USA vs. Barbados: Your Running Commentary

The U.S. national team begins World Cup qualifying today against Barbados at Home Depot Center. The Americans are heavily favored, but they also know that any sort of disappointing result will mean having to travel to Barbados to earn a result.

The Americans will field a lineup you would expect, except for Brad Guzan getting the start in goal. Here's the lineup:

Brad Guzan, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Steve Cherundolo, Pablo Mastroeni, Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Brian Ching.

If you will be watching today's match, and you know you will be, feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Comments

[ManicMessiah]

US Starting Lineup
-------------------
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 15-Heath Pearce; 10-Landon Donovan, 12-Michael Bradley, 4-Pablo Mastroeni, 17-DaMarcus Beasley; 11-Brian Ching, 8-Clint Dempsey

[Raoul Duke]

I was not aware that Barbados was so good that two defensive midfielders were required to keep them from scoring.

[DCM]

Digging the lineup, now crush Barbados!!

[NOLA soccer fan]

when have you known the US centerbacks to be able to operate on their own without help...

better to be safer

[Ted]

Between the time the broadcasters said Tim Howard wouldn't be starting and confirming that Guzan was in goal, my heart stopped three or four times in fear that Cervi would see the field.

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

We've been waiting for a goal since March 26th. Give us a nice show.

[chris in london]

is there any where on the web that one can get audio for the game?

[JB]

Belize is hanging strong with Mexico, still scoreless at 30 minute mark. And Belize came to play too, they aren't just sitting in a defensive shell and letting Mexico attack, but they are pushing forward at times.

[Raghu]

C'mon Yanks. Not a lot of surprises today - other than Guzan. Let's get an early lead!

[KC]

I hope Adu gets some serious time in the second half.

[Tennessee]

For the love of... the USA. Sing the anthem boys!

[Dominghosa]

It would seem like US needs more attacking options and formation to break down the hunkering-down Barbados.
Unless B. Bradley wants this team to jsut get used to this formation, I suppose.
Disappointing, but recently, that's nothing new.

[Ryan]

Is Mexico or Belize at home?

[Dominghosa]

Mexico-Belize is being played in Houston.

[JB]

The game is in Houston. Belize is the "home" team.

[Ted]

Technically, Belize is at home but the game is in Houston.

[Dominghosa]

Gol. that was nice and quick.

[eric]

On the board!

[JB]

Take that Mexico. 58 seconds.

[KC]

That didn't take long.

[Ted]

Goal Dempsey. Long ball from Boca, Barbados misplays it and Dempsey slots it in.

[Brandon]

Well that didn't take long...

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

DEUCE!!! That's my boy!

[g-loff]

Dempsey scores in the first minute...not a bad start

[Dominghosa]

Perfect chip to Dempsey. Bad D by Barbados. Dempsey with the first minute goal.

[ManicMessiah]

Dempsey! And the US is already on the scoreboard!

[Raghu]

Goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mark]

Tie over within a minute!

[DCM]

Fairly small crowd, not shocking but is disappointing non the less.

[WiscFan]

Concerning the Canada-St Vincent and Grenadines match. Can anyone explain to me why Canada has 1 defender, 6 mids, and 3 forwards? I've never heard of that line-up. Unless its a type-o.

[Dominghosa]

Great ball in to Heath Pearce, too much nerves in the horrible cross. Left all aone near post and sent one very high and out of the touchline.

[Dominghosa]

Good find by M. Bradley, Big Bradley is letting his son push forward.

[eric]

Nice to see MB getting forward early, lets start making a habit of that.

Is Sven in charge of Mex yet? Either way, go Belize - A round of Belikan beer on me if they win!

[Dominghosa]

Corner kick in, deflects off of Barbados defender right to Ching.
Ching misses open chance, his timing to put a touch on the ball was just off as he skies a chance.

[ManicMessiah]

Does Michael Bradley have any choice but to go forward? If he didn't, he'd be standing in the midfield doing nothing for the vast majority of the game.

[Haig]

Nice start, but if Brian Ching can't score goals or trap the ball, he doesn't need to be playing for us. We do have other options.

[DCM]

Sven was to take over after the Belize series.

[WiscFan]

Eric: I believe Sven offically took over after the Argentina game.

[Dominghosa]

See what happens when > Bradley is allowed to actually play some offense? Gol. 13th mintue. M. Bradley.

[Haig]

Wiscfan, I don't know for sure, but I suspect they're playing a 3-4-3 with fullbacks positioned high enough to be basically midfielders.

[KC]

Thats the type of goals that Michael Bradley will get, being in the right place at the right time.

[ManicMessiah]

#12 scores in the 12th minute! 2-0 US, as Mini-Bradley scores a typically MB goal.

[brant]

Here's hoping the US just cherundolo's the Barbadians, or whatever the plural of "citizen of Barbados" is...

I, unfortunately, am packing the house for our move next week, so while I'm watching, I won't be able to banter with the gang today.

[Dominghosa]

It started just past midfield. Donovan backheels to Beasley. Beasley finds Dolo on the right.
Everyone pushes toward the goal. Dolo dribble sup a bit, crosses into the box. Ching finds the ball int he scramble, takes a low shot. Deflects right off GK, a streaking M. Bradley runs onto it and smashes it home.
2-0.

[Gerald]

I'm a little disappointed in the size of the crowd
Belize and Mexico are tied at the half
Great start by the USA

[JB]

Halftime. Belize 0, Mexico 0. Puntarenas keeper Shane Orio playing awesome.

[kswiss]

Bradley, doing what he did best all season for Hereenveen. Good to see him with the opportunity to get forward.

[eric]

Yeah! MB in the box. Kid knows how to clean up.

I know the papers were pleading for Sven to save them after Arg. I'm pumped for the Sombrero'd Swede era regardless.

[Dominghosa]

M. Bradley will always find a way to score a goal just like that. I'll take that every time.

[kswiss]

Sorry, I meant Heerenveen.

[Steve]

I've never been a big Bornstein fan but every time Pearce gets a look I like him a little more.

Pearce blows!!!!!

[WiscFan]

Thanks Haig. I just read Soccernet's line-up to check out who from MLS played, and thought wtf?

[KC]

Hey Onyewu got a card...in other news the sky is blue

[kswiss]

Damnit. Onyewu with the yellow for running his mouth. I'd much rather see him get his obligatory yellow from a hard, unnecessary challenge.

[KC]

3 goals in 20 minutes, Barbados just is no threat. All that "anything can happen" talk was BS always was.

[ManicMessiah]

A shot of Freddy Adu warming up.

[kswiss]

Ching gets credit for the goal, redirecting a nice strike by Mastroeni. Looks like it may have come off of Ching's back, like the announcers said.

[Rene]

Did anyone get a better look than I did at the subs' bench? We've got Matt Reis, Frankie Hedjuk, and Danny Califf, but I missed the others.

[ManicMessiah]

Maurice edu, Freddie Adu are ones you missed.

[Dominghosa]

Whoever that Barbados had a chance in this game before it started needs to get his/her head checked. This game was always going to be a 5-0 or 6-0 result.

[Javier]

Pearce has been good recently.

anyway, it cracks me up that Ching somehow finds a way to be as frustrating as EJ, yet for entirely reasons. that it's possible for two guys to suck in such different ways is impressive, really. it makes sense that after blowing 2 sitters, Ching would score with his back.

[ManicMessiah]

Freddie Adu coming on for Pablo Mastroeni.

[chris in london]

Adu, Edu, EJ and Eddie Lewis
are the others on the subs bench for the US

[Rene]

And Freddy Adu in for Pablo...

[Dominghosa]

Adu in for Mastro, who may or may not have suffered a nick to his right leg.

[kswiss]

Adu in for Mastroeni. Interesting sub, with the US being up 3-0, but I'm sure as hell not complaining.

[Rene]

Guys on galavision just mentioned that mastroeni requested the substitution...

[eric]

I blinked - what was goal 3?

I know it we were supposed to win by 5+, but the way we've been scoring it was hard to picture a goalfest.

Surprised Adu in for Pablo instead of Edu, but I love it

[kswiss]

Yeah, announcers just said Mastroeni had a left glut strain.

[JB]

5-0 will be disappointing at this stage. Hoping for 8-10.

[chrisla]

somehow dmb still looks bad.

[ManicMessiah]

A lone streamer fell from the stands on that Barbados corner.

[kswiss]

eric, the 3rd goal was a Mastroeni shot from outside the box, that redirected off of Brian Ching. I say it like that because Ching certainly didn't redirect it on purpose. Right place, right time is the best way to describe it. Though I think Mastro's shot might have scored even without the redirection.

[KC]

I can't believe how many empty seats are there. Its a WCQ for cripes sake. I'd like to believe the crowd would have been bigger in a lot of other places.

[I hate the Dynamo]

Funny how Brian Ching can hurt two teams in a single weekend: his Dynamo by being gone *and* the US Nats by being there.

[matt]

I think Heath Pearce has played well recently. I'd start him over Bornstein any day of the week. That being said, I still think Spector and Corey Gibbs deserve a look. What's Gibbs's status btw?

[JB]

Trinidad 0, Bermuda 1 in the first.

[KC]

Chings played poorly, a lot of Bradley's passes have left a lot to be desired but other than that its been about what you can expect...we are more talented and it shows.

[Haig]

Was that Ching who couldn't make a simple return pass? If we ever want to take a step forward, we have to stop playing guys who don't have the skills to play possession soccer just because our coach feels that we need to have a "target man" up front.

[kswiss]

Decent ball movement by Barbados right before the half, but an offside call stops the attack.

Halftime, 3-0 USA.

[JB]

Mexico finally scores 1-0 in the 67 minute. Free kick bounces off post and to the feet of Osorio who taps it in from about a yard away.

[kswiss]

It's nice to see Bradley coming forward like he has, though to be fair, he hasn't had much defending to do. I agree with KC, though, that the passing could be better.

Ching hasn't done much, and Heath Pearce isn't playing as well as he has in the last few friendlies. I'll just chalk it up to a bit of an off day for Pearce, though.

Other than that, I'm satisfied so far.

[Scott A]

Anyone see that Paraguay beat Brazil 2-0 in a WCQ?

[Dominghosa]

Yawn. But yay.

[JB]

Netherlands Antilles has earned a 0-0 draw on the road with Haiti. One of the minnows might get an upset.

[fieldsy]

Wow, it's all USA!

Mexico is only up 1-0 against Belize. the game is in Houston which is a home game for Mexico, even though it's officially a home game for Belize.

[Yossarian]

God, Barbados is bad. Some of our guys look a little lackadaisical b/c they have sooo much space.

Pearce looks a little lost sometimes, not quite as good as his recent form.

Ching makes a really nice touch every once in a while. He had a terrific turn early in the half but he mixes his nice touches with his share of awful ones. He's still better than E.J. whose touches are almost uniformly awful.

Donovan looked good early but has faded into the background since.

We've had some problems with multiple players making the exact same run on several different occasions (i.e. on LD's run where he slotted it back, hoping for a trailing run but four guys had already made the same run across the goal line and were out of the play despite the fact that LD had no lane to pass the ball there). That worries me for bigger games - I suppose that's why we can't score against the big boys.

Bradley, even aside from his goal, looks much better this week.

I like the overall aggressiveness, though, with multiple defenders pushing up and pressing when the Bajos pack it in.

[Danny]

Donovan really needs to attack the goal more often. As silly as this souns, he passes too much. He could have a couple goals already, but he's looking to pass to much. Go for the goal. It's like only Bradley and Dempsey want to shoot.

[g-loff]

One thing that is bothering me is how the US looks like they are waiting for the perfect look on goal before they shoot. Donovan has had a couple open looks from the top of the 18, albeit not from perfect angles, but good enough to take a shot, and he has opted to try and play cute little ships in instead. Against a better team, we will not have the time to hold on the ball waiting, and need to take chances on goal.

[KC]

Adu isn't having a particular strong game so far to be honest. He seems to try to dribble through too many players.

[kswiss]

Bradley with a good ball in to Ching, who gets a quick shot off that is saved by the Barbados keeper. That's the kind of passing I'd like to see from MB all the time.

[kswiss]

Much better from Ching early in the second half.

[KC]

Great camera work ESPN..awesome stuff idiots.

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

SMACKDOWN!!!

[Isaac]

good move by Adu to spin and draw the foul and great goal by donovan.

[ManicMessiah]

That was anticlimactic.

[JB]

Where was the keeper on that free kick? That's probably the lamest Barbados has looked all day.

[ManicMessiah]

He was on the other side of the goal positioning his wall.

[KC]

All too easy...

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

DEMPSEY!!! With the deuce!