The backline messed up on the first goal, with Demerit getting spun, and on the second goal. You can't be happy with a performance like that.
Love the workrate of DeMerit, but this match shows how having slow defenders costs you at this level. We didn't give Ghana too many chances, overall, but when we did we were caught very slow-footed and we paid for it dearly.
We needed Howard today, and he choked the life out of us. Our two best players were absolutely absent. The back line isn't a strength, we all know that. We had to have our keeper compensate, and he failed.
ironic that two defenders who've played in the epl/championship get beaten by a route one over the top ball. should have done better but our defensive liabilities were bound to catch up with us at some point.
Bornstein stole Cherundolo's mojo, apparently. Johnny was superb and Stevie was way, way off from the high level he had been playing at. Obviously, though, it wasn't the fullbacks that were our problem.
If Friedel hadn't retired from international play, we'd have won. Howard's positioning on the first goal was amateurish. Friedel isn't as quick as Howard anymore, but his positioning is immaculate. Howard wasn't any great shakes on the 2nd goal either. I'm not sure exactly how Howard got this rep among US fans as being one of the best keepers in the world. He's not. He's very, very, very good, but not in the top 10. Probably not in the top 20. Spain has 3 keepers better than him.
Howard didn't make the saves he's paid to make. That cost us our first goal. Bocanegra and Demerit were either too slow to read, or too slow period, on the second goal. Bornstein must have been kissing the ground Tony Sanneh was walking on, because his performances of the last two games were the best performances he's ever had in the shirt. Cherundolo was solid and did well when isolated one on one on the right. Overall, two defensive lapses cost us this game, and they were our only two defensive lapses. Ghana failed to connect anywhere near our goal and could only muster shots from far out or inaccurate crosses. We've known this for a long time, but our defense can withstand any offense, but cannot stay focused consistently. Every defender that played for us were solid for the most part, but almost each one had one blunder that cost us.
Because Lalas et al keep telling us he is* just as they did with Kasey Keller in 2006. It really does our players a disservice to overrate them. I like Tim and think he is a very good goalie, but I question his positioning in this game and in the Slovenia game and but for the cross bar, versus Algeria. Kingson, a guy who plays less than Guzan, far outplayed him.
Borestein is not very athletic but he gave it his all today. I actually thought he played well. If Gooch had played Ghana would have torched him.
Howard got outplayed by Kingston today. I'm hoping that Guzan or someone younger steps up in upcoming years, because he was certainly not a top-20 goal in this tournament. Not good enough.
What frightens me is that we can't just blindly hope that in four years time we'll have better quality defenders. Poor defending seems to be systemic throughout US soccer ranks. MLS is a prime example of the lack in sophistication and quality in defending--I've said it before, the quality in play in MLS is at the mercy of the level of defending. Unless the art of defending improves, the overall quality in play will be stymied because poor defending rewards lesser offensive skill, technique, and tactics (so it then lessens the drive to improve offensive sophistication). So many goals are produced simply as a result of poor defensive execution. From the top, down through youth levels we have to change the ways things are coached in this country when it comes to defending: positioning, spacing, and marking. All of this needs to be improved and all of it is ultimately coachable!
Ike Opara looked good yesterday. I agree overall that the defensive youth isn't as promising as the midfield youth. The biggest problem is that every starter, except perhaps Gooch, is now old enough to be put out to pasture. Dolo, Boca, and Demerit should have all played their last games for the US tonight. I know they're still useful, but you've got to get the new blood initiated right away. Our whole back line (almost) needs to be replaced.
Bornstein B+ Dolo D Demerit B Boca D I'm hoping Omar, Boss, Opara...SOMEONE steps up for us soon to fill the gaps we'll have in the back next world cup.
Here's my analysis. Bornstein was our best defender in the WC. Shocking. Absolutely shocking. Dolo started good, got progressively worse. DeMerit is a grenade ready to explode at any minute. Bocanegra is slow and old, but I think we already knew that. We were just hoping he wouldn't get exposed, which he unfortunately did, costing us the quarterfinals.
What happened to Bocanegra on the second goal? He seemed to be running shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ghanaian, then he just pulled up his run. I really think if he'd been able to hold the run all the way through, he would have offered a lot more trouble than DeMerit ultimately did, and that was the difference on that play. (I know it would have left us a man down, but in hindsight, I really wish Bocanegra had fallen on the grenade and pulled the guy down.)
Goal 1 was on Clark. You just can't get dispossed there. After that Demerit tried but couldn't deny the fine shot, but Howard was very small there. Terrible. Goal 2 was pretty much Boca beaten for speed. We knew that could happen. Howard had a chance to come up big but shrunk again. Dolo was o.k., worst game of the tournement, but o.k. Our best defender today was Johnny Bornstein. Unbelievable.