[R] US vs. Guatemala - Rate the Players

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by lmorin, Nov 20, 2008.

  1. Bigrose30

    Bigrose30 Member+

    Sep 11, 2004
    Jersey City, NJ
    As I don't hide, I don't rate Pearce at all. For a guy that plays that position exclusively he doesn't strike me as having the best judgment going forward, and he doesn't seem comfortable on the ball. Defensively, he gets abused by anyone with pace. Even if Bornstein makes mistakes, he's got loads of pace to get back. His crossing was a bit off, but it is usually better, and it will get better.

    I'll hold to my previous statement, I think Bornstein wins the job if he stays healthy and plays left back every week. Doesn't matter what league.
     
  2. deuteronomy

    deuteronomy Member+

    Angkor Siem Reap FC
    United States
    Aug 12, 2008
    at the pitch
    Club:
    Siem Reap Angkor FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Brad Guzan: 6 Mosty untested, I would like for him to make quicker distribution decisions
    Jonathan Bornstein: 4 A good thing "El Loco" did not play. nice quickness
    Clarence Goodson: 5 A pleasant surprise composed
    Michael Parkhurst: 5 Organized nicely, did not have to do much
    John Thorrington: 5 Surprisingly efficient, quite spirited
    Ricardo Clark: 6 Worked hard, needs a better touch
    Freddy Adu: 7 Nice goal, a bit overimpressed with himself for my liking
    Pablo Mastroeni: 7 MOTM did a very nice job, foolish challenge on yellow
    Sacha Kljestan: 7 Worked quite hard, needs to make every pass count
    Davy Arnaud: NR
    Jozy Altidore: 7 Played well, always a threat needs to work a bit harder and learn the runs.
    Kenny Cooper: Useful player needs more looks, promising
    Brian Ching: NR
    Conor Casey: NR
     
  3. FnordUnitedFC

    FnordUnitedFC Member

    Jun 22, 2006
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My ratings (6 = base)

    Guzan (6) - Gives me confidence as a #2 keeper, which is all you ask of him. Made the one good save he needed to make.

    Thorrington (6) - Quiet evening for the backline as a whole but did nothing to discourage me.

    Parkhurst (6) - Calm presence in the back. Looks to be one of those fringe 23 man players right now.

    Goodson (5.5) - Not good enough to make the best 23 man team we have, but wasn't a problem last night.

    Bornstein (4) - If he played any position other than LB he'd be about ninth on the depth chart. As it is he belongs somewhere between a blind man and a one-legged giraffe out at LB. Defensive liability, and, just as criminal, completely ended three brilliant build-ups with shocking balls to the middle. He can't even cross the street never mind a soccer ball.

    Clark (6.5) - Good, solid game from Rico. Played some very decisive and cutting balls in midfield.

    Mastroeni (5.5) - Solid game from him too. His fault on the yellow gets shared with the manager, since he had no business being on the field in a 2-0 match with 20 minutes to play on a yellow.

    Kljestan (7) - Sublime from him today. Showed a cutting edge not often seen in our midfield.

    Adu (7) - The maestro in midfield came up good this game. Clearly dangerous with the ball at his feet. Played a ball to the left-wing that no one else on the team can play. His passing cuts through a defense, and gives us options no one else does. And what a way to open your international account. He would have been rated higher, but he is still getting knocked off the ball far too much right now, and he is far from polished.

    Altidore (7.5) - Man of the Match - Should have scored, or at least shot, in the 14th minute when played through clean on goal. Delivered a brilliant ball to Cooper for the opener. Tormented the Guatemalan defense all night, they had no answers for him. The boy is a handful, a combination of size, pace, and, most importantly, skill that the US simply doesn't have elsewhere.

    Cooper (6.5) - One off the bar (debatably offside) and one in the net. He certainly doesn't have the flash that Jozy has, but damn if he doesn't know where the goal is located. Not sure what else you really want from your striker. The boy scores, and scores often. Good enough for me.

    Subs:

    All (No rating) - Game was pointless as a meaningful contest when they came in, and nothing of note happened.

    Bob (lineup: 9 -- Halftime: 10 -- Substitutions: 5)

    Starting lineup was a good one given the personnel. The four midfielders turned his empty bucket into a box (not sure if that was his intention, but he gets the credit for it). Clearly starting the 2 DM was a guard in case Adu/Kljestan were getting overrun defensively, but it worked well. The Jozy/Cooper pairing clearly has potential.

    Halftime came and we had everything but the goal. We looked good, created many chances, and clearly were dominating. I was praying that Bob would leave the same team on for another 25 minutes or so to see if they could break through finally, and he did just that. Gave them time to jell and get the result.

    Substitutions for Altidore/Cooper weren't ones I would have made, but I am not going to get upset over that one. The one glaring mistake he made all night was not bringing card magnet Mastroeni off immediately after the second goal. Yes it was a soft card, and yes it was Mastroeni's fault, but, ultimately, he shouldn't have been on the pitch at that time.

    Overall, any complaints I have in either the players or the staff is minimal. Job well done. We have our issues, but so does everyone in the Hex, and we look as complete as anyone else does right now (Honduras included).

    Bring on the Hex!
     
  4. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    I see it as being pretty obviously by design. First off, you take two wingers and play them both on their off-foot on their off-side, which encourages them to cut in and play in the hole whenever they get the chance. Then you line up two converted wingers as fullbacks known more for their propensity to get up than their marking. And then 2 DMs in the central midfield.

    That's got box-by-design written all over it.

    Agree that, aside from the personnel at fullback, it worked out pretty well.
     
  5. hoya

    hoya Member

    Feb 8, 2008
    New York
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Yea I agree. Gotta give Bob some credit here cause it worked very well. Unfortunately this is not something I could see working out against a better opponent. Our fullbacks, even our starters IMO, would get torn up.
     
  6. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Again, agree. This was a coaching decision based on the personnel at hand and the opponent, geared primarily I'd say to giving the young attacking players the best opportunity to shine while playing some free-flowing football. The opponent wasn't that likely to expose us, and if all failed, a loss in this game had no implications, qualification-wise.

    In all, one of Bob's savvier moves.

    I don't see him repeating this in the first game of the Hex...
     
  7. othakidfrmaltalomahs

    Jan 25, 2008
    RC/ALTA LOMA
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    i dont think any of us do...except maybe the combination up top...but probably later in the hex so i guess ur right haha
     
  8. ATLGunner

    ATLGunner Member

    May 8, 2005
    Atlanta
    But the fact he could improvise is a good sign. I wish he would do it more.
     
  9. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I didn't see all of the match so only have general impressions on the game and players. First impression was that this match certainly showed the difference between playing CONCACAF opponents home and away. In Guat, they pressed continuously. In this match, not at all. Also, with the clearer TV feed, it became more apparent that Guat was playing among the land of the giants.

    GK: No issues here. 6
    Defense: Bornstein - 4.5 - I wouldn't give up on him. Maybe the rest
    of his game will grow into his pace
    Parkhurst 6 - composed
    Goodson 6 - composed
    Thorrington 6 - Interesting seeing him there. Didn't look out
    of place
    Clark 6 - He delivered some nice flighted passes,
    covered well, could be cleaner with the ball
    Kljestan 6.5 - we need guys with the kind of motor Sacha
    has. Just seems to miss some passes that
    I believe he will find a way of making as he
    matures.
    Mastro 7 - Provided the composure and grit in the
    middle that you want from veteran players
    except the YC at the end (even though a soft
    call)
    Adu 7 - Created problems for Guat. Liked the shot
    he generated off the dribble. Provided the
    passes that only he can on the US. Nice free
    kick goal, but why was he trying to go for
    goal on the first free kick from almost 30 yds
    out? Not near enough leg for that. Can
    he do this against stronger teams?

    Cooper 7 - He should get more time to get settled with
    the team and see what he can do in bigger
    matches. I like the off ball runs he makes
    and he does know how to finish.
    Nice goal.

    Altidore 7 - Great pass for goal. Strong on the ball.
    His off ball runs will need to get better
    particularly against stronger teams.


    [
     
  10. FirstStar

    FirstStar Hustlin' for the USA

    Fulham Football Club
    Feb 1, 2005
    Time's Arrow
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I predict the USA starts at least one WC match in South Africa with Jozy and Charlie paired up top.
     
  11. mcadaal

    mcadaal Member

    Apr 11, 2007
    Virginia Beach, VA
    I'm a tough critic because we played against a low quality side like Guatemala.

    1. Bornstein - 2 (Looked like he did not belong on the field at all.)
    2. Adu - 3 (Too many turnovers and bad passes, but some good passes as well and a nice goal. He is still inconsistent. Let's face it - he is right now only good for a late sub. Why give him the full 90 if he can't give us a GOOD full 90.
    3. Sasha - 3.3 (Why doesn't he know what he is going to do with the ball before he receives it???? A lot of his passes could have been one-touch, but because his vision on the field is not there before he receives the ball he ends up turning it over. I would like to see you get replaced with Edu if you can't improve this fault.. YOU NEED TO BE QUICKER).
    4. Parkhurst - 3.5 (Why just kick the ball up-field sometimes..it really makes no sense..it's like what Bocanegra does sometimes..hail-marys just will not work at this level.)
    5. Guzan - 4 (You didn't play much, but when you do.. Why do these hail marys like Parkhurst?? I hope you did this because your defenders were terrible, except for Goodson.)
    6. Mastro - 4 (Good defense, but you to have a lot of trouble actually creating something up front. I would like to see you get replaced with Bradley).
    7. Clark - 4.2 (Saw some good plays and made some good quick one-touch passes, but sometimes turned the ball over with a bad pass.)
    8. Altidore - 9 (How does he keep improving so much? I have never seen a player improve their game so much by just going to Europe. I can't wait for the future.)
    9. Cooper - 6 (Did well. I hope that if he goes overseas that he can improve as much as Altidore.)
    10. Thorrington - 4.4 (Not bad, but nothing spectacular.)
    11. Goodson - 5 (Easily the best defender of the match.)

    After seeing this game, I had to reasses the overall midfield rankings for the USMNT and here they are. I am convinced that this a battle between Edu and Torres for the Second Place Ranking.

    1) Bradley
    2) Edu or Torres
    3) Sasha (if he can figure out what he is going to do witht he ball before he receives it, he will be BETTER than Bradley.)
    4) Clark or Mastro
     
  12. Peretz48

    Peretz48 Member+

    Nov 9, 2003
    Los Angeles
    I wouldn't characterize you as a tough critic, maybe an erratic one. Nobody ever gets a 2 unless they bite off the ear of an opposing player. Bornstein was not great, but that's overdoing it. And why give Sacha a 3.3 when you could just as easily have given him a 3.4 or 3.5?
     
  13. Mr Martin

    Mr Martin Member+

    Jun 12, 2002
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Goodness, if you can't see the totally obvious difference between a 3.3 and a 3.4, then you need to have your head examined.

    :p

    :D
     
  14. mcadaal

    mcadaal Member

    Apr 11, 2007
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Yea, I second that (Yes, I know I am making fun of myself). :D
     
  15. mcadaal

    mcadaal Member

    Apr 11, 2007
    Virginia Beach, VA
    I stick by my 2 for Bornstein. He was just terrible. Maybe he should join boxing and become Tyson's protege to learn the best way to rip off an ear.. That way, he will actually succeed at completing something unlike all the passes and crosses he made.
     

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