CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matchnight: Your running commentary

Good evening everybody, or late afternoon to those of us on the West Coast. It's time for the final matchday of the penultimate stage of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. While the United States, Costa Rica and El Salvador have already booked safe passage, thee others nations will find a way into the final hexagonal stage tonight.

What match will you follow? Which teams do you think will advance? While the SBI jet has yet to land in L.A., please join me in providing live commentary of the two televised matches -- United States vs. Guatemala and Mexico vs. Honduras.

To get you started, here is the U.S. starting lineup:

Brad Guzan; John Thorrington, Clarence Goodson, Michael Parkhurst, Jonathan Bornstein; Ricardo Clark, Freddy Adu, Pablo Mastroeni, Sacha Kljestan; Kenny Cooper, Jozy Altidore

For those wondering, that's the first ever start in World Cup qualifying for Thorrington, Goodson, Bornstein, Clark and Cooper.

Here are the starters from Kingston for the match between Jamaica and Canada. Red Bulls fans can breathe, Dane Richards is not in John Barnes' XI.

Canada: Lars Hirchfeld, Adrian Cann, Andrew Hainault, Nik Ledgerwood, Paul Stalteri, Chris Pozniak, Will Johnson, Charles Gbeke, Marcel De Jonh, Kevin Harmse, Issey Nakjima-Farran

Jamaica: Donovan Ricketts, Damian Steward, Claude Davis, Ian Goodison, Ricardo Fuller, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, Tyrone Marshall, Ricardo Gardner, O'Neil Thompson, Rodolph Austin

It should be a dramatic night of qualifying. Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Andy in Atlanta]

Ives... you site has officially arrived because Bobby B must have been reading over the past week. WAY TO GO BRADLEY...now I am feeling baf about my wager on Chapinas winning tonight @ 6/1. HHAH

Come on Jozy and Kenny... time to shuffle in the new ERA

[Casey C.]

Random thought as the credits roll through American Gladiators-

I was thinking who on the US could've been a gladiator, which of course led to one name-
Gooch.

The question, what's his gladiator name? Gooch?

[cramex]

USA vs Guatemala stream at http://www.mundocramex.blogspot.com

[Matt]

Altidore and Cooper together up top, this should be interesting

[Casey C.]

Cooper 9....Altidore 14

Kljestan 16..Clark 13..Mastroeni 4..Adu 10

Bornstein 2..Goodson 6..Parkhurst 15..Thorrington 5

Guzan 18

[Tim]

OMG I think Bob Bradley just surprised a lot of people. I have to say i'm pretty impressed.

[Andy in Atlanta]

Gooch = Crusher no doubt about it

[Isaac]

Everyones been waiting so long for this Jozy and Cooper starting

[Casey C.]

Crusher, I like it...

[mitchell]

why is Thor playing right back?

[Neal]

How about the attendance? I've seen more at a high school girls basketball game. Disappointing

[eric]

I didn't even dream of lining them up together in my starting line up! I was too sure BB would toss Ching out there and someone would be begging for subs minutes.

[RedLine55]

yeah thorr!!!

[mitchell]

i love Thor, but rb? put freddy in the middle and slide pablo into the backline.

[Isaac]

KENNY JOZY KENNY JOZY KENNY JOZY KENNY! JENNY!!!......wait....

[eric]

Ye Gods! Someone pull Colorado out of the rotation for home games after this sorry turnout. I know it's meaningless but still.

[mitchell]

agreed, attendance is a joke.

[Mario in SJ]

Cooper feet of cement!!!!

[Isaac]

Nice ball Sacha.

[eric]

Offsides saves Cooper the embarrassment of a heavy touch. No problem, just keep making those runs and the chances will come.

[Andy in Atlanta]

What...do the NUggets have a game tonight? Yeesh Denver... what is this 1984...

[Beckster]

Freddy gets a corner nice!!!

[Haig]

Gorgeous pass from Clark.

[Haig]

Can Adu play a through ball or what.

[eric]

Mastro flying down the wing... not exactly the waves of attack I was picturing...

[fieldsy]

anyone have a feed for the jamaica v. canada game or mexico v. honduras game?

[mitchell]

bornstein cannot.

[Joe B]

Cooper didnt seem to move well after playing that ball off for Bornstein...

[Beckster]

Mitchell and Eric - LOL - sad state of affairs when Pablo is your attacking winger!

[eric]

justin.tv has tons of Mex-Honduras feeds

[Chase]

Jozy looks very good out there, though he should have just taken a shot there...

[mitchell]

shoooooooooooot that!

[Isaac]

Nice Tackl RIco

[Beckster]

Last move by Sacha shows (I think) that he is better in the middle than the wing...

[eric]

Kljestan is looking good on the ball early. You can usually figure him out real quick, if he's in the flow or if he's a drinking game waiting to happen.

[Haig]

Have I been pronouncing Mastroeni's last name wrong for over a decade, or is Harksey adding a syllable?

[Beckster]

Eric...agree but he clearly doesn't know where the left wing is....I don't think Beasley has much to worry about...we'll see what happens! There may be a drinking game in here yet....I think lots of potential in the back line!!!

[Andy in Atlanta]

Wow Clarence... I lik the toughness especially in the cold.

[eric]

You know, even if the defense is slightly compromised, doesn't it make up for it when your team can actually keep possession?

Good US start, hopefully they'll keep attacking like this.

[Andy in Atlanta]

Now that is what Freddy is about

[Mario in SJ]

Frediiiiiiy

[Beckster]

Freddy making things happen!

[Beckster]

Nice pass by Sacha...Borenstein, ot so much

[mitchell]

bornstein's final ball is amaaaaaaaaaaaazing

[Mario in SJ]

OK, too many passes in and around the 18. Somebody needs to pull the trigger.

[Beckster]

UNBELIEVEABLE!!!

[mitchell]

if that is not a penalty i have no idea what is.

[Brett]

WTF THAT IS A PENALTY

[eric]

Beckster - everytime Klejstan is on the wing, you have to expect him to drift in the center. If you have players willing to drift out or up to take his spot, it can work well. When it doesn't work, the team has no width.

Man, am I watching Arsenal??? Tons of pretty passing, trying to walk into goal.

[Alticooper]

and bornstien proves how bad the US lefts backs are... another terrible cross

[Alticooper]

WTF PENALTY

[Chase]

Bornstein is killing us with his horrid final ball...and I know I should just come to except that we will be screwed by Latin American CONCACAF referees, but that was just terrible

[eric]

Well, at least the refs are waking up the crowd. Both of them.

[Brett]

Observations:

- Both our fullbacks suck

- Good passing going on, but we need to get more shots off

- This ref is suspect

[Beckster]

Bornstein...not gonna be a left back option.

As much as I like what Sacha is doing, he is staying right in the center...no left wing attacking...Could have a drinking game - drink everytime Sacha is in position?

[mitchell]

thorr is not a fullback and bornsteing cannot play at the nats level.

[eric]

Everyone "floats the ball in". That's the problem. You gotta drive free kicks in.

[mitchell]

or every bornstein shank

[Brett]

OOOOH SO CLOSE

Almost, Jozy.

[Casey C.]

Err, seems like a weak offsides on Coops.

[Beckster]

Well...if you want to stay sober, then you go with the Sacha attacking on the left side; if you don't mind a hangover, you go with the bornsteing shank!

[Brett]

Jozy needs to work on his first touch.

[Casey C.]

Kenny and Jozy have a nice little understanding going on.

[mitchell]

i think the whole team needs a little first touch work

[mitchell]

drink.... oh wait, offside. DAMN!

[eric]

Yeah, I never saw the offsides in that replay.

Beckster - maybe Sasha on the "wing" works if we try Beasley at LB behind him push up a lot into functionally a 3-5-2 (but with our twin D-Mids would be 3-2-3-2)

[Chad]

We don't have a true Rt Back? Not that Thorrington is doing bad...just unusual.

[Casey C.]

Stay up Jozy, man, that was stretching it, lol.

[Brett]

Okay, the keeper was out of the box. Is this ref Guatemalan?

[Beckster]

No way Eric...I'm good with the Beas at left back but I'd put Convey in at left wing. Sacha is clearly a central mid guy...there hasn't been a run at all on the left side or a cross..and I don't think he is a natural lefty. Sacha drifts to the middle, hangs quietly and then nicely passes the ball.

[eric]

I don't think Bornstein is a disaster yet. He connects on 1 or 2 over 90 mins and we think of him totally different. As long as he keeps going at it like this, I want to see more.

No strong opinion either way yet on Thorrington, except that Wynne shoulda got that start before him.

[Casey C.]

Don't think his feet have to be in Brett. He caught it inside the box.

[eric]

Beckster - I don't want to actually see that happen, just thinking it thru. I like speed on the wings, and all I want for Christmas is for either Holden or Rogers to make the leap.

[eric]

Or Convey to come back for good, as you say. Convey hits better free kicks than everyone out there other than maybe Freddy.

[Brett]

More pace on that free kick please, Freddy.

[Beckster]

Eric, I think you are getting a lump of coal for Christmas...sorry...

[Beckster]

Goodsen trying for an own goal?

[Beckster]

And who the heck is Goodsen anyway?

[eric]

I was nervous too when Goodson was rising for that one...

[eric]

Went from Dallas to Norway or some such destination of middle class soccer leagues

[Beckster]

Yes Bob Bradley, none of these players with the possible exception of Freddy, Jozy and Pablo can play at international speed...you picked 'em bud.

[Casey C.]

Clarence Goodson, former FC Dallas player now playing in Norway? Somewhere in Scandinavia. He's pretty good actually.

[mitchell]

ironically, no one in the us soccer commercial is playing/on the bench

[Casey C.]

It's a meaningless game Beckster, what the hell do you expect? These are fringe players getting a chance to show up.

I'd say Guzan can play at international speed, as well as Cooper, among others. No reason to rag on people now anyways. Big important game right? Right?

[chad]

Denver! Your crowd sucks. Where's your support?

[Brett]

Cooper should DEFINITELY be getting more looks in the next round. He's playing very well up there with Jozy and I think those two could be a great striking duo for 2010.

[Beckster]

Casey, there are much better fringe players that could have been called in and given a shot. Demeritt, Califf, Convey, Edu etc....get that it is meaningless but this lot (with a few exceptions) ain't gonna be seeing playing time the rest of this world cup cycle.

[Isaac]

USA all the way.

[Casey C.]

Right, but some of those you list are in Europe, and the old question of whether it's more beneficial for those like Edu, who already is a regular on the roster, to stay in Glasgow rather than play in this meaningless game. It is what it is bro, just sayin' not reason to get worked up about it.

[Original Aaron]

i4 it on classic?

[Casey C.]

Regular in the USMNT roster that is, it's all just coach preference, I doubt it make a difference either way.

[Casey C.]

Yes Aaron.

[Isaac]

Freddy and Sacha are switching sides occa.sionally, mostly on set plays, but sometimes in the run of play

[Isaac]

AYE good try Jozy.

[A.S.]

Wow, that first touch was great. He was able to turn the long crossing ball right into the box and onto his foot.

[eric]

Keep creating, fellas. I don't think we're playing all that badly.

Anyone know Mex-Honduras score? Pulled up stream, stupid Telemundo gives time but not score. It's absolutely pouring there.

[Isaac]

Good play fellas all we're missing is freddy getting a break and hitting the target from distance.

[eric]

Not bad again by Jozy, I thought he blew the 1st touch but set up Freddy nice.

Can't we send Freddy to Beckham's school for kicking? Before he's not too old? It actually did Donovan some good this year.

Goal HON!!!

[Rene]

0-0 when the half ended, and second half just started

[Beckster]

Kenny trying soooo hard but not just coming together for him...I think he do better with more classic attacks from the wings crossing it into the box.