Match Thread: U20s v. Colombia -- 5/30/13, 11:30 a.m. ET

Too many f*cking fouls!

 

Miller almost made a huge mistake there getting caught trying to settle the ball in his own box near the penalty spot. A Colombian player comes and strips him, then takes a quick shot from about 15 yards which is fortunately blocked by Miller. Too casual in the back from all our guys though.

 

Phil just babbling like a poorly-informed BigSoccer poster about potential alternatives for the US who are actually injured.

 

63' Colombia with a great shot from about 22 yards, off the post, hits McIntosh who knows nothing about it, then McIntosh gathers after it hits the ground. Really lucky not to be down 3-1.

 

McIntosh doesn't seem to see the ball well or anticipate well.

 

Amazed that wasn't a goal. Hell of a strike.

 

Morris squanders a corner he should have buried.

He's shown potential but hasn't gotten the job done.

 

56' Nice hold up play by A. Hernandez the #9. This is what I noticed in the first game, he has a very good hold up game. Unfortunately he promptly gave the ball away moving it towards the middle of the field. Still, he looks promising, really, really nice feet, great first touch. Just needs to work on some of his vision and that will come with experience. He's one to watch.

 

closed stream...too many bad links to deal with at work....will stay tuned to the thread and twitter
though

 

67' Martin on for Trapp.

 

Alot of Colombians are getting touched and falling and the ref is falling for all the theatrics.

 

I'm not sure I'm seeing that. A lot of these fouls are actual fouls.

 

Joya with some good work, but his shot is smashed into row Z.

 

This ref has called it tight from the first minute. Gotta adjust.

 

I thought I'd never say this but we are weak at GK. Cropper and McIntosh don't do it for me. Bono, Gomez????

 

Most of these younger keepers will be irrelevant if guys like Johnson and Hamid pan out (that's a big if, but clearly they are far more talented than these two). Not to mention random guys like Clint Irwin, 24 year olds coming out of nowhere leading GK of the year races in MLS.

 

74' Hernandez off the post after a good little pass from Joya. A minute later he takes a ball down nicely off his chest but his shot is blocked.

 

Payeras = flail.

 

Hernandez and Joya seem to have some understanding, which is nice (and rare among this group of players). Joya has been one of our best since coming on.

 

I've harping on this for a while. Ramos should have been calling in different GK's just to see. Instead he's stuck with Cropper, McIntosh, and Steffen. Call in the college goalies for a look.

 

I'm streaming a few minutes behind you - so I'm looking forward to this play
But, I'm really liking Hernandez in this CF role, really skilled at bringing the ball under control. Should be interesting to see Villareal play off of him at the WC.
Conversely Cuevas did not have a good game against France and hasn't shown me much in his sub appearance in this one. He may be on the bubble.

 

80' Too slow from Danny Garcia there, getting caught in possession after a decent ball from Joya. Yellow for Stanko who has to intervene to interrupt transition. He's been really physical today.

 

Torre and Payeras stink. What's the story with Walker Zimmerman's injury a few days ago?

 

Hernandez has been better in the second half but he should have done better with his chance in the first and his hold-up play/running off defenders was pretty poor. Then again, we looked poor for much of the first half, so its hard to pass that much judgement on just him.

We run out of ideas in the final third and when we do have an idea, we execute it at a snail's pace. Stark contrast from Colombia and France.

 

FT: 2-1 and we're almost definitely out barring quite a few results going our way.