To the Scots on the other thread leading up to this game talking smack like Scotland was gonna be boss tonight over our guys, please go eat a bag of dicks. Your boys looked way outta depth in this sport y'all helped invent and even worse they got reduced to schoolboy stature tonight. 5-1. Thanks for coming out. Now, what a change in style and approach under JK. The formation was correct and the guys responded with excellent movement and crisp passing, in the final 3rd just clinical. I enjoyed every moment of the match. Dale U.S.A.!
On the contrary - suck it you "anti-nepotism" people. Many (most?) of us had problems with BB's use of MB - never MB himself. This is only further confirmation.
Going to have to see if this was just a fluke against a Scotland team having a bad night, but definitely liked what I saw. The rumors of the death of Donovan are certainly premature.
I don't think so. While he had problems with spacing he's refined that and always should have started except for when he was locked out at Aston Villa. Daddy's boy starts because he's good.
Scotland were beyond crap but we still played well, moved the ball around very well. Donovan and Bradley obviously were great, also Jones and Fabian Johnson were quality. Johnson on that left side surging forward is a beautiful sight.
Doesn't get much better than that. Scary thing is that we could've scored even more goals. Donovan, Bradley, Torres, Johnson...quality performances. Like what I've been seeing from this team lately. Brazil will be the real test.
YES. Did I say otherwise? God it's tiresome. Once more. Slowly: It was not THAT BB used him. It was HOW. Got it?
Kudos to Klinsmann for managing to accomplish something that Bob Bradley unsuccessfully attempted on a number of occasions -- that is cramming a ton of holding midfielders onto the field at once in order to get the best available 11 out there and still managing to play a fluid, attacking game.
I'll take your word but many other's didn't use that argument. They'd just go with coaches son, ODP, typical American soccer system stuff.
Give it a rest already, Bradley played great and scored a pretty goal and made a nice pass to contribute to the 5th. But that 5th goal was a Landon special - dropping the ball on Jermaine's head; and Jermaine powering it into the corner while falling back to reach the ball. And yeah, better drop the Bradley/Xavi comparisons. Bradley's passing accuracy and range has increased tremendously in his Italian study year; but he's no Xavi, let's not kid ourselves.
Not much not to like, except for the own goal and the fugly new kit. I thought they were crowding themselves too much in the center 0f the pitch at first but it sorted out. If MB's goal was in a game that counted it would have been US All Time Top Ten.
This game could have been worse. Torres hit the post with his quick thinking free kick. He should have just put it on net. No way the goalie would have gotten there! Then Donovan hit the post. Was hoping Boyd would get a goal. He did well but would have been nice to have Jozy in there.
I Agree. i was hoping we woulden't see this. After the Bradley goal, Jones was as the NBC commentator said "Mr. All over the field" and it can be argued the most influential (non-donovan) player in that game was Jones because he was playing as the #8 and had 2nd most amount of points behind Donovan's 4. But who cares. We don't need to pimp or exaggerate a certain player up like Bradley like this "I'd go as far to say that he put in our best individual performnce in almost a decade". when he already is one of our best. no Need. And anybody who doubts Bradley being one of the best needs to go away. at the same time no exaggerations please!
Exactly, especially as a team that does utilize the flanks very well. That's one major aspect of the test coming up. The other is simply that it's Brazil. We've beaten them once. I am believing, though, that the combination of the new pool additions and Klinsmann's influence and a couple of players playing really well (including Dempsey and Altidore who were out, though) that we're coalescing into a very good national side that is better than we're currently regarded or that we were when we were beaten by Mexico last summer. Honestly, about half of what Klinsi does I disagree with, sometimes vehemently. (3 DMs again?! At home against Scotland?!) But it's worked, and not through luck and flukey play and simply grinding out results. We're playing very well right now in almost every phase. One case of ball-watching but otherwise good defense. Possession through the middle of the park. Playing out of the back. Moving forward with numbers on the counter. Well-worked build-up play and some creativity in the attacking third. Even some good finishing for a change. This is a good team. Brazil of course will be a stern test that I expect will probably bring us back to earth a bit. But this team can play.
Honestly, Bradley and Jones were both outstanding in every phase today. Not to mention Mr. I'm Bored So I Think I'll Score Me A Hattrick. (Or Torres, who I was also very impressed with against a side I didn't think he'd show well against.)
It might have been many posts, but it was never many posters. I bet you could not find more than 3 regular posters who took the position that MB was not good enough. Then there was always a sizable contingent who maintained the nepotism was more subtle, with some of us even taking the position that BB was not *favoring* his son but *hurting* him.