TGIF: A final look at USA-Mexico

                                                                                         Photo by ISI Photos

Good morning everybody. If you are still talking about or thinking about the USA-Mexico game, don't fret. You are not alone.

There is so much to talk about from that game but one thing I wanted to say is that while there are some issues raised from that game I really don't think there is reason to be in panic mode about any particular aspect of the U.S. team because of that match.

Here are some issues I would like to touch on from the match after having watched it again:

Yes, the fullbacks were horrid but there are at least two better options at each position so there shouldn't be a need for Ramiro Corrales or Drew Moor to see time in any World Cup qualifier this year.

Yes, the central midfield struggled but to say either Michael Bradley or Ricardo Clark was really bad is a stretch. Bradley was one of the U.S. team's better players in the first half, but his second half wasn't nearly as bad as some on this board suggested. He did have a couple of unforced turnovers but he also won tackles, made crucial challenges and covered well for the inept left flank tandem of Bobby Convey and Corrales. I wasn't overly impressed with Clark but it is easy to forget that it was just his second competitive match in three months.

Bradley, Clark, Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu will all have chances to play in tough matches these coming months and concerns about whether this group will produce an effective central midfield tandem are a bit premature. They are certainly good enough to get the Americans through the next two rounds of qualifying and Bob Bradley is piling up the tough friendlies to get these players the experience they need.

What is the biggest cause for concern in my book? I would say the left wing position. DaMarcus Beasley isn't likely to be around this summer as he continues recovering from major knee surgery so the onus was supposed to fall on Bobby Convey to pick up the slack. He was largely invisible on Wednesday night against Mexico, which was a bit disappointing considering he's had some good efforts for Reading this season. Is he ready to be the guy come World Cup qualifying or will Bob Bradley have to call on veteran Eddie Lewis or an untested youngster like Brad Davis, Justin Mapp or Arturo Alvarez? Either way, this certainly makes you appreciate Beasley a LOT more.

Ultimately, we must always put things on context. If the ultimate goal is success in the World Cup then this period of time needs to be seen as a point during which quality prospects are developed. If there are growing pains then this is the time to have them. This year the U.S. team has World Cup qualifying against opponents that shouldn't be a problem. Bob Bradley and US Soccer is balancing that out with a series of very tough friendlies this summer. The process should go a long way in helping the U.S. team identify which players will be major factors in 2009 and 2010.

As much as results are important, development is even more important, which is why I think some people lost the point of Wednesday night's match. Yes, the rivalry means plenty to both teams, but the match meant just as much to Bradley's evaluation of his roster. From that stand point, it was mission accomplished. Anyone complaining too loudly about the result is missing the ultimate point, which is to test his players and prepare them for when there is plenty more on the line.

Here is a question for you. What one development from Wednesday night's match, either good or bad, stood out for you? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Nick]

Altidore can get it done no matter who he plays against and at only 18. I know people go on and on about him being the second coming, but it's true for the most part. Losing McBride to retirement sucks, but getting Jozy in his place definitely softens the blow.

[Il Consigliere]

I think the need for Benny Feilhaber to get some regular first team soccer has become apparent. The US looked a bit better in the middle when he came on, but if he is not playing for his club, then he will not be able to go 90 minutes. I would like to see Benny and Bradley in the middle, with Clark coming off the bench to protect a late lead...

Also, I prefer to see Dempsey on the right. I think he brings some danger to the flanks that was missing on Wed...with him on the right and LD on the left (til DMB comes back) it may be the way to go...plus, Bob should have a few more strikers to choose from next time, so finding a partner for Jozy should be a bit easier...

[EDB]

I think its clear they need a better way to set up walls in loud stadiums. Why didnt one of the guys on the wall turn around and look at howard while they did rather then trying to look over thier shoulder

[erik]

i'd like to see robbie rogers get a call up at some stage. he looked great on the left side in the WC. bobby had an off night, but he was on fire for us in the lead up to germany. let's not condemn him after one or two off matches.

my how things change...everyone was SO angry that the bruce was giving minutes to DMB over convey in germany. look back at some of the posts about beasley from BS back during the world cup - he was practically public enemy no 1! now we clamoring for him. my, we are a fickle bunch.

[Matt]

As somebody who's watched Convey play since he was 16, he really looked like he was missing some speed Wednesday night. Totally missing that little burst to get by defenders.

Fatigue? Not fully recovered? Never be fully recovered? Don't know, but hopefully he'll get it back or he'll be, a la Ralston, a player that can do well against CONCACAF's lesser lights but be hampered in his ability to compete against the likes of Mexico solely due to athleticism.

[Jack]

Ives-

Good perspective on the current goals for the USMNT. Right now is the time to test new combinations, identify problem areas (the left side of the field) and work out solutions. Playing the best, most experienced team isn't necessarily best for the long term progress.

What do you think about playing either Dempsey or Adu on the left wing, or alternately, using a 4-3-3 formation to keep folks like Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore and Feilhaber all involved (and not relegated to a few touches on the flanks) at the same time? Is Bradley married to a tradtional 4-4-2 with two holding mids?

[Lee]

I am hoping EJ improves, gets consistent, while over in Europe. Would like to see him and Jozy pared together up top.

[Craig]

Adu was a little dissappointing, because he was doing the same thing that he with us in Salt Lake. And that is try to one-on-one too much. However, the foul he got at the corner of the box was because there was a lack of other players moving. So, I don't know who you want to blame. But, when Adu was on the ball he did not look to make a pass. Hopefully, BB will work out players moving more and Adu passing more.

[Robert]

Jozy. Let's get him quality company up top. I like LD and Dempsey in the midfield.

[Adam Spangler]

Considering the season he is having in Europe, Bradley is the clear stand out from the game (due to his average at best performance).

[jrnail23]

I think the issue of our flank play was the most troublesome development from the Mexico game.
Unlike a very vocal contingent on this site, I think Donovan has been fine on the wing, although I'd rather see him inside more. Obviously if we had Beasley the flanks wouldn't be much of an issue, but he'll be out for a while and we need to do something about it.
I've been advocating a switch to some variation of a 4-3-3, where I think we can get by without great two-way flank players.
I'm thinking something like this might work:
--------------Jozy--------------

Donovan------------------Dempsey

Edu---------Bradley----Feilhaber

TBD----Bocanegra--Gooch-----Dolo

------------Howard--------------

I think you could plug in Convey and Freddy at the winger spots, or maybe bring Convey in at Edu's spot on the left mid. EJ and Ching could sub in for Jozy up top(Dempsey could also slide up there). Guys like Clark, Szetela, & Kljestan could come in to those midfield spots, and the back line would pretty much stay the same.

[sidenetting]

Altidore.
I don't think we're putting too much pressure on him because he has made strides at every step and been successful. When has he ever looked out of his element. He has virtually no Aduish 'he's young but you can really see the potential." If you told someone he's 25 and they didn't get a good look at him, they'd likely believe you.
His presence means so much for who he is - a pure goal scorer - but his presence is just as important as it allows Adu to play off him, it allows EJ to perhaps find his groove as the speed option up front, it allows LD to sink in the background a bit where he is clearly more comfortable. Let Jozy take the press onslaught. I believe he has proven he can handle it. When I watched him against Mexico, it seemed like he had always been there. It seemed as if the bigsoccer flameouts were just a distant memory. Okay, I need a moment.

[dwbpnm]

I agree with Robert and Lee the solution to the wings is someone like EJ coming into form up top allowing us to have Dempsey and Donovan in the midfield. Maybe a 4-4-2 with a box midfield of Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley and Benny/Clark/Edu. Donovan and Dempsey both do best when they're able to float between the wing and the middle and this would given them that flexibility. Also it would free up a lot of space for outside backs like Cherundolo, Simek, and Spector to get forward.

[CO_Soccer_Fan]

Great comments overall. I do think Adu is the real deal and should get a legitimate shot to get more playing time for the USMNT.

He's one of the few players on team that can draw more than one defender at him opening up other players for a pass. Yes, he's passing wasn't great Wednesday night but give him time, he is only 18 after all.

Bottom line, I like what see in regards to the future of the USMNT. Go USA!

[Lee]

"
--------------Jozy--------------

Donovan------------------Dempsey

Edu---------Bradley----Feilhaber

TBD----Bocanegra--Gooch-----Dolo

------------Howard--------------"

I've been playing Schalke on FIFA 08 on the 360, they run this type of formation. Lots of fun, and makes me want to get off work and load up the national team to give it a whirl:)

[Andrew S.]

I would really like to see Arturo Alvarez get a chance to play on the left wing. He came on very strong at the end of last year. He has very good on ball skills and can finish when he is around the box. He was FC Dallas' best player in the SuperLiga last year and I feel he would thrive playing against Latin competition.

Also I think Dempsey should play out wide with Donovan and Altidore up top.

[Kim]

Brad Davis is a 'young' player now? He's just a bit past 26, I think just calling him a player is fine. This is the proper timeframe for him to be at his peak.

I wonder if Convey's less than impressive performance was in any part due to the ineffectiveness of the outside backs.

While Adu's tendency to take players on 1v1 may be frustrating at times, it's nice to know that SOMEBODY is willing to try and beat someone on the dribble. That potential should open up more passing lanes as the opposition must respect that.

[PKTaker]

if we are going to play w/two d-mids then we need to have a playmaker in front of them and think adu needs to be given more consideration for that role. or atleast move adu out to the left because convey has continued to disappoint in that role. we also need to get jozy and duece as many opportunities to play together as possible because if they are able to develop some chemistry then they could be very lethal.

[beckster]

According to Reading newspapers, Convey has stayed in US for "knee injections". The guy that played Thursday was not the guy who clearly beat out Beasley for the starting left wing in the world cup. Having been out for a year, and just coming back, it remains to be seen whether and when he can get himself back to his former self. He hasn't played like this for Reading the last couple of months so it would appear, there is another injury. If he can play consistently for Reading this spring and get back to where is was before the injury, he is clearly our best bet.

[THE Nick]

1. Altidore will far and away be the best forward in US Soccer history.

2. Drew Moor does not deserve to ever be called up again

3. Howard is better than Keller and Freidel ever were.

4. Bradley needs to find Donavan a better position.

5. Dempsey needs to be a more consistant player.

6. Baby Bradley is going to be twice the player Reyna ever was.

7. Benny, Rico, Baby B, and Edu are going to be great central midfielders for this team for the next ten years.

8. Bradley has to find Adu a better spot on the field

[greg]

Why is the left back position such a worry?

you can put bornstein back there no problem.

I would have liked to see parkhurst and Gooch paired together in the middle as Gooch would have been the physical one and parkhurst the guy to deal with the quick, direction chaning, threats.

[dwbpnm]

I think the praise for Altidore's performance is getting out of hand. He played OK, he took his chance but there were times he struggled to get the ball and when it came to him he struggled to hold it. He didnt look out of his element but he also didn't look like a world-class player either. We need to temper our comments on him, he is still young and has a ways to go and don't forget EJ scored more than this when he started out on the national team. At this point he is not a player we should rely on for goals. Can he be that guy eventually? Yes, he has the tools necessary but he still needs to put it all together.

[THE Nick]

I dont think Bornstein has that spot solidified yet. And beside him, and maybe Dunivant, nobody else can really play there unless you move Bocanegra over.

It's a real problem. It would be nice to have a left sided Cherundolo like player...

[Doug]

The Gooch and Bocanegra pairing causes me stress. I am probably one of the only people who thinks that, but I am so frustrated with their lack of skill. While they both are threats on dead balls, their poor passing and control on the ball is disconcerting. Many of the plays they are breaking up are caused in no small part to their inability to help keep possession of the ball. Gooch continues to foul too much and both are a bit slow on their feet. I would like to see Parkhurst and DeMerit get more time, although I realize neither is the answer at this point.

[Fred MacMurray]

biggest postive development:

1) has to be Jozy - this guy is the real deal. Reminds me of when Randy Moss first came into the NFL and stunned defensive backs with the physical skills.

2) Howard cementing his no. 1 position with an outstanding performance is a close second

biggest negative development:

well - given the perspective of some time, and considering all the youth on the pitch and the fact that those particular midfield and backline combinations had NEVER started together before, I dont have a particularly outstanding negative one. I'm feeling pretty good about USMNT

[Mighty]

Believe it not i took a lot positive things from Wednesday game. First...... Dempsey and Altidore on top can be a lethal combination. Second Landon is good on the right wing cause of his passing skills and centering the ball. Feilhaber needs to go to Spain and polish his kills when he came into the game he made a difference. I can see him and Bradley pair up. I thought Bradley and Clark where to defensive to play together. Carlos and Gooch are the best defenders we can have right now. I love how Bocanegra plays that role and pressures when is needed, and Gooch is the strong man holding that line. Our flank........ yes our right and left defenders where bad, but now we know where wee need help. I think Adu is going to be great but he is not ready. He will be in a couple of years but he just looked like he didn't belong in that game. But either way he is not the future of the right midfield. I think Coach Bradley is going to bring someone young to fill this place up.
But what i love the most is seeing so many players and not being able to put them to play at the same time. That means the United States soccer team has a good depth in their system, which is great news. By this time next year if everyone is healthy we should have a nice team. I also love how Mexico when back home Happy cause they tie to the US national team. That means a lot. It means that we are so good that they thought they where going to loose and are happy they didn't loose. They have a lot of respect for us. I see good things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chaz]

I agree completely with Ives. I was reading some articles after the match analyzing the American performance, and it seemed most of them were expecting unrealistic performances from the Americans. I think some writers still think we're the team from 2002 World Cup that lost to Germany in the quarter finals. People forget that it takes time to develop a strong and consistently competitive team. Its going to take some more disappointing performances and probably some losses before our team is ready for that kind of expectation. I can see us getting a lot more competitive by 2010. With more of our players being recruited by top flight European clubs I think we'll get that thick skin needed to play on the international level. Think of all the players over in (or will be going to) Europe Jozy, Dempsey, Beasley , Bradley, DeMerit , Eddie Johnson, Convey, Bocanegra, Onyewu etc. And another thing, why aren't we calling up Jay DeMerit for the national team? He's wearing the captain band for Watford (second in the LC table).

[kpugs]

Off topic. Ives, I feel like you never revisited how the heck Matt Pickens got a work permit in England.

I'm sorry if you did and I just missed it, but I feel like I would have seen it if it was mentioned.

[kpugs]

What stood out for me is that Bradley still commits dumb fouls. It looks more and more like this team is going to need him on the pitch as much as possible.

Plowing a guy from behind and earning a yellow card 8 seconds before half time is plain ridiculous. Like I said Wednesday, it literally prevented him from making any emergency "professional" fouls after that incident. When you are a guy who is relied on to win the ball, you can't underestimte just how big NOT having a yellow later in the match can be. It was so dumb.

[arm]

does anyone else see the incongruity of have 6 ex-Metrostars/Red Bull players on the team for the nationals and still having lousy MLS seasons? Count em: Howard, Baby Bradley, Rico, Corrales (okay, not so great), Altidore and Davis on the bench. maybe if we had some coaching consistency we could be a top team too!

Thanks Ives. Luv these postings!

[Rob C]

The most frustrating thing for me was the lack of possession in midfield. We need players who can hold the ball and find other players in space. Benny Feilhaber seems best suited for this role, and he needs to go somewhere where he can play first-team football. I wish Derby would have loaned him out so he doesn't just rot on the bench.

I think Bradley could allow his more skilled players to float around a little more. Donovan should be free to roam from the right side to the middle. Dempsey should be able to go wherever he pleases. Ditto for Freddy Adu.

Also, the left side is a mess without DaMarcus Beasley.

[Dominghosa]

It's easy to point out Jozy as the one development that stood out. At 18, in that situation, he did a great job. There are things he could have done better, i.e. passing, hustling a bit more, putting more pressure on Mexico's defense when they had the ball in the back, and holding the ball a little better. But he did very well for his third senior national team appearance, his first start, and his first match against the U.S.'s biggest rival.

But the thing that stood out to me is what Bradley's going to do with Dempsey, Donovan , Adu and the central midfield.
He must find better spots for Dempsey, Donovan and Adu.

Should he leave Donovan on the right? And keep Dempsey up top? And grow them there so they feel more comfortable at those positions? Or switch them around and see if that works the best and see if Donovan works better with Jozy up top?
And what of Adu? Is he just going to be a super sub? Is he going to see time as a starter and see if he can make an impact while seeing more than 25 minutes on the field?

Then there's the central midfield. What's the best pairing? The best formation for that pairing?

It'll be interesting to see, indeed, as time goes on toward qualifying.

On a side note, I agree with the post above who mentioned Robbie Rogers as an option on the left wing.

[Uncle Jason]

New US lineup:

--------------Jozy--------------

Donovan-------Adu-----------Dempsey

---------Bradley----Feilhaber---------

Spector----Bocanegra--Gooch-----Dolo

-------------Howard---------------

This will allow us to attack more fluidly and puts six technically skilled players (who can pass well) ahead of four capable defenders. Dolo and Spector will not get smoked like Corrales and Moor.

No more long-ball BS necessary with this lineup, but Adu, Donovan, and Dempsey will have to commit to playing a little more defense.

Can't wait to see it in action Bobby B!

[bill]

what about J. Specter at outside back. I feel he's got great potential. We have lots of quality in center backs also. COnrad, Demerit Parkhurst...I'd start retraining some of those guys...

Donovan gets lost outside. he needs to play centrally so he can roam.

[Ed]

IMHO the midfield stunk up the place. Rico Clark was lost. Bradley made many stupid errors.
Drew Moor learned a lesson and I think he has the skills to recover and get minutes in the qualifiers. Not as a starter, but as a reserve.

[golfstrom]

i'm glad to see a nuanced recap post from ives. i don't read the blog comments anymore after games b/c most of it is over-critical, joyless nitpicking.

my one development: gooch was man of the match. won all kinds of balls in the air (of course), but also had some clutch clearances in the area. i didn't see any mistakes from him really. his goal was sweet, what a huge header.

[scott47a]

The one thing that really stood out, and has already been mentioned, is just how poorly Drew Moor defended.
It's too bad, the guy really has a nice cross. But to be beat the same exact way on two set plays is mind-numbing. He doesn't deserve another call.

Also, I'll join with the folks thinking Alvarez at least deserves a call up and try in some of the friendlies. He can't be less effective than Convey was, can he?

Finally, I think the right answer formation-wise is eventually to get LD back into the center of the pitch. How about a 4-4-1-1 with Jozy up top and LD a little behind and ready to charge toward the goal. He's not great with his back to the goal. Dempsey could move back to right-mid.

[smokarz]

Absolutely love this formation.

--------------Jozy--------------

Donovan-------Adu-----------Dempsey

---------Bradley----Feilhaber---------

Spector----Bocanegra--Gooch-----Dolo

-------------Howard---------------

If we will ever see it........

[golfstrom]

i don't get why some want to move LD from right wing. his pace and work/rate are perfect for the wing; he ate Salcido for breakfast. Donovan tracks back and covers as well. He's by far our best RW option.

[mrcjanssen]

Mexico seems to have changed tactics on Wednesday. I think it is something we will need to deal with. For the first time in a very long time Mexico directed the pace of the game and upped the pressure all over the midfield.

The US has to figure out how to get better wing play. convey did not have a good game, but he wasl also fairly effectivly chut down by Mexico, but Donovan didn't have any room on his side either. Immediate pressue on both those players seem to effectivly shut them down.

[Brian Quarstad]

I keep looking for this to be mentioned but haven't seen it in either thread.

So here goes, Don't underestimate how exhausted both Dempsey and Bradley may have been coming into the team. Both have seen an awful lot of minutes this year. Dempsey particularly under at times, duress. The go-to guy which was not his position in a struggling and frustrated team.

I don't know if anyone saw the Studio 90 video that Beuthy and US Soccer put out on the official web site. They did a video with him called 24 hours with Clint, where they met him at the airport and followed him around to all the commercials and interviews he had to do as well as training. The poor boy was absolutely knackered. He played Sunday, got in sometime on Monday so really had one day to practice with the team.

Not a chance in hell that he or Bradley were going to be at their top for this game.

[Tails]

Defensive worries should be not existent. We're set with Gooch, Boca, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Dolo, Spector, Pearce, and Bornstein.
Center Midfield is nice with Bradley, Edu, Clark, and Feilhaber.
Forward is pretty good with Altidore, Dempsey, Donovan, Adu, and maybe a revitalized Johnson.
The problem comes at the wings where we have Beasley, Convey, and a slew of younger players we are crossing our fingers to develop into a consistent presence. While we wait, we pull people out of position like LD, Adu, and occasionally Deuce. Although they do fine, unless someone like Holden, Alvarez, Rogers or Zizzo really picks it up, we'll be relying on Lewis and out of position forwards to cover our tails, esp. at right wing.

[Barry U]

Couple of things.

Altidore - Needs to be on the team sheet every time!!! Kid will be the truth soon.

Corrales/Moor - Should not be on the team sheet ever again!!!

Adu - needs to be in team espescially when DMB is not playing!!! He brings creativity that was missing a bit on Wednesday.

Spector/Simek/Dolo/Pearce/JBorne - are the backs of the future!!!

[Alex]

Altidore is getting all the looks and the time, and clearly blossoming. When will Kenny Cooper get another look? The guy has a lot of upsides and is a big presence forward. He trained at ManU, I think he has some idea of the intensity of the global game.

[Nate]

dwbpnm - I agree completely that the coronation of Altidore needs to wait. He did good, not great.

Rob C - Ball control/possesion was the single biggest thing missing from the game.

Tails - I disagree that defense is not a problem. As a group, we foul too much, are prone to one-on-one failures, and are slow footed when faced with quick play. I do think we make up for a lot of these problems with good organization and coverage for each other.

[Frank]

I think more credit should be going to Mexico than bashing the USMNT. They have a seriously talented team and were missing their two best players in Castillo and Guardado. Altidore is going to be good but needs to improve with his feet. I was not very impressed with Bradley Jr, when is running around like a headless chicken kicking balls all over the place and losing possession so much considered good. Mexico's mid hardly ever lost the ball and it seemed they always had someone to pass it to.

We just need to accept that the USMNT has some serious issues it it were to play a good international team outside of US soil

[White Kix]

The biggest problem of the game was the central midfield (aside from the outside backs who are not regulars with the team). We MUST stop playing to defensive center midfielders. Bradley and Clark were great at hacking down players at midfield, but not so good at coming away with the ball and maintaining possesion. If we can't keep the ball, we will never take the next step in becomming a world power. Things did turn around once Benny came in. If he's not fit enough to go, we need to put in some one who can hold the ball and create (Adu, maybe Dempsey).

Also, If Cherondulo is out, Simek should be playing at right back (he played well at the Gold Cup, I thought better than Spector). At left back, it should be Pearce, Spector or Randolph in front of Corrales and yes, even Bornstein.

[Zach]

Moor assisted Altidore for the 2nd go ahead goal, that should not be fogotten in any assessment of his performance. Also, was it his first USMNT appearance? If so, maybe it was just growing pains.

Does anyone think we will see Beckerman at central mid again?

I thought convey did well, but I enjoy watching Justin Mapp as well, so I am not concerned about that position....Also Beas should be healed by 2009....more than a year before the actual world cup tournament.

[Zach]

one more thing...HOW AWESOME WAS CLINT DEMPSEY"S GOAL THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY????

WHAT ABOUT ALTIDORE'S FIRST USMNT GOAL EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!-props to Moor on this assist.

AND 3 CHEERS TO ONYEWU FOR A BRILLIANT HEADER!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt]

The one development that I was pleased with was the fact that Onyewu and Blackmouth can actually work well in the middle. I thought both had a great game which is nice when those performances have been lacking in the past.

[Zach]

The referees were frustrating, he seemed to call way too many fouls, and beside my bias it was definitely too many on the U.S. Did anyone else see that?
Yes, we will find central midfielders before the big games....no worries...
Personally, I enjoy watching a team come together, I think the finished product in 2010 will be one of the best the U.S.A. has ever presented at a cup. They will be brilliant.

[Michael]

I don't think this team is anywhere near what the 2010 roster will be, so I really have no need to worry about the long term effects of this friendly aside from a good experience for some of the younger guys.

I think there will be others to emerge for spots the US were poor at. It is a shame Bradley wasn't able to bring in DeMerit, Simek, Spektor, Szetela, and even Eddie Johnson for it, but I don't really think it is time to pretty the panic button on things.

[jmh]

Why is parkhurst not getting any looks???????????

[DCM]

One thing no one has mentioned yet that was of note on Wednesday night (and in prior matches as well) is Donovan's ineffectiveness on set plays. His services were abysmal. I was surprised/disappointed that LD took the kick over Adu after Adu was fouled late in the match near the corner of the box. These are crucial scoring opportunities that are for the most part thrown away with worthless services from LD.

[Tim]

One thing that stood out for me was what a disappointment Convey was. He's had good efforts with Reading, and was one of our more heralded players in the last few years. What happened??

Back line communication was bad. It didn't seem as though Howard was able to get his walls positioned properly, nor communicate well when he had to come off his line. That must improve.

Lastly, I think Adu needs to see more time, not necessarily start, but just get some more minutes. Some complained that he was not effective. Well, it's hard to be when you come in during the last 15-20 minutes of a game. I think he's the kind of player that needs 30+ minutes to really get in the flow of the game and be a threat.

[dano]

If Alvarez deserves a look at left wing, Holden surely does also. I'd prefer to see him cap tied before he goes off to Europe in when his contract expires with the Dynamo.

[ben]

I was fairly disappointed with Adu. He had looked better since leaving RSL (most likely due to the fact that he is now trying), but in this game he looked just like he did here in Salt Lake. Getting pushed off the ball, trying too many tricks and turning it over, blah blah blah. However, the worst thing was him taking that corner. If I never see Freddy Adu take another corner kick it'll be too soon. He never once found a teammate while taking all the corners in Salt Lake and his corner in this game was directly into a crowd with 3 Mexican players and 0 US players. Bradley needs to tell Adu he is not allowed to take them anymore.
On the plus side, Altidore looked very good and if Dempsey can hit shots like the disallowed goal on a regular basis, our attack will be very strong.

[EricJohn]

Fullback's weren't great - but they don't deserve all the blame. The defensive midfield was nonexistent. Mexico seemed to have little trouble transitioning from their half to the attack. But this will come in time as we form a more cohesive midfield.

Very fun game, and yes, this will be one of our best teams ever come 2010.

[tsingletonvt]

The game was a lot of fun to watch and satisfied all of my pre game anticipation, but there was probably not too much to get too high or low about. You cannot read too much into one game, a few games, or a small timeframe. This is definitely a marathon for the USMNT. That said, after watching this game I still believe the following to be true...

The USMNT has depth at every position, but at many of these positions (other than keeper, right back, and center back) the depth is really a bunch of interchangeable parts without a clear standout. I think Landon, when on his game, is clearly the midfield standout, but is being played out of position. I also believe that Jozy has a chance to become a standout at striker, but that will come over time.

The USMNT continues to lack a strong attacking midfielder who can control the attack and settle the game. The USMNT has few wing players (Eddie Lewis, sometimes Bobby Convey) who can serve a good cross into the forwards (The best cross came from Drew Moor. Did anybody think this was very similar to his cross last summer in the Copa America?) At the same time the USMNT still has trouble moving the ball on the ground in offensive, attacking combinations for more than a pass or two. The USMNT is missing reliable, consistent forwards who can finish the chances given them and who can periodically create their own chances. Jozy may develop into this type of player.

The combination of interchangeable parts and developing, unfinished talent leads to players being asked to play out of position in an attempt to get the best available on the field based on injury, fitness, form, opponent, and experiment. (As an aside, I wish that the USMNT tried to get more complete skillsets on the field or a better mixture of skillsets on the field rather than trying to get certain players on the field. I realize that development of these skills takes time.) This can lead to games full of midfield pinball that lack flow in one off games (games without an extended camp) like the Mexico game and the qualifiers. This is a recipe that makes a cohesive attack difficult due to unfamiliarity with your position, players around you, roles, resposibilities, etc. This can lead to the sum value being less than the value of the individual parts. And finally, all of this put together is what makes one off qualifier games against highly motivated CONCACAF minnows real battles even though the talent pool available to the USMNT continues to improve rapidly.

[Tommy O]

I've never been a big LD fan, but I have to agree with smokarz, this match showed - again - that the Landon on the right wing is the surest USMNT position. So I think the 4-2-3-1 that people are touting makes sense with Donovan wide right.

Building for the long term, say Mexico cup qualifiers, in that formation I'd like to see Adu starting either on the left wing or in the center behind Jozy. That should be Coach Bob's next experiment. Also, given the speed of Castillo and Dos Santos could be reaking havoc on us down the right for years to come. What about this lineup when the DMB returns:

--------Jozy----------
Adu-----Clint-------LD
---Bradley---Benny-----
Beasley-Boca-Gooch-Dolo
--------Howard--------

[ben]

Now wait a minute -- Drew Moor is taking flack unfairly for Ramiro Corrales' mistakes. On BOTH goals, Corrales' man scored, and Moor looked to have been in the wrong position because he was scrambling to cover for his teammate. Watch a replay of the last goal -- Corrales starts the play marking the man, side by side, then STANDS STILL as he makes the run to goal. Moor was actually pretty good (and I can confirm after watching US-Sweden from the first row, quite athletic), though he needs work on his one-on-one defending.

[Mark]

I agree with Frank from a few comments above: the real eye-opener for me is how bright the future looks for our neighbors to the south. Vela and Dos Santos are so crazy skilled. We don't have any comparable prospects, really. Although I'd disagree with the idea that their best player could ever be anyone other than Marquez. He looked to be going half speed for most of the game, but was clearly all class. The way he played the ball out of the back was just beautiful. This rivalry is only going to get tougher for us going forward.

As for the U.S., I'm with everyone else that's man-crushing on Jozy. Screw perspective. We've been waiting for a true goal-scoring threat for so long, how can we not get carried away a bit?

[eric]

I want to toss in my vote for a look at Stuart Holden as a back-up winger. I would have been VERY interested if he could have been inserted for Convey instead of Lewis. Holden seems to have better discipline and a more complete game than exciting guys like Mapp and Alverez, who also create excitement with bad turnovers. Bummer he was a late injury scratch.

I'm also with whoever brought up Kenny Cooper. It seems like BB has thrown out a lot of newbies at positions where we have a lot of cover, but at forward he keeps going to the same old (except of course, for integrating Jozy).

[Coach]

Like Deuce up front - great individual effort on the "non-goal"

Like LD at right wing, it plays to his strengths - speed and work rate

Officiating? Is it just me or Jozy never gets the benefit of the doubt for club or country? Curse of being the big man

[BeautifulGame]

I am not yet willing to call Bradley jr a capable, international mid fielder. Even more worisome, looking at our current pool of players, I don't see anyone that can maintain position and make useful passes forward.
But I am delighted with our keeper!

[Tim Crawford]

Revelations you say? Tim Howard is really good. I really wanted to see some more Guzan because I think he's definitely the real deal, but Howard definitely impressed. Nobody likes to talk about what Landon did (or didn't do . . .) and that really bugs me. We can talk about the quietness of Bobby Convey, but no one is willing to talk about the silence on the right side. I wonder when Freddy will get to play more than 20 minutes in any match of any type for any team . . . I really was hoping for more time with him. I think he's just as ready as Jozy. He certainly has the confidence and the mids could definitely use some flair.

[dave]

Good summary Ives to put things into perspective. While Mexico players are Europe or domestic leagues are mainly in mid season mode, four or five of the US players on the field were in pre-season mode and with the exception of Altidore it showed.

We do need to temper our expectations in these early games. The good news is that we continue to give valuable big game exposure to our young team and this will help as we get into the qualifying process. Remember as well as striving to qualify for the WC in 2008 / 2009, Bradley is trying to build a squad that peaks in 2010.

At this time, I feel we are making acceptable progress.

[shaj]

let me reiterate, landon donovan cannot play on the wing. he's been ineffective in that position every time he's played it, and hes just too important for the US to not have a good game each time.

[Pat Noonan's Mom]

Pat and I see it like this -- rough depth chart following 2/6 performances:

gk: Howard (Guzan. Keller. Hahnemann.)

lb: Spector (Pearce. Bornstein. Randolph.)
cb: Bocanegra (Parkhurst. Robinson. Califf.)
cb: Onyewu (DeMerit. Conrad. Goodson.)
rb: Cherundolo (Simek. Hejduk. Moor. Wynne.)

lm: Beasley (Convey. Holden. Alvarez. Davis. Lewis. Mapp.)
cm: Bradley (Edu. Clark. Mastroeni.)
cm: Feilhaber (Klejstan. Szetela. Beckerman.)
rm: Donovan (Rogers. White. Olsen. Zizzo. Nguyen.)

f: Dempsey (Adu. Johnson. Findley.)
f: Altidore (Ching. Twellman. Davies.)

Personally, Pat and I are both fans of Mr. Edu. We think he is a well-rounded versatile player who is just outside the current top 11 (if everyone were healthy). So, if it is an important game (WCQ), why not plug him in wherever we have an injury? I.e., until DMB returns, we suggest Mo for the left side of midfield (or the right with Natalie Portman switching over to the left). Nowak has been looking at Mo as a CB, too (which attests to his versatility). So, if we had a WCQ tomorrow:

----------Howard
Dolo--Gooch--Boca--Spector
Edu--Feilhaber--MB--Portman
-----Dempsey--Altidore

[BeautifulGame]

Unfortunately, the fact is that Landon is still our most skilled/dangerous player (understanding that some might think that Clint is just as skilled) - now if we could just inject Landon with a little more 'heart'.

I am hoping that in a year or so, I will be able to say the Jozy is our most skilled/dangerous player.

[mexicanbluefish]

HERE IN MÉXICO while I was watching the game, the commentators were actually quite impressed with young Bradley...the comment they repeatedly made was "he's everywhere!"

[socmin]

A little off the general train...but what stood out for me what the relative "friendliness" of the match. Yes there were some nasty fouls- to be exoected- but (having watched the Univision feed) I saw a LOT more handshaking and fellowship- as well as jersey swapping. That's what a friendly should be: hard fighting on the pitch, but respect after the match.

[Nate]

Amen Bluefish!

Also, I loved the concentration of Howard, keeping his eye on the ball after dropping it while rolling over Bocanegra. Slow mo replay showed it perfectly.

[A.S.]

Ives is a lot more sanguine about the central midfield than I am. Bradley and Clark played well defensively, but we really lack a central midfielder who can control the ball. The attack just isn't fluid enough without a good attacking midfielder, and despite that the central midfielders all seem to be good defenders, I think the lack of ability to hold on to the ball will come back to haunt us against teams that can do it well, like Mexico.

[Dmee]

I'm still not sold on bocagooch yet. I'm not sure why so many people are singing their praises. I thought they both played well, for them. But for a standard CB tandem at the international level, they are below par. I know it was Moor's mark, but check the replay on that first goal, there are 3 open men inside the six.

I've never liked gooch but always been a Boca fan. Now I'm beginning to see them as level. Not sure whether gooch has risen or boca's declined though, prolly a bit of both. I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong if these guys step it up and get it done, but we will do nothing in South Africa if that's who we're relying on.

[Shaun Howe]

You mention the problem at left midfield. I have been watching Convey since his u17 days. I have very rarely seen anything to get excited about (let's face it, he was a very average MLS player at best). Justin Mapp on the other hand has shown the ability to take games over at the MLS level. I feel tht Mapp is a young man who should be in some of these big games so he can get the experience needed to be a mainstay for the US Team. Beasley has a tremendous work rate and can do some great things in attack (although his attacking prowess were lacking in Germany); however, Mapp is the kind of player US Soccer needs...the player who can beat the first defender at will. If you have Mapp on the left side, Dempsey on the right side and Donovan as the attacking CM to complement Bradley as a holding player, I think this is a midfield that can cause problems for the opponent.

[BeautifulGame]

mexicanbluefish,

Who were the commentators & on which network.

Bradley jr is an energetic midfielder - just not much of a playmaker (not yet anyway).

[Scott]

I have to say, I was very disappointed with several US players against Mexico. Why, Corrales was even in the game, let alone for 90 minutes, is disturbing to me. If we don't have at least 2-3 additional players that are closer to getting minutes than Corrales, we are in trouble. Basically, we wasted valuable minutes of experience that someone who has a real shot of being on the 2010 team should have had. And the same is true for Moor and Convey. As far as Dempsey goes, we are not a team that can survive with 90% uninspired play followed by a few flashes of brilliance. We need someone up front with Jozy that has a workrate similiar to McBride's or for that matter the mexican attackers. I thought Landon played ok and the defense, with the exception of defending set plays, played well.

[mike]

the goals were great, but everything in between did not go well. the first half was good, but our central midfield didn't play well and we couldn't connect to the forwards. Some of that blame belongs to the forwards. Rico was all over the place, in a bad way. he needs to sit and cover. Michael needs to be roaming and getting in the attack, the problem was rico kept playing out of position. then bradley started doing too much and also bauptista played really well and played bettern than our center mids. One thing I do see improvement in is our sick quick passing. we really know how to play on the ground when we want to. Good things continue to emerge for us. I'm so excited.

[mike ruze]

We need Wynne to hurry up and devlop to deal w Guardado. Plus one of our young burners like Jeremiah white or Davies to develop. If EJ matures and develops partnering him with Altidore will give any country fits.

[Tony in Quakeland]

Plus: Altidore's calm.
Negative: Convey looking ineffective. Also Clark's poor distribution and lack of holding ability. (That is my biggest concern.)
Surprise: Just how much the midfeild settled after Benny came on.

(Not going to bother addressing guys who have no chance of playing in 2010.)

My current favorite (all healthy) line up is 4-3-3:

Adu -- Altidore -- Dempsy
Beasley- Bradley -- Donovan
Spector-Boca-Gooch -- Dolo
Howard

I think this gets our best talent ont he field. I think that Beasley and Donovan have proven their ability to get back and defend. I also think this will allow for a lot of creative switch with Adu, Beasley, Dempsey, Donovan that will be able to take advantage of defensive weaknesses.

[Enrique]

I have a question and comment for the U.S fans.

honestly, i was not impressed by the U.S team. They played a borring brand of soccer. They stayed back and only attacked when errors were commited. Granted it was effective, as they scored on 2/3 opportunities. They have some young talent but how do they compare to Mexico's young talent.

Read this article and let me know what you think.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/fire/cs-06-united-states-mexicofeb06,1,6625234.story

[Bill]

Maybe I'm being a complainer but I expected a lot better from the U.S. Michael "goal machine" Bradley picked up a yellow. Aside from that I thought he was pretty anonymous. I expected him to dictate our play. The defense was at times comically unorganized. Is that Timmy's fault? Is it because the fullbacks are inexperienced? Am I the only guy who thinks Landon Donovan is a bit overrated on a stage higher than MLS? Despite Benny not playing often for Derby I thought he provided just what we needed (albeit briefly). We are supposed to be the kings of CONCACAF right now. We didn't look it. We should be able to string some passes together to calm Mexico's attack. I think we should expect more. It's only a friendly, I know . I just thought we progressed past the point of holding on for draws against Mexico on our home soil.

[aristotle]

I have always thought right from the beginning that Landon Donovan would be a great creative midfielder. I remember watching him in his early days with the Quakes and thinking "Wow! This guy will be the best creative midfielder we have ever had by far.".

Fast forward to today, and it's really disappointing. Notice all of the passionate posts about how Landon is great or Landon is way overrated? "He had a great game." "No, he sucked." I think nearly all of us agree that he is great by American standards, but I think the hostility or harsh comments come from being disappointed about how good he could have been, and at the hype that is sometimes not deserved. It's Landon's life and nobody can tell him how to live it, but I think the vast majority of soccer fans wish he hadn't copped out as far as being the best he could be. It should have been a no brainer to go to Europe (and stay there) to achieve his highest level, but he didn't. I would also have thought that he would know better than anyone what his best position should be. He clearly doesn't. I think it was only out of desperation that Landon was ever used as a forward. I know people are going to come back at me and say that he is our all time leading scorer, and will be by far, but just take a look at all of the chances he's had and missed. He may be our best option for a forward, but I think his greatest potential would have been as a creative midfielder, where he could still score some goals, but add much more value to the team overall. I heard somewhere that Landon now wants to be used as a forward only. If this is true, I think that his ego is getting the better of him, and it is yet another poor decision dictated by him having to be the glory guy. It now looks like he will just be shuffled around and never be settled in one position for the rest of his career. What good is he as a wide midfielder if he's not even a good crosser of the ball? His place kicks suck most of the time. It seems like everybody listens to what Landon wants too much. "I want to be a forward." You got it. "I want to take all of the place kicks." You got it. Remember how he grudgingly let Beckham take corner kicks? Like there was some doubt as to who was better at it. This is not a Landon bashing post. I like Landon Donovan. I just wish he had made some better decisions and that his coaches would use him to the best of his talents. Maybe he would stop disappearing in games if he settled at one position. He can hold the ball, he's a great passer with vision, he'll score on you if you give him too much of a chance. Am I the only one who thinks Landon Donovan should have been the creative midfielder?

[mctavish]

Softly spoken, Ives!

Coach Bradley needs to step up or step down.

Player choices. Shalrie Joseph would settle down and straighten out the midfield. Landon on top.

Consistently, consistently, three US defenders closing down an attacker with no one marking the outside green wing. Easy to read. Think it through!

Dempsey shut down after the offside call. Tough players need a tough coach to call them on their stuff. He should have come back from that.

[K. Bowen]

The central mids got beat badly until Benny and Adu entered. Period.

[aristotle]

mctavish:

You said: "Shalrie Joseph would settle down and straighten out the midfield."

I am sure he has done this many times for Grenada.

[TMattC]

Donovan looked very dangerous when he was running at the defense from the right flank. He is slighty more dangerous looking than Dempsey when he does this. Those two need to switch off throughout the game.

Donovan should not take any dead balls. Adu, Eddie Lewis or just about anyone else is preferable.

Convey was anonymous but how much of that was due to his lack of confidence in Corrales who did not play well behind him.

Altidore scored a McBride type goal which is only fitting

Mexico's European contingent is making El Tri dramatically better.

I've never seen Howard so wound up.

Who knew that we would be screaming for Frankie Hejduk's return?

[BJR]

-------Altidore-------
______Adu______________
_________Donovan_______
Beasley___Bradley__Dempsey

Spector___Boca___Cherundolo
_________Gooch____________

________Howard__________

This is what I would like to see in the not to distant future.
Donovan would play a more traditional CAM role, Adu roams as he pleases. I'd also like to see Dempsey and Donovan switching positions at times.

The biggest disappointment about the game and our play in general of late: lack of possession and a fluid passing game.

I would like us to win AND look good doing it.

[jleau]

A few things really stuck out:

Central defense was pretty good and Gooch inparticular played really well. It's been awhile.

Our depth at fullback does not include Corrales or Moor.

A CAM is really needed and if Feilhaber doesn't start playing at his club this will be a problem. When he came on the whole tone was better.

It's too early to crucify Convey.

[Eric]

Enrique: We'll see what's what next time we play El Tri. Gio and Vela, as well as Guardado and Nery are very talented footballers, but we ain't any pushovers, no matter how "boring" the USMNT may seem to you. The more our young players get over to Europe and get 1st team football, the better the rivalry. Even with our weaknesses, they only came away with a tie.

So no, I ain't worried, Enrique.

[Kent James]

Altidore had a nice goal and clearly provides the arial presence we've missed since the retirement of McBride. Donovan and Adu running at players with Altidore playing as a traditional center forward is a tantalizing possibility. But I thought in the first half particularly, his work rate was not great (Dempsey was pressuring their backs much more, and since Altidore is young and presumably fit, one expects more in this area). Altidore certainly has the potential, but it is way to early to tell.
Bradley has a high work rate, but still commits some stupid fouls. I think his passing has generally gotten much better and he deals very well with the ball under pressure.
Moor was beaten on two plays for goals, but those were tough plays that credit Mexico's finishing more than Moor's lack of defending. As someone else pointed out, Moor was covering for Corrales on one of the goals and had the difficult task of trying to clear a ball curving in low to the back post, which is exceedingly difficult to defend. Likewise, the second goal was off of a deflection; I think Moor had slowed his covering run to deal with the possibility of the ball straight through, but the deflection put the Mexican player closer to goal than he was. Not to say that at this level, a defender should not be able to deal with those cases, nor do I think he's going to be the starting back, but he was not a disaster, and shouldn't be blamed our failure to win. Mexico possessed the ball much better than we did, and deserved a tie.
The refereeing, on the other hand, I thought was not particularly good. I though Gooch in particular was penalized unfairly for being big and strong; players seemed to run into him and go down, and pick up fouls. Likewise, Altidore also called for fouls that I thought were more due to his size and the Mexican proclivity to go down easily. An example of a player gaming the referee was when Altidore turned on Marquez and was moving past him; on the turn, Altidor accidently knicked the back of Marquez' leg, but not enough to trip him. Marquez realized he was beaten (and Altidor was going in on goal, though from distance), so Marquez went down and got the foul (in the ref's defense on that one, that's tough not to call because there was some contact, but that was an example of Marquez' experience bailing him out).
In terms of left sided midfielders, in Beasley's absence, and Bornstein ever played midfield? I was very impressed with his speed and offensive capabilities at left back; if he moved up to midfield, he'd clearly have the ability to defend and maybe could develop those offensive capabilities even more.