Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

[jt45]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Anyone watching the friendly with Canada? No score at half. Good combo action with Donovan/Dempsey, but other than that there have been no real chances of the US. Couple of nice saves for Howard.

[CcAaRrSsOoNn3]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Anyone watching the friendly with Canada? No score at half. Good combo action with Donovan/Dempsey, but other than that there have been no real chances of the US. Couple of nice saves for Howard.

I am definitely watching it. If Castillo would've scored on that volley, that would've been on the best goals of all time!

Have a feeling this one will end up a 1-0 winner.

[ImTellinTim]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

This has not been very impressive at all.

[Mo]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

This has not been very impressive at all.

I think we are all just realizing how awful Scotland is.

This is the US team, you all should get use to seeing.

[ImTellinTim]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Don't think I'd go that far, this was their 3rd game in a run where they've been training hard twice a day since the start of the camp. They looked really tired. A lot of standing around.

Goodson looked good at the back.

[CcAaRrSsOoNn3]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I think we are all just realizing how awful Scotland is.

This is the US team, you all should get use to seeing.

Agreed.

Absolutely horrible.

[Dylema]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I'm curious who we see get mixed into the roster in this round of qualifying. Geroge John, AJ DeLaGarza, Lichaj, and eventually Omar when he recovers from his injury and if Tim Ream can break into the squad at Bolton and start playing good minutes. If we Keep Chandler I think we could have a decent back line in 4 years with Chandler-John-Omar- Johnson with Lichaj and Ream being the first choice at full back and half back respectively. Agbossoumonde is a bit of a wild card, but they saw enough in him to bring him to Braga and the whole traffic sports fiasco and the injury has landed him at the railhawks in the NASL. If he can regain some of his form and possibly make a successful move to Europe after the Traffic Sports deal is done then he could be in serious contention for a 2014 spot and a lock for 2018.

As for the midfield Corona, Mixx, and Shea are all pretty young and could be really good by the time the WC rolls around especially when you through in Sacha, Bedoya into that mix. Both are a little older and might not be around for the 2018 world cup but the way Sacha's been playing in Belgium I think he deserves a shot.

Jozy's hopefully going to be the first choice for a long time and Boyd got a run out this go round, but I think we need to see Bunbury, Sapong, and Agudelo some more in games like Antigua & Barbuda or maybe some lower tiered friendlies. Even Adu can still grow into the player we all hoped him to be especially since he's getting regular minutes now at Philly.

[Matt10]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I think we are all just realizing how awful Scotland is.

This is the US team, you all should get use to seeing.

Um - Brazil match? That was a lot different than what we saw today. Please don't go hating already at the first sign of inconsistency.

Today's match wasn't pretty - the passing was pretty poor overall. I think Klinsy should have taken a better look at the formation - as there was no build up between Dempsey and Donovan except for one good chance.

If Fabian Johnson gets healthy, I would love to see Castillo in an attacking midfield role on the wings or something - that left foot + confidence would really bring another threat level inside to free up the center with Jones and Bradley.

Oh well - true test comes next week.

[Eton Rifles]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Not a great effort by the USA but I think Fatigue is showing it's ugly head here. under Klinsmann this team usually likes to press and create turnovers but they didn't do that last night. Canada is not very good and it looked like the USA is going through the motions. I'm sure they will whip up on Antigua and find a way to beat Guatemala( they just had 3 starters suspended for a potential max fixing scandal).

[rckabillyRaider]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Underwhelming performance vs Canada. It's the same inconsistent performance we've seen over the last few years. One game, they play great and the next game they are extremely flat and uninspired regardless of the opponent.

[jasontoddwhitt]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

There were a few things I took from that performance against Canada...

#1) I'm not sure where Stuart Holden is as far as rehab with his knee injury, but we could definitely use him in central midfield. The more playmakers in the middle, the better, and Holden is a good one. Plus, he is dangerous when it comes to set pieces.

#2) I like the pairing of Bocanegra and Goodson. Goodson may not be the most athletic center back on the American roster (nor the future), but he's probably the safest option compared to Gooch, Ream, or Cameron.

#3) We missed Fabian Johnson on the left against Canada. Torres and Castillo could not get anthing productive going on the left all game long.

#4) Under pressure, we lack creativity. Canada did a good job of pressing us, especially when Donovan or Dempsey got the ball. Instead of taking advantage of this aggression, we frequently passed the ball backwards until an errant pass or a poor ball over the top resulted in a turnover. Hopefully, it was just fatigue from all the training and matches recently that led to the lack of creativity. Otherwise, every team in CONCACAF now has a blueprint to give the US lots of trouble.

#5) Klinsmann needs to ditch the 4-4-2 and go back to the 4-2-3-1 (or 4-3-3 or whatever you want to call it) that he used against Scotland and Brazil. We unsuccessfully tried to force the ball up the middle and we couldn't get the ball wide enough to create opportunities. The formation severly limited Bradley's role in the offense, as he was having to track back being the anchor between the midfield and back line. Why Klinsmann changed formations after looking much more deadly in the attack against Scotland and Brazil...I'll never know. All I know, is that the 4-2-3-1 looks to be the more effective look for the US.

[jt45]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Starting Torres at LB tonight. We have seven current/former central midfielders in tonight's starting 11!!

[jasontoddwhitt]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Sloppy conditions tonight in Tampa. Wonder if that will affect us?

EDIT: I do like the lineup though. Dempsey up front, Gomez and Donovan on the wings, Bradley and Jones in midfield, Edu at DM, backline of Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Goodson, and Torres, and of course Howard in at goal.

[jasontoddwhitt]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Bocanegra putting away the garbage and the US up 1-0 in the 8th minute. Now that's the start we needed.

EDIT: Horrible offside call. Gomez was onside. Officiating is horrible. US is getting homered at home. Several wreckless challenges by Antigua going unpunished.

[jyoung]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

The referee needs to get control of this game and start handing out some cards before someone gets hurt.

Both teams have been extremely reckless in their tackling.