Pre-match: USA vs Mexico -- Gold Cup Final Sun 7/7

I think the team was a little burned out at this point. They had Confed Cup in 2009 in South Africa, World Cup in 2010 in South Africa and then this Gold Cup in 2011. Can become a grind especially for Euro players.

 

It didn't help that the backline was in complete transition and we were also figuring out our midfield.

We went from a backline of Dolo-Demerit-Gooch-Boca in 2009, to sliding Boca central and slotting Bornstein in during the World Cup. In the Gold Cup, Demerit was gone, Gooch was done and we started Goodson and Lichaj, and both of those guys are just "guys"; nothing special. Bradley was starting the process of rebuilding the defense and it showed.

In midfield, Jones was just being integrated. Holden was starting his perpetual comeback tour. Benny was beginning to show his ass. Bedoya was there but was all workrate. Bradley was entering his prime but we didn't really have a defensive midfielder to shield that bad backline and as a result we got overrun by the first good attack we saw in 2011.

 

Bradley's firing seems a bit harsh in retrospect, but I do recall it's pretty much what everyone on this forum wanted at the time.

Probably also relevant that it was the first time a representative USMNT side had lost to Mexico outside of Mexico in well over a decade. Also I think that tournament featured our first ever loss to Panama, and our first ever Gold Cup loss to a CONCACAF side other than Mexico. The fact that we've repeated all of those milestones since then probably diminishes their impact in retrospect as well.

 

I'm considering your statement here and I'm wondering who Bradley will have to deal with...I can't think of anyone in particular who runs at players with speed on the Mexican side.

Pizarro is not a speed player. Guardado is as old as Bradley. Raul is a post-up 9. Edson A. is not the type to run at defenders.

Rather than direct speed, Bradley will need to be able to shut down passing and some more direct play than we are used to seeing from Mexico. Their imitation Tiki-Taka football will be hard to pull off with McKennie destroying the middle third on the US' defensive end of the field.

I think that Berrhalter went with Morris over Boyd because Morris is a tougher defensive player to deal with. I wouldn't be surprised to see Morris start again so that Pulisic has more freedom to take off with the ball and run so that it continually makes Edson have to be mindful of where Pulisic is at.

 

I don't actually believe in this concept, the players are constantly changing so the idea of staleness is weak. If the coach is good enough and keeps up with the times, there is no natural expiration date IMO.

 

A couple of things about this matchup....

1) Mexico Is Lucky to Be Here.
They looked sloppy against Haiti. They gave up several counter attack opportunities that would have been easily finished by a better team. Jamaica would have won that game before extra time. Their midfield defense was sloppy and they didn't create chances well.

2) The US are just coming into their own under Berrhalter.
Change takes time. This game will be a barometer. We are finally seeing a McKennie/Pulisic-led team and its starting to look pretty decent. This is a team who is not afraid to keep the ball and to be on the front foot. Something will have to give in this game.

 

Bradley suffered from a wandering eye from Sunil. He was on a short leash.

 

that was the consensus and looking back what a horrible consensus that was. Bradley has outperformed us and his replacements in every conceivable way since his (in retrospect) unjust sacking. I hope he gets another shot with Our national team after Egg.

 

He and Vela are sitting in LA over drinks looking at all the garbage that comes with national team ball and saying to themselves "f-ck that noise".

 

This summary is completely disingenuous throughout.

But in particular, you elided the very things that you placed at Bradley's feet after the Mexico match (https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/usa-v-mexico-2nd-viewing.1771860/), which included both the Bornstein substitution (I can find my post saying he should've brought Spector in at RB instead, if you like) and Bob failing to make any tactical adjustments after going down 3-2 (and seeing Bornstein and Lichaj completely "overrun").

 

Also, my personal theory is that Gulati and USSF wanted results in friendlies, while Bradley didn't care in his last few years as coach. The 4-0 against Spain in 2011 was the most flagrant example of his indifference, and IMO it hurt Bradley badly with USSF.

Klinsmann's overemphasis on results in friendlies proves the point.

 

I was at the 2011 final at the rose bowl. Couldn’t believe what I was seeing in the first 30 minutes. Even Adu looked incredible. Then it all fell apart.

They were deserved winners. The 90-10 Mexican crowd were very cool in my opinion. We celebrated loudly at 2-0 and at 3-2 they could have really stuck it to us but I recall a lot of friendliness.

 

The way Berhalter has managed this team does give me some reason for optimism. It hasn't always been pretty, but the team has had rotation and no apparent injury issues.

Win or lose, I want to see a good performance tomorrow. That combined with the fact that the US is missing Adams, Brooks, Yedlin, and Sargent (although Sargent was a coach's choice instead of injury) leaves me with some optimism. Defense is still slow on the outside and we're missing a legit #9 (man, how good would an American version of Jiminez look on this US roster???), but there is some reason to be optimistic.

 

Can you think of any other players that have left their teams during "important" tournaments?

This description seems very forgiving to LD. Something else must have been going on for Bradley to bench him for two games.

 

I mean, his effectiveness was already starting to wane by then; he started the final but had been ineffective starting up until that point; he came off the bench against Panama and set up the winner for Dempsey.

 

All I need to back my assertion is that look on Pulisic’s face after each of his goals. Reminded me of Donovan. That intense desire and hunger and that is contagious!!!

 

Could be; those are money makers for USSF and Bradley certainly cared more about building toward as goal as opposed to winning friendlies, especially 2009-11

 

It's hard to judge that type of thing. Like, I don't know if Klinsmann overemphasized friendlies himself, but goddamn his loudest apologists did...especially after the 2015 Gold Cup.

 

If he was declining in 2011 and wasnt a starter, why such a big deal being left off in 2014?

I dont recall Dempsey ever celebrating a goal like that one against Panama.

I still dont understand why those two left the team during a supposedly important tournament.... or why LD would take a red eye the night before a game.

 

Their respective sisters were getting married, though not to each other - Dempsey's in Texas, Donovan's in California.

 

Somehow, based on your previous multiple comments, I just can't accept that Altidore playing in effect as a 10, would do the USMNT any good.

 

Well aware of that. I have just never heard of that happening in any other "important" soccer tournament.

 

No, that wasn't the intent. Altidore would play as a #9 in front of the midfield, and between the wingers Arriola and Boyd. He wouldn't create anything.

 

Because once he got back he carried the team on his back in qualification in 2013. He wasn't what he previously was, but he certainly made more sense than Brad Davis.

Plus, the decision seemed to look worse in hindsight, not so much because of what the team did or didn't do on the field in Brazil, but also because it became really hard to kick the sense that personal feelings moreso than player evaluation is what made the decision.

 

Landon is one of the most capped players on any team. He was over used by ussf and should have had the good sense to say no sometimes.