"Czech Re-public (clap, clap, clap clap clap)" -- Ten year old kid behind me last night at Rentschler Field for the USMNT's forgettable 4-2 loss to the dreaded Czechs.
If I had a lot more unchecked rage inside me, I probably would have turned around and threatened this kid to shut the hell up. Yeah, he and his friends were just having a laugh and it's hard to imagine they were really rooting for the Czechs, but still how dare you kid, how dare you.
How dare you root, even in jest, for the team that gave me one of the worst days of my life four years ago in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Tuesday night I was in the proverbial building to watch the U.S. once again lose to the Czech Menace, dropping their (and my) mark to 0-2 overall. Amazingly enough, pretty much with the same vantage point in East Hartford at Rentschler Stadium as I was at the Arena Auf Schalke four years ago -- slightly to the right behind the goal.
Unlike that similarly hot and humid day in Western Germany, when I looked straight ahead there wasn't a red-clad mod of fans bouncing up-and-down grimly chanting, "Czechski, Czechski."
Instead it was 36,000 flag waving Americans, in perhaps the most pro-U.S. crowd the USMNT has experienced in years. There were little kids with flags painted on their cheeks, teenage travel teams, grandparents and a whole lot of college-age kids coming to the realization that 90-degrees + sun + Natty Light = trouble.
And of course, thousands of people breaking out there favorite soccer jersey. Best one I spotted was a Luciano Becchio Leeds United blue away shirt. (The U.S. blue jerseys with the white sash, not feeling it. The whites are okay, though.)
It's too bad the U.S. gave this truly partisan crowd very little to cheer for.
But hey, it's hard to really get on Bob Bradley for resting his assured starters and giving the fringe players one last chance to impress, even though he ended up giving guys like Eddie Johnson and Sacha Kljestan just enough rope to hang themselves. Is the coach's job to entertain 40,000 fans in a game that means nothing? Or prepare the team for next month's World Cup?
Some of the local media, forgot this part of the equation, idiotically comparing it to a Spring Training Baseball game. Ugh.
Everything leading up to the game itself was fantastic, from the weather to the tailgating. Too bad once inside The Rent, the game turned into a pretty blah endeavor as the Czechs actually came to play and carved up the U.S. defense with pretty much ease. I hate to say it, but credit the Czechs, once they went behind on Maurice Edu's goal in the first 20 minutes, they could've packed it in. Instead the Czechs came to play, which probably benefited Bradley in the long run since he got to see guys play for 90 minutes against a competitive team.
Still, hearing that kid chanting and cheering for John Plasil, Petr Cech, et al rankled me to no end.
How though could he have known?
How could he realize he'd be sitting behind someone who was there to see the nadir of U.S. soccer this decade?
Oh well, at least he wasn't the kid sitting in front of me wearing the full Jonathan Bornstein kit.
What did Stealer's Wheel say, "Clowns to the left of me, joker's to the right? Here I am, stuck in the middle with you."
Quickee observations:
* Oguchi Onyewu looked rustier in person from 30 feet away than he probably did on television. I don't think it's crazy to start panicking or at least start thinking about the possibility of Clarence Goodson starting a World Cup game. This will no doubt be Bradley's hardest decision. Sure Gooch has built up tons of goodwill, but easing a guy back from knee surgery and dropping him right into the World Cup isn't exactly the path to success. You can't play the World Cup based on sentimentality.
Suffice to say, when the Czech guy leaped over Gooch for a headed goal, Jared Borgetti must have secretly smiled to himself.
* Bornstein? Here's really all I can say. He's not exactly an out-and-out bad player, he's just an "epic fail" waiting to happen at any moment. The way he heads balls clear simply seem to find an opponent. Maybe we're all just conditioned to magnify anything wrong Bornstein does, but a possible left side of defense of Bornstein and Onyewu is risky. World class players with technical skill carve Bornstein up like a tender filet.
That said, it wasn't like Heath Pearce tore up East Hartford either.
More-and-more it's looking like DaMarcus Beasley might be the best option at left back, assuming Bradley is reluctant to move Carlos Bocenegra there. Considering Onyewu's tenuous status, it may not be possible.
* I paid very careful attention to Goodson. One thing you probably didn't notice on television is that his long passes from the back were very precise and accurate. His big body is disruptive force on set pieces, too. At the same time, he played all 90 minutes and the team gave up four goals. As I mentioned in the preview on Monday, the U.S. defense is the biggest area of concern. We can't let shutting out Spain in the Confederations Cup last June blind us to this fact.
* Not sure if this was mentioned on television, but the U.S. second goal probably shouldn't have happened. A Czech player was down on the ground injured (very physical game for all 90 minutes) and Cech booted the ball out of bounds so he could get treatment. The U.S. didn't throw in and back to Cech or the Czechs, eventually winning a corner, which Herculez Gomez nodded in.
* Gomez had that one great chance at the top of the box, but he ripped it right at Cech, who (hate to say it) was the best thing about watching the match live in person. Sometime in the second half Robbie Rogers (surprisingly not horrible) cracked one from outside the box and Cech just dove to his left and plucked it was such ease. (Yes, I realize he was responsible for the first U.S. goal for his trademark flapping.)
* Gomez (aka Go-mazing or Kool Herc) did do one nice thing, a rarity sometimes for a U.S. forward, in that he actually took some chances and attacked the goal. Think he played his way onto the team. Let's hope he doesn't revert back to 2007 Copa America form.
* Edson Buddle and Eddie Johnson attacked at the far goal in the first half from me so it was hard to see what they did. Guess I didn't miss too much. Johnson isn't bringing much to the table, but Bradley seems to think one day he's going to snap out of it and become a force. Seems like a wasted roster spot, if he goes.
* Stuart Holden looked normal, no ill-effects from the Nigel De Jong leg break. Suppose it's easier to heal a broken bone than a torn ligament.
* Call me crazy, but if Tim Howard (knock on wood) got injured, I'd play Marcus Hahnemann over Guzan, who didn't do much to distinguish himself Tuesday.
* Even though the result was disappointing, hard to get very upset. You'd think the U.S. -- even with the lineup Tuesday -- could win a game where they went up 1-0 early and could assert themselves over an opponent with nothing to play for who was probably dreaming of a chance to fly to Miami and party for the rest of the week. It was however, typical U.S., good on set pieces, not much creativity from the center of the field and in an alarming trend, very shoddy defensive clearances and marking.
If the U.S. plays that way vs. Turkey, well, break out the knives.
Final roster guess:
Cheating since I've seen the stuff that Ching was spotted at Bradley Airport.
Goalkeepers (3): Howard, Guzan, Hahneman
Defenders (7): Bornstein (he's one of Bob's Guys, just hope he doesn't play); Bocanegra; Cherundolo; DeMerit; Goodson; Onyewu; Spector
Midfielders (10): Beasley; Bradley; Clark; Donovan; Dempsey; Edu; Feilhaber (odd he got the lock-starters treatment); Holden; Torres; Bedoya;
Forwards (3): Altidore; Gomez; Johnson.
You can probably afford to cut Pearce and move either Edu or Beasley into the defense in a pinch. It is surprising that Ching probably doesn't make it. Must not be 100 percent fit. Makes it look more likely Dempsey plays forward.
If I had a lot more unchecked rage inside me, I probably would have turned around and threatened this kid to shut the hell up. Yeah, he and his friends were just having a laugh and it's hard to imagine they were really rooting for the Czechs, but still how dare you kid, how dare you.
How dare you root, even in jest, for the team that gave me one of the worst days of my life four years ago in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Tuesday night I was in the proverbial building to watch the U.S. once again lose to the Czech Menace, dropping their (and my) mark to 0-2 overall. Amazingly enough, pretty much with the same vantage point in East Hartford at Rentschler Stadium as I was at the Arena Auf Schalke four years ago -- slightly to the right behind the goal.
Unlike that similarly hot and humid day in Western Germany, when I looked straight ahead there wasn't a red-clad mod of fans bouncing up-and-down grimly chanting, "Czechski, Czechski."
Instead it was 36,000 flag waving Americans, in perhaps the most pro-U.S. crowd the USMNT has experienced in years. There were little kids with flags painted on their cheeks, teenage travel teams, grandparents and a whole lot of college-age kids coming to the realization that 90-degrees + sun + Natty Light = trouble.
And of course, thousands of people breaking out there favorite soccer jersey. Best one I spotted was a Luciano Becchio Leeds United blue away shirt. (The U.S. blue jerseys with the white sash, not feeling it. The whites are okay, though.)
It's too bad the U.S. gave this truly partisan crowd very little to cheer for.
But hey, it's hard to really get on Bob Bradley for resting his assured starters and giving the fringe players one last chance to impress, even though he ended up giving guys like Eddie Johnson and Sacha Kljestan just enough rope to hang themselves. Is the coach's job to entertain 40,000 fans in a game that means nothing? Or prepare the team for next month's World Cup?
Some of the local media, forgot this part of the equation, idiotically comparing it to a Spring Training Baseball game. Ugh.
Everything leading up to the game itself was fantastic, from the weather to the tailgating. Too bad once inside The Rent, the game turned into a pretty blah endeavor as the Czechs actually came to play and carved up the U.S. defense with pretty much ease. I hate to say it, but credit the Czechs, once they went behind on Maurice Edu's goal in the first 20 minutes, they could've packed it in. Instead the Czechs came to play, which probably benefited Bradley in the long run since he got to see guys play for 90 minutes against a competitive team.
Still, hearing that kid chanting and cheering for John Plasil, Petr Cech, et al rankled me to no end.
How though could he have known?
How could he realize he'd be sitting behind someone who was there to see the nadir of U.S. soccer this decade?
Oh well, at least he wasn't the kid sitting in front of me wearing the full Jonathan Bornstein kit.
What did Stealer's Wheel say, "Clowns to the left of me, joker's to the right? Here I am, stuck in the middle with you."
Quickee observations:
* Oguchi Onyewu looked rustier in person from 30 feet away than he probably did on television. I don't think it's crazy to start panicking or at least start thinking about the possibility of Clarence Goodson starting a World Cup game. This will no doubt be Bradley's hardest decision. Sure Gooch has built up tons of goodwill, but easing a guy back from knee surgery and dropping him right into the World Cup isn't exactly the path to success. You can't play the World Cup based on sentimentality.
Suffice to say, when the Czech guy leaped over Gooch for a headed goal, Jared Borgetti must have secretly smiled to himself.
* Bornstein? Here's really all I can say. He's not exactly an out-and-out bad player, he's just an "epic fail" waiting to happen at any moment. The way he heads balls clear simply seem to find an opponent. Maybe we're all just conditioned to magnify anything wrong Bornstein does, but a possible left side of defense of Bornstein and Onyewu is risky. World class players with technical skill carve Bornstein up like a tender filet.
That said, it wasn't like Heath Pearce tore up East Hartford either.
More-and-more it's looking like DaMarcus Beasley might be the best option at left back, assuming Bradley is reluctant to move Carlos Bocenegra there. Considering Onyewu's tenuous status, it may not be possible.
* I paid very careful attention to Goodson. One thing you probably didn't notice on television is that his long passes from the back were very precise and accurate. His big body is disruptive force on set pieces, too. At the same time, he played all 90 minutes and the team gave up four goals. As I mentioned in the preview on Monday, the U.S. defense is the biggest area of concern. We can't let shutting out Spain in the Confederations Cup last June blind us to this fact.
* Not sure if this was mentioned on television, but the U.S. second goal probably shouldn't have happened. A Czech player was down on the ground injured (very physical game for all 90 minutes) and Cech booted the ball out of bounds so he could get treatment. The U.S. didn't throw in and back to Cech or the Czechs, eventually winning a corner, which Herculez Gomez nodded in.
* Gomez had that one great chance at the top of the box, but he ripped it right at Cech, who (hate to say it) was the best thing about watching the match live in person. Sometime in the second half Robbie Rogers (surprisingly not horrible) cracked one from outside the box and Cech just dove to his left and plucked it was such ease. (Yes, I realize he was responsible for the first U.S. goal for his trademark flapping.)
* Gomez (aka Go-mazing or Kool Herc) did do one nice thing, a rarity sometimes for a U.S. forward, in that he actually took some chances and attacked the goal. Think he played his way onto the team. Let's hope he doesn't revert back to 2007 Copa America form.
* Edson Buddle and Eddie Johnson attacked at the far goal in the first half from me so it was hard to see what they did. Guess I didn't miss too much. Johnson isn't bringing much to the table, but Bradley seems to think one day he's going to snap out of it and become a force. Seems like a wasted roster spot, if he goes.
* Stuart Holden looked normal, no ill-effects from the Nigel De Jong leg break. Suppose it's easier to heal a broken bone than a torn ligament.
* Call me crazy, but if Tim Howard (knock on wood) got injured, I'd play Marcus Hahnemann over Guzan, who didn't do much to distinguish himself Tuesday.
* Even though the result was disappointing, hard to get very upset. You'd think the U.S. -- even with the lineup Tuesday -- could win a game where they went up 1-0 early and could assert themselves over an opponent with nothing to play for who was probably dreaming of a chance to fly to Miami and party for the rest of the week. It was however, typical U.S., good on set pieces, not much creativity from the center of the field and in an alarming trend, very shoddy defensive clearances and marking.
If the U.S. plays that way vs. Turkey, well, break out the knives.
Final roster guess:
Cheating since I've seen the stuff that Ching was spotted at Bradley Airport.
Goalkeepers (3): Howard, Guzan, Hahneman
Defenders (7): Bornstein (he's one of Bob's Guys, just hope he doesn't play); Bocanegra; Cherundolo; DeMerit; Goodson; Onyewu; Spector
Midfielders (10): Beasley; Bradley; Clark; Donovan; Dempsey; Edu; Feilhaber (odd he got the lock-starters treatment); Holden; Torres; Bedoya;
Forwards (3): Altidore; Gomez; Johnson.
You can probably afford to cut Pearce and move either Edu or Beasley into the defense in a pinch. It is surprising that Ching probably doesn't make it. Must not be 100 percent fit. Makes it look more likely Dempsey plays forward.
Labels: bob bradley, Friendlies, i still hate the czech republic, jonathan bornstein, oguchi onyewu, Soccer, USMNT
I sincerely hope that Boogaloo Bornstein doesn't make the final 23, but I suspect you are correct about him being one of the Elder's "guys."
Does every top coach/manager have players that they love while many others don't see the appeal? I figure other coaches must, but the Elder seems to have more than most. Ching, Boogaloo, EJ. That is a large portion of the roster tied up in players that I would never take.
Buddle looked much more explosive than Johnson. He has to be the pick. Gooch was awful. Bradley should just leave him off the team and spare us the anxiety of having in SA.
Shocked that Findley was selected.
I am no Bradley fan but I have to give him credit for picking both Gomez and Buddle. Not too many coaches would have the balls to bring in guys that have barely played with the national team to a World Cup.
Gooch had better get himself fit real quick. He was poor last night. I thought Goodson was solid so I wouldn't be too concerned with a Goodson/Demerit partnership in the middle.
Bornstein going is not a surprise but he is truly awful. I can't remember the last match where he didn't cost the US. Maybe the game against Costa Rica where he scored the goal that knocked them into the playoff but even that was more helpful to Honduras than the US. I am scared to think of Aaron Lennon running at him on June 12.
On the goal gooch allowed the czech player that scored was holding gooch down with one arm Peter Crouch style. It's not a excuse, gooch needs to be strong enough to shug the other player off, but he was definitely held.
What about Demerit? I thought he was lights out in the confed cup. Is he still hurt too? I didn't think Goodson played bad, but I'd much rather see Demerit in there.
Bornstein and Pearce looked awful. How on earth can they be the best 2 LBs we have? Last time they plugged DMB into that spot he was beyond god awful. How about we just play with 3 back?
There was never any doubt Bornstein would be there. Bradley has had this insane fetish since the Chivas days. I hope he doesn't see the field. It won't be enjoyable watching Lennon/Walcott whoever just blasting past. This could be incredibly tricky if England goes to a 4-3-3. Regardless that game means little in the grander scheme, Bocanegra doesn't really have the pace, I can't believe I might agree that Beasley could be our best option at Left Back. It would be nice if Bornstein didn't start EVERY game for the USMNT, so someone else could at least show what they have. The Confed. Cup was the exception,
England has not been looking like a 4-3-3 team so far. They went 4-2-2 against Mexico, and have been throwing around a 3-5-2 due to also having issues on defense.
I am a bit worried that everyone seems to be so focused on the England game. Its not a one and done deal. There are 3 games to play, and US will need results against Algeria and Slovenia. When I look at this roster, I think we have the players to do that.
@30f
Clearly not the only coach. Does no one remember Jeff Agoos starting 3 games for Bruce Arena in 2002?
Agree with you Mike that the England game is getting too much emphasis. England has been suggesting all kinds of lineups. I actually think 4-3-3 might suit us, as long as we take focus on the wing play. Our back line is just not looking up to snuff, though, who know demerit would play so well in the confed. cup. And agree we should advance regardless