Mixed. Didn't like his clearing at times. Pearce - 6 Decent defensively; very little offensive contribution and looked as if he'd been instructed to not get caught forward. Or, maybe he realized he had to cover for Beasley. Beasley - 4.5 Better than against Cuba, but not much. Kljestan - 6 A mixed bag of poor and excellent passing. He brings good energy and creativity and seems to be improving. Bradley - 7 Very good game; dictated the flow and worked well with Donovan. Donovan - 6 Not his best passing game, but he managed the attack well Ching - 5.5 Solid game. He does not have the greatest skill level, but his contributions are consistently decent creating time, space and opportunity for others. Dempsey - 6.5 One of his better outings. Lewis - 5.5 OK. Better than DMB Johnson - NR because he is below international standards Clark - 5 too frenetic, although in his defense, he had to counteract the negative play brought to the field by EJ.
Howard - 9 Clean Sheets keep piling up, you gotta give him and the defense credit even if he didn't do too much tonight. Cherundolo - 7 adequate. A couple decent early crosses. good enough defense. Onyewu - 7 good. Boca - 6 i think this guy is not the answer here. He had alot of help from T&T not putting alot of pressure on him. Pearce - 7 he still seems like a defensive liability on occasion. but he played a solid game tonight. Beasley - 7 Not quite back on form after the injury, but getting better. The only real option on the left side of midfield, anyway. Kljestan - 7 Solid, confident, and intelligent in the midfield. Made a couple of over-ambitious passes... but this will probably improve if he gets more playing time with the team... played defense as well/as much as young bradley. Would love to see him get more time.. he could be a great addition. Bradley - 7 Gets a 7 for the goal, but on the ball he was just not as decisive or skillful as Kljestan. Donovan - 9 If we're gonna win, landon donovan has to care. He played great tonight, and really terrorized T&T, roving all over the field and making great runs. hopefully he can learn to do this in higher level games. Ching - 5 He scored a goal. He's also just not up to it at this level. Dempsey - 9 four goals in four matches is a great record, and he was very active all game. I think it works better with Dempsey as a Right Midfielder and Donovan as a second striker, i prefer this set up. Lewis - 1 He made one good cross, I think. Johnson - 2 1/2 He's not good enough for this level. I'm not sure what Bob sees in him, he's just not good enough to deserve being called up. It should be Jozy at this position from here through the hex.. this is getting ridiculous. They will not call Kenny Cooper in to replace Johnson or Ching because he's more of a second striker, he doesn't score many headed goals even off set pieces despite his height,and he doesn't really ever play up top with his back to goal, which is what they think they need out of this position. They way he's been playing he's competing with Landon and Freddie for the second striker role.. and KC is just not up to their class. Clark - 5 seems like he will only make it as a Backup CM. We could pick worse backup CMs.
5 as the average Starters Howard - 7 - Solid as always, and didn't have to make a killer save in this one Cherundolo - 7 - Got forward extremely well. Linked up nicely with Dempsey on the right and provided width all night. Great clearance off the goal line. Picked up another silly yellow. Onyewu - 7 - Another sign that he's our best defender. Held Cornell Glenn in check nearly all game. Few wild clearances. Had a quasi-assist on Ching's goal. Bocanegra - 6.5 - Nothing too notable one way or the other...not a bad thing for a central defender. Pearce - 6 - Did a decent job defending, though T&T found some space on the left in the second half. Need to do a better job playing quickly in the attack. Bradley - 7.5 - Combined very well with Kljestan in the middle. Broke up many attacks, and did not commit a bad foul. Switched point of attack well. Excellent touch on the goal. Kljestan - 6 - Good outing for his first start. Added new dynamic to central midfield, and moved ball quickly and effectively. Great movement off the ball. Still needs more consistency in attack. Dempsey - 8 - Clinical finish on the goal, and great involvement in the build-up. Should have had a PK when he was tackled in the box. Seems comfortable as a right mid who can float inside, and worked more on defense than before. Donovan - 7 - Again served as an attacking link between the midfield and forward lines. Very mobile, and connected with pretty much everybody. Showed an improved initiative 1 v. 1, but didn't have anything to show for it on this night. Excellent assist on the first goal. A few of his through-balls missed the mark Beasley - 6.5 - Starting to come back in to form. Very good read on Dempsey's run for the assist, and good service on the 3rd goal. Still seems tentative, and only started attacking guys 1 v. 1 near the end of the game. Ching - 5.5 - An above-average performance for his ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal. Scored a goal. Still lacks quickness in attack that stalled a few opportunities. Would like to see him convert one of his other chances. Subs Clark - 5 - Very up and down performance. A few too many giveaways for my liking. Did better playing simple balls in the midfield. Johnson - 4 - Added nothing to the attack, and looked out of sync Lewis - 5 - Didn't get hurt? Can't remember him doing much one way or the other
(I use the "6 = average" system.) Howard - 6.5 Cherundolo - 5.5 Onyewu - 7 Bocanegra - 6.5 Pearce - 6.5 Bradley - 7 Kljestan - 6 Beasley - 6 Dempsey - 7 Donovan - 7 Ching - 6.5 Clark - 6.5 Johnson - 5 Lewis - 6 Picking a MOTM is difficult... I'm gonna go with Gooch, because I've given it to Howard twice recently in games where Gooch was our most effective field player, and he's one of a couple of guys you could give it to today. Dempsey would also not be a bad choice.
Not picking on you, although I disagree with Cherundolo effectiveness, but he really shouldn't get points for standing on the post. It's basic. Someone had to be there.
Howard - 7 Solid as always. Dolo - 6 Another boneheaded card. Gooch - 8 He has been our best player during the past year. Boca - 7 Played the ball instead of hoofing it. Pearce - 6 My guess is he did what he was told to do (stay home). Beasley - 6 Knows where to go and what to do, just doesn't have the ability to get it done at times. Kljestan - 5 The idea was right (a more attack-oriented mid) but he's not ready to be that player for the USMNT. Bradley - 7 Is at his best when the game is wide open. Donovan (MOTM) - 8 If only he was surrounded by better attacking talent (or any attacking talent). Ching - 5 Nice guy. Good MLS player. Bad choice for a national team with any ambition at all. Dempsey - 7 At his best when he gets to go wherever the hell he wants on the field. Lewis - 5 If not for Dempsey grabbing his hammy, I'd be questioning this sub. Johnson - 4 Absolutely no contribution to a game that screamed for his supposed abilities. Clark - 6 Some nice moments. At least one bad moment.
6 = Average Howard - NR Cherundolo - 5 - worked hard & overlapped...errant crosses though Onyewu - 8 - didn't put a foot in the wrong place the entire match Bocanegra - 7 - Quietly did his job...not as many errant clearances today either Pearce - 6 Dempsey - 8 - MOTM...very active & involved. Played with confidence. Kljestan - 7 - solid performance...more involved in attack than Mastro/Clark/Edu Bradley - 7 - good performance...He seems to be growing into his role Beasley - 6 - Very nice assist to Dempsey, and played the ball for Ching's goal, but still rusty Donovan - 6 - I hold him to a higher standard, but I'd like to see him impose himself more Ching - 6 - +1 for goal...lacks the mobility & ball skill needed for a lone striker Subs: Clark - 6 - didn't make any mistakes Johnson - 4 - not impressed...he needs to learn to stay onside Lewis - NR - didn't catch enough of him to make an accurate judgment.
exactly. You get points deducted for not doing the basic skills of the job, not for actually being an extension of the post.
Howard: 6 Dolo: 6 Gooch: 6.5 Boca: 6.5 Pearce: 6 Kljestan: 6 Bradley: 7 Dempsey: 7 Donovan: 6.5 Beasley: 5.5 Ching: 5.5 A 3-0 win without any real stand out performances.
Howard - 6 Pearce - 5.5 Onyewu - 7 Bocanegra - 6 Cherundolo - 5.5 Beasley - 6 Kljestan - 5 Bradley - 6.5 Dempsey - 6.5 Donovan - 5.5 Ching - 6.5 Johnson - dont remember Clark - dont remember Lewis - dont remember
Another Cuba-type performance? The game against Cuba was one of his finest performances in a USMNT jersey. When the team was under pressure and the midfield was crumbling (Beasley and Edu), Bradley was the rock. He completed 97% of his passes. That's not an erroneous number either, as he also attempted the most passes too. He always positions himself well to receive the ball and take the pressure off of his teammates. What else do you want from a d-mid whose job is to link the defense and the midfield?
Bradley was invisible for most of the game against Cuba. Counting 3 yard back-passes isn't impressive either. He's not a rock, he's a kid with good upside.
Baseline 6 rating: Howard (6) - Did what he was asked to do, wasn't tested much Cherundolo (5) - Attacked a couple of times nicely, was skinned by the Trinidadian left winger in the second half on more than one occasion. Onyewu (6.5) - Has been pretty consistent for us lately Bocanegra (6) - Best game from him in a while Pearce (5.5) - Most invisible of the back 4, but definitely not a liability. Kljestan (4.5) - Terrible game from him, turned the ball over in midfield way too often, but good to see him on the field, he'll be fine. Bradley (6) - Took his goal well, couple of sloppy giveaways, a couple of nice plays -- overall, average and acceptable Beasley (5.5) - Beasley has to stop missing empty nets, it's getting silly. He's always had the touch of sex offender, so I am not going to hold it against him this game. He got into dangerous positions, but he will be much more effective when the midfield can put balls into space behind the last defender for him to run on to. Dempsey (6.5) - Most lively he's looked for us in a while. Donovan (8) - Man of the match by a country mile. Was all over the field and his distribution warranted another 2-3 goals for us. Ching (4) - Shocking. Should have had a hat-trick, he was essentially the 5th defender on the Trinidadian backline as he stopped as many attacks as they did. ---- Clark (5) - Neutral. Lewis (5) - See Clark. GAM (3) - As if it was possible to make Ching look good in a game he was terrible, GAM managed to do just that. That actually took talent to do, and I am moderately impressed.
3-0 against a very weak looking T&T team and every one is happy. I think the ratings were a tad bit too generous. Howard - 7 OK, he made the saves, but what I liked was his distribution. I'd rather see him throw the ball 20-40 to a teammate rather than booting it down the field and losing possession...so, I thought it was a definite improvement. The defense as a whole looked fine, althought they bent a little when T&T put some pressure on in the second half. I liked the fact that the back four distributed more on the ground than simply hitting long balls in the air that give up possession. Dolo - 5.5 Is he on the downward slide? His crosses were OK, his runs were less than what we have seen in the past, and his defense...that stupid foul says more about his awareness than the fact he got beat. Gooch - 7 Much improvement. Solid in the air and his footwork looks much better. Much better distribution. Boca - 6.5 Pretty steady. Better distribution Pearce - 5.5 Was he ordered not to push forward? Either his confidence is shot or it was an order, because he was shying away from trying to go around people. He made more passes backward and laterally than I've seen from him in a while. Beasley - 6.5 Looking better. Would like to seem him have an easier time getting by people. Bradley - 6.5 He's only 21 and he looks solid. If he's going to be the Dmid sitting in front of the back four, he can't give the ball away, hence the lower rating. Kljestan - 7 Looks really good. He should be in Europe soon. Seem to team well with Bradley. Dempsey - 6.5 He played better than he has in the past, but I think people are overrating him. Donovan - 7 Clearly our best player. I like seeing him on the left and pushing inside with Beasley making a crossing run. He's far more dangerous in the middle than on the flank. Since he is our best player, I'd rather see him be more selfish and try to keep the ball more instead of passing to Ching or Johnson - those passes result in nothing, so why not keep it and try to go around 2 defenders? If he does get a reputation for keeping it, then it should draw more defenders. Ching - 4.5 He works hard, but so what? What does he produce? And his finishing...? I mean, he's better than EJ, but that's not saying much. He's a forward and can't get by even a single defender, can't finish a ball with either one or two touches, and even with a step on a defender he can't take advantage. Let's hope the plan is that he's a placeholder for Jozy to come in...soon. EJ - 1 He's several levels below Ching - WOW. Enough said. Benfica has to be thrilled that transfer never worked out. Clark - 4 Definitely a notch below Kljestan/Bradley regardling quality. The good/bad thing from this game is that we should see more pressure from the opposition, trying to force us to do something stupid, but that should open the field up a little. If we are able to finish better from open play we should have no trouble getting to SA. However, between the giveaways in our half and if we rely on set pieces and can't finish from open play, my fear is that our nerves will be frayed in the spring.
They can only play the team on the field. We had our way with these guys in the first half, looked a little nervy in the first 15 of the second, and then Ching's goal sealed the deal. The last 20 minutes were disjointed, but we still had the better of the play (A few corner kicks and Kljestan's shots that were blocked.) I gave the team a 7 overall on the Sam's Army site. There's always room for improvement, but on Wed night, they were very solid.
Classic and right on. There for awhile I thought I was in an alternate universe. Ching scored and Bradley subbed out!