So yeah...if you noticed I pretty much mailed in my pre-game thoughts for the U.S./Haiti 2009 Gold Cup match. (DHL, if you're wondering.)
Nobody told me the U.S. team on the synthetic field at Foxborough got the same memo. (Rim shot.)
At least the game ended 2-2 on Stuart Holden's golazo in stoppage time.
Only U.S. soccer could field a team that beats Spain 2-0, gives Brazil a run for its money in the Confederations Cup final and then three weeks or so later needs a 92nd minute wodnerstrike to save a draw vs. Haiti.
All things considered, if you really want to get worked up over this result, be my guest. If we can collectively put it in context, it looks kinda, sorta, bad, but it's not the end of the world. Beside Brian Ching and Charlie Davies, who both came on as subs, will any of the U.S. XI see the field in South Africa next summer?
I'm caught on the fence. Yeah, it's pretty poor that even the 'B' (or possibly 'C') U.S. team barely managed a 2-2 draw with Haiti at home. On the other hand, in light of everything else that's happened that last month, if it worth getting that upset about? This was a limp showing, but it wasn't nearly on the level of the first two Confederations Cup matches.
Everyone is due a mulligan, especially in a non-knockout match. I'll even say the second Haiti goal, though well taken, was fairly fluky.
Why not simply view it with this equation:
Holden = Intriguingly good 2010 prospect
Jay Heaps/Luis Robles = Available for parties come June 2010
If you're interested in a more cynical approach, this result could be a bad thing since other than Holden none of the U.S. players fighting for 2010 consideration distinguished themselves. Therefore the 'core players' from the Confederations Cup could have sat on their Lay-Z Boys at home and realized their starting job isn't at all threatened for the next 340 days, give or take. (That sigh of relief you heard, that's Sascha Kljestan and Jonathon Bornstein each given another set of nine international lives.)
We can also deduce Bradley's U.S. forward depth chart reads as follows:
1) Brian Ching
1a) Brian Ching
1b) Brian Ching
1c) Brian Ching
1d) Brian Ching
2) Charlie Davies
3) Jozy Altidore
4) Roy Wegerle
5) Santiago Munez
6) Joe Gaetjens
425) Freddy Adu
886) Kenny Cooper
1,212) Eddie Johnson
This is more of a sting for the players, who collectively missed an opportunity to show they're worthy of consideration. They can put on a brave face and say they showed heart in rallying for the last minute draw, but most of the players out there won't get too many more chances down the line, or even for the rest of this tournament.
Bradley gave four different guys their first shots Saturday (Colin Clark, Sam Cronin, Heaps and Robles) international minutes. It's a little harsh to judge guys on one game, but well, life and international soccer aren't fair. As the Old Head and Shoulders ad cliche went -- "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
It's also a mild indictment on MLS, that a U.S. national team team consisting primarily of MLS regulars couldn't defeat Haiti, which has one MLS guy on its roster, a handful of USLers and the rest from the domestic league. Obviously its not that simplistic, but it still doesn't look good.
If there's any silver lining to this one, at least Bradley didn't kick a Haitian player in the balls in the final 10 minutes.
And hey, the Heurelho Gomes/Dida goal keeping academy just got it's newest member in Robles, to boot.
Nobody told me the U.S. team on the synthetic field at Foxborough got the same memo. (Rim shot.)
At least the game ended 2-2 on Stuart Holden's golazo in stoppage time.
Only U.S. soccer could field a team that beats Spain 2-0, gives Brazil a run for its money in the Confederations Cup final and then three weeks or so later needs a 92nd minute wodnerstrike to save a draw vs. Haiti.
All things considered, if you really want to get worked up over this result, be my guest. If we can collectively put it in context, it looks kinda, sorta, bad, but it's not the end of the world. Beside Brian Ching and Charlie Davies, who both came on as subs, will any of the U.S. XI see the field in South Africa next summer?
I'm caught on the fence. Yeah, it's pretty poor that even the 'B' (or possibly 'C') U.S. team barely managed a 2-2 draw with Haiti at home. On the other hand, in light of everything else that's happened that last month, if it worth getting that upset about? This was a limp showing, but it wasn't nearly on the level of the first two Confederations Cup matches.
Everyone is due a mulligan, especially in a non-knockout match. I'll even say the second Haiti goal, though well taken, was fairly fluky.
Why not simply view it with this equation:
Holden = Intriguingly good 2010 prospect
Jay Heaps/Luis Robles = Available for parties come June 2010
If you're interested in a more cynical approach, this result could be a bad thing since other than Holden none of the U.S. players fighting for 2010 consideration distinguished themselves. Therefore the 'core players' from the Confederations Cup could have sat on their Lay-Z Boys at home and realized their starting job isn't at all threatened for the next 340 days, give or take. (That sigh of relief you heard, that's Sascha Kljestan and Jonathon Bornstein each given another set of nine international lives.)
We can also deduce Bradley's U.S. forward depth chart reads as follows:
1) Brian Ching
1a) Brian Ching
1b) Brian Ching
1c) Brian Ching
1d) Brian Ching
2) Charlie Davies
3) Jozy Altidore
4) Roy Wegerle
5) Santiago Munez
6) Joe Gaetjens
425) Freddy Adu
886) Kenny Cooper
1,212) Eddie Johnson
This is more of a sting for the players, who collectively missed an opportunity to show they're worthy of consideration. They can put on a brave face and say they showed heart in rallying for the last minute draw, but most of the players out there won't get too many more chances down the line, or even for the rest of this tournament.
Bradley gave four different guys their first shots Saturday (Colin Clark, Sam Cronin, Heaps and Robles) international minutes. It's a little harsh to judge guys on one game, but well, life and international soccer aren't fair. As the Old Head and Shoulders ad cliche went -- "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
It's also a mild indictment on MLS, that a U.S. national team team consisting primarily of MLS regulars couldn't defeat Haiti, which has one MLS guy on its roster, a handful of USLers and the rest from the domestic league. Obviously its not that simplistic, but it still doesn't look good.
If there's any silver lining to this one, at least Bradley didn't kick a Haitian player in the balls in the final 10 minutes.
And hey, the Heurelho Gomes/Dida goal keeping academy just got it's newest member in Robles, to boot.
For me, three guys have impressed for 2010 in the Gold Cup:
Davies (natch)
Stu Holden
Robbie Rodgers
The good thing about Holden and Rogers is that they both can play the wings.
All four debutants were awful.
Heaps should have been credited with an assist for Haiti's second goal. That was hard to watch, especially in the Revs' home stadium. (And the Revolution-Wizards game preceding this one was also hard to watch, but for other reasons entirely.)
Your analysis seems pretty dead-on, although I was also impressed by Beckerman in the short time he was on the field. Seemed like he had an excellent passing touch, and did more than his fair share to help the US keep possession. I was sitting on the side of the US goal during the second half, and it seemed like once he came on, all the action was happening at the other end of the stadium. I don't know if there's a place for him on the world cup roster or not, but he and Holden were the two bright spots in a disappointing evening.
Otherwise, yeesh. I was so excited to attend a national team game after the events of the past month, and this is what I got.
the pool of experienced, competent US strikers is alarmingly thin...
Ching is a near-lock to start most of the group stage matches, the big question is if he's paired with another forward or plays alone in a formation stacked with attacking mids (Dempsey, Adu, Donovan, Feilhaber, Bradley, depending on formation)
I think most WC matches will start w/Ching & Davies, with Altidore as 1st sub for Ching, but I'd prefer to see Davies/Altidore, or Dempsey/Davies up top.
if he's paired up or BB committs to a 2fwd attack, I would pick a speedy target FW like Marcus Tracy or Eddie Johnson, provided they have strong club seasons this year. A lot of people want Cooper; he deserves to be in the qualif. pool but should not be on the WC2010 roster.