Apologies right up front to fans of bad soccer cliches.
In this post the terms "Clockwork Orange", or "Going Dutch" will no appear. That took some serious restraint.
Restraint, too, might come in handy when judging Wednesday's USMNT friendly with the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
At this point in the "process", we pretty much know what to expect with the U.S. We've seen enough of the players involved over the last 12+ months to have a fairly certain grasp of what they're capable of doing. Aside from relative newcomer Alejandro Bedoya there doesn't appear to be very much room for growth or surprises from this roster in the next three-plus months. (Health of key players is the main issue, anyway.)
As I said back in January, rather boringly, the key to the U.S. success at the World Cup is simply playing well or at least playing smart. It's the finest of fine lines the U.S. walks between hanging with the world's best and looking like its still 1990 all over again.
How, say 80 percent of the probable starters in June, fare in a midweek friendly, albeit against a Top 5 team in the World, doesn't change a lot of as we tick closer to June 12. Barring, say, a four-goal explosion from Robbie Findley, it's hard to think what transpires over the 90 minutes goes a long way in shaping coach Bob Bradley's opinions.
If there's one particular area I'd like to see Wednesday it's a little more of a diversified U.S. attack. A totally Landon Donovan-centric team is much easier for opposing teams to gameplan against, than a multi-pronged offense.
That said, I've boiled down essentially everything my stupid ol' brain could rattle off about this match, in rapid-fire form.
Enjoy.
The *One* thing to watch:
* His name is Eddie Johnson, maybe you've heard of him. He once labeled himself the "GAM" -- Grown Ass Man.
That, we recall, was a long time ago.
Johnson is back on the radar, almost by necessity, as he's tried to revive his career with Aris in Greece. To his credit, unlike his abominable spell at Fulham, Johnson is at least getting off the bench and scoring goals. (You can debate the quality if you want.)
If there's one concrete thing to take away from this match it's whether or not Johnson is a viable option should Charlie Davies be unable get healthy in time for June.
For once, too, I won't be a total prick about Johnson. All I'd like to see is a) confidence b) smart decisions and c) activity, even without the ball. That's reasonable, right?
If it turns out Johnson is still the shell of a player that, perhaps got unfairly hyped by feasting on the Panamas of the world, it does actually mean quite a lot for the U.S. lineup.
Right now there is really one viable forward -- Jozy Altidore -- and a big lug Brian Ching. If Johnsons is still useless and Davies is injured, it could mean waving bye-bye to a 4-4-2 and moving back to a 4-5-1, or experimenting with Clint Dempsey in a more advanced roll. (Right now, with or without Davies, a 4-5-1, with Donovan, Holden and Dempsey across, backed up by Bradley and Edu/Clark might make the most sense. Holden seemed decent enough Saturday for Bolton in a centralized, attacking role.)
So yeah, Eddie, no pressure or anything.
ESPN Talking Points:
* So, I heard that this Landon Donovan character was playing, and playing decently at Everton. Maybe this gets mentioned. (Unofficial over/under is 11 1/2.)
* Something about who's getting onto the plane to South Africa. We might hear this phrase or a variation of it 113 times during the two-hour telecast.
Non-ESPN Talking Points:
* One thing we're still years away from, at least from a soccer on television in America perspective is a thorough discussion of tactics and strategy. While it's all well-and-good about discussing the 23 men who'll comprise the U.S. World Cup squad, how about projecting or thinking about what the roles, ideas and ethos of those players will be once they touch down in South Africa.
If somebody is watching this game at 2:45 p.m. on a weekday, chances are they're an actual, living, breathing soccer fan. You don't have to talk down to them. I'd personally like to think there's enough of us out there, in the growing American soccer culture, that we're able to understand more complex analysis that the usual Tommy Smyth-styled knee jerk reactions/stating the obvious.
Like him or hate him, Andy Gray did this for the WWL during Euro 2008. For the Cup, let's just hope Ruud Gullitt and Steve McManaman take this route instead of spending all their pregame planning working on how great their hair will look in HD.
It'd be nice to hear actual rationed discussion of how the U.S. is going to go about getting out of the Group Stage in June. Dust off the ESPN Axis, if you must.
* Will this game in the Amsterdam ArenA be a sellout? Or close to one? The Dutch fans are about as festive and passionate as you'll find, but will they turn out for a midweek friendly that doesn't matter all that much? It's not as if the USMNT is the biggest draw in the world. Let's not forget some of these other European friendlies the U.S. has played the last couple years in half-empty stadiums.
Funny Dutch Name of the Game:
* Let's go with Stijn Schaars, narrowly edging out Demy de Zeeuw.
Some non-sarcastic those on the Oranje:
* The Dutch are a little quirky, just in case you didn't know that already.
What national team wouldn't dream of placing the attacking talent of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart on the field? (Hup, hup, hup!)
Of course, the long-time Dutch profile of tricky attackers, namely wingers, put them in a unique position worldwide. Or put it this way, do the Dutch compare at all the the English, Slovenians or Algerians? Methinks, no.
That said, the U.S. defense, namely the outside backs are going to have their hands full, hell, even Liverpool dud Ryan Babel has the potential to undress the U.S. defense.
The feet of Sneijder and Robben -- which may or may not taste like timber in a crackling fire -- should as test the U.S. defensive marking on set pieces.
Conversely, the Dutch defense is questionable. Jozy & Co. should be able to do some work against them.
This match in particular might boil down to if Michael Bradley and his midfield mate can disrupt the Dutch attack and cut down the passing lanes in the final third of the field.
The Dutch obviously pose a great test for the U.S., but success against the Men in Orange isn't a direct translation to what transpires in South Africa.
Three other little quirks:
* Granted this is the smallest molehill of possible pre-World Cup stories, but are we so sure the U.S. goalkeeping is as rock solid as it's always supposedly considered? Suppose Tim Howard gets hurt, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Are we confident in Brad Guzan -- who really isn't going to see the Aston Villa first team any time soon -- to start? Would we have to turn to Marcus Hahnemann? The Wolves keeper might have the best personality of an American, but to play in a World Cup? At least he's seen plenty of shots during the Premier League season. Something to tuck away.
* I'm not going to tell Bradley the Elder how to do his job, well, maybe I am. Are we confident with his staff of Mike Sorber, John Hackworth and Jesse Marsch? Wouldn't a guy with a little more international tactical nous on the bench be a good thing? Accoring to Grant Wahl, ex-Czech/Slovak international Lubos Kubik is in the mix, which is a step in the right direction. My one lingering concern still about Bradley is in-game tactics/decisions. Guess I'll just have to keep crossing my fingers.
* Reports Tuesday said German-born Jermaine Jones met with the team, but wasn't available to the media. Is there any chance he features at all the rest of the way? It doesn't seem possible or that good of an idea since his shin injury has kept him out of the FC Schalke 04 lineup all season.
Biggest to gain/lose:
* The aforementioned Johnson.
Double it for DaMarcus Beasley, who doesn't seem to have a role on the team anymore now that Donovan has taken up residency at left midfield.
If Clarence Goodson plays well and doesn't look exposed against elite international attackers, he can solidify his status on the 23-man roster and give Bradley a lot more defensive flexibility.
Frank Simek hasn't been with the team since 2007, so whatever minutes he gets are a bonus, but unless Steve Cherundolo's balky shoulder is still an issue at the end of the Bundesliga season, it's hard to see the Sheffield Wednesday defender getting a spot.
Lineup guess:
Lots of guessing here. Does Bradley give Guzan a full-look in net? Or what about defense? You can figure Jay DeMerit plays in the middle, but with who? Carlos Bocanegra, who's played exclusively at left back for Rennes in Ligue 1 this season. Does Clarence Goodson get a look? And where does this leave Jonathan Bornstein -- who's almost certain to start somewhere, likely on the left.
The midfield is pretty clear, with the only question being who's paired with Michael Bradley, either Jose Torres or Maurice Edu -- one of them gets the bulk of the 90. The play of Bradley the Younger might be the biggest key for the U.S. overall. We know he's quite good at getting forward and finishing off a movement and getting back and disrupting the opposing attack -- so long as he keeps his discipline. But can he effectively distribute the ball and facilitate the attack quickly? It's another simple statement, but when he plays well the U.S. is usually in position to get a result, and vice versa.
Forward, you know it's Jozy and likely Eddie Johnson, with Findley peppered in at some point.
Here's my predicted 4-4-2. (Is it possible The Elder throws a curveball here? Nah.)
GK -- Howard
DEF -- Spector -- DeMerit -- Bocanegra -- Bornstein
MID -- Holden -- Bradley -- Edu -- Donovan
FOR -- Altidore -- Johnson
Possible subs: Simek for Spector; Pearce for Bornstein. Alejandro Bedoya for Holden and Robbie Findley for one of the forwards. We could even see DaMarcus Beasley move to the left and push Donovan up top.
In closing...
The dangerous thing about friendlies, especially against a marquee opponent like the Dutch is to read too much into the result, win, lose or draw.
Unlike four years ago, there's no need to worry about the USMNT record on European soil. There's no need to worry that they cannot compete with the world's elite. (See 2009, the Confederations Cup.)
Let's just hope that the U.S. doesn't get toasted in the Dutch Oven.
Oops. I almost made it.
Post script No. 1 -- Left off any mention of that Adu fellow. Just didn't want to go down that road.
Post script No. 2 -- Follow me during the match on Twitter. The zingers will be flying!
In this post the terms "Clockwork Orange", or "Going Dutch" will no appear. That took some serious restraint.
Restraint, too, might come in handy when judging Wednesday's USMNT friendly with the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
At this point in the "process", we pretty much know what to expect with the U.S. We've seen enough of the players involved over the last 12+ months to have a fairly certain grasp of what they're capable of doing. Aside from relative newcomer Alejandro Bedoya there doesn't appear to be very much room for growth or surprises from this roster in the next three-plus months. (Health of key players is the main issue, anyway.)
As I said back in January, rather boringly, the key to the U.S. success at the World Cup is simply playing well or at least playing smart. It's the finest of fine lines the U.S. walks between hanging with the world's best and looking like its still 1990 all over again.
How, say 80 percent of the probable starters in June, fare in a midweek friendly, albeit against a Top 5 team in the World, doesn't change a lot of as we tick closer to June 12. Barring, say, a four-goal explosion from Robbie Findley, it's hard to think what transpires over the 90 minutes goes a long way in shaping coach Bob Bradley's opinions.
If there's one particular area I'd like to see Wednesday it's a little more of a diversified U.S. attack. A totally Landon Donovan-centric team is much easier for opposing teams to gameplan against, than a multi-pronged offense.
That said, I've boiled down essentially everything my stupid ol' brain could rattle off about this match, in rapid-fire form.
Enjoy.
The *One* thing to watch:
* His name is Eddie Johnson, maybe you've heard of him. He once labeled himself the "GAM" -- Grown Ass Man.
That, we recall, was a long time ago.
Johnson is back on the radar, almost by necessity, as he's tried to revive his career with Aris in Greece. To his credit, unlike his abominable spell at Fulham, Johnson is at least getting off the bench and scoring goals. (You can debate the quality if you want.)
If there's one concrete thing to take away from this match it's whether or not Johnson is a viable option should Charlie Davies be unable get healthy in time for June.
For once, too, I won't be a total prick about Johnson. All I'd like to see is a) confidence b) smart decisions and c) activity, even without the ball. That's reasonable, right?
If it turns out Johnson is still the shell of a player that, perhaps got unfairly hyped by feasting on the Panamas of the world, it does actually mean quite a lot for the U.S. lineup.
Right now there is really one viable forward -- Jozy Altidore -- and a big lug Brian Ching. If Johnsons is still useless and Davies is injured, it could mean waving bye-bye to a 4-4-2 and moving back to a 4-5-1, or experimenting with Clint Dempsey in a more advanced roll. (Right now, with or without Davies, a 4-5-1, with Donovan, Holden and Dempsey across, backed up by Bradley and Edu/Clark might make the most sense. Holden seemed decent enough Saturday for Bolton in a centralized, attacking role.)
So yeah, Eddie, no pressure or anything.
ESPN Talking Points:
* So, I heard that this Landon Donovan character was playing, and playing decently at Everton. Maybe this gets mentioned. (Unofficial over/under is 11 1/2.)
* Something about who's getting onto the plane to South Africa. We might hear this phrase or a variation of it 113 times during the two-hour telecast.
Non-ESPN Talking Points:
* One thing we're still years away from, at least from a soccer on television in America perspective is a thorough discussion of tactics and strategy. While it's all well-and-good about discussing the 23 men who'll comprise the U.S. World Cup squad, how about projecting or thinking about what the roles, ideas and ethos of those players will be once they touch down in South Africa.
If somebody is watching this game at 2:45 p.m. on a weekday, chances are they're an actual, living, breathing soccer fan. You don't have to talk down to them. I'd personally like to think there's enough of us out there, in the growing American soccer culture, that we're able to understand more complex analysis that the usual Tommy Smyth-styled knee jerk reactions/stating the obvious.
Like him or hate him, Andy Gray did this for the WWL during Euro 2008. For the Cup, let's just hope Ruud Gullitt and Steve McManaman take this route instead of spending all their pregame planning working on how great their hair will look in HD.
It'd be nice to hear actual rationed discussion of how the U.S. is going to go about getting out of the Group Stage in June. Dust off the ESPN Axis, if you must.
* Will this game in the Amsterdam ArenA be a sellout? Or close to one? The Dutch fans are about as festive and passionate as you'll find, but will they turn out for a midweek friendly that doesn't matter all that much? It's not as if the USMNT is the biggest draw in the world. Let's not forget some of these other European friendlies the U.S. has played the last couple years in half-empty stadiums.
Funny Dutch Name of the Game:
* Let's go with Stijn Schaars, narrowly edging out Demy de Zeeuw.
Some non-sarcastic those on the Oranje:
* The Dutch are a little quirky, just in case you didn't know that already.
What national team wouldn't dream of placing the attacking talent of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart on the field? (Hup, hup, hup!)
Of course, the long-time Dutch profile of tricky attackers, namely wingers, put them in a unique position worldwide. Or put it this way, do the Dutch compare at all the the English, Slovenians or Algerians? Methinks, no.
That said, the U.S. defense, namely the outside backs are going to have their hands full, hell, even Liverpool dud Ryan Babel has the potential to undress the U.S. defense.
The feet of Sneijder and Robben -- which may or may not taste like timber in a crackling fire -- should as test the U.S. defensive marking on set pieces.
Conversely, the Dutch defense is questionable. Jozy & Co. should be able to do some work against them.
This match in particular might boil down to if Michael Bradley and his midfield mate can disrupt the Dutch attack and cut down the passing lanes in the final third of the field.
The Dutch obviously pose a great test for the U.S., but success against the Men in Orange isn't a direct translation to what transpires in South Africa.
Three other little quirks:
* Granted this is the smallest molehill of possible pre-World Cup stories, but are we so sure the U.S. goalkeeping is as rock solid as it's always supposedly considered? Suppose Tim Howard gets hurt, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Are we confident in Brad Guzan -- who really isn't going to see the Aston Villa first team any time soon -- to start? Would we have to turn to Marcus Hahnemann? The Wolves keeper might have the best personality of an American, but to play in a World Cup? At least he's seen plenty of shots during the Premier League season. Something to tuck away.
* I'm not going to tell Bradley the Elder how to do his job, well, maybe I am. Are we confident with his staff of Mike Sorber, John Hackworth and Jesse Marsch? Wouldn't a guy with a little more international tactical nous on the bench be a good thing? Accoring to Grant Wahl, ex-Czech/Slovak international Lubos Kubik is in the mix, which is a step in the right direction. My one lingering concern still about Bradley is in-game tactics/decisions. Guess I'll just have to keep crossing my fingers.
* Reports Tuesday said German-born Jermaine Jones met with the team, but wasn't available to the media. Is there any chance he features at all the rest of the way? It doesn't seem possible or that good of an idea since his shin injury has kept him out of the FC Schalke 04 lineup all season.
Biggest to gain/lose:
* The aforementioned Johnson.
Double it for DaMarcus Beasley, who doesn't seem to have a role on the team anymore now that Donovan has taken up residency at left midfield.
If Clarence Goodson plays well and doesn't look exposed against elite international attackers, he can solidify his status on the 23-man roster and give Bradley a lot more defensive flexibility.
Frank Simek hasn't been with the team since 2007, so whatever minutes he gets are a bonus, but unless Steve Cherundolo's balky shoulder is still an issue at the end of the Bundesliga season, it's hard to see the Sheffield Wednesday defender getting a spot.
Lineup guess:
Lots of guessing here. Does Bradley give Guzan a full-look in net? Or what about defense? You can figure Jay DeMerit plays in the middle, but with who? Carlos Bocanegra, who's played exclusively at left back for Rennes in Ligue 1 this season. Does Clarence Goodson get a look? And where does this leave Jonathan Bornstein -- who's almost certain to start somewhere, likely on the left.
The midfield is pretty clear, with the only question being who's paired with Michael Bradley, either Jose Torres or Maurice Edu -- one of them gets the bulk of the 90. The play of Bradley the Younger might be the biggest key for the U.S. overall. We know he's quite good at getting forward and finishing off a movement and getting back and disrupting the opposing attack -- so long as he keeps his discipline. But can he effectively distribute the ball and facilitate the attack quickly? It's another simple statement, but when he plays well the U.S. is usually in position to get a result, and vice versa.
Forward, you know it's Jozy and likely Eddie Johnson, with Findley peppered in at some point.
Here's my predicted 4-4-2. (Is it possible The Elder throws a curveball here? Nah.)
GK -- Howard
DEF -- Spector -- DeMerit -- Bocanegra -- Bornstein
MID -- Holden -- Bradley -- Edu -- Donovan
FOR -- Altidore -- Johnson
Possible subs: Simek for Spector; Pearce for Bornstein. Alejandro Bedoya for Holden and Robbie Findley for one of the forwards. We could even see DaMarcus Beasley move to the left and push Donovan up top.
In closing...
The dangerous thing about friendlies, especially against a marquee opponent like the Dutch is to read too much into the result, win, lose or draw.
Unlike four years ago, there's no need to worry about the USMNT record on European soil. There's no need to worry that they cannot compete with the world's elite. (See 2009, the Confederations Cup.)
Let's just hope that the U.S. doesn't get toasted in the Dutch Oven.
Oops. I almost made it.
Post script No. 1 -- Left off any mention of that Adu fellow. Just didn't want to go down that road.
Post script No. 2 -- Follow me during the match on Twitter. The zingers will be flying!
Labels: 2010 world cup, bob bradley, Eddie Johnson, Friendlies, Landon Donovan, Soccer, USMNT
Don't count out Beasley on the right. When he had that terrific spell for Rangers last month he was playing on the right IIRC. Of course, that's Dempsey's spot if he comes back right? Unless Dempsey gets pushed up top with Altidore (yes please) and then the right is open. I don't think Holden is the answer in 2010, at least as a starter. Could be great as a pacy sub though.