Simply too tired, physically and mentally still upset about Mexico's 4-2 win over the U.S. in the Gold Cup final Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Writing more on the game and what it means going forward on Sunday morning, when my sanity is with me.
Until then.
Watch Gio Dos Santos' 1,000,000 point combo, straight-up owning the U.S.
This goal should only make you feel bad things inside, if you support the USMNT or U.S. Soccer in general. Disgust. Jealously. Anger. You name it.
The only other thing to say?
Why does the camera immediately go to Chicharito? He didn't score. Is this the 1999 Yankees on FOX vis-a-vis closeups of Derek Jeter doing fist pumps inside the New York dugout?
Until then.
Watch Gio Dos Santos' 1,000,000 point combo, straight-up owning the U.S.
This goal should only make you feel bad things inside, if you support the USMNT or U.S. Soccer in general. Disgust. Jealously. Anger. You name it.
The only other thing to say?
Why does the camera immediately go to Chicharito? He didn't score. Is this the 1999 Yankees on FOX vis-a-vis closeups of Derek Jeter doing fist pumps inside the New York dugout?
Labels: el tri, gio dos santos, Gold Cup, Soccer, USMNT, videos
Great goal by the Brazilian Giueseppe Rossi, but the big 'error' from the US is in the first ten seconds of that clip. That ball is defnded well by Boca in the corner and then it squirts out and just lays there, with no US defender closing anything down. What happens after is special, but almost insignificant in the universe where the USMNT gives up three OTHER unanswered goals.
Stupid Cherundolo and his injury allowing Boogaloo on the field.
{{gnashing of teefs}}
Our defense is so terrible against pace that I literally can't tell if Mexico are any good or not. Their finishes and bounces didn't seem to be repeatable, but to be fair, they made them tonight, and our defense wasn't good enough to win against anyone but the bluntest of Concacaf sides.
At least the other sides that gave up goals galore to Mexico were on the take (allegedly). What's our excuse?
On the other hand, maybe it's best not to read too much into one game in a neutral-to-hostile environment. Not sure going up 2-0 so fast was as beneficial as it seemed (though I'm not sure a team with Bornstein in it is capable of having a defensive letdown--more of a preexisting condition). Cherundolo got hurt and he was probably our best player in the Gold Cup. All I can remember from most of the game is Mexico getting it into threatening positions repeatedly, but maybe with average defense we weren't that far off?
I get that Bornstein isn't very good, but isn't that missing the forest for the trees? What does it say about the depth of the USMNT that Bornstein is the next guy in when someone on defense goes down?
By the way, when did Cherundolo become the second coming of Roberto Carlos. It's not like Mexico wasn't peppering the US goal in the first 11 minutes of the match.
Honduras and Guatemala were able to at least contain the Mexican attack during the knock-out stage. With "tired" legs after a 120-minute match on Wednesday evening, Mexico looked like Brazil circa 1970 (yes, the US had the same schedule). There is no depth in the back 4 and the starters aren't anything special either. And those starters are aging. It's probably going to get worse back there before it gets better. With Dempsey, Donovan, and Jones approaching 30 you have to figure they'll be on the downside of their careers by 2014 as well.
The problems with this team right now stem far beyond one player. And they go beyond Bob Bradley. This team just isn't very good. Does anybody believe this team could qualify for Euro 2012? From how many confederations could this team qualify for the World Cup? Oceania, Asia?
The team played 180 minutes against Panama and I honestly don't know which team is better. With all due respect to the Panamaians, if that's not a sign that there are problems I don't know what is.
Blaming Bornstein or Bradley is just scapegoating. It papers over the bigger issues of player development and USSF governance.
Great example with why USA cannot batter down the hatches late. Center Backs are too slow and have terrible feet (on and off ball). Poor clearance by Boca starts it all, and no one (including Boca)can get within 4 feet of Dancin' Dos Santos. Can we get some athletes to play defense?
Oh, and make sure Timmy Chandler stays.
Let's reflect - not just on the gold cup, but on Bob's entire coaching history with the USMNT - how many times has he gone back to players who are obviously not good enough at the international (or club, if we are examining Bornstein) level? How many times has he tactically gotten it right? The former clearly outnumbers the latter. Just because he got the tactics right during the Jamaica match does not mean that he should continue coaching the U.S. through the next qualifying cycle and into the 2014 world cup.
Read that Bradley was going for the 3rd goal. Wow. Just when you think you know a guy.
Bradley should get credit for getting Adu back into the picture for 2014. As much as he should get dinged for playing Bornstar.
For me, the shocker was that he didn't bunker down after going up 2-0. Given how shaky the backline looked and after losing Dolo, I would've expected him to have Bradley and Jones just sit back. If one of those guys had their "A" game last night, we would've won.
Hard for me to bag on Coach Sweats. I'm with Cardillo -- this is more about the Fed.
Plus, as much as Tim Howard is our true #1 and a world-class goalie, he needed to be better last night.
Credit to El Tri, for keeping their spirit and not panicking going down 2-0. Unfortunately, in this league, Chicharito will not be announcing a presser at the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club to announce he's taking his talents to the Maracana. We will have to deal with him for the next 8 years. Ugh.
Dos Santos golazo was sideways LOST world Feilhaber golazo.
Moving forward:
Freddy's back. Stu Holden should be a lock. Should we start tinkering with our 4-6-0?
Back to reality -- we need to figure out the center-mid position. I'm not totally sold on Jones-Bradley. However, they need to have games to gel. W'sup with Maurice?
I feel better about the backline wings than I do about our CBs. Lichaj had a terrible game, but he's got the tools. Dolo will be our veteran. Chandler will be a rock at the right side. We won't have Jonathan Bornstein to kick around anymore.
I love me some Magic Juan, but he's gotta get stronger. Last night was a tailor made game for Altidore, and I wonder how he's going to bounce back from this injury.
Still don't get what Maurice Edu has done to lock himself into the doghouse. Especially after seeing Bradley/Jones give the ball away the entire game last night. We really missed Holden's composure as well.
The U.S. is complaining that losing Cherundolo was a blow. But Mexico lost two of their key defenders due to injuries.. (Salcido and Marquez). Not to forget that Mexico also lost another key piece defender (Maza Rodriguez) due to that doping scam. But still, having depth on your bench is the difference between Mexico's team and the USMNT. Mexico moves the ball around beautifully, while the USMNT forces the ball and lose it causing dangerous counter attacks. All in all Mexico had a good Gold Cup scoring 22 goals and allowing just 4.
Damn, I missed the video before youtube took it down. Anybody has a link from a different source??