Photo by Rick Osentoski/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - As far as the Gold Cup is concerned, the U.S. men's national team is entering uncharted territory.
The Americans have never needed a result in a Gold Cup group stage finale as badly as they will when they face Guadeloupe (9 p.m, Fox Soccer Channel/Telefutura) at brand new Livestrong Sporting Park.
The U.S. team needs a win to guarantee a top-two finish in Group C, and there are scenarios in which it could finish atop the group should Canada defeat Panama by a certain number of goals. But the Americans aren't focused on what-ifs, they are just determined to win and reach the knockout phase of the tournament.
"We know that the other day wasn't our best day," said head coach Bob Bradley following Monday's training session. "And now we reinforce some of the things that are important and understand that the game against Guadeloupe is still a hard game and now we go out and get the result and move on."
Having played much of its Gold Cup campaign with 10 men due to an ejection in each of its first two games, Guadeloupe looks like an undisciplined unit. That unit has its share of talent, though, especially in the attack where Brice Jovial has scored two goals.
"I expect them to play like a Caribbean team; work hard, fast, and athletic team," U.S. forward Juan Agudelo said. "But we're just going to focus on our game and see if it works out."
The United States will also need focus on being cautious defensively, as six of its players have yellow cards, with one more against Guadeloupe meaning a suspension for the quarterfinals.
Bradley isn't too perturbed by that stat, pointing to the Americans' disciplined efforts in years passed.
"You look back at yellow cards sometimes and in the heat of the game you question them," said Bradley. "But we've had a good record of discipline over the years understanding these kind of things and we'll deal with it at this point."
What the U.S. team should address is how it starts the game. Its lackadaisical approach to the Panama match resulted in a two-goal deficit at halftime, and it is something the Americans cannot afford to let happen again, not with so much on the line.
The United States will need to push the game from the start, just as it did when it played Canada in the first round of the group stage matches. Michael Bradley and whoever partners next to him will need to control the midfield and help dictate the tempo; the fullbacks will need to get forward and help the attack; and the forwards will need to be more productive if they hope to help the U.S. team win in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at Livestrong Sporting Park.
"It's not going to be easy, but it's better to lose a game earlier in a tournament than later on," Landon Donovan said. "We're going to give it everything we have, and we'll see what happens."
Following the Panama game, Bob Bradley mentioned that changes would be considered due to the quick turnaround. A couple of players who could be inserted into the starting lineup are Alejandro Bedoya and Sacha Kljestan. The two midfielders came off the bench and provided a spark for the Americans, and they may be counted on to bring some creativity to the team.
"Your mindset changes a little bit when you start a game," Bedoya said. "You just focus on doing the things well for the team, being organized and trying to play a full 90 minutes. It's a lot different than coming in as a sub, where as a sub my first thing like in a game against Panama, the only thing you're thinking about is just get a spark, provide some energy, do some good things with the ball and lift the team."
The United States can still secure a spot in knockout phase of the tournament without a win, but that isn't what the Americans want. What they want is to win their second game of the tournament, secure qualification and continue their march towards the Gold Cup final.
Guadeloupe is what stands in their way, and although the Caribbean nation may not seem like a threat on paper, the Americans know not to overlook an opponent.
"We expect a hard game. Guadeloupe is a talented team," Bob Bradley said. "Past Gold Cups show that as well, so we understand what the game is like and now we just prepare ourselves. Our team has always responded really well coming back from games we weren't satisfied with and I know that will be the case."
That better hold true, or the United States could be facing an early and embarassing exit from a tournament it has dreams of winning.
