USA 0, Argentina 0: The Day After

What a game.

For all the complaints and concerns and fears following the U.S. national team's losses to England and Spain, most of those were put to rest on Sunday night as the USA showed skill, heart, determination and definite potential in a 0-0 tie against Argentina, the No. 1 team in the world.

This was the U.S. team we have been waiting to see, a team that can stand up against the big boys of world soccer and match them. Yes, it would have been better if the Americans could have scored a goal, but they still showed more than enough to leave fans feeling optimistic about the progress they have made after friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina.

Here is my story on the match for ESPN.com.

I will offer a more detailed take on the match in a short while. For now I want to hear from you on what you thought of the match. Are you feeling better about where the U.S. national team is in terms of progress? What players stood out for you and how do you feel about the U.S. team as it heads toward World Cup qualifying.

Share your thoughts on last night's match, and on the U.S. national team, below.

Comments

[RA]

Yes, it's about time we saw a solid result.

Let's roll 'em out for Barbados:

-----------Howard--------
--Dolo--Gooch--Boca--Pearce
-----------Mastro--------
--Deuce------------DMB--
-----------Junior--------
---EJ-------------LD------

[CPTKevin]

What a game!!! Tim Howard was awesome. Gooch was unlucky. Congrats to LD on 100 caps. Crowd was enthusiastic. Both teams played well with chances to win. End result was justified. Now on to 2010 qualifying!!!

[EDB]

I think it was encouraging but I am still worried about the team. We did better with the build up, but i think we still send to many long balls and don't build up a good attack.

[Simona]

It was such an exciting game! I don't think I've recovered yet. It was amazing and Tim Howard is king.

[Eric]

Even though he got (a questionable) red card, I think Mastroeni may have re-established himself as a must-have in the center of defense.

Other than that...have to say I was massively impressed with Heath Pearce over the last 3 games. Wouldn't be surprised if he started garnering interest from other clubs.

As for our attack - while there were some good chances, we still were blanked for 270+ minutes, and that has to change. Eddie doesn't seem like being able to score against the big boys, and that's what we need.

I hope we can take it to Barbados hard in the first game - a repeat of 7-0 would be nice, and then send a B Squad, or even the Olympic team to the away leg.

[Tim Crawford]

Yeah, it was definitely a fantastic performance. The ref really killed this one with the ridiculous red though for Pablo. I think it's apparent that Freddy MUST play at this point. He has no fear of anyone and it's refreshing for an American side that is always looked down upon and disrespected. A midfield with him, Landon, and Deuce should be pretty fantastic if we can get Jozy or Cooper going up top.

[A.S.]

The atmosphere in the stadium was great - especially the last 10 minutes or so when the rain really started falling. It was a shame that some of the players were exhausted at that point. (The exhaustion was even more evident midway through the second half, when Argentina dominated possession and the US was hacking left and right, and the referee decided to take control of the game. But that's another story.)

What stood out to me was that the midfield played well. We had much more possession than I thought we'd have against a team that can dominate in that area. Mastroeni played excellently holding and was able to keep control in a way that the US really hadn't before. I thought Landon was rusty, which is a shame, because he really could have provided the finishing touch in several spots and gotten us the goal. Very nice night for US soccer.

[tedhill]

Has there been any explanation by either the refs or FIFA yet about the yellow and red cards Mastroeni received? Is there a chance that those can be rescinded?

As for the WCQ's, I'd imagine Johnson will be the forward, As much as I like Jozy, I wouldn't throw him into a crucial game like this without being match fit. I'd like to see the same lineup that played the first half against Spain, the 4-5-1, with Freddy Adu as the CAM. I would also like to add that Heath Pearce is improving and looks like an anchor at LB. That is good to see.

[Eric]

Also - first time I had really seen Califf play, and have to say I was impressed.

[Gabriel]

Honestly, I am itching for Altidore to have some time in Spain in hopes that he may fill the void up front left by McBride. It's painful to watch so many chances squandered by EJ. Howard is a beast, eh?

[KC]

I thought Pearce made progress from game to game and should have locked down the Left Back spot. Bornstein can back him up if/when he gets healthy. Califf was solid and should provide good depth behind Gooch & Bocanegra, didn't see enough of Demerit though to really make an impression.

I am worried about depth behind Dolo though, Hejduk is not an answer, for all his energy he gives the ball away entirely too much and is below average when it comes to winning tackles.

Forward is still a problem and as long as Eddie Johnson remains first choice or Wolff remains a viable option in Bradley's mind we are in trouble. Here's hoping Cooper & Altidore develop enough to be counted on soon.

[Geoff]

I agree with John Harkes in that against England the US looked scared and nervous and that maybe the occasion of playing at the new wembley got the better of them. Certainly Donovan and Altidiore might have helped them had they been healthy. Last night against one of the worlds best teams (not the best, Italy are still world champions) the occasion brought out the best of everybody. I also think its important at any level not to give your opposition any respect whatsoever. I know Messi and Aguero are two excellent young footballers but if you give them any respect, they already beat you. I think that was the problem in England, not so much in Spain. Everyone certainly showed up last night.

[KMD]

Received this via email:

Bob Bradley was quoted as saying:

"I'm told that after the foul Pablo picked up the ball and threw it to
Danny Califf, just to buy a little bit of time," Bradley said. "You never
know for sure but there is part of you that thinks the referee in that
moment didn't realize he had already given him a yellow card."

[Marc]

Landon showed more aggressiveness and his set pieces were better too. It may be a coincidence, but he has played much better since Beckham joined L.A. Others that played well include Howard, Pearce, Bradley, Beaseley, Edu and Adu.

Dempsey and Cherundolo continue to underwhelm.

[Q]

I missed the game. Anyone know where I can find a good video reel of Howard's saves and the rest of the game?

[papi grande]

howard was MOTM. cherundolo was average. i am not a fan of califf but he did suprisingly well. onyewu was up and down. pearce did himself proud and should be first choice at Left back. maestroeni played well and put himself back in the mix. i am a fan of michael bradley but he did not have a strong night. seemed a bit slow and the speed of play seemed to fast for him on this night. dempsey was below average and seems to be in a rut with the USMNT. beasley looked decent and it looks like he is making a good recovery with his knee. donovan played well, especially in being aggressive and running at argentina with speed with ball at his feet. johnson is struggling with his first touch and as a result of not working hard with strong runs off the ball, he is not much of a scoring threat at this time.

nothing novel in my next comment, but the best performance by the USMNT of the three friendlies.

barbados is toast. i like the idea of running up the score on them in leg1 and then sending the US olympic squad for the away leg.

that is all for now.

[Richie B]

Danny Califf played well enough to give him a start against Barbados. Bocanegra hasn't impressed me recently. Howard, Pearce, Beasley, Edu, Adu, Mastroeni and DeMerit in his limited time all looked good to me.

I thought Michael Bradley was terrible. He was continually losing possession, just standing there with the ball and not making the decisive pass, just slowly trotting forward and getting caught and losing the ball. Gooch wasn't too great. There was the time early in the game he tried catching Julio Cruz offside and missed by about 5 yards and was saved by Howard. Gooch just was off last night.

[Tom]

Fantastic experience. Nice to have our national anthem actually MEAN something when played before a sporting event.

U.S. fans were great the last 15-20 minutes when the rain was coming down.

Very impressed by how the US pulled it together and played very smart after Pablo sent off. Adu & Klestjan seemed to work together very well. Also
1--Howard MOTOM
2--Donovan's leadership
3--DeMerit

The bad:
1--EJ absolutely no threat
2--Defense--hey guys, maybe ARG will try a through ball down the left side AGAIN
3--Finishing

[NJ Guy STuck in DC]

Very well played. The score could have been 0-3 Argentina or 1-0 US. The fact that we kept it at a draw is good news, thanks to Timmy. We weren’t tentative which is a great improvement. My thoughts on players front to back

EJ is the joke about the Italian army tank. How many gears does an Italian tank have? 4 in reverse, and 1 in drive in case the enemy gets behind you. It’s tough to score goals that way. It’s time to sit him for who we’ve been clamoring for and it’s time to experiment with 2 strikers as well.

LD congrats on the 100 caps and it’s good to see someone who feels they belong there. Clint came to play and was the mid of old (pls do not consider him as a forward in the future though); DMB had energy and speed which is a win right there although I don’t think he played particularly well. MB better than before but I’m not sold on him over Edu; he was dispossessed a number of times b/c the Argies were so fast. Pablo played his best game until the red. Edu is not long for the MLS and he made some really nice passes to get people forward. Adu flat out needs to play no matter who our opponent is – he does need an enforcer behind him and he needs to play the ball quicker to avoid injury.

Pearce has been a great surprise and has nailed down the spot. Not a Califf fan but very solid and the best game I’ve seen him play. Gooch was unlucky not to get a goal although he was caught in no-man’s land ruing the Arg maelstrom of interpassing a few times. Demerit - didn’t have much to judge him on but I like how he plays the simple ball out of pressure and to feet (and forward sometimes!). Chreundolo is good but his style doesn’t fit the US formation much – our formations favor stay at home defenders and hoofers and he seems to be left out on an island a lot b/c he likes supporting play and to get forward.

Timmy was a 5 or a 10 depending on what grading system is used. Phenomenal.

[Aguinaga]

My head is absolutely pounding right now. My co-workers are like ??? b/c a high pitched rasp has now replaced my voice. And my body aches from the dehydration, the jumping, & the fallingx2 off the chair I was standing on for the last ~15 minutes of the game once the thunderstorm started. What an incredible, amazing, magical game to witness as a USA soccer supporter...!

[Art]

That was an exciting game to watch! Yes, you're right, it would've been better if the USA had scored a goal. But it was great to see them finally match another team's intensity and just go for broke at times. Congrats to Donovan on his 100th cap and I was impressed with how the midfield started to finally hold some possession to bring up other players and try to work it in. Mastroeni still has some gas in that tank, and it was a shame to see him sent off after that ref's weird call. Adu should get the start against Barbados. His charging upfield was really impressive. Even though the attack was snuffed out by the Argentine defense, seeing Beasley started to show flashes of his speed was encouraging. Obviously the man of the match honors goes to Howard, even though he probably got a away with a non-penalty call. Overall, an enjoyable match to watch!

[Reid]

I was impressed by pearce, after a couple times of over the top passes he settled and played it out of the back. If we can get our back 4 to play it out more consistently. You can blame the last 2 games on midfield distribution, but when the back 4 just boot it there isnt much they can do.
Love it how all those Pablo bashers are "surpised" by his performance.
Loved the game, fans, support and pace (cosidering the heat). Just wish Bob would grow the balls to put cooper in.... this is what friendlies are for.
Out of everthing though I was most impressed with US fan support at the stadium

[CO_Soccer_FAN]

In my view, Tim Howard was the player of the game last night. The game could have easily been over for the USMNT by the end of the first half if it wasn't for our super goalie.

Instead T.H. energized his whole team (and the fans) by making those quality goal-saving saves in the first half. The game turned out to be a big mental victory for the U.S. especially after what Argentina did to Mexico a few days before.

Kudos to the US Soccer Federation for scheduling these friendlies and trying to take the USMNT to the next level. We started slow 10 days ago but ended strong. Go USA!

[Aguinaga]

ps
1. For better or worse, Donovan is this team's flotation device. Especially without Adu out there and with the EJ fetish BB has, we have no other point of attack.
2. DMB played like a man absolutely possessed last night. WoW.
3. For all our combative play, Timmy played inspired and saved our asses. Agree with what someone said earlier, could've easily been 3-0 Argentina on 3 lovely Messi assists.

[Adam M.]

1) E.J. simply does not have a nose for the goal or a touch worthy of a striker role at the international level. Raw speed is nice, but can be found elsewhere. He would make a good late-game sub, perhaps, when defenses are tired, but I can't see him starting. And Dempsey seems a little lost himself right now.

2) Adu should be starting. I'd like to see him sit up in the middle just behind Altidore and Dempsey. Adu, Donovan, and Beasely all know how to make runs from the midfield, which is what we lacked against England because Beasely was stuck on the wing, Adu didn't get enough time, and Donovan didn't play.

3) Bradley, I think, has yet to prove his role. Mastro was very good last night, and Kljestan seems to know how to move the ball around as well. Bradley simply makes too many mistakes, including a penchant for getting cards, and has yet to display his club level scoring touch. He seems more suited for a defensive sub role now.

4) The central defense needs to sit back more. There is no excuse for the string of break-aways we've seen in the last three games.

5) Tim Howard is brilliant.

6) For all the knocks he gets, L.D. is the absolute make-or-break player for the U.S.

7) Yes, the U.S. looked better. But Argentina was missing Tevez and Riquelme, only played Messi for a half, and if Cruz had lifted the ball off the ground, it would have been 3-0 at halftime. Given the subpar performances against England and Spain, and no goals in three games, I wouldn't be too excited by a 0-0 result in a Giants Stadium friendly.

8) Javier Mascherano -- there is no one better at what he does.

[sublicon]

Dude, when is Ching gonna get another call up? Seriously. The psychic connection between him and Dempsey is too priceless for them not to start up top together.

Eddie needs to take a seat until he shows he's worth a damn, maybe when he gets some starts for Fulham. He has not proven he is worthy, and Bradley can't let him keep skating along on his KC performance last season and whatever he's apparently doing in training. He can't seem to replicate it on the field.

[Brant]

I think "Cherundolo" became a new all-purpose verb. Not because of anything the player did; just because it sounds cool.

And to those people complaining that the Argies beat up our back line, what was the last back line they *didn't* blow thru?
Ask Mexico about it...

Our boys did well, but I'd like to see that kind of game on European soil. (And the Italy game only sort-of counts, as it was played in Kaiserslautern, home to one of the largest US communities overseas, and the stadium was probably 50% pro-US or more...)

[muscfiorentina]

Great Atmosphere, Great Match. Ives enjoyed you ESPN Article,But sitting behind Howard's Goal in the second half everyone I was with (about 15 people) felt that Demeritt Rated about a 2 and should never be put in game that matters.

[HomeyBoehme]

It was a great match.

My main concern after this whole 3-game series is our striking department. If you can't score goals against top teams, you will not advance out of the 2nd round in the World Cup. Hope Jozy gets the experience he needs at Villereal (Huelva or whatever). Could Eddie Johnson develop into...wait, no...I'm not even going there. Eddie Johnson cannot raise his game. If you look at the game yesterday, you saw plenty of players raise their game to a different level: Deuce, Howard, Pearce, etc. I'm sure the Fulham people saw all three friendlies and came to the same conclusion: NOT GOOD ENOUGH! I predict EJ gets loaned to a championship team.

[Brant]

And I just read your piece on ESPN with the player grades. I just gotta ask - what does Howard have to do to get a 10? Cure cancer?

[Hincha Tim]

What I thought was most impressive and a major development was that the USMNT was willing to go toe to toe with the Argies and not just try to bunkerdown and hold on. They toook it to them and for stretches of the game gave as good or better than what they got. It's the willingness of US players to go at opposing defenses one and one, trying to create. The only exception to this was EJ. Bradley has to put a forward in (Josey? Cooper?) who has the guts and the confidence to go at the goal. It says everything about EJ that when he was breaking in on the Argie goal he sent a pathetic pass to noone instead of trying to score. I loved that the young guns, Sasha, Freddy, Maurice (and the old guns too) did not back down. Every match they play like this against a quality opponent adds to the confidence. This is no minior step in the development of US Soccer. When the USMNT has players who are williing and able to beat their defender 1 v 1, and keep the ball under pressure (still have to work on that one) we will be able to hang with the big boys consistently.

[Jonathan]

Ives you gave Adu, the same rating as you gave Johnson??? WTF?? Comeo n, one player inhibitated our attac all night, the other player lights a fire in it and you also were to lax in your rating of MB, he was pretty much terrible the entire game, horrible first touches in the midfield,k gave the ball away on 3 clear occasions, and was a wonder argentina didn't turn them into straight goals..

[Chris]

I will say, from being at the game, that you get ten times more tactical observation over watching on TV. I was able to see stuff that just don't show because the camera's are mainly focused on the ball. The biggest thing you could note was the off-the-ball movement and speed of thought. Argentina's movement was great, the US, offensively was static, not surprising. I also gained a new-found respect for Eddie Johnson. Even though he has spurned his chances (which frustrates me and everyone I'm sure), he was always lined up and making good runs. It was the just the speed of thought for those delivering the pass was a little slow. Also, he was working well as a target forward to win the 50/50 balls that came up, but no US players were filling the space for the balls he headed back into the void for them and they were eventually claimed by the Argentines. The only change I noticed in this was when Adu came on, he was reading the game correctly and filling that space. I thought Bradley should have filling that space when he was on the field, but was having trouble effectively getting upfield.

Mastro also impressed me, as did Heath, and Heath actually took smart chances to go forward and worked well with Beas to share the defensive load. Beas also was great defensively and Timmy had a blinder, so overall I think there was a lot of positive things to take away from that game. Hopefully we've done enought to go punch for punch with the world power that is Barbados.

[kpugs]

I don't really have any complaints. If I had to find one I'd wonder why we can't play like this on the road.

[David Martinez]

I am still euphoric about the game. Best game ive ever attended. Working on my own write up of the experience as I type this! ;)

Lando needs to look at European options. He looked awesome out there.

And Howard - wow.

I cant say much more. I am just so super happy. I cant wait.

[Rene]

I'm from LA, but spending my summer in DC and I made the drive up to Giants Stadium to see this game...and it was the EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! It was a 0-0 draw, but I was happy with the performance from the team (although a little disappointed Adu wasn't in from the start) and the atmosphere was just electric. There's always room for improvement, but there were lots of positives from this game.

[TheCoreSpeaks]

I will never forget those last 15 minutes... the crowd grew so much and finally it felt like we were all in it together.

Thought Heath Pearce had a very strong game as did landy...

@Tim Crawford - Myself and I think quite a few others are with you on Freddy... he makes the USA feel threatening and really is just fun to watch.

[Tolik]

I have a love/hate with Mastroeni. He is good for a card every match, usually for an unnecessary roughness (i.e. stupid moment). But his tenacity and energy in that position is essential. He gives guys in-front of him that extra second of breathing time that allows them to be better in the creative part of the game.

Challenge to you guys: is there anybody who can do what Mastroeni does? I like Edu, but he is not as selfless as Mastroeni.

[groovester]

It was great to see some of the American players getting into the faces of the Argentines. Sharp contrast to the whimpering seen in the England game. Dempsey looked like he got his hard-ass edge back a little last night. Adu did some pushing and shoving too.

[rc]

3 Games - 0 Goals. Yes, the defense got better, and the offense created some quality chances, but the bottom line is aside from 3 or 4 really good chances in the past week, the offense is non-existent.

[Mig22]

Since the striker situation has been covered rather comprehensively :), I'll talk about the defense. Wow, I thought Califf was a horror show out there. It demonstrated to me that Bocanegra is a much better organizing force than I thought. Gooch still wanders around and gets lost too much.

Heath Pearce was nearly perfect last night. He came forward, shot the ball well, and managed to not get burned all night (barely). I really didn't see him put a foot wrong and his ball distribution did improve as the game progressed.

Now, the real problem was Cherundolo (our newest verb...or adjective). Where exactly was he supposed to be playing? Someone above rightly mentioned we need a bit more of a stay-at-home defender. That's true unless the player performs like Pearce last night...fantastic outing.

Regards,

[Elmer]

I had a whole long comment written and then my computer freaked out and I lost it. Howard was awesome, but we need to score. EJ should be more of a winger, his speed is good, but he just doesn't know how to put them in the net enough to be a striker. What was up with the red card on Mastro?

[Brandinho]

The match was amazing, I never thought I could have so much fun at a 0-0 draw. It was an awesome first US MNT match for me.

The man of the match was definitely Timmy Howard.

Other US players who stood out:

Clint Dempsey- Dempsey stood out in a bad way. Several times I saw Maxi Rodriguez make him look ridiculous; he had a few good touches but really had no business being on the field yesterday.

Landon Donovan- Good showing, he can play with these guys.

Freddy Adu- Had a rough start but once he got his feet he was inspirational. He wasn't afraid to get into the face of a world class player in Zanetti. And those stepovers late in the game was as gutsy as you can get.

Great showing overall though, if we can take one thing from these friendlies its that we got better each time.

[Mighty]

I love last night Game...... It was crazy i went to the game and i just saw a flow of Argentine's Jersey all over the place... i tough to my self great US comes to play home and we do not have enough fans to show them love!!!...

But from the start till the finish of the game.... We never stop Chanting US.. US US...
it was crazy.... i love the experience.

To me... i finally experience a US home Game!!!!!

And finally our players showed Heart!.... Just like us the Fans did!

[usnavysrchief]

Looked like a great place to be last night as far as atmosphere is concerned. My take from watching match:

Howard - saved our Butts, Great game.

Pearce - cemented his place at LB. Arge did not make a noticible succesful move down his side all match.!!!!!!!

Donovan - came to play and showed me his is maturing. Too bad he was not available for Eng/Spain.

Gooch/Califf - Playing against some of best quickest players in the world and it showed several times. Gooch played better than Califf but overall about a 5 of 10.

Demerit - Outstanding while he was in. All over the field and made an impact. Needs to be partnered with Gooch over Boca. He is just a better athlete and hasd a definite mean streak. Laughed my butt off when sent 3 Argies flying ona set piece corner. Heinze didn't know what hit him. After that set piece the Argies started to lose their cool.

Adu/Edu - Cemented places in our team. Adu needs to start and if BB plays Mike Bradley as an Attacking Mid then he can play Edu at DM.

Mastro played alright but is just to ill tempered to play at this level ina astarting role. Good player to have around when we have a lead late to stop play. But even then he could foul things up by getting into card problems!!!

Mike Bradley - Played good and showed that when he is allowed to go forward he can be very effective. Mastro allows him to do that and so would Edu is BB played them together.

Beasley - Effective game.

Johnson - Played hard I felt but because I saw the game on TV I did not get to see how he was moving off the ball. He certainly CANNOT finish and has a horrible first touch. We So badly need a striker pair that can effective.

Dempsey - Should not be on the pitch. Looked and played Tired except after he got pissed off. Then he became more effective.

Adu is the lincpin for our teams future. If he plays it affects the rest of the teams assignments. Where does BB put players like Dempsey/Donovan/Beasley/Bradley/Edu when Adu starts and everybody is healthy?

Here is my starting 11 for Barbados. Not going to happen but I believe it will bethe most effective team we can put on the field.

HOWARD

DOLO GOOCH DEMERIT PEARCE

EDU

DONOVAN BRADLEY BEASLEY

ADU

COOPER? ALTIDORE? JOHSON(UGH)? ETC...

Bench:
BOCA, DEMPSEY, LEWIS, MASTRO, HEDJUK(WHERE IS SIMEK?), GUZAN.

BB could actuall play Dempsey up top instead of one of our Strikers and we could still be effective.

[NJ Guy in DC]

Thanks to you guys who went to the game making the comments on certain players positioning and movement off the ball - definitely missed a lot on tv. Looked like an awesome match to be a part of - I'm jealous.

[Dan]

Yesterdays USA team was a totally different team than the ones who played vs England and Spain. First off they had Landy (who knows how the first two games could have been if he didnt get hurt) and we had Tim Howard who was out of this world. And even greater to see was in the second half as Argentina was struggling to create scoring opprotunities at the rate they did in the first half, the USA midfield and attackers gained so much confidence in attacking the argie defense, and they almost looked hungry to go up against big time players. Its great to see that. I also thought DMB was fantastic in the first half, running all over, which is amazing considering he was out for so long. The fans were amazing as well for the whole game and it was so much fun to be behind the USA goal cheering our boys on. Although i wanted a goal, i was still very happy leaving the stadium, and not even the phantom red card on Pablo could damper my spirit. And mascherano got a red too so it evened things out. All in all the USA team improved greatly and i look forward to them dismantling barbados next week, in SOCal. Estados Unidos Clap Clap, Clap Clap, Clap!!!

[Marshall]

Probably would have taken some of the shine off if the ref had (correctly, it appeared from replay) called the foul on Tim Howard, which would have included at least a yellow and maybe more.

It was great to see us attack, which we did even more with Adu in. Too bad we didn't seem to be attacking together late, but that's part of what you get for being down a man.

For me: Adu has to play. Would love to see Altidore or Kenny Cooper in, though Bradley will have a hard time dropping in someone who didn't get to play in this round of friendlies, but we can always hope. I agree with the comment above that EJ looks like a good late sub but not a starting threat because his touch is letting him down too much.

- Marshall

[Michael F.]

Adu needs to start.

EJ needs to never play again. He can't turn, he can't beat you one-on-one, he can't score. NEXT!

Howard is world-class magic.

Beas is back.

Donovan is back.

Dolo is a rock.

Califf impressed.

Onyewu is all we have at his spot. But he's not great.

Pearce is solid.

Dempsey needs to get better.

PREDICTION: USA 3 / Barbados 0

[sean]

I think Donovan and Howard had particularly strong outings. They are, without a doubt, the two best players we have, right? Pablo continues to worry me with his affinity for bookings.

Looking ahead to WCQ, I think the most interesting roster question is who grabs the 4th/5th midfield spot. Donovan is a lock at CAM/Forward, and Beasley/Dempsey/Bradley are also penciled in to my lineup.

If Bob Bradley considers running Altidore up front with Johnson then the midfield is picked. But if he chooses either to have a lone forward, the last midfield spot can be filled with Adu/Pablo/Edu/Lewis.

Adu has been the most impressive this cycle, but might be too attacking oriented to start alongside Dempsey, Beasley, Donovan, and Bradley.

[Tom]

Ives--

Next time you speak to Bob Bradley, can you ask him to explain the offsides rule to EJ?

[Jennings]

I took my two sons (6 and 8 years old) to the game last night -- their first live US game. We drove up from Philadelphia in the big family van along with another dad and 4 other young boys. My sons were both completely wide-eyed at the wholde spectacle, and when we got home at midnight, my oldest son said, "Dad, that was the greatest experience of my life so far."

I thought the best part of the game was seeing how a lot of new/casual USA fans who went to the game saw that even the dreaded nil-nil tie can be really exciting. The tension built and built and built until the heavy rain and lighting came -- drawing huge cheers -- and the crowd was just going all out in the last 10 minutes or so. A goal at the end would have touched off the powderkeg.

[Sushant]

I don't understand all the optimism!

Granted, I only saw the first half, but that was *not* a good half.

In the first 25 minutes, Argentina had complete control. If they had a better finisher OR Timmy wasn't spectacular, we would have been down 3-0. You are telling me that Messi or Aguero (or Torres or Rooney or Gerrard) wouldn't have put away one of the those?

After about the 25 minute mark (till the end of the half), we seemed to be able to play with them. We created some good chances, but nothing really dangerous. Even then, Timmy had to make *another* great save to keep Argentina off the board.

So, in the first half, your goalkeeper makes 4 outstanding saves and you are optimistic? Timmy is not going to save all of those chances, every game.

The key for us is a midfield that holds possession, makes good passes and springs a wing or the forward with a good chance. I saw Adu do that against Spain but unfortunately we had EJ on the receiving end of those passes (how many times is he offside?!?!).

I haven't seen the 2nd half (but am planning to), but I don't get the optimism.

Think of it this way. If Timmy only makes 3 out of the 4 great saves he made just in the first half, the score would be 1-0 Argentina. Would you have *any* hope of tie or a win?

Based on the first half, I would say no.

My complaint is that BB picked EJ over Adu. I know they don't play the same position, but if he had picked Adu, then either Landon or Dempsey would have been forward. I think we are a much better team with Adu, Landon and Dempsey on at the same time.

I would also say that I would have gone with Eddie Lewis over DMB in the first half. DMB isn't a better player than E. Lewis right now.

I would also say that Mastro (in the first half) showed that he's better than Rico Clark as a holding mid. If M. Bradley feels he can get involved in the offense more with Mastro around, then keep Mastro in. Otherwise, go with the Edu - MB pairing.

My sense is that BB wants Adu as a super sub, capable of changing the course of the game. The problem is that until Adu comes in, we don't maintain possession, and make good passes to spring someone. Against the good/great team we have just played, that strategy just means that Adu comes in when we are down 1-0 or 2-0.

Sign me pessimistic (not against the CONCAF opponents but against good/great teams).

[gaucho]

I took two friends of mine to the game, one who I grew up with playing soccer, and another who is a sports fan, but not a big soccer guy and had never been to a live soccer match before.

At the end of the game, I turned to the friend that had never been to a live game before and said that it was too bad you didn't get a goal out of this game. He said that he was impressed by how the teams attacked and was proud of the fact that the US players really showed that they weren't going to take any guff from the Argentines. He had a great time.

I'd love to say that we created a lot of new fans last night.

[Murphy]

Ives--we need more information on the Pablo red card. Did the ref confuse him with Edu? Or did he say something? Usually, Pablo's red cards are always justified. This time I really don't think he did anything.

Really good effort overall. We need to just put more shots on goal. How many saves did we force their keeper to make? Gooch's header was the best chance but its clear EJ doesn't want to shoot. Even on that breakaway where he ended up on the ground he was passing the ball across the box! Give Cooper a chance, right now. He's better in the air anyways. Also, Edu played really well when he came in. Hopefully in a couple of years it will be Edu/Bradley in the center midfield, letting Bradley attack more.

[redbull fan]

WOW! What a crowd what an experience, finally a home game and the boys on the field heard it!! Donavan ran at players, mastro was the rock in the middle that we miss as the younger players are developing, the defense held up well, gooch is still suspect,pearce impressed and Tim Howard was AMAZING!! EJ made some good runs off the ball and had two good chances, but still has not scored against a big teram! beasley ran his heart out. Dempsey did not impress me, it may be time for more ADU. Bradley has to figure out how he can get beasley landon freddy dempsey all on the field together, b/c they are not afraid to attack, then find a forward to put the ball away....JOZY? USA!!!

[Rocco]

When you are at the game you see 100 times more than on TV. (ie Beasley up & down the field tracking back on D vs Dempsey loligaggin back and not knowing where Maxi Rodgigues was the entire game)

I went to a US -Guatemala game a few years back at Giants stadium during the Gold Cup and almost got pummeled from all the Guatemala fans. Last night I felt maybe just maybe the US fans have arrived, myself included.

The last 10-15 minutes I think we really started to get "it".
Clap Clap Clap-Clap-Clap Clap-Clap-Clap - US. I swear I heard this on the way to work this morning.

Sam's Army is unbelievable. 90 minutes of cheering, singing standing. Outdueling Argentina fans at the other end of the stadium. It was crazy.

On the field. Howard top 5 goalie in the world, right now.

Pearce -impressive all around.
Donovan - dangerous & quick
Adu - see Donovan
Beasely - energizer bunny
Mastroeni - maybe more like Gattuso vs. poor man's Gattuso

Dolo - Don't know, some good, more bad in my opinion
Dempsey -still lack 100% energy, needs rest
Bradley - see Dempsey
Gooch -good in the air, shaky on the ground, need to be paired with highly skilled center back.
Califf - see Gooch
Demeritt - pleasant surprise. think he's underated. Goes in HARD!

EJ - off the ball runs good, defensive work good. One vs one no good. Its all mental with this guy. Bradley knows it.

Edu - smooth needs to play a little quicker
Kljestan - solid. Should have taken the shot earlier. young guy got nervous.

[Chosun]

The energy at the stadium was just awesome, and Howard definitely played a hell of a game. I'm still a bit annoyed that Adu didn't start, but what can you do? EJ needs to sit...seriously.

[mymy33]

Sushant what is wrong with a little bit of optimism? The boys played well last night especially compared to their last two outings...and I don't think anyone is predicting them to win WC 2010 or anything. Granted they were on the back foot for the first half hour but they survived and were able to "bite back." that's what I know I wanted to see. What's wrong with Tim Howard making spectacular saves to keep them in the game? Isn't that his job? And of course he won't do that every game but what striker will convert 100% of his chances. I think Pablo was a steadying force in the midfield and until Michael and Bradley and Maurice Edu (or Benny Feilhaber) gain a little bit more experience he is a good presence to have in there. What I can't understand though is not giving Kenny Cooper a run-out. I am not saying he is the answer but can he be any worse than Johnson? At least he is scoring goals for his club team. Heath Pearce is getting better and better with every match and he might be finally turning in to the LB everyone thougt he would be, I was particularly impressed with his crossing ability. Cherundolo just looked tired. And it looks like LD is carrying some of that new 'tude to his international game as well. Still a lot of questions with this team but I think a great boost heading into Qualifying.

[Frank]

Settle down everyone. 0 goals in three games. Excitement over a tie. Yes, Argentina is the #1 team in the world but they were missing some starters and overall played a bad game. Also the US were playing at home. The US still has a long way to go to not be excited about a tie at home. Plus there was a horrible no-call on the penalty in the second half. You have to take the three games as a whole.

[brett]

while Arg. had their chances at glory, they failed to put them away... whether it be bad placing or amazing saves, the fact remains our defense held them to 0 goals... a team that just recently put 4 past Mexico... that could very well have been if not for Timmy's amazing game....

BUT, i truely didnt see any weak performances... while everyone enjoys getting down on MB, i tend to be reserved on joining the bandwagon... I stand firm that it seemed that NOONE was making the runs to get open when MB had the ball.. therefore forcing him to to easy pass backs or try to thread the needle with a pass... wasnt his strongest game, but then again wasnt his weakest... everyone loves to point out all the mistakes he has, but noone points out that LD fouled up just as much throughout the game... am i getting down on LD?? not this game, but im sure ill be more cirtical on later games... merely pointing out others have just as many mistakes yet tend to get overlooked by mere potential or an occasional great play

i agree with most that BB needs to find a way to get Adu and LD on the field at the same time....

Kljestan played amazing for his stint.... he opened the field and nearly had a chance on goal... took too long tho :-/

it was a well played game and despite Sushant's standpoint, it does give hope... we simply arent the best nation in football, and we will have to continue to grow... holding the "#1" team in the world to a 0-0 tie is promising... if we can continue to play those types of games the results will come... we just need forwards now O.o

[A.S.]

BTW, on the Mastro red card, what I thought I saw (without having watched the TV) was the ref showing the yellow to Edu and immediately turning (with the yellow still held aloft) to Mastro to show it to him too. I assumed it was for dissent, but could have been for timewasting/throwing the ball away I guess. Then the ref put down the card to get out his book, the Argies pointed out to the ref that Mastro already had a yellow, so the ref had to give the red - I think it was clear that the ref didn't remember he had already given Mastro a yellow and only when it was pointed out to him did he run over to show the red (which was, like a minute later). I'll bet that the ref wouldn't have given the second yellow if he'd have remembered that Mastro was already booked once.

BTW, as for Edu, I thought he was completely outclassed for the first 20-25 minutes, but did pick up his play toward the end.

[brett]

Frank- we are excited about the tie b/c we are realists in the fact that we dont create an illusion around our team as being a "top footballing nation"... we realize that we are sub-par and a tie against one of the top teams, whether it be in the US, Spain, or Mars, is still a victory and shows that when applied, we are capable of playing with the big boys...

[EA]

Am I the only one that last night was USSF's pitch to FIFA to host the World Cup in 2010?

South Africa has had mass killings, blackouts and is waaaaaay behind on building stadia?

The US packs an 80,000 seat stadium in brutal heat for a friendly?

Seems like a no-brainer.

[A.S.]

Also, I know we are talking about the US team here, but after watching Argentina against Mexico and the US, I can safely say that Julio Cruz is the Eddie Johnson of the Argentine side. Not to take anything away from Timmy Howard, but Cruz is just not very good. Lucky for them, they have a real, proven striker to turn to (and we don't).

[Chris]

For what it's worth, the best central midfield I've seen the US field in the past two years has been Bradley and Feilhaber. If both can get in form at the same time I'd love to see them pair up again, as when they did last time I saw them, the game they played was closest to an effective midfield.

[M. Min]

Agree with all. Timmy's foul was a penalty, could not have been more clear - especially if you saw the one Croatia got against Austria earlier. However, given how well he was playing Timmy may have stopped the penalty!! Really a gear feat for the US.
As much as I love USMNT I have to admit the sterility of our side. It seems that our game is a "high standard" basic game. We receive, pass, kick really well, but there is no passion/emotion on the way we play. With the exception of Donovan (and later Adu, but again can't tell if he can play with flair all 90 min)we are just too plain jane. It is almost like stick around, knock around and hope for a goal on a set-piece. Sure we can kick the socks of Barbados and other minnows, but we will never be a real powerhouse unless we create more players like Landon.
Overall a great result, but remember it was a friendly. Didn't Venezuela beat Brazil the other day?

[groovester]

EA - I agree. I still have my doubts that SA will be hosting the tournament. Too many thugs on the rampage.

[Original Aaron]

My father is a huge sports fan, but is one of those Americans who just doesn't get the beautiful game. However, he really enjoys being at big events, and since Big Brown was going for a Triple Crown on the same weekend, I was able to convince my dad to fly to New York with me for a sports weekend. My biggest fear was that we would see a 0-0 draw and I would never be able to get him to come to another game. The game was so good that he never even mentioned the scoreline to me (and normally he rags on me throughout soccer games I make him watch on tv). After the game was over- unprompted- he told me it was a very exciting game, and even the fact that we got poured on didn't dampen our mood (like the pun?). Anyway, the crowd was great, the players responded, and it was an all around great evening for any USMNT fan.

[Faux Fur & Soccer Shirts]

ESC = Legends
100min. of singing, 90 degrees, thunderstorms...no match for "The Famous". Mother Nature ain't got s*** on us! Take notes, visitors :P

Shaking hands with Midnight Riders and Sons of Ben (and promptly washing them, lol). Awkward pleasant exchanges with dudes in DC United hats. Gotta love it all.

Greatest night ever.

[Reid]

A.S. - I wish the US had a "not very good" striker like Cruz that will go at defenders.

[Ben]

The U.S. counterattack was really effective in the end when we were down to 10 men. Our boys up front have got some wheels and it was a joy watching them cruise down the field with some good passing, even if it didn't result in a goal.

[Rocco]

I'll take a "not very good" Cruz anytime.

Good thing Inter-Milan the top team in Italy doesn't think the same.

Cruz is a freak of nature, he's got to be 6-5 or 6-6 and has the same foot skills as highly skilled guys @ 5-8.

[Will]

I'm very happy with this result, but why is NO ONE mentioning the fact that Bradley had no backup on the bench for Johnson? Dempsey gets subbed, Johnson goes down to injury and we're essentially f--ked.

[eric]

I don't know if Pablo started with a yellow, but he got the yellow that became red for messing with the ball in a deadball situation.

[EDB]

Not that I think Duece has been a world beater in these friendlies but i did notice yesterday that he was left on an island alot when it came to attacking.. and when that happened he seemed to pout a bit after loosing the ball. But the times when he had support it seemed like there was some nice attacking play and he seemed to back track better then too..

[kaca]

dempsey needs to add defending to his game. he disappears when the other team has the ball. much like johnson they act as if they are to important to be bothered with defending. thet should both watch tape of beasley. ives your 4 and 6 rating is about 2 points high for either johnson or dempsey.

[A-man]

I agree with Sushant- you guys are a bit too optimistic.
I do not really see the difference from the 2006 World Cup: the US can compete with anybody on a good day, but no one can score. The team is always bailed out by their world-class GK, otherwise the game is out of hand quickly just like against the czeck in 06.

[brentmcd]

Nice article Ives, but I thought Califf rated higher than a 5. For those of you downplaying this game, I was at the Argentina-Mexico match and Mexico was absolutely shredded. In other words, the Albiceleste is no pushover. I know we owe alot to Tim Howard, but for the US to draw that Argentina team is still pretty damn impressive. Also, hats off to all the east coast fans at the game -- the stadium atmosphere looked truly electric (no pun intended :)

Tickets still left for the Barbados qualifier in L.A. Who's going???

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/090040A7D867622F

[brett]

Will- b/c Bradley had an option for EJ... in fact he had 2 options after Dempsey was subbed...

1) Kenny Cooper
2) Kljestan for EJ, donovan up top

BB opted for number 2 :(... i wanted Cooper to get some time..

[brett]

A-man- again, we are optimistic b/c we dont hold a "high and mighty" opinion on our team.... a tie against that top notch of a team with that caliber is quite impressive...

we have another 2 years before we have to concern ourselve with consistantly scoring... at which point if Jozy, Cooper, Roger, Bernardo, etc.. do not pan out, we can only pray that with 2 more seasons in europe EJ learns how to be a forward O.o

anyhow, the vast majority of us are just excited by the result in comparison to our performances over the past few weeks... it was definately a step forward...

[Dr. Modibo]

I don't think that Donovan looked rusty at all. In fact I was surprised at how sharp he was after not playing the last two games (and missing out on his Galaxy games too). Like Adu, he kept Argentina on their toes with his quickness and changes of pace and direction.

Pearce was great, too. And Howard? Sh*********t... Like Harkes said, he had Cruz's number, bigtime. I hope that his double save on Cruz in the first half made the ESPN top 10 plays of the day. It deserves it.

[Angel]

I did enjoy this game Congra to LD, Finally Bradley make the right move in the second half living Donovan playing side with Freddy Adu, bringing Edu in but should of left Michael Bradley in both in the middle I like that and take out Moestreni instead. Out front I was impress with how Eddie Johnson played this game, but I think we need a big guy at front next to him.I like the defend was very strong impress on how califf played. I saw USA Team play with heart and still we need more adjustment and like I said before, maybe next time I can see this kind of mixed of Veteran and the youngester playing together it give us speed, control and experience. We need to hold the ball much creat more dangers passed in the middle put the ball on the ground instead of too much long balls for the typical counter attack. thats why Adu, Beasley and Donovan can creat that. GO USA, Lets Take BARBADOS and the rest of the other teams.

I like to see this format 4,3,1,2 and this lineup for next time

-------Josy Altidore----Eddie Johnson------

---------------Landon Donovan-------------

Marcus Beasley -------------- Freddy Adu

--------------Micheal Bradley------------

Pierce-----Califf----Oyewoue-----Cherendulo

----------------Tim Howard---------------

[EDB]

I would also like to see more Sasha.. i really like his attacking attitude

[Steve]

Sushant - I wasn't at all pleased with the US for the first 25ish mins, but I highly suggest you watch the second half before questioning the optimism. I truly think that was the best half I've seen us play since 2002 WC.

A-man - I am looking at all three games. You know what I learned from England and Spain? This is Donovan's team, they all follow him. Without him, we're not the same team.

As far as reasons for optimism, here's what I was thinking right after the game:
- we have a Top 5 GK in the world.
- our backline is finally set, with Pearce and Cherundolo claiming both wingback spots; plus Demeritt and Califf look like quality reserves.
- I can't wait to see Adu and Donovan play at the same time, with even an adequate finisher like Dempsey or Jozy up top. As was said by another writer, the US now has two players in Adu and Donovan who scare anyone in the world.

I've been waiting for Feilheiber to claim his spot next to Bradley, but it looks like that won't happen. So, in the meantime, how about:

---------------Jozy--------------
---DMB--------Donovan------Adu---
--------Bradley----Mastro/Edu----
Pearce----Boca----Gooch----Dulo--
-------------Howard--------------

This lets Bradley play the two destroyers he likes so much, but DMB/Donovan/Adu should help us maintain possesion. Plus, it frees up Pearce and Dulo to come forward more, which is a big part of both of their games. This leaves Dempsey on the bench, but his form is off right now and I think he would see plenty of time as first sub anyway.

[Tim]

I remember one time watching a MNT game that was being called by Marcelo Balboa. One of our guys, I can't recall who at the moment, missed a very makeable shot from about 12-15 yards out. His comment was "At this level, you simply cannot miss that." EJ, Gooch, and Dempsey need to listen to this VERY OBVIOUS advice. When you're playing for your country against the top teams in the world, you simply have to finish, because chances are THEY will finish on you. Fortunately for us, Argentina wasn't finishing either. That game could have easily been 3-0 Argentina at the half.

That said, I had mentioned on another thread that I would, for once, like to see the U.S. play a big time opponent with the best available talent at each position. I know they have to assess all the players in the pool in these friendlies, but sometimes I think we should just play to win. Losing to Spain didn't hurt so much because I thought we played decently, and their goal was in large part due to a phenomenal individual effort. However, I HATED losing to England, mainly because of all the smack they talk, particularly their press, and what a difficult bunch of malcontents their fans are. We simply got intimidated, and played miserably. I really hope we've seen the last of Ricardo Clark...painful to see how many bad spots he puts us in.

As well, whether some here would like to admit it or not, the U.S. is always a better and more potent team with LD on the field...no question.

[smokeminside]

I don't think Cooper dressed, which makes his call up even stranger.

[Angel]

I did enjoy this game Congra to LD, Finally Bradley make the right move in the second half living Donovan playing side with Freddy Adu, bringing Edu in but should of left Michael Bradley in both in the middle I like that and take out Moestreni instead. Out front I was impress with how Eddie Johnson played this game, but I think we need a big guy at front next to him.I like the defend was very strong impress on how califf played. I saw USA Team play with heart and still we need more adjustment and like I said before, maybe next time I can see this kind of mixed of Veteran and the youngester playing together it give us speed, control and experience. We need to hold the ball much creat more dangers passed in the middle put the ball on the ground instead of too much long balls for the typical counter attack. thats why Adu, Beasley and Donovan can creat that. GO USA, Lets Take BARBADOS and the rest of the other teams.

I like to see this format 4,3,1,2 and this lineup for next time

-------Josy Altidore----Eddie Johnson------

---------------Landon Donovan-------------

Marcus Beasley -------------- Freddy Adu

--------------Micheal Bradley------------

Pierce-----Califf----Oyewoue-----Cherendulo

----------------Tim Howard---------------

[Angel]

I did enjoy this game Congra to LD, Finally Bradley make the right move in the second half living Donovan playing side with Freddy Adu, bringing Edu in but should of left Michael Bradley in both in the middle I like that and take out Moestreni instead. Out front I was impress with how Eddie Johnson played this game, but I think we need a big guy at front next to him.I like the defend was very strong impress on how califf played. I saw USA Team play with heart and still we need more adjustment and like I said before, maybe next time I can see this kind of mixed of Veteran and the youngester playing together it give us speed, control and experience. We need to hold the ball much creat more dangers passed in the middle put the ball on the ground instead of too much long balls for the typical counter attack. thats why Adu, Beasley and Donovan can creat that. GO USA, Lets Take BARBADOS and the rest of the other teams.

I like to see this format 4,3,1,2 and this lineup for next time

-------Josy Altidore----Eddie Johnson------

---------------Landon Donovan-------------

Marcus Beasley -------------- Freddy Adu

--------------Micheal Bradley------------

Pierce-----Califf----Oyewoue-----Cherendulo

----------------Tim Howard---------------

[Paul]

I was at the match, one section over from Sam's Army. What a great atmosphere! The entire stadium was rocking, especially in the last few minutes. Howard's performance was reminiscent of Keller vs. Brazil. (Keller was honored before the match; maybe some of his magic rubbed off on Howard.) EJ was a bit better than he was in Europe, but still woeful. His first touch on the great ball in the box - with Adu streaking in! - was, as Ives might say, tragic. I think his "injury" on the play was just a case of severe embarrassment.

[Paul]

Steve: Your proposed lineup is a thing of beauty. Get on the phone to Bradley right now!

[Mark]

Great game. We were completely overmatched in this game from a talent perspective, and yet we still come out with a draw. Very encouraging stuff. I don't know what got into them or if Bradley gave a great speech, but they need to make this the norm and we'll win a lot more games.

[papa bear]

@Posted by: Sushant | June 09, 2008 at 11:17 AM
you do realize Messi was out there right? He was more than welcome to try finishing some of his own runs.
Oh but yeah, no Tevez, too bad they ONLY had Julio f'n Cruz. Please. We played well for being the #21 team vs. #1. You can't just 'throw away' saves. It's Timmy's job and he is one of the 5 best in the world at it IMO. He did his job and kept Argentina off the board.

@Posted by: Tom | June 09, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Why would be explain the 'offsides' rule when the 'offside' rule is the one used in soccer and 'offsides' is the one used in American football? Sorry I had to. :)

You are right though. Johnson needs to be FAR more aware of where he is.

[papa bear]

@Posted by: Sushant | June 09, 2008 at 11:17 AM
you do realize Messi was out there right? He was more than welcome to try finishing some of his own runs.
Oh but yeah, no Tevez, too bad they ONLY had Julio f'n Cruz. Please. We played well for being the #21 team vs. #1. You can't just 'throw away' saves. It's Timmy's job and he is one of the 5 best in the world at it IMO. He did his job and kept Argentina off the board.

@Posted by: Tom | June 09, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Why would be explain the 'offsides' rule when the 'offside' rule is the one used in soccer and 'offsides' is the one used in American football? Sorry I had to. :)

You are right though. Johnson needs to be FAR more aware of where he is.

[Mylo]

Yea, I don't get why call up Cooper and then not even dress him

[PanchoMiguelMoralesdeConejo]

Wish I had been there. After shelling out a couple of hundred for midfield seats, United Airlines left me stranded in Philly while my buddy languished at the Newark airport, finally trying his luck on the parking lot you guys in the east call 'freeways'. Two very unlucky souls.
Hard to cheer a 0-0 tie, except for the 78K of you who came out...maybe, just maybe the ESPN's of the world will 'get it' that you'd have a bigger audience for these types of friendly's than the UCI anteaters vs LSU.

[Hotstud]

Postive performance by the US, but did anyone notice how the ball didnt roll as well on the grass as it should? The commentators briefly mentioned this in the begining.

[Mig22]

Yeah, HotStud, the pitch was definitely a bit slow. It sure didn't seem to slow down the Argies in the first half though. :)

Tim, you wrote:

remember one time watching a MNT game that was being called by Marcelo Balboa. One of our guys, I can't recall who at the moment, missed a very makeable shot from about 12-15 yards out. His comment was "At this level, you simply cannot miss that." EJ, Gooch, and Dempsey need to listen to this VERY OBVIOUS advice. When you're playing for your country against the top teams in the world, you simply have to finish, because chances are THEY will finish on you. "

While it sounds good and EVERY football announcer seems to say it, I think that all strikers only convert a 1/3 on their chances...and it's expected. If starting strikers around the world incl. Toni, Klose, Henry, van Nistleroy, and others miss chances or have those great chances saved (or just miss), it speaks to the fact that it's hard to score goals in the heat of the moment. No slam on you, or even the announcers but when you hear that line from Tommy Smyth three times in one game, you start thinking that opportunities are indeed missed. It's about creating enough of them to get one to go in.

Cheers,

[Sushant]

Ok, I saw the 2nd half and I don't think we should be as optimistic as the posts suggest.

Before I get your dander up, let me state the positives:
- We got a good luck at players and many of them impressed me
- Landon made runs, had good touch, though his shot wasn't there and didn't spring his teammates quite like Adu does. I watched a Galavision replay and the announcers definitely respect LD (I wonder why ;-)
- Dempsey played better than against Spain and England.
- Adu was his usual dangerous self. A combo of Dempsey, Donovan and Adu is about as dangerous as we can be. I'm looking forward to seeing Adu lead his team at the Olympics
- I was so-so on Pearce until this game. He held his position well and came forward well.
- Bradley, Mastro and Edu all played well. Those 3 should be our holding mids. Edu seems to have good passing as well. He made this pass diagonal to a running LD who cut back inside his defender and ... sky'ed his shot. This is the pass Mastro and Bradley need to make as well.
- Gooch was his usual physical self. He does make mistakes but he's still young (24) and he's much better than he was 1-2 years ago. I expect him to be pretty good to very good in another 2 years of playing football in europe
- Califf and DeMerit showed they are capable subs, if not challenging for a starting spot. I think Califf is Boca's sub and DeMerit is Gooch's sub.
- Obviously Timmy as the MOTM for us, though that should have been a penalty in the 2nd half.

Here are the neutrals
- Dolo was good defensively but was lost offensively
- DMB ran a lot and played D well, but didn't add much offensively
- E.Lewis has a great cross but doesn't like to mix-it-up physically. With 2 D-Mids, I would start E.Lewis over DMB right now.

Negatives
- EJ as our starting forward is a huge problem. He played a nice give 'n go down the left side, goes to goal with the ball and when the keeper charges him, he .... plays a weird, diagonal, back pass to the center which Argentina gets. On top of that, he gets a knock from the goalkeeper. For J. Cruz's misses, he at least took a shot when it was him and the GK. A chip, even if would have been blocked, would have been a try.
- BB's lineup. I think BB has his favorites like EJ. I read crap like his quote that Adu needs to show he deserves more playing time. Oh yeah? Then why does EJ start? Just complete B$.

- Our offense. This is a continuation of BB's lineup. He refuses to put our best offense on the field, namely Adu, LD, Dempsey & E.Lewis/DMB. Given that we just went 180 minutes without a goal (yes, I know, it was only England, Spain and Argentina), we need to put our best offense on the field. At least give our team the best chance it can get. Putting EJ on the field is too frustrating to watch (but I'll watch anyway; maybe I'm just a masochist)

Our defense is fine. Until I see a lineup with Adu, Dempsey, LD and ELewis/DMB, I am pessimistic about our offense.

Apologies for the long post.

BTW, do you remember in the South Africa game when Dempsey scored on a cross from 'Dolo? Remember what everyone said then? As a striker, you may only get 1 chance the entire game. If you are high class, you'll put that one chance away (or come close). Now thing about EJ and BB's refusal to try anyone else up top (aside from Josh Wolff).

[FakusRules]

EJ never works hard, but I know at least 10 MLS starters who would work twice as hard as him to pressure the defense and get the ball. He acts as though he needs to conserve his energy for the two 15 minute extra sessions that the US won't play in unless they get back to knockout round soccer.

Since we don't have any true, world-class, back-to-the-goal strikers, we need to adopt more of a "dutch-whirl" / total soccer attack that will be unpredictable as to the point of attack on each sucessive ball advance. Have Dempsey, Adu, Donovan, Beasley & Altidore running a constant motion type offense with lots of cuts & diagonal passes.