You realize this would require players faster than the ones we currently have, correct? You cannot have a counter if the fastest person on your team is your left back. I have a feeling this is why the U.S. dropped off so noticeably once Davies was out of the picture. We don't have a fast striker to pick up a ball in stride and slot it home. Going back to a 4-4-2 and bunkering would only end up with us scoring even less (pretty hard to do) goals and instead spend the entire game in our half. We just don't have the striker with electric pace to spark counters, so every suggestion that a shift back to a 4-4-2 with a total of 3 positive passes per game will see us become a juggernaut is mind numbingly dumb.
Chandler is an enormous upgrade over bornstein. So it's good to see that our back line looks so good. Honestly, cherundolo had arroyo or whoever cordoned off on every last move. Gooch reads the game so well and is unbeatable in the air. I wish that bocanegra had more speed and wouldn't blast balls out of the back so often. I see the worst thing with this team is not trying to play more possession necessarily but that it's really hard to get behind the defense when you play that way unless you pull the defense all over the field with incisive passing like Spain does all day long. I really think we'd be much better in a 442.
Ok, I didn't mention the three times he was stripped cleanly of the ball, but now I feel compelled to mention it.
Great comedy, BS. I looked outside, the sky is not falling. We'll be fine. Plenty of good things in this game, even if that means verifying some guys aren't ready for the big stage (e.g. Ream, Beckerman, Edu).
Short of Mr. Ream, D looks good. CM: typically undependable, where is Torres??? Bradley needs to learn how to corner kick. Must pray for Holden miracle recovery. Strikers: LD absence puts much pressure on Dempsey. Outthedoor was OK, Buddle horrible. The US SORELY needs an offense, should commence a nationwide search tomorrow. USMNT first touch remains AYSO quality.
Second game winning goal Tim Ream gets beat for this year..... Not ready for primetime. And it might have been the only clear chance we gave up, but we didn't create much either. I hate to agree with Lalas but I too think Chandler is the answer at LB. Just a better player than Lichaj. And I also hate to agree with Harkes but Gooch was very strong. Welcome back big guy. The CMs all did some good things but there is no playmaking ability there and when they can't get it to Dempsey, we get no chances. Altidore is McBride 2000-1, does everything but bloody score. Really missed him when he was subbed. I like Williams, might like to see him in the middle once. Shea is dangerous every game.
Quick thoughts. *It's very good to have Gooch back. *Williams consistently ran out of ideas and got into trouble in the final third. *Agudelo isn't there yet. I'm going to keep beating my Herc Gomez drum. *Bradley should start next game. *Jozy and Shea combined well. I hope this is the start of a beautiful relationship.
I'm TRYING to be optimistic about Jurgen...still early days I suppose, but he hasn't really shown much as far as implementing a creative attack going forward. However, I think the most telling information that can be learned is that we just don't have the players.
For Olympic qualifying, yes. As one of the 3 overage players allowed to be taken to London, he's still eligible. And, I forgot about Camp Cupcake...no, I don't want him there either.
Spector and Ream playing on the same back line is a recipe for disaster. One can't play D and one can't match up physically. Charlie Davies accident continues to hurt this team. He is the type of poacher/hustler this team needs, but I don't ever see him back to what he was. Maybe Klinsi can hire a Dutch assistant and we can start looking for those Dutch/Americans .
Other random comments... On the positive, we have found our starting back four. Once Lichaj comes back from injury, hopefully Klinsy will stop calling in Spector. He needs to admit to himself at this point that Ream and Orozco are not ready. Time to bring in guys like John, Gonzalez and Cameron who I believe will add youth and depth to this back four. Watching Edu in the first half got me thinking how much more capable Feilhaber or Diskerud would be in that position. Edu should be competing with Beckerman. He is best when things are kept simple. Bradley was much better. We have almost no depth behind Jozy. The drop off was sharp after he left the game. That being said, Buddle is much more ready to contribute than Agudelo. Considering form, I would like to see Wondo and Findley brought in.
That's part of the problem though, for both him and Beckerman. Michael Bradley was 28 of 36, but the 6-7 set pieces are included as successful/unsuccessful. Edu has a bad habit of disappearing from passing moves. He needs to get on the ball and move it, not hide from it.
Edu did not look comfortable in the forward offensive position he kept finding himself in. Several times when he got the ball - it was football red zone time... time to show your pointguard passing skills... time to show some creative offensive thought. Edu didn't appear to have any ideas... game was moving too fast for him. If he completed 15/17 passes - I don't recall any that were threatening... or any that made me think 'nice pass!' or 'good vision.' Back and to the side has a place - but he was doing that when it was time to do otherwise. Oh... and nevermind the Charlie Brown whiff and the *gag* on the quick passing combo that ended at his feet. I thought there was another obviously bad flub on the attack, too... but I'll have to rewatch.
Tackled and Possession Lost Beasley - 8 times Bradley - 8 times Beckerman - 9 times Dempsey - 11 times Shea - 6 times Williams -8 times Altidore 4 times Agudelo - 5 times Edu - 4 times
ok, great game, with a lot of good things and some-few.bad things the good ones: 1-gooch. really hope he stays in shape. we have got a really dependable cb 2-chandler- excellent. 3- the first us part- we dominated a very solid team, with some spectacular moves, but the most important thing was 4 -WE WERE DOMINANT AGAINST A VERY GOOD TEAM, with great possession, very good plays, escellent team work, good skill from most of our players. it is becoming quite evident that when us is playing average teams they are on defensive mood, they respect us a lot, they fear us- it is the beggining of any great team to develop- we saw it today, against honduras, even belgiun and costa rica great players-gooch, chandler, edu, williams, altidore, shea, dempsey and , in second part, bradley and, at moments, agudelo.howard also so so-dolo.beckerman.boca. agudelo. not good enough, although with heart- tim ream,budle, spector. beasley threw all he has, heart, but the reality is that he doesn´t belong to this level anymore- very sad for such a character but...it is the sad, sad truth ream does not belong to this level, at least from now. so, i had a very good feeling about the game, because it was the first time , perhaps since that germany or that gold cup final that we won mexico we had areal and VERY STRONG team. with adu instead of beasley, with donovan, with better options as central back to substitute boca-godson? george john?omar gonzalez? geof cameron?unfortunately i do not have the possibility to follow mls every game because i live in portugal , so i really do not have the exact notion of quality mls players around but, with sure there are better optioins available.no more ream, please. one very important is to find good backups to chandler and dolo. beckerman...beckermann.. really a gifted player but not at this level, definetely. lost some bals that thwarted dangerous attack plays and allowed dangerous counters by equador so, no more tim ream, beasley, even spector, unless some calamity happen. time to see good players, le toux, more gonzalez, more george john and cameron, trying new approaches and talent in u-23 to get to the next level first the best 16 and after that, best 8 howard dolo(chandler) gooch- cb -chandler8 OTHER LB) bradley dempsey jones shea altidore (le toux)-donovan( adu, williams, ) ARE INDEED A VERY STRONG INTERNATIONAL TEAM BELONGING TO THE BEST 10 TEAMS AND WITH A BEnCH OF QUALITY like hartmenn, geroge john, gonzalez, more new talents to increase our overall strenght
normalize by minutes played and only Beasley, Bradley, Williams, Dempsey and Shea stick out on that list.