USA 1, Cuba 0: The Day After

                                                                               Photo by ISIphotos.com

It wasn't pretty, nor was it a blowout, but much like its World Cup qualifying win against Guatemala, the U.S. men's national team did just enough to escape a road game with a win and valuable three points after Saturday night's 1-0 win against Cuba.

Those hoping for flash and sizzle got more ugliness and rough play, but that still doesn't deny the fact that the Americans head into their first home game in the six-game group schedule with six points from two road games in the bag.

There were the memorable performances, like the ones delivered by Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, as well as forgettable performances, such as the ones by DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu. There was Carlos Bocanegra nearly having a good performance spoiled by a near own-goal that Tim Howard miraculously saved. There was also the darkest field conditions most Americans have ever seen for an international match. And finally, there were the American fans who made the trip to Cuba despite travel restrictions that could lead to them facing heavy sanctions for traveling. The sight of Americans wearing American flag masks was an indelible image

                                                                          Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you recognize any of these American fans don't tell anybody.

It is poll time. What was your take on the U.S. team's victory against Cuba?

poll by twiigs.com

Now the Americans prepare to face the team currently in second place in the group, Trinidad & Tobago, which tied Guatemala, 2-2, on Saturday night to move to four points in the group. Wednesday's game at Toyota Park should be the U.S. team's first real chance to flex its muscle and show some worrying fans that it can still dominate opponents.

What did you think of the Cuba game? Who stood out for you? Who do you think played terribly? What was your favorite moment of the match?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[dhawk]

I'm finding it very hard to get excited about the our national team's games. They're consistently ugly and boring. WHY?

[martha]

I wouldnt have told annybody except that they are wearing commy hats. Ive already notified the State Department..

Just kidding, I hardly think the Feds care or will put much effort into finding them.

Everyoine knows its easy to get to Cuba via Cancun just make sure you dont get your passport stamped...

Ahem not that Id know first hand..

not a very good performance against a very bad team in a less than hostlie stadium which is a half hour away from mainland US.

this team has not shown much improvement since BB has taken over. The lineup is almost the same as the last WC that didnt end very well and the qualifiers are the same scores as four years ago. Thats not improvement. Doesnt want to give the youth any experience in hostile games and depends on provenly useless players like Ching. He refuses to give Cooper a chance. Cooper has played one game and scored 1 goal. A much higher strike rate than Ching.

Has Bradley JR ever played two consecutive games and NOT gotten a yellow card? Has he ever played 1 international game without making a stupid foul?

...seriouly

Ives, is Lui taking you to Chucky Cheese after the T&T game? Tell him to pony up any take you to Gibsons

[Jeremy]

A win is a win. All that matters in WCQ matches is getting 3 points. They don't put an * next to the three points saying, they won the match but it wasn't pretty.

[Brant]

The Italians have been winning ugly for 80 years, and no one complains...

Not that we're that good yet, but the Italians win ugly 1-0 games all the way to World Cup finals, and everyone loves 'em.

[Mig]

Brant, I just had that thought last night....you're right in that it works. I'm not so sure even Italians love their national teams style though. Results, yes.

MBradley was very good last night. Gooch and Boca were good also...that one oops notwithstanding. Donovan was a beast, given the framework provided by the coach's tactics. Dempsey got a bit back on track. I didn't think DMB was as bad as all that. Only Edu underperformed.

The pitch dictated play as much as tactics and ability though.

Regards,

[Tres]

The weird thing is, on a couple of the ESPN shots, one or two of those fans had taken their bandanas off. Their faces were there for all the world to see, with the bandanas down around their necks.

It was another ugly game. I'll take the wins, and I'm not down on Bradley's tactics as much as everyone else. But I do think his problem with this team is psychological -- I don't think he's getting the players' heads into the right places, somehow.

We're playing tepidly and with a lack of confidence. That's mental, not tactical. I really do wonder if having the coaches' son in the mix is somehow screwing up the team dynamic. As in, the normal locker-room meshing and rapport is not able to take place.

I dunno. Hopefully at home we'll start coming out with all barrels blazing.

[Tres]

Sorry -- "coach's son." Not "coaches'."

[Chase]

Sure a win is a win, but doesn't even a small part of you want to be entertained?

[Richard]

the game is on ESPN2 right now...

[Joamiq]

Happy to take the three points, disappointed in the performance. Particularly disappointed by lack of initiative from Landon Donovan - the Allan Houston of the national team. Will give Beasley a pass for one game. Dempsey has lost his swagger. Ching far too tentative. Didn't have a problem with this particular yellow from Bradley - close to being a clean tackle. Defense did well. Hejduk's ability to get forward and provide service useful.

Team needs Adu and Altidore in the worst way.

[Chase]

I agree on Donovan, I really don't understand why some above were saying he played so great or like a "beast"...the guy was playing more in defense, than in attack...

[Ron]

Brant, the Italians may win ugly but they put their best lineup and play to win. Bob Bradley and Sunil Gulati has the USMNT playing not to lose.....a big difference.

Tired of Bradley Jr getting yellow cards - everything with him is a reckless sliding tackle. If his father is anything resembling a coach, he would have corrected this bad habit way way long ago!

Kudos to the fans and their bandanas! The USSF should pay for their airfare and tickets to all future qualifiers and also South Africa 2010 (if Bradley and Gulati don't succeed in their attempt to choke away our chances!!). The State dept would be fools to impose sanctions on them - they were showing their patriotism and support! Thanks for cheering on the USMNT even if they're heading in the wrong direction!

[Carlo]

Good win. If only we had more US fans like those 4 brave souls. Soccer really is the most beautiful and uniting sport in the world. The only things I have to say about the game is that; I would have liked to see Marvel Winn instead of Frankie filling in for Cherundolo. Its also very good to see that our national squad are made up of fighters that don't give up in the 70th minute. I think that's the best thing Bradley has imposed on the team since he has been in charge. Would I like to see them play flashy soccer, yes. But a win is a win. GO USA. OLE OLE OLE OLE GRINGOS GRINGOS!

[eric]

Dempsey showed more signs of life than we've seen in a long time. I also liked Beasley's aggression and work rate, even if it was clear that his first touch is still rusty.

But it is way past time to mix in new blood in attacking positions. If BB will put Edu into the mix, why not Jozy, Cooper, Adu?!?

[Beckster]

The US attack is sorely lacking. Part of this has to do with BB's 2 holding midfielders. I thought Donovan and Dempsey did much better in their more traditional roles. Would like to see MBradley as only holding midfielder; Adu as attacking midfielder; Donovan, Ching and Jozy uptop in some combination and Dempsey, Beasley and Convey on the wings. That would give us a better idea of our ability to attack.

The other huge issue is playing time for most of our European players. We can't have a strong US team if the players aren't dressing or sitting on the bench for their club teams. At some point, Bradley is going to have to deal with this issue and adjust accordingly - even if it means the old favorites don't play.

[Johnny]

This was one boring boring boring game. Beasley was really really really bad. He's still finding his form I guess. Bob Bradley needs to grow a pair before he earns the nickname little bruce. This team wins now against minnows and will lose against better competition. This team will never be better than mediocre.

[Javier]

Agreed a win is win and it's good to have the three points and first place in the group. That said the teams performance left me wanting more. Despite the field conditions which was the equalizer for both teams the U.S. team seemed to be lacking something. At times they seemed slow, the passing was bad, the finishing was terrible. Is it fair to say they lacked finesse and speed? They were the better team on paper and yet there were many times they didn't show it. DMB was terrible and should have been pulled. I like Brian Ching and what he brings to the game, but the U.S. needs to play with two forwards. Maybe the the team would be better pairing Ching and Altidore, or Ching and Cooper, or Cooper and Altidore. I don't believe it's fair to come down on Ching when he hasn't been getting the service he needs. He also drops backs in the defense leaving no one up top for counters. Despite Dempsey having scored the goal I think it's time for him to ride the pine a bit. It's also time to sit Michael Bradley. I'm in agreement with the person who questioned whether he's played two consistently good games or played games without getting a yellow card or committing a stupid foul.

Is it time to fire Bob Bradley? He's gotten two wins out of a team through poor performances in one hostile environment and one foreign environment as the biggest hostility in Cuba appears to have been the lack of air conditioning in the locker room. In his defense Bob Bradley is not on the field playing. If the team plays poorly it's not his fault. On the other hand Bob Bradley puts that team together. He is responsible for putting the best possible team on the field and getting the most out of that team. Here I believe he has failed. The midfield and the forwards need attention. The defense is holding it's own. DMB is out of form and it shows. Clint Dempsey is out of form. Michael Bradley is not a world class player. Edu will get better. If Bob Bradley can't correct this and put the best possible team on the field than it is time to replace him. The question though is who is available and should replace him? I don't have any idea.

The U.S. team has done enough to get into first place in their group. Is it enough? I don't believe so. The team has been underperforming and if two weak opponents were a handful a strong opponenet will tear this team up.

[JK]

@Brant

Amen. I have had the same thoughts. They won the WC with their ugly style. And do you think their fans complain after thatwin that they didn't play pretty? But I agree with Ron. A team should never play not to lose (unless ahead late in the game). Still, a win's a win, and we played better than vs. Guate.

[eduardo]

if we have an international coach with more pedigree the tactics will obviously be way better , the spacing will be beter , the decision making during the game will be better . the movement without the ball will be better . the team wont play the long ball as much as they do now . these are things that can be "coached" and can be improved during training . im not saying that with an international coach demarcus beasley suddenly will become joe cole , but im a firm believer that things specially on the ofensive side can be better . also we need to start considering the possibility to recruit foreign players to play for us specially on the ofense . lets face it : with the exception of donovan and dempsey theres not a lot of skills elsewhere . beasley sucks , ching is good at holding the ball but dont do anything else . a lot of national teams including our biter rivals mexico have one or two reinforcements specially brazilians that helps the lack of talent . the national team can use luciano emilio for instance

[Ben]

We need Benny Feilhaber back on the radar BAD. He has been the only midfielder in the Bradley era capable of keeping possession in the bunkered down defenses of CONCACAF. Once he nails down a regular spot at Aarhus, I would call him in to camp immediately. The US with and without Feilhaber are different teams.

Bradley and Edu are both solid but one-dimensional players who are simply warm bodies to have in the middle of the park until they learn how to add a hint of unpredictability to their passing. In the last few games every American attack seemed to consist of the front 6 running in straight lines down to field with no shifting or combination to speak of. Put Feilhaber in, and players will have more time to find space and have better passes to receive.

[Tony in Quakeland]

I thought Edu had some terrific distributions out of the back. Not sure why he is being singled out for negative reviews here.

In general, I'll save my complaints for the last three games in the round IF we are not using more kids and experimenting a bit more.

[Tony in Quakeland]

Ben, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts on the future of Maurice Edu over Benny Feilhaber....

[Mark]

I'm happy with the result. Room for improvement is obvious, but winning road qualifiers is encouraging and not something this team has done often in past cycles.

Hopefully the team can put away T & T at home which should essentially lock up qualifying so the younger guys like Adu, Jozy and Cooper can get some chances to get game action to prepare for the hexagonal when their services will be needed.

[Jamie Z.]

I probably feel the same after our lacklustre performance last night as most England fans feel about their 2-0 win over Andorra.

I wouldn't expect to hear the, "We got the three points and that's all that matters," defense out of too many Englishmen.

[kebzach]

2 wins on the road in WCQ and people are talking about firing Bob Bradley...man, I love stupid soccer fans.

[JK]

No matter if you win big, lose big, win ugly, etc., there will always be something to be desired. We got the three points, now we need to work on areas that we are struggling in. You can't get to high or low on yourself. You must have a mentality that you have to get better no matter what the result.

Also, I think Edu didn't play terribly. I thought he had good distributions, he took some rips from far out, he played a little defense. He did turn the ball over a shade too much, but imagine his future if he is still improving.

[brentmcd]

Decent result, should have looked better against Cuba. After the T&T match (hopefully another 3 points), it will definitely be time to try out some of the younger talent.

BTW, I wish people would lay off Ching. Sure the guy is limited (notably his lack of pace), but he works hard and wins tons of 50/50 plays. And he can't be knocked off the ball. Plus he has a good field awareness and is an excellent passer -- refer to his assist last night. Which other forward in our pool would have made that play? Maybe McBride; definitely not EJ or Twellman or Cooper or Altidore or Buddle - lol. Sad but true.

I thought we resorted to way too much American boot-ball in the first half. Second half saw the team with more crisp passing through the midfield. To be fair, controlling the ball looked difficult on a wet, uneven pitch.

[JK]

Plus, why complain? We won twice on the road in difficult places to play. At this level, a team will always play better at home. Winning on the road is not easy at all.

[William]

Two wins on the road, six points. Road games are never easy. The field was shite, the lighting situation...well, you saw it.

To beat Guatemala in Guat is great as well. Beating them with their hacking and disruptive fouling is hard enough at home. On the road it's an accomplishment.

Be proud of the boys for bringing the points. We'll see how they do in the next home game.

[NJ Guy No Longer Stuck in DC]

I never thought that I’d say this but I see a similarity between the USMNT and the women’s team, even though men’s and women’s soccer are essentially different sports. Remember the run-up to the last women’s world cup when the team was “just winning baby” and had that ridiculous undefeated streak? Well, anyone who watched them play knew their tactics were not on par with the better teams in the world. Now the USMNT is in the same situation; no one can seriously believe we are getting better despite more talent, and it is so painfully obvious.

Yes we have 6 points but we are playing terribly. The sad part about last night’s match was that Cuba did not play well despite the scoreline being 1-0. Most of our players probably think they played pretty well on an individual level. Howard saved our bacon and we could have come away with only one point that would have been deserved.

Bradley and Edu were a terrible combination although Bradley was more solid besides his ridiculous card. It’s been said before but this double-linking/defensive midfield crap has to stop. We put so little offensive pressure on Cuba that they never lost their shape. If BB insists on playing a 4-5-1 or variant, it should be Adu, Donovan and Bradley/Edu in the middle. At least Donovan can keep possession and his work rate enables him to get forward.

If Bradley makes his yellow card tackle in the pleasant confines of Guat/El Sal/Honduras (more pressure and atmosphere), he may have received a red. How can anyone say it was almost a clean tackle? Seriously, how many international games can he play before he stops sliding head-on into a player? He can’t help but make a studs-up challenge.

And I’ve had enough with people saying we need only veterans to play away matches to come away with points. The fact of the matter is that you play your best team and other top nations don’t hesitate to do it despite age or experience. I’m not saying wholesale changes, but there is no easier position to play than forward in hostile situations or with unfamiliar players. For the life of me I can’t figure out why we play forwards who have no burning desire to score. I had to laugh at Harkes’ comment when Ching blew that ball from Edu that put him in for a free volley from 12 yards but instead he tried to trap it, and then bungled the ball for a goalkick: “At some point you’d think instinct would take over.” Evidently not!!

[Javier]

Kebzach, you're an idiot but you probably already know that. You're Insulting soccer fans and calling them stupid because they're discussing replacing Bob Bradley when the team has played poorly. The fact that they won two WCQ matches on the road is not the issue. The issue is that they underperformed on the road against weak opponents. It was Bob Bradley's responsibility to put the best team possiblle on the field and to have prepared them to play thier best. He did neither and they could have just easily lost both games.

This is a forum where people discuss these matters. But for idiots like you who prefer to insult soccer fans for their opinions it's actually an interesting place get the perspective of soccer fans who visit this site.

[Mario in SJ]

I thought we might do better. Bradley seems to have the team on cruise control with the setting at a rather low speed.

Edu was horrible in midfield after the stellar performance in the Olympics. He kept giving the ball away. A couple of which were almost converted by a far less superior Cuba.

Away games are hard no matter who the opposition is. Nevertheless I look forward to T&T. Would be nice to see the US crush all opponents, but its easier said than done.

[Tony in Quakeland]

"I wouldn't expect to hear the, "We got the three points and that's all that matters," defense out of too many Englishmen."

After not qualifying for Euro 2008, you might be surprised...

[Matt]

@Johnny

Beasley's not still "finding his form." The guy hasn't been good on the national team in years. I simply don't understand why we keep playing him, when we have a wealth of players available at the wing positions. How many games ago was it he flubbed every single free kick?

Everyone thinks there's so much upside with Beasley. That might have been true in the past, but I find it hard to believe he has more upside than any of our young players today. He's a liability every time he steps on the field.

[Tim K]

This result is just more proof of the poor and inadequate performances of this US national team. Yes we won in guatemala and yes we won in Cuba, but are our expectations really that low that we find both these performances acceptable!?

If we are trying to become a team that can compete against the best, and we struggle against cuba, how can we expect to play against germany or argentina in a match that matters. The lack of contenuity, talent, and creativity is so obvious during these past two games, I felt like I was watching a kansas city game in the dark!!! it was low class and ugly.

This is just more proof of our need for adu and altidore!! Without them we will never be a team of worth and we will continue to play ugly games and be satisfied beating handicap teams like cuba 1-0!! Change is a MUST!!!!

ALSO, I choose the FIRE game over the US game because it was easier to the eye!!

[fig]

But for idiots like you who prefer to insult soccer fans for their opinions...

Posted by: Javier | September 07, 2008 at 03:59 PM

===================================

Do you know the meaning of irony, Javier?

Sorry, but you lose.

[Don]

Italy struggles with Cyprus. England struggles with Andorra. Scotland loses to Macedonia. France loses to Austria. The list goes on.

WCQ is a difficult and dangerous process anywhere. Celebrate victories.

[Rich]

Ugly road win. Hard to watch. If all we care about is making it to the WC then it was a result. Unfortunately if this is the best we have to offer we will have a disappointing 3 and out in 2010. Where was the attack?!? T&T put up 3 against Cuba, we only get 1! Donovan was invisible. He is supposed to be the best we have etc. If Kaka were asked to play a defensive role, he would still make his mark on the offensive side. LD just plain did not make a difference. Beas had an awful night. He needs to control the ball. Edu was good at times, but if he lost the ball he was not hustling to get it back. Stupid yellow for MB. I think we need to replace the current midfield and forwards with the Olympic team. They played a brand of soccer that had some flow to it. They hit the passes crisper, they were able to dribble/pass out of tight spaces. They did not just hit the ball long and hope. Bottom line, unless BB comes up with a way for the US to score goals, we may make the WC, but no one will happy after that.

[kebzach]

Thanks fig. Beat me to my reply.

[Geoff S.]

First, I'm happy with the six points after our first 2 road trips and being on top of the group. I agree with those who said the game was boring, and I definitely think we lacked a lot of attacking creativity, but I also thought we approached the game intelligently. After the first goal, no matter how "lucky" or "uninspired," we had no reason to push the game. We possessed great for long stretches of the second half, waiting for Cuba to come get the game, and they neved did, so we walk away with 3 points.

This round of qualifying is the "hardest" with only two teams advancing from each group, so I don't care that its not pretty, if we are getting results.

In the hexagonal, 4 of 6 advance.

I didn't think anyone was just BAD except maybe DmB, but he's just coming off an injury, and I think BB used this games to get him fitness. I was surprised not to see Eddie Lewis start, but maybe against Cuba it was the right game to give DmB 90 minutes.

Ching was fantastic holding the ball up, we just cant expect our forwards to score, though, when we play a 4-2-3-1 with a forward like Ching as the target. Thats why we our goal came from the midfield (Dempsey). with the exception of the 1st barbados game, we havent had a forward score since before the England game. Maybe if we put EJ in midfied he'll start scoring again (joke).

Our back line was good for the most part, and Timmy came up big as always when called upon. It seems that Timmy doesn't have too much confidence in distributing to Hejduk. (FH did fine last night, but he makes me nervous too) I didn't think Edu was horrible, although he lost possession one or two too many times for my liking.

I think we'll see a little more of an attractive brand of soccer after we get 3 points against T and T and BB brings in the Adu, Altidore, Cooper contingent that everyone is calling for.

Until then, though, I'm happy with the points, and I'll look to be excited in the final 3 games of this round.

[mary]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the weather... I by no means believe you can blame results completely on weather, but they played on a bad field in a constant, drenching rain. I wondered right off the bat if that was the reason they played long ball and boot-the-ball-out-of-danger even more than they usually seem to do. Good crisp passing and footwork is much harder in conditions like that... again, not the enire reason, but just a factor...

[guillermo]

Bad Game, I watch the CR and Surinam game and aalso the Hon and Canada game. If we continue to play like this bad we are going to be in serious problem. We need to beat T&T really good on wendsday to get our game back up and shwo that we have improve. We have great players but I think coach BB is not really using them well they belong on their best position. Landon needs to be eithe ron front or behing our 2 fwds.

[Javier]

Fig, get with the program. There's no irony in my response to kebzach. He went out of his way to insult people in this forum for giving thier opinion. If he doesn't share that opinion fine say so and express why he doesn't share it. But to outright call the readers stupid because they dare to request Bob Bradley be fired and he doesn't support his comments in any rational way. Yes that's idiotic. I wonder about you for supporting his point of view and not offering any support in your statement.

[US SOCCER FAN]

We looked terrible, we played terrible. If anyone saw Mexico, we've got trouble coming

[FK PIRIN]

I watched the game and was disappointed with the finishing. I thought everyone played pretty well, but DMB missed a couple of solid chances. However, DMB was great on tracking back and I think his speed is a huge asset on the field.

I also agree with those who say that the US is defensive minded. However, I also believe that the US generally does not get the benefit of the doubt from referees in CONCACAF. I think this leads BB to play conservatively because he needs to make sure other teams get virtually no decent shots on goal for fear that if they get near the goal they will get a BS call from the referees.

Also I think the referees call a lot of soft fouls on the US team and pull out cards faster. In this particular game I thought the referreeing was pretty even, but for instance the Guatemala game seemed absurdly one sided.

Given the packed in defensive style of most CONCACAF teams and the seeming referee bias, it seems to me the US has to play conservatively. If they play with an attacking style, then I see us getting unwarranted yellow and red cards in addition to unfair offside calls allowing other teams to score.

What do people think? Am I paranoid or does it seem like the referees are making bad calls that really hurt the US more than they hurt other teams?

Also I thought the US looked really good possessing the ball, although I saw a few careless mistakes. I think the US possession and calmness on the ball has really improved under BB. What do other people think?

[lubs]

To all the Cooperlovers, Buzz Carick (sic) got a great explanation about Cooper's game from Hyndman last month. Essentially, despite his height he does NOT play as a target forward. Second, with his tendency to drift wide it pulls other players out of position. If Coop wants in, HE needs to get on the same page as the team. As Hyndman put it, we've got the tallest guy crossing to the shortest.

[smokeminside]

Nice to finally see (some) support for Ching. He may be slower than we'd wish, but he was involved in both of the goals we scored in these away matches. His screen freed up Boca and he assisted Dempsey. Sure he missed the great pass he could have volleyed, but he tried something else and it just didn't work. Who else was on the end of a pass like that? Nada, zip, no one. He is a pro and he'll be a fixture for awhile, whether we like him or not. I'm all for seeing others trotted out there, but not yet, not when there's still so much on the line.

[paul Lorinczi]

You know...I am kind of moving to the opinion that let's just qualify for the next round first.

Let Adu and Altidore and Feilhaber settle into their new clubs. We should also talk to Subotic, he looks like an excellent option at center D. Bradley needs to be a coach and bench his son like he would any player that is screwing up.

We have 6 points. Let's get 3 more on Wednesday and worry about getting to the next round. Then, let's bring Cooper and the others into games to see how they do.

[Thom]

As evidenced by your poll we have a small fan base that expects nothing and holds no one accountable. They will be just happy to go 3 and out in WC SA.

We have not performed this badly since the run up to 98 and yet you all seem so happy with our massive, stylish wins vs. the Andorra’s and the Faroe Islands of our pathetically weak region.

We will never amount to anything in football because we have supporters with soccer mom's mentalities (yea!!! we won and everyone played) and a main stream press who does not care.
Which leaves the question: where is the push to get better going to come from because it isn't going to come from the golly gee supporters("hooray- we beat Guatemala!") or the criminally incompetent all geeks club that is the USSF.

We are complacent AND GETTING WORSE AND YOU ARE GIDDY ABOUT FINALLY BEATING Guatemala, Who out played us, in Guat City? And Cuba, who is a complete joke created nearly as many truly dangerous opportunities as our inept self’s?

Do U.S. soccer a favor- move your fandom to team handball or rhythmic gymnastics.

[stever]

Well, a result is a result and no doubt the conditions were a great leveler. However we do need to look to the future and more exacting competition that will be at the WC Finals. My concern was we lacked any imagination and forward movement. Question remains why did Bradley pick players who were not match fit, why did he not use the bench and/or change the formation. We still have some players who are not at this level or are on downward career paths. Time to pick players who are on form and provide the future. I hope Bradley is up to it - perhaps an experience international manager is indeed needed to raise the whole structure and move us away from resting on the MLS and Concaf.

PS does Ive have opportunity for a one on one interview with Bradley, I am sure we cud post a few questions!

[alex]

My two cents could we have played better, sure. If the field wasn't wet, the grass wasn't to long and the grounds were even. SO what does that sound like? excuses!! Lets face it DMB was really bad he missed two golden opportunities. Most people are bashing the score line they didn't play with fire and spunk but they did enough to be up 3-0 at half time if Beas makes those two gimmes. So I say give it a rest, all the predictions of how we'll do come world cup time are way off its still 2 and a half years away, and believe me no games will be played on that kind of surface. Let's see how the team plays in chicago before we call for to many changes.

[royce]

this was a hard game to take. for me, a long time beasley fan, it was especially difficult, as the last few games i've seen him play (since before he was injured) he's been essentially a defensive option. but the real question is, "who do we have on the left that's better?" proverbially, i hear crickets outside my house.

this game was a great result. we do have to remember the conditions, field type, and difficulty of wcq. at the same time, it does seem we are getting complacent results from our team. (i would provide the compulsory ching/bradley jr-sr detracting quote here, but enough have already done so). i hear that kenny cooper doesn't play like a target forward despite his height... but he scores goals and creates chances. that is something i just can't accept; it's just like an american (with no scoring, no creativity, and no player quite like him, really) to attempt to place a soccer player in a box...

[Paul]

Grant Wahl is officially on the "Where in the world are Cooper, Altidore, and Adu" bandwagon.

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/247095

[William]

>>Grant Wahl is officially on the "Where in the world are Cooper, Altidore, and Adu" bandwagon.<<

If they're not around in the early stages does that mean they won't make appearances later? Maybe in the hex?

It's a long campaign...

[Felix]

Land of the Free Home of the Brave, say what you like about your government and follow any religion you like, DON'T JUST GO TO CUBA OR THEY WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!!!!

[SonicDeathMonkey]

When Mexico spanks us in the hex, I want to hear what the Bradley defenders will have to say then. The US is playing ugly, "try not to lose" soccer, and its going to catch up with them very soon.

[Larry]

Yeah, our forwards don't get it done. But the talent pool just happens to have lots of tweeners.

But, I'm going to cut the team some slack. Crappy field conditions, body and will sapping heat and humidity, and poor lighting would suck the life out of any game.

[Tony in Quakeland]

David Mosse on ESPN SOccernet makes a great point here:

"The good news, beyond the old cliché about finding ways to win when not at your best, is the fact that help is on the way. The overriding sense in watching the U.S. these days is that several veteran players are merely lame ducks. Bob Bradley is taking a pragmatic approach with youngsters like Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Marvel Wynne, much to the frustration of many fans, but the emergence of those players, hopefully in the not too distant future, should serve as the solution to some of the problems in evidence in Havana.

If Bradley can get away with not fielding some of his most talented players, until he deems them ready to handle the pressure, and still notches victories like in Cuba and Guatemala, it might benefit the U.S. down the road. Unfortunately, for the time being we will be forced to endure more games like the one in Havana on Saturday, which probably ensured the U.S. won't be invited back for another 60 years."

Full article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=soccer&entryID=3574604

[smokeminside]

"We will never amount to anything in football because we have supporters with soccer mom's mentalities (yea!!! we won and everyone played) and a main stream press who does not care. " Thom

Well, Thom, I'm sure your approach will speed things up quite a bit. I can feel the wind in my sails already.

Excuse me, but I gotta go warm up the minivan now.

[BJR]

I really hope the people who are claiming that Bob "Uh" Bradley will bring the young blood in after we scratch and claw our way to 9 points are correct.

Otherwise, there are only 3 conclusions that I can draw from the following quote that Goff got out of BB, as it pertains to Cooper.

"I guess if I were to say one quick thing about young players is that we are always watching, we are always keeping track of how they are doing and we always are trying to continue to move the players who have **earned** the opportunities along at the right speed."

A) BB is blind
B) BB is a liar
C) Cooper is being moved along at a secret "right speed"

[rick]

What short memories everybody here seems to have! This is the same team that recently lost to Spain (in Spain) 1-0, just before they went on to win the European Championship, and this is the same team that tied the World #1 Argentina.

Don't forget, teams often play down to their competition.

[papa bear]

3 pts is great and all but that was terrible.

This was NOT winning ugly in the Italian style. The Catenaccio style is a very nuanced style which the US certainly wasn't employing. I'm not a fan of the Italian team or their style but comparing the US to them couldn't be further from the truth.

The attack looked positively FEEBLE against a team we should have dropped a 3 spot on EASILY.

It's a shame Adu, Altidore and Cooper played so poorly.

Oh that's right, 2 of them are at new clubs and need time to adjust. /sarc (Michael Bradley transferring a week ago to a MUCH bigger league unlike Adu's largely lateral move)

It's just a joke. If we get this kind of 'creativity' from the Manager what can we really expect from the players on the field? We've looked ugly since the Gold Cup final.

[William]

Rick -- good point. Thanks for putting his in perspective.

[William]

I meant "this" in perspective, of course...

[sox]

Some really good comments here about the match and the immediate future of WCQ.

I'm curious if some of the boring and at times, bad play can be attributed to the strange conditions of playing in cuba.

We looked terrific against argentina and spain earlier in the summer- so i think we've got players that can play with the great international teams.

That said, Adu needs to start for this team. Altidore too. I don't know much about kenny cooper- but we need some goalscorers.

I know some people will say he's just another MLS level flunkie- but I think Logan Pause would be a good option for defensive midfielder. We can't seem to keep possession worth a crap- unless it's beas and donovon passing the ball to each other. Maybe Mastroeni as well.

I'd love another crack at England before they get their act together(they might not). Maybe here in the states at giant's stadium.

[Sandro]

It was a win, i'll take it. The US should play much better and should close out these type of games. I wonder since now a lot of the players play in Europer they are more careful not to get hurt and therefore in games like this not give it there all as so they won't risk injury. Regardless the team got the win which is what counts.

[srfinger]

Donovan would be a lot better for the Nats if someone could get him the ball.

I like him much more up top because he can find hole and get behind the defense. However, it also requires someone to play him though. DMB missed him every time and the two central guys werent much better.

I was happy coming away from Guate with a 1-0 win. That was a war played in fearsome athmosphere. Other than the rain and a bumpy pitch, this was not an intimidating setting. Cuba wasnt trying to hurt people or draw reds. Plus they didnt have any dangerous attacking options. A win is a win. But 1-0 in a cupcake match is not a good sign.

[Mike_D]

We'll look much better on a field where the ball doesn't randomly hop up and the grass isn't longer than the grass in my backyard. Some of these CONCACAF away games are just ugly. I'll agree with most that I don't like coach Bradley's style but a lot of that wasn't him, it was the conditions.

[brett]

Ive been a BB defender since his term started... and his results dont lie... they may not be pretty, but he gets the job done.... we got another road win, altho against a inferior team and an ungly win, but a win none-the-less....

however, im starting to get annoyed.... i am not worried about what will happen when we play the likes of mexico, as it happens every time we play them (out possessed and capitalize on our chances)... but i would like to see some youth introduced as many have mentioned... Adu, Jozy, Cooper, etc... im glad to see Kljestan get some chances.... MB and Edu arent really new additions.... at least Adu deserves his right to be on the Roster at a minimum.... Jozy would be fresh blood intorduced to our attack... Cooper is a comodity that needs to be utilized SOON....

saying that, i am not giving up hope on BB nor the USMN... ill at least give them the next couple games to improve as they'll be at home.... quality field conditions, nice weather (hopefully), and lets not forget we always end up playing better at home....

BUT, BB needs to start bringing up the players that will make the difference in 2010....

[Raghu]

I've been a pretty solid supporter of what BB has done - and pretty much always has given him the benefit of the doubt.

A few things -

1. Glad to see people not trashing DMB for his performance. His touch, particularly his first touch was not there, and he proved yet again that he's not a good finisher. But, his work rate as a two way player is still remarkable - he was dangerous on the attack and is our best defender. He should always start.

2. Lando - really looked better up top and was part of the attack - Dempsey looked better as well - and was trying to play D. Liked the switch - they need to stay in those spots.

3. Man, I can't blame anyone for complaining about how unstylish we play on the road.

4. Edu didn't have a great performance, but I'm glad he started and hope that we continue to see him play there. His upside is significant - and he won't always give the ball away like he did on Saturday night.

5. I'm trusting BB that he'll insert the young guys at the right time (wynne,Adu, Jozy, Kenny). It'll be exciting when he does.

6. It's going to be interesting who goes to the bench if the 3 young attackers get integrated - DMB, Lando, Demps, Adu, Jozy. Cooper. 1 of these is sitting or, we move from the 2 holding mids.

[JRedBullB]

i dont want to see any more comments about the bright spots of the americans beating cuba 1-0. We need to be beating teams like cuba 5-0 with the level of our talent compared to cubas.

The USMNT's problem? coaching. we play anti-football and it's something that needs to change asap. we need a coach that appreciates smooth football and recognizes that although our players aren't world class-they arae good enough to play attractive football.

[Phillip Hamilton]

Has DaMarcus Beasley ever delivered a performance that wasn't memorable for it's suck-ness? I'm sorry, but the kid's got no business out on the pitch.

[DAMO]

Once again an uninspiring performance by the USMNT. Granted conditions weren't great, but even so they should be putting teams like Cuba to bed early and not risk a draw on a freak own goal. MBradley does need to mature in his defensive role, i.e. not recklessly going in on the tackle. On the other hand, those questioning his skill or world-class ability should probably watch him a little bit closer. His posistioning when receiving the ball is better by far than every player for the team. He always has opened his body up to receive and immediately pass the ball before it gets to him. Look at how Beas stops the ball and forward progress whenever he gets open. Beas can't take anyone off the dribble, he can only get in behind when they forget about him and then his finishing, passing, etc. are shown to be well below par. Beas is a good club player, not a USMNT star. But I digress, MBradley should be moved forward a little and then add a real attacking midfielder to help him out. With movement ala Adu or field vision ala Benny it would open up the midfield and allow Lando more room to run all over the place. A mobile target man would also help. Ching is big orange cone.