"The Dutch should just run at Jonathan Bornstein all day. Nowhere to hide him out there. And, Jews don't hide well in Holland." -- @Acecowboy (Don't worry, before you call the ADL, he's a member of the Tribe, so he's allowed to make that joke. Ask Jerry Seinfeld.)
"How come the Dutch seem like they have 20 guys out there? " -- @My Dad.
Nederlands 2, USMNT 1.
Oh where to begin from this debacle?
First, why not a positive note? Let's not jump over any building ahead of June just yet. While the Dutch absolutely owned and or pwned the USMNT for 85-odd minutes, it's not as if the possession-based, winger-dominated game employed by the Dutch are the same tactics used by England, Slovenia or Algeria. (Algeria might actually play rugby out there, not quite sure.)
The U.S.'s three Group C opponents are nearly on the level of passing that the Dutch possess. It's hard to think even England, barring a rampant Rooney explosion, will be able to run the U.S. off the field like the Dutch did Wednesday. (How good was Sneijder? Inter president Massimo Moratti must go to bed each night thanking the heavens for Real Madrid's greed last summer. A true Dutch Master.)
Bottom line, the Dutch are ranked No. 3 in the world for a reason.
Was it a little disconcerting that Landon Donovan was basically invisible in this match, and with it the U.S. counterattack? Sure.
That's hardly the biggest issue, though.
What's scariest of all is the absolute lack of depth at the top of the U.S. attack. Jozy Altidore, again, didn't do much when the ball came his way -- aside from a nice crack from distance that almost, nearly miraculously, leveled the game at 2-2 in stoppage time.
Altidore right now is considered the one lock to make the 23-man roster and he's only 20 years old and teases and frustrates all at the same time.
Robbie Findley? The Real Salt Lake forward looked completely out of his element.
Eddie Johnson? What more do you need to know about the ex-GAM than he didn't make an appearance until the 76th minute and the U.S. trailing by two.
Is it possible that Charlie Davies is the Dude's rug? As in he ties the entire U.S. attack together?
And is it borderline insane to pin the hopes of your World Cup campaign on the health of a guy who is lucky to be alive at this point? (Very probably, though stranger things have happened.)
Another silver lining from this match, DaMarcus Beasley, contrary to reports is actually alive. And he might be needed now in South Africa, should the U.S. have to slot either Donovan or Clint Dempsey into a forward position.
As the Carlos Bocanegra late header showed, the U.S. might have any options other than taking a German-like approach and practicing set pieces non-stop.
This lack of forward options is even more of an issue than how easily the Dutch passed the ball around at the Amsterdam ArenA.
How Bradley the Elder goes about fixing or correcting this is going to be the sink-or-swim moment for the U.S. in June. Right now even an Internet know-it-all jerk like myself doesn't have any answers, unless we can dig up some wonder Brazilian striker that nobody knows about and happens to have an American great-great grandmother.
If you'll recall Alf Ramsey guided England to the 1966 World Cup with a team dubbed the "Wingless Wonders". Would that mean Bradley challenge, now, is to guide the U.S. "Headless Horsemen"?
The Born-stein Identity:
If you've watched "Friday Night Lights", the television show that is, you'll no doubt recall the episode where Lyla Garrity (aka Derek Jeter's main squeeze) is the victim of a "slam page" after sleeping with Tim Riggins. (Sorry for no-spoiler alert.)
I don't want to turn this page into a Bornstein Slam Page, but right now is there any redeeming values for the Chivas USA player, unless you're a Honduran?
This feels like a Michael Scott, scenario.
* The pull down on Wesley Sneijder.
* The handball in the box that wasn't called.
* The deflection on Klaas Jan-Huntelaar's strike that proved to be the winning goal?
How many strikes does Bornstein get? I'm serious. When I joke about him being Bob Bradley's other son, I'm not kidding.
Why does Bornstein shift to the inside of the defense when Heath Pearce comes, and doesn't get subbed off for Clarence Goodson until the 86th minute?
It wasn't even the incidents, all game the Dutch attacked at Bornstein, where he left Arjen Robben an ocean of space a couple of times.
If you're Eljero Elia, how did you blow a 1-v-1 on Tim Howard, allowing Bornstein to catch up to you from behind? (Kudos on the neck tat, by the way.)
Mercifully, this was only a friendly, so all of Bornstein's foibles can be forgotten, since they don't mean all that much. Yet he ALWAYS seems to be in the middle of something. And if it happens at the World Cup, Bradley has no justification for having him on the field.
I have nothing against Bornstein, but he isn't up to the intentional standard. I just don't see, even to play devil's advocate, you can defend him after today's performance. It was that bad and could have been even worse if not for the ref keeping the whistle in his mouth.
Sadly, since Bradley loves him so much, the chances of a "pulling a Bornstein" in South Africa remains highly probable.
Part of me prays that the Elder isn't playing Bornstein as a point of pride against all us Internet geeks that think we know what's best of that team. That can't be possible, can it?
(Commence the bashing.)
Holden the Mayo:
* As bad as this match was, we can chalk it up to playing a good team at home and move on.
With visions of Ryan Shawcross dancing through our heads, that tackle by Nigel de Jong on Stuart Holden didn't look good.
Fingers crossed, it doesn't sound like it's too bad, if somehow it turns out to be a long-term issue, because if the Bolton midfielder is out for any period of time, the U.S. injury crisis threat level moves up to severe.
[Update -- Guess Holden did actually break his leg and will be out at least six weeks. Remember that team of college stars that played in Italia 1990? We're moving closer and closer to that with each passing day.]
Losers:
* If your name began with a "J", it wasn't your night -- Jose Torres, Bornstein, Jozy and even JP Dellacamera, who proclaimed it a "good" first-half performance by the U.S. Eisch. Perhaps it's not such a bad thing he's not calling the World Cup for the ESPN. (Weird how Torres gets a half, while Bornstein and Findley get plenty of time, right?)
* Dutch fans. First there was the group in, I'm pretty sure, wearing black face. Then there was the dude waving underpants after the Huntelaar goal. This was even too "wacky" for me.
* MLS. Sorry, but Findley and Bornstein were woefully inept. I'll leave it at that.
Winners:
* Beasley. The late rally by the U.S. came through his boots. He is now back to being a viable option. (How's that for a kneejerk reaction?) Too bad he couldn't conjure a bit of magic with that late free kick or corner.
* Clint Dempsey/Benny Feilhaber. Even though both were hurt, their stock went up immensely. Both could have been used in Amsterdam Wednesday.
* Tim Howard. A couple nice stops, including a game-saver on Rafael Van der Vaart's strike that looked destined for the upper left corner.
* Nike. How many times did JP plug the new kits? (Wasn't it weird that the Dutch didn't wear Orange at home. C.R.E.A.M.)
Are we so sure that conjuring the ideas of 1950 is a good idea with that sash jersey? It wasn't like U.S. soccer set the world on fire after beating England in that famous upset all these many years ago.
* Heath Pearce. Against, at least, Slovenia and Algeria, his ability to provide service will be needed. And hey, he's not Bornstein, which is a win.
* Michael Bradley. Played pretty well, mostly in a defense role.
* Alejandro Bedoya. The lack of U.S. forwards, means he's moving up on the outside midfield depth chart by necessity.
Final thought:
All that might have been missing from this one, was a red card.
This was the bad USMNT, the one we fear and gnash our teeth about. Granted, it was against one of the world's best.
You can spin the final 10 minutes and frantic comeback attempt all you want. I'm not doing to dismiss the fight back. It was nice to seem, considering the crumminess of the previous 85 minutes. (The USSF can spin it all it likes.)
But (there's always a but) are moral victories something for the U.S. to hang their hats on at this point in the game? The fact that they "battled back" against the mighty Dutch?
Shouldn't we be a little dismayed that once Bradley the Elder saw that the U.S. counter attack wasn't working, there wasn't a Plan B?
Right now it we can pin our hopes on Davies pulling off a miracle comeback and playing in South Africa, but Wednesday's game gave little reason for optimism.
Oh well. At least you can't lose a World Cup game in on March 3.
"How come the Dutch seem like they have 20 guys out there? " -- @My Dad.
Nederlands 2, USMNT 1.
Oh where to begin from this debacle?
First, why not a positive note? Let's not jump over any building ahead of June just yet. While the Dutch absolutely owned and or pwned the USMNT for 85-odd minutes, it's not as if the possession-based, winger-dominated game employed by the Dutch are the same tactics used by England, Slovenia or Algeria. (Algeria might actually play rugby out there, not quite sure.)
The U.S.'s three Group C opponents are nearly on the level of passing that the Dutch possess. It's hard to think even England, barring a rampant Rooney explosion, will be able to run the U.S. off the field like the Dutch did Wednesday. (How good was Sneijder? Inter president Massimo Moratti must go to bed each night thanking the heavens for Real Madrid's greed last summer. A true Dutch Master.)
Bottom line, the Dutch are ranked No. 3 in the world for a reason.
Was it a little disconcerting that Landon Donovan was basically invisible in this match, and with it the U.S. counterattack? Sure.
That's hardly the biggest issue, though.
What's scariest of all is the absolute lack of depth at the top of the U.S. attack. Jozy Altidore, again, didn't do much when the ball came his way -- aside from a nice crack from distance that almost, nearly miraculously, leveled the game at 2-2 in stoppage time.
Altidore right now is considered the one lock to make the 23-man roster and he's only 20 years old and teases and frustrates all at the same time.
Robbie Findley? The Real Salt Lake forward looked completely out of his element.
Eddie Johnson? What more do you need to know about the ex-GAM than he didn't make an appearance until the 76th minute and the U.S. trailing by two.
Is it possible that Charlie Davies is the Dude's rug? As in he ties the entire U.S. attack together?
And is it borderline insane to pin the hopes of your World Cup campaign on the health of a guy who is lucky to be alive at this point? (Very probably, though stranger things have happened.)
Another silver lining from this match, DaMarcus Beasley, contrary to reports is actually alive. And he might be needed now in South Africa, should the U.S. have to slot either Donovan or Clint Dempsey into a forward position.
As the Carlos Bocanegra late header showed, the U.S. might have any options other than taking a German-like approach and practicing set pieces non-stop.
This lack of forward options is even more of an issue than how easily the Dutch passed the ball around at the Amsterdam ArenA.
How Bradley the Elder goes about fixing or correcting this is going to be the sink-or-swim moment for the U.S. in June. Right now even an Internet know-it-all jerk like myself doesn't have any answers, unless we can dig up some wonder Brazilian striker that nobody knows about and happens to have an American great-great grandmother.
If you'll recall Alf Ramsey guided England to the 1966 World Cup with a team dubbed the "Wingless Wonders". Would that mean Bradley challenge, now, is to guide the U.S. "Headless Horsemen"?
The Born-stein Identity:
If you've watched "Friday Night Lights", the television show that is, you'll no doubt recall the episode where Lyla Garrity (aka Derek Jeter's main squeeze) is the victim of a "slam page" after sleeping with Tim Riggins. (Sorry for no-spoiler alert.)
I don't want to turn this page into a Bornstein Slam Page, but right now is there any redeeming values for the Chivas USA player, unless you're a Honduran?
This feels like a Michael Scott, scenario.
* The pull down on Wesley Sneijder.
* The handball in the box that wasn't called.
* The deflection on Klaas Jan-Huntelaar's strike that proved to be the winning goal?
How many strikes does Bornstein get? I'm serious. When I joke about him being Bob Bradley's other son, I'm not kidding.
Why does Bornstein shift to the inside of the defense when Heath Pearce comes, and doesn't get subbed off for Clarence Goodson until the 86th minute?
It wasn't even the incidents, all game the Dutch attacked at Bornstein, where he left Arjen Robben an ocean of space a couple of times.
If you're Eljero Elia, how did you blow a 1-v-1 on Tim Howard, allowing Bornstein to catch up to you from behind? (Kudos on the neck tat, by the way.)
Mercifully, this was only a friendly, so all of Bornstein's foibles can be forgotten, since they don't mean all that much. Yet he ALWAYS seems to be in the middle of something. And if it happens at the World Cup, Bradley has no justification for having him on the field.
I have nothing against Bornstein, but he isn't up to the intentional standard. I just don't see, even to play devil's advocate, you can defend him after today's performance. It was that bad and could have been even worse if not for the ref keeping the whistle in his mouth.
Sadly, since Bradley loves him so much, the chances of a "pulling a Bornstein" in South Africa remains highly probable.
Part of me prays that the Elder isn't playing Bornstein as a point of pride against all us Internet geeks that think we know what's best of that team. That can't be possible, can it?
(Commence the bashing.)
Holden the Mayo:
* As bad as this match was, we can chalk it up to playing a good team at home and move on.
With visions of Ryan Shawcross dancing through our heads, that tackle by Nigel de Jong on Stuart Holden didn't look good.
Fingers crossed, it doesn't sound like it's too bad, if somehow it turns out to be a long-term issue, because if the Bolton midfielder is out for any period of time, the U.S. injury crisis threat level moves up to severe.
[Update -- Guess Holden did actually break his leg and will be out at least six weeks. Remember that team of college stars that played in Italia 1990? We're moving closer and closer to that with each passing day.]
Losers:
* If your name began with a "J", it wasn't your night -- Jose Torres, Bornstein, Jozy and even JP Dellacamera, who proclaimed it a "good" first-half performance by the U.S. Eisch. Perhaps it's not such a bad thing he's not calling the World Cup for the ESPN. (Weird how Torres gets a half, while Bornstein and Findley get plenty of time, right?)
* Dutch fans. First there was the group in, I'm pretty sure, wearing black face. Then there was the dude waving underpants after the Huntelaar goal. This was even too "wacky" for me.
* MLS. Sorry, but Findley and Bornstein were woefully inept. I'll leave it at that.
Winners:
* Beasley. The late rally by the U.S. came through his boots. He is now back to being a viable option. (How's that for a kneejerk reaction?) Too bad he couldn't conjure a bit of magic with that late free kick or corner.
* Clint Dempsey/Benny Feilhaber. Even though both were hurt, their stock went up immensely. Both could have been used in Amsterdam Wednesday.
* Tim Howard. A couple nice stops, including a game-saver on Rafael Van der Vaart's strike that looked destined for the upper left corner.
* Nike. How many times did JP plug the new kits? (Wasn't it weird that the Dutch didn't wear Orange at home. C.R.E.A.M.)
Are we so sure that conjuring the ideas of 1950 is a good idea with that sash jersey? It wasn't like U.S. soccer set the world on fire after beating England in that famous upset all these many years ago.
* Heath Pearce. Against, at least, Slovenia and Algeria, his ability to provide service will be needed. And hey, he's not Bornstein, which is a win.
* Michael Bradley. Played pretty well, mostly in a defense role.
* Alejandro Bedoya. The lack of U.S. forwards, means he's moving up on the outside midfield depth chart by necessity.
Final thought:
All that might have been missing from this one, was a red card.
This was the bad USMNT, the one we fear and gnash our teeth about. Granted, it was against one of the world's best.
You can spin the final 10 minutes and frantic comeback attempt all you want. I'm not doing to dismiss the fight back. It was nice to seem, considering the crumminess of the previous 85 minutes. (The USSF can spin it all it likes.)
But (there's always a but) are moral victories something for the U.S. to hang their hats on at this point in the game? The fact that they "battled back" against the mighty Dutch?
Shouldn't we be a little dismayed that once Bradley the Elder saw that the U.S. counter attack wasn't working, there wasn't a Plan B?
Right now it we can pin our hopes on Davies pulling off a miracle comeback and playing in South Africa, but Wednesday's game gave little reason for optimism.
Oh well. At least you can't lose a World Cup game in on March 3.
Labels: 2010 world cup, bob bradley, Friendlies, jonathan bornstein, Soccer, USMNT
This was pretty much what I expect from the national team these days. They just aren't technically good enough to play with passing teams. If your game plan is to hoof the ball upfield from defense or from the keeper and then just turn it over you're screwed against a team like that.
Bornstein was truly awful. It was embarrassing that he was allowed to stay out there that long when there was a central defender who could have been brought on. Goodson has impressed me in his appearances so it just seemed silly to leave Bornstein out there. Not too many national team managers throw 3 left backs out (Boca almost only plays left back in France).
I have to agree with you about Beasley. Apparently getting some playing time in Scotland does make a difference. Both he and Edu looked solid out there in the second half.
I think the Dutch wore the white because they are a Nike team and the US is a Nike team so they both had new kits to show off.
This is a really great post. While I am usually the most critical and hard to please fan of the US team, I felt they had some flourishes I had not seen from them ever. Granted it was but a few glimpses; they were able to up the tempo and string together some great plays.
I was saddened at their lack of finishing power in the final third of the pitch. Which has always been a problem for them. The forwards are almost always stranded. Instead of the Brazilian striker with the great-great american granny you suggested I'd prefer some holding midfield player ala Makalele /Gattuso to allow the others to catch up and support the forward(s).
And LOL at the Dutch tighty-whiteys. I was thinking it couldn't be that, but you've confirmed it. Can't wait to see what you post during the WC.
At the altitude where the Dutch fly, the USMNT have zero margin for error. Everything has to fall our way for us to stay on the field with a team like this, and things have most certainly *not* been falling the US's way of late (at least on the field).
If the Elder's squad is this dinged up by injury in South Africa, we have no chance to get anything more than a lucky escape from the group stage. And if that does happen it will have more to do with the fortunate group draw we lucked into than our stellar play. If the US is missing the top-notch versions Onyewu, Davies, Dempsey, Clark and Feilharber come June - we will get murdered by England. Even if all those guys are healthy, there are still likely to be scorch marks on the White House. (Just warming up my 'War of 1812' metaphors for June)
Not only do all the best US players have to be available, they have to play well for the US to be a deserving round of 16 squad. We have all seen Deuce or Jozy drift sleepily though big games. Maybe Argentina can survive or even prosper if Messi isn't quite on his game for a match (i.e. feet not tasting of crackling fire mode) - but the US cannot.
Another kind of luck that the US need is for our quality opponents to NOT suddenly find great form. The Dutch were only so-so today, by their standard. Elia could have scored at least one more goal and that might of opened the floodgates of doom on poor Timmay. Let's not kid ourselves - the second half surge we saw from the USMNT today came (at least in part) because Robben came off at the half. The final minutes that made the US look less like children getting their lunch money stolen - those happened right after Dirk Kuyt and Van Brockhorst went to the bench. Coincidence?
The USMNT needs lots of things to go their way for us to find success in South Africa. Our vital players (and that is most all of them since the bench is so thin on top notch experience) must be healthy, they must play well, and our quality opponents cannot be playing their A-game.
I started a long rant about Bornstein and then I felt bad. Kid is out of his depth at this level and that is not his fault. It is a problem for the USMNT, but it is not Boogaloo Bornstein's fault.
On the upside -
This is a really, really good Dutch team we played today. Better than England (by a lot, IMO). If we make it far enough in the WC to play a team as good as Holland - then the US will have had a successful tournament.
The US doesn't have to beat England to advance out of Group C. We need to beat Slovenia and Algeria and we are through. Granted, going through in second means a likely date with the Germans (first in Group D) in the round of 16. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.
DMB looked very, very useful today. I had given up on him and he showed he still has something to give.
That is about it for the good news elements that I saw.
On a team with Robben and Sneijder, why does the Plough Horse of Liverpool (Dirk Kuyt) take PKs for the Dutch?
That Braafheid guy was hideous for the Dutch when he came on. Probably a big reason the US got back into the game.
How about all that space he left Spector for that late cross, which he proceeded to airmail over the touchline.
Ick.
The forward line and the left side of defense were absolutely exposed in this game. Bornstein needs to be nowhere near the field in any game that matters, and Boca was just about as bad today, and hasn't been looking so good for some time. Gooch had better be fit, and then it's a real question whether you run out Boca at LB or switch Spector over and play Cherundolo on the right. DeMerit was surprisingly solid against all that pace and skill. I think he's been becoming an indispensable rock at the center of the defense right before our eyes over the past year. And this from a guy who couldn't even get a callup for years.
Up front, we need to be able to play one of Dempsey or Davies alongside Jozy. I'm actually a bit more worried about Dempsey than Davies at this point, as a knee generally takes longer to rehab than fractures do, and we haven't heard much on his status lately. I'm pretty confident from what I'm hearing right now that Davies will be on the plane, though maybe as more of a last 20 minutes super sub than a starter. If he can't go 90, and Dempsey can't either, we're cooked. The good news is that if Dempsey is fit and we have to move him up the field, I think that's a win-win, as Holden and Beasley both look like good options to replace him in the midfield and will probably be more effective there than he has been. Of course, knowing Bradley, he'll dump Ching or Casey up there instead of doing that, of which, the less said the better. Another option might be a Christmas tree with Altidore at the top and lots of midfielders running off of him, but I don't know if we have the savvy to really play that system well on short notice.
The real revelation to me from this game was Edu. I'd never seen him against top opposition before, and he is class. Calm on the ball, lots of good possession and little touches, and was instrumental to us slowly getting back ahold of that game a bit in the second half. It needs to be him and Bradley in the middle if he's fit. If Bob goes with Clark again when he's back, I'm going to be disappointed.
Really, a 2-1 loss to the Dutch in Amsterdam where we weren't totally run off the field while missing probably 6 of our top 15 players (CD9, Deuce, Gooch, Cherundolo, Clark, Benny) isn't too bad. It wasn't pretty to watch, but I'm not panicking or anything. I will be if more than 1 or 2 of those guys don't make the plane to SA though.
Yep, the biggest takeaway for me is that Edu/Bradley is not only the midfield pairing of the future, but for the present. Both are solid in possession and on the defensive side... which will allow Donovan/Dempsey to provide more offense and less tracking back. And it doesn't hurt that both know how to get forward occasionally.
Was stuck at work during the game, so just finished watching on DVR. The good news is my DVR functioned properly. The bad news is the time-shifting, like the goggles, did nothing.
Everyone who already commented nicely summed up just how much more class the Dutch showed. Nothing much to add there.
As for the USMNT? I will disagree somewhat with the proprietor of this here site as it relates to Young Josmer. I was incredibly impressed with how much better he's gotten at gathering and holding up play. From this vantage point he seems to be growing into his body and is learning to lean on defenders with his back towards goal. Oh, and he's still only 20 years old.
The Beas looked downright spry. His service on set pieces was dangerous. He could be useful going forward.
Other than him joining me and 30F as 3/10ths of a minion I don't see how Bornstein is useful. I've run out of ways to hate on the guy, so I'll just stop.
I've been impressed with Heath Pearce the last two matches. He shows a willingness, and more importantly an ability, to get forward. He can also whip in a useful cross.
Final thoughts...the walking wounded need to get healthy. Soon.
Great stuff, Msr. Cardillo.
Great stuff, Mrs. Cardillo.
Seriously. Sports Guy-esque analysis (i.e., taking every little thing to the extreme and then pulling back with a bit of esoteric pop culture) ain't getting it done from here til July.
Why didn't the midfield play to Donovan? Who do we have to force Bornstein off the field (if Gooch isn't back)? What does a healthy Dempsey do to this equation?
The US was dominated for 80 minutes. What do we expect to change before the tournament? If we face the Dutch, say, in the round of 8, what can we do better? What can they do better?
I wasn't that upset by the whole thing, to be honest. If anything, it effed up Bornstein's chance at the 23 which is a positive. A few more veterans on the pitch for the States, it's a 1-1 or 0-0 draw and we don't know what to say.
I made a comment about Bornstein two years ago, and got crucified, hehe. I want reparations, such as he never sees the field again. An episode of South Park said it well "I haven't seen a Jew run that fast since Poland 1939", except the exact opposite. I am also a member of the tribe. If he is not dropped by the World Cup I don't know what. A healthy Aaron Lennon, god I pray for Beckham, Heath Pearce is sadly the best left back we have.
Good thing South Africa isn't in Europe. I think Bradley is 1-8-1 in Europe or something close... my point being you can't take a lot from this game.
I wholeheartedly disagree that players who were injured helped themselves. Dempsey, Onyewu, Cherudalo, and Davies are locks because they are proven solid players. Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber are bad players. It is extremely short memory to say the lack of Torres or Edu on the ball against Holland in Holland is worse than Feilhaber's performance back in the January friendly he played in...or Ricardo Clark's no passing skills and 60% chance of red card this June. Torres and Edu should both be ahead of them on the center mid depth chart.
The lack of attacking ability without Davies...makes me want to say him coming back 85% is more important than Holden and/or Dempsey and or Onyewu being healthy. You can sorta throw in people at outside mid (ex.Beasley), but you can't throw anyone in at the second foward... and I find it very counterproductive to take Donavon away from outside mid in the current form he's playing in.
Good news- looks like Jay Demerit ( Man of Match) is back to his throw himself in front of shots and be in right position most of the time self. The USMNT defense is solid and 5 and 1/2 deep going into the WC with Spector(L or R) Demerit (C) Cherundalo( R)Bocanegra ( C or L) Onyewu ( backup C) and Goodson ( backup C) isn't 6 enough or do you carry 7 cause of red cards?
If France can get run off the field by Spain, no reason why we cannot get killed by the Dutch. You wanna play the best of the best at their place, this is whats going to happen.
The friendlies in May once the roster is set will mean more then today did. Play like crap then, time to get worried.
Torres off at half for Edu was probably going to happen no matter what the score was. Same thing probably would have happened with Holden if he had not gotten hurt earlier. Bradley needed to see both Edu and DMB for at least 45 minutes yesterday, and giving Torres a shot against the big boys was probably a "thanks for coming on all these trips the past year and not always playing, your not coming to SA in June, but here is a reward for what you have done to date, looking foward to using you more in the future."
Rather look bad now missing key guys then look bad in a few months with the full squad.
As horrible as the US played they still only gave up a PK goal and a deflection off a shot that had no chance.
We all know that the US isn't going to out-skill anyone, their only shot is to use their speed and athleticism and try to score off counters and set pieces. And they have to hope to get lucky and face a team that will have trouble converting chances into goals (just like yesterday).
Not much to say other than my god was that some boring football. When did the US turn from the team that took the game to Portugal and Germany in 2002 to this?
@moinllieon
Interesting question. I think there is a pretty clear answer... There is no one as talented as John O'brien on the current US roster. Lack of center mid is killing current team. Jozy isn't what Brian McBride was back then. 2002 Beasley and Donavon could sorta be like 2010 Dempsey and Donovan. Here's hoping Tim can be as strong as Brad was in that WC ( maybe he can). The current defense should be better than Sanneh-Pope-Pablo?-Agoos