Honduras...again...?
Really?
It's weird how she goes with the U.S. national team. A couple years ago it seemed like Panama was there at every turn. Then it was, unfortunately, the anti-soccer of Guatemala that seemingly was standing in front of the U.S. every other match.
Now that onus falls to Honduras, which will play the U.S. for the third time in less than two months.
Color me excited.
Honestly, I've gritted my teeth and slogged by way through the Gold Cup this far so there is no turning back. That said, what was supposed to be an evaluation tool for Bob Bradley & Co. has devolved into a war of attrition as the team shuttles players in and out of the lineup.
And if this was about building depth, what have we learned thus far?
That the only thing that will stop Brian Ching for a starting spot on the 2010 World Cup team is a dose of leprosy?
That Stuart Holden has a little moxie on the right side?
That the U.S. doesn't have much in the free kick taker department?
That of all players, Davy Arnaud actually looks like he could bring a little something to the attack?
That Kyle Beckerman, despite his 'Caveman's Valentine' dreadlock wig, is a fairly decent albeit flawed central midfielder putting him about 87th on the U.S. depth chart?
Maybe the biggest revelation is this -- perhaps we've come to the point as a soccer nation that not every single American born player (or with American ties) with a shred of talent needs to be considered for the U.S. player pool.
It would be something if the U.S. had a historically tried-and-true system, say the classic Dutch 4-3-3, were you could plug players into different roles and see if they could work.
As it stands, we pretty much know the U.S. depth chart. A slew of central midfielders with defensive tenancies, a stable of strong, solid center backs, a thinning goalkeeper reserve and major holes on the outside and at the top.
Maybe this isn't an issue. Bradley seems to have settled on a familiar 4-4-2, or maybe more of a 4-4-1-1. We get the two beloved holding midfielders, with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey in the wide midfield spots.
In this type of a set up, it's not so much the system that will determine results, but the players. We saw the U.S. ripped to shreds with a 4-4-2 in the first Confederations Cup match vs. Brazil, then a week later take a 2-0 lead with pretty much the same players and formation against that same Brazil team.
So it's almost as if for the U.S. to be successful its top players need to bring a little bit of that extra juice to the table, or at least play with confidence. At this point in the 2010 cycle, the U.S. is all about players, as opposed to a system. It's a bit of a contradiction since Bradley wants players that fit "the system" but for "the system" to be successful those players need to play at their peak.
And so far in the Gold Cup, aside from Holden, where have we seen a player that really stands out when he's clicking on all cylinders?
Despite all that I've written, Thursday's game in Chicago is still a semifinal of a tournament. There's no magic switch that can be flipped to turn these MLS grinders into champagne football players either.
At the very least we should be a tad grateful the U.S. has these grinders to field a competent team in a FIFA tournament as opposed to grinding the bones of the 'A' team players into dust when a trip to the Confederations Cup isn't waiting at end of the rainbow.
And if you want to look at things from a different perspective, unlike 90 percent of CONCACAF games, the U.S. roster as it stands is almost on a level playing field with their opponents and will have bring its best to get by Honduras in the semifinal and either Mexico or Costa Rica in the final.
I'd say that's a welcome and maybe knocks down our American elitism and egos down a peg for a little bit and makes Thursday's game fairly compelling. Even as we progress as a soccer nation, we can't turn up our noses at a tournament, albeit one that leaves the heart searching for excitement.
Miscellania:
* For what it's worth, Heath Pearce is officially listed as "Out of club" status.
* No red cards through four matches with CONCACAF refs counts for something, right?
* Will Ching, by default, get the captain's armband with Jimmy Conrad likely sidelined? Is there any other candidate?
* If there's one concern for this match, it's the defense as a whole. Michael Parkhurst is really going to have to step up his game.
* Let's hope Beckerman and Holden keep taking cracks from distance, because it's hard to see a goal coming during the run of play, unless Ching is wearing his finishing boots.
* It's two-straight matches the U.S. had to rally to get results, doing it a third time seems unlikely.
* Beckerman and Logan Pause in the middle of the field are probably the key, since they'll have to keep possession of the ball and there's really nobody on the bench to step in if they falter.
* Maybe the oddest thing about this tournament is through four matches we've hardly learned anything about Troy Perkins and if he can be keeper No. 3 for 2010, which isn't exactly the most pressing matter in the world.
Really?
It's weird how she goes with the U.S. national team. A couple years ago it seemed like Panama was there at every turn. Then it was, unfortunately, the anti-soccer of Guatemala that seemingly was standing in front of the U.S. every other match.
Now that onus falls to Honduras, which will play the U.S. for the third time in less than two months.
Color me excited.
Honestly, I've gritted my teeth and slogged by way through the Gold Cup this far so there is no turning back. That said, what was supposed to be an evaluation tool for Bob Bradley & Co. has devolved into a war of attrition as the team shuttles players in and out of the lineup.
And if this was about building depth, what have we learned thus far?
That the only thing that will stop Brian Ching for a starting spot on the 2010 World Cup team is a dose of leprosy?
That Stuart Holden has a little moxie on the right side?
That the U.S. doesn't have much in the free kick taker department?
That of all players, Davy Arnaud actually looks like he could bring a little something to the attack?
That Kyle Beckerman, despite his 'Caveman's Valentine' dreadlock wig, is a fairly decent albeit flawed central midfielder putting him about 87th on the U.S. depth chart?
Maybe the biggest revelation is this -- perhaps we've come to the point as a soccer nation that not every single American born player (or with American ties) with a shred of talent needs to be considered for the U.S. player pool.
It would be something if the U.S. had a historically tried-and-true system, say the classic Dutch 4-3-3, were you could plug players into different roles and see if they could work.
As it stands, we pretty much know the U.S. depth chart. A slew of central midfielders with defensive tenancies, a stable of strong, solid center backs, a thinning goalkeeper reserve and major holes on the outside and at the top.
Maybe this isn't an issue. Bradley seems to have settled on a familiar 4-4-2, or maybe more of a 4-4-1-1. We get the two beloved holding midfielders, with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey in the wide midfield spots.
In this type of a set up, it's not so much the system that will determine results, but the players. We saw the U.S. ripped to shreds with a 4-4-2 in the first Confederations Cup match vs. Brazil, then a week later take a 2-0 lead with pretty much the same players and formation against that same Brazil team.
So it's almost as if for the U.S. to be successful its top players need to bring a little bit of that extra juice to the table, or at least play with confidence. At this point in the 2010 cycle, the U.S. is all about players, as opposed to a system. It's a bit of a contradiction since Bradley wants players that fit "the system" but for "the system" to be successful those players need to play at their peak.
And so far in the Gold Cup, aside from Holden, where have we seen a player that really stands out when he's clicking on all cylinders?
Despite all that I've written, Thursday's game in Chicago is still a semifinal of a tournament. There's no magic switch that can be flipped to turn these MLS grinders into champagne football players either.
At the very least we should be a tad grateful the U.S. has these grinders to field a competent team in a FIFA tournament as opposed to grinding the bones of the 'A' team players into dust when a trip to the Confederations Cup isn't waiting at end of the rainbow.
And if you want to look at things from a different perspective, unlike 90 percent of CONCACAF games, the U.S. roster as it stands is almost on a level playing field with their opponents and will have bring its best to get by Honduras in the semifinal and either Mexico or Costa Rica in the final.
I'd say that's a welcome and maybe knocks down our American elitism and egos down a peg for a little bit and makes Thursday's game fairly compelling. Even as we progress as a soccer nation, we can't turn up our noses at a tournament, albeit one that leaves the heart searching for excitement.
Miscellania:
* For what it's worth, Heath Pearce is officially listed as "Out of club" status.
* No red cards through four matches with CONCACAF refs counts for something, right?
* Will Ching, by default, get the captain's armband with Jimmy Conrad likely sidelined? Is there any other candidate?
* If there's one concern for this match, it's the defense as a whole. Michael Parkhurst is really going to have to step up his game.
* Let's hope Beckerman and Holden keep taking cracks from distance, because it's hard to see a goal coming during the run of play, unless Ching is wearing his finishing boots.
* It's two-straight matches the U.S. had to rally to get results, doing it a third time seems unlikely.
* Beckerman and Logan Pause in the middle of the field are probably the key, since they'll have to keep possession of the ball and there's really nobody on the bench to step in if they falter.
* Maybe the oddest thing about this tournament is through four matches we've hardly learned anything about Troy Perkins and if he can be keeper No. 3 for 2010, which isn't exactly the most pressing matter in the world.
Labels: bob bradley, concacaf, Gold Cup, Soccer, USMNT
0 Responses to “Hey, I know you”
Post a CommentLinks to this post
Create a Link