United States soccer fans finally got what they wanted Wednesday night—goals, and lots of them.
Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Brian Ching all netted goals in Chicago against Trinidad & Tobago.
After two games of 1-0 scores against Guatemala and Cuba, many U.S. fans had an uneasy feeling heading in to last night’s game against T&T, and understandably so. The ability to finish is one of the most important aspects for any player in the game, and the United States had been lacking badly in that area as of late.
Hopefully now the fears have subsided, and confidence is growing within the team.
The United States benefited greatly from a quality pitch and agreeable weather en route to their third consecutive win of the qualifying campaign, and even bigger lead among their group.
The first half of the match consisted of the U.S. controlling possession, a familiar theme in their three games of qualifying. A foul committed against DaMarcus Beasley in the ninth minute set up a free kick for Landon Donovan along the left sideline. Donovan sent in a beautiful cross to the foot of Michael Bradley as he flicked it home, leaving the keeper no chance to save.
Later in the first half, Clint Dempsey worked a quick give-and-go with Beasley that left Dempsey with the ball at his feet just inside the box. The Fulham man put in a low and powerful shot towards the far post, which gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead in the 18th minute.
The last score of the night came on yet another set piece. It involved Beasley again, who whipped in a tight cross that Oguchi Onyewu was able to get a head on. Although it wasn’t directed at goal, Brian Ching was in a good position and headed it home in the 57th minute.
That was the highlight of Ching’s night, as he yet again campaigned for Jozy Altidore or Kenny Cooper to take his spot as striker on the national team.
U.S. Coach Bob Bradley made three subs in the second half. Ricardo Clark took over for the underwhelming Sasha Kljestan, the much maligned Eddie Johnson came in for Brian Ching, and Eddie Lewis replaced a visibly spent Clint Dempsey.
All in all, it was a great effort by our boys. Quick one time passing, great reception of the ball and making the right pass for the majority of the match usually bodes well for a team that was much more talented than T&T.
Match Judgments
· Once again, Brian Ching was his normal, underperforming self.
· Michael Bradley is looking more and more like the holding midfielder everyone expects.
· Clint Dempsey is having fun on the pitch.
· DaMarcus Beasley isn’t 100% yet, but he will be soon.
· Oguchi Onyewu is the scariest player on the pitch every time.
· Tim Howard is very, very good.
Match Ratings
GK, Tim Howard, 7: Minded his net superbly, very vocal, and encouraging especially after Steve Cherundolo saved a sure goal in the second half.
LB, Heath Pearce, 5: Defended well, but not much more. Once again worked everything to his left foot and wasn’t noticeable in attack.
CB, Carlos Bocanegra, 6.5: Worked well with Onyewu on the back line and defended capably. Some of his poor clearances will be taken advantage of against tougher opponents.
CB, Oguchi Onyewu, 7: Defensive master didn’t lose a header and cleared the ball well. Could have improved on his outlet passing.
RB, Steve Cherundolo, 7: Needed a strong game after missing the match against Cuba with a red card. Was only beaten once defensively, but made up for it by saving a goal in the second half. Pushed up well to work with Dempsey and Donovan.
CM, Sasha Kljestan, 5.5: Still haven’t enjoyed watching him play. His touch and decision making is a bit off, needs to improve his passing. Provided support defensively.
CM, Michael Bradley, 7: Great distribution, smart switching of the ball, and no yellow cards! Signs of improvement from the 21-year-old Bundesliga starlet.
LM, DaMarcus Beasley, 6.5: Working his way back in to form after knee and hamstring injuries. Flashed his speed at times and sent in a good cross on Ching’s goal.
CAM, Landon Donovan, 7: Once again the most consistent player on the pitch. Great touch, smart passing, and great help defensively when needed. Donovan is quickly becoming the player this team needs him to be.
RM, Clint Dempsey, 7: Notched his fourth goal in his last four WC Qualifying games. His confidence and scoring touch are back. Provided good defensive help and passing was much better. His first touch still needs work.
F, Brian Ching, 5: Provided a good body with his back to the goal, and held the ball well. His first touch, finishing, passing and decision making were regrettable at best. Jozy Altidore, what’s your cell phone number?
Subs
M, Ricardo Clark, 5: His speed and energy was much needed in the second half. A few bad passes and his poor decision making need to be remedied in order to crack the starting line-up.
F, Eddie Johnson, 4: A sub needs energy and Johnson did not possess that last night. He needs to get his mind right if he wants to start. Brian Ching is gift-wrapping it for someone.
M, Eddie Lewis, 5: The ageless wonder proved he still has a powerful cross with his left foot as he came on for a slowing Dempsey.
Friday, September 19, 2008
USA vs. Cuba: Player Ratings and Match Observations
A 1-0 win for the United States on the road in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying is always a good result.
The United States men were calm and confident in Cuba. Nothing too exciting and only one time did I witness a completely bone-headed move (DaMarcus Beasley I’m sorry for picking on you).
I can’t get over seeing the “Cuba Cinco” in the stands. What bravery, what defiance, what loyalty all wrapped in one.
In case you are not aware, the United States has a trade embargo on Cuba dating back to 1962. This also limits travel to, and spending money in the country. A few journos and not much more were given temporary visas to cover the game; however, no U.S. fans were legally allowed to attend the game.
Seeing these five fans in the stands, wearing American Flag bandanas over their faces with sunglasses and “Fidel” caps, almost brought a tear to my eye.
Politics aside, the team looked good. Not great, not average, but good. They were knowledgeable in nearly every situation, making the right pass, avoiding turnovers, controlling possession—all key ingredients to winning on the road.
For the U.S. team to get three points, after beating Guatemala on the road, is a great way to start qualifying. Six points in two games, and sitting atop their group, has to be a much needed confidence boost for a team currently ranked 28thin the world by FIFA.
Although these road wins are nice, much more will be needed once the United States gets to the next round, and more importantly, the World Cup in South Africa.
What will be needed? Perhaps more than one goal. I love seeing Tim Howard record clean sheets and seeing the team defending as a whole, but the lack of creativity and scoring chances does not bode well for tougher games when two and three goals will be necessary for wins and advancement.
Snap Judgments
I want Jozy Altidore! No offense to Brian Ching, but his lack of ability to finish really upsets me. I want to see that 6’ 1’’ beast of a forward running around, jumping over, and finishing in front of the Cuban defenders.
Clint Dempsey looked, for the first time in a long time, like he wanted to be on the field. He finally had his legs ready to run and readily pressured the ball. In Dempsey’s last couple of matches, his body language and lack of hustle has really upset this fan and probably countless others.
He had a solid shot on goal, near post, way too quick for the keeper to recognize and stop. Earlier in the match, he also created another chance by giving a through ball to himself and running by two Cuban defenders only to botch a pass. Or was it a shot on goal?
Landon Donovan is simply great—so quick, so confident, so skilled. I would really like to see him cross the pond again and play in Europe. Although his time in Germany was considered average at best, it seems he is ready to take another stab at it. He is the closest thing the United States has to a super star and he needs to be playing alongside players like that to take his game to the next level.
Match Ratings
GK, Tim Howard, 8—Another shutout. American fans are getting spoiled.
RB, Frankie Hejduk, 6—Loads of energy is always a good thing at his spot. Defended capably and pushed well to partner with Dempsey on the right flank. Anything is better than two yellow cards (Steve Cherundolo)
CB, Oguchi Onyewu, 6—Marked well what the Cubans considered strikers. It seems no one wins headers over him, even Goalkeepers.
CB, Carlos Bocanegra, 6—Teamed well with Onyewu again. Their communication and feel for each other gets better every game.
LB, Heath Pearce, 5—I’m still not a fan of Pearce. It seems he is too scared to attempt a clearance with his right foot. Many times he worked his way to the sideline and you could tell he only wanted to use his left. This needs to change.
CM, Maurice Edu, 5—Started off poised and played well in the first half. Tired legs and poor decision making in the second half need to be remedied.
CM, Michael Bradley, 5—When is the last time you saw Michael Bradley not get carded in a match?
RM, Clint Dempsey, 7—Pressured well, ran his tail off, and put in the games only goal. Not bad for someone who seemed to have been losing his motivation.
CAM, Landon Donovan, 6—Seems to always make the right play. His red cleats looked good too.
LM, Damarcus Beasley, 4—Looked tired and slow. He had to change cleats a few times, although that didn’t help when he blew an open goal.
F, Brian Ching, 5—Good target man. Held the ball well and made a good pass to Dempsey to set up the score. How many more times will we see him miss solid chances before Jozy Altidore gets the start?
The United States men were calm and confident in Cuba. Nothing too exciting and only one time did I witness a completely bone-headed move (DaMarcus Beasley I’m sorry for picking on you).
I can’t get over seeing the “Cuba Cinco” in the stands. What bravery, what defiance, what loyalty all wrapped in one.
In case you are not aware, the United States has a trade embargo on Cuba dating back to 1962. This also limits travel to, and spending money in the country. A few journos and not much more were given temporary visas to cover the game; however, no U.S. fans were legally allowed to attend the game.
Seeing these five fans in the stands, wearing American Flag bandanas over their faces with sunglasses and “Fidel” caps, almost brought a tear to my eye.
Politics aside, the team looked good. Not great, not average, but good. They were knowledgeable in nearly every situation, making the right pass, avoiding turnovers, controlling possession—all key ingredients to winning on the road.
For the U.S. team to get three points, after beating Guatemala on the road, is a great way to start qualifying. Six points in two games, and sitting atop their group, has to be a much needed confidence boost for a team currently ranked 28thin the world by FIFA.
Although these road wins are nice, much more will be needed once the United States gets to the next round, and more importantly, the World Cup in South Africa.
What will be needed? Perhaps more than one goal. I love seeing Tim Howard record clean sheets and seeing the team defending as a whole, but the lack of creativity and scoring chances does not bode well for tougher games when two and three goals will be necessary for wins and advancement.
Snap Judgments
I want Jozy Altidore! No offense to Brian Ching, but his lack of ability to finish really upsets me. I want to see that 6’ 1’’ beast of a forward running around, jumping over, and finishing in front of the Cuban defenders.
Clint Dempsey looked, for the first time in a long time, like he wanted to be on the field. He finally had his legs ready to run and readily pressured the ball. In Dempsey’s last couple of matches, his body language and lack of hustle has really upset this fan and probably countless others.
He had a solid shot on goal, near post, way too quick for the keeper to recognize and stop. Earlier in the match, he also created another chance by giving a through ball to himself and running by two Cuban defenders only to botch a pass. Or was it a shot on goal?
Landon Donovan is simply great—so quick, so confident, so skilled. I would really like to see him cross the pond again and play in Europe. Although his time in Germany was considered average at best, it seems he is ready to take another stab at it. He is the closest thing the United States has to a super star and he needs to be playing alongside players like that to take his game to the next level.
Match Ratings
GK, Tim Howard, 8—Another shutout. American fans are getting spoiled.
RB, Frankie Hejduk, 6—Loads of energy is always a good thing at his spot. Defended capably and pushed well to partner with Dempsey on the right flank. Anything is better than two yellow cards (Steve Cherundolo)
CB, Oguchi Onyewu, 6—Marked well what the Cubans considered strikers. It seems no one wins headers over him, even Goalkeepers.
CB, Carlos Bocanegra, 6—Teamed well with Onyewu again. Their communication and feel for each other gets better every game.
LB, Heath Pearce, 5—I’m still not a fan of Pearce. It seems he is too scared to attempt a clearance with his right foot. Many times he worked his way to the sideline and you could tell he only wanted to use his left. This needs to change.
CM, Maurice Edu, 5—Started off poised and played well in the first half. Tired legs and poor decision making in the second half need to be remedied.
CM, Michael Bradley, 5—When is the last time you saw Michael Bradley not get carded in a match?
RM, Clint Dempsey, 7—Pressured well, ran his tail off, and put in the games only goal. Not bad for someone who seemed to have been losing his motivation.
CAM, Landon Donovan, 6—Seems to always make the right play. His red cleats looked good too.
LM, Damarcus Beasley, 4—Looked tired and slow. He had to change cleats a few times, although that didn’t help when he blew an open goal.
F, Brian Ching, 5—Good target man. Held the ball well and made a good pass to Dempsey to set up the score. How many more times will we see him miss solid chances before Jozy Altidore gets the start?
Maurice Edu’s Move to Rangers More Than Just Another Transfer
Maurice Edu has made the most important move of his career. Edu received a work permit to play for Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premier League this season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
His move to Rangers will pay more dividends than one can imagine. The initial reaction of, “He gets to play in Europe with the best of ‘em”, although vital, isn’t the most important aspect of his transfer.
His opportunity to play at this high of a level for this extended period of time will be the most complimentary to his improvement.
Think about it.
He just played in the Olympics against talented youngsters from Japan, The Netherlands, and Nigeria. The Nigerians, in the Olympic Finals against Argentina tonight, looked completely beatable even though playing 11 on 10 against the United States. (Thanks you very much Michael Orozco)
After the Olympic Games, Edu traveled to Guatemala and played 20 minutes of a World Cup Qualifier in an extremely tough setting against some of the dirtiest players on the planet today (insert four or five names from the Guat. Starting XI).
Follow that with a move to Scotland where Football is nearly the national language. The Rangers’ current squad is currently slim to none due to a rash of injuries to the all important midfield. Edu should see significant playing time alongside one of his compatriots.
Damarcus Beasley also suits up for Rangers. His mentoring Edu will be the most important task to developing, in my opinion, a player with an upside in the top three of the United States current young players (Altidore and Adu being the other two). Too many times has an American youngster made the trip across the pond only to struggle with self-confidence and little playing time (see Landon Donovan when he went to Germany).
Beasley, who has seen his share of the European scene with PSV Eindhoven and Man City before the Rangers, has arguably adapted the best to his time overseas. Who better for Edu to be with than the man with the most success in a foreign country?
As mentioned before, Rangers’ current squad has been hit hard lately with the injury bug, most notable being their captain and center midfielder Barry Ferguson. Although Edu will not receive the captain’s armband, starting at center mid is very feasible.
Even if Rangers’ manager doesn’t give Edu a shot at such a demanding position as center mid, center back is not out of the question. Edu showed he was the United States’ most talented, capable, and confident defender in the Olympics. His confidence on the ball is something never before seen from an American back line player, and quite refreshing.
Whether hanging with Beasley, new teammates, or tutoring under Manager Walter Smith, Edu is in position to learn the ins and outs of a much faster, more physical game than MLS currently has to offer. Who can complain with that? Certainly not Maurice, and I know it won't be coming from his supporters on this side of the Atlantic.
His move to Rangers will pay more dividends than one can imagine. The initial reaction of, “He gets to play in Europe with the best of ‘em”, although vital, isn’t the most important aspect of his transfer.
His opportunity to play at this high of a level for this extended period of time will be the most complimentary to his improvement.
Think about it.
He just played in the Olympics against talented youngsters from Japan, The Netherlands, and Nigeria. The Nigerians, in the Olympic Finals against Argentina tonight, looked completely beatable even though playing 11 on 10 against the United States. (Thanks you very much Michael Orozco)
After the Olympic Games, Edu traveled to Guatemala and played 20 minutes of a World Cup Qualifier in an extremely tough setting against some of the dirtiest players on the planet today (insert four or five names from the Guat. Starting XI).
Follow that with a move to Scotland where Football is nearly the national language. The Rangers’ current squad is currently slim to none due to a rash of injuries to the all important midfield. Edu should see significant playing time alongside one of his compatriots.
Damarcus Beasley also suits up for Rangers. His mentoring Edu will be the most important task to developing, in my opinion, a player with an upside in the top three of the United States current young players (Altidore and Adu being the other two). Too many times has an American youngster made the trip across the pond only to struggle with self-confidence and little playing time (see Landon Donovan when he went to Germany).
Beasley, who has seen his share of the European scene with PSV Eindhoven and Man City before the Rangers, has arguably adapted the best to his time overseas. Who better for Edu to be with than the man with the most success in a foreign country?
As mentioned before, Rangers’ current squad has been hit hard lately with the injury bug, most notable being their captain and center midfielder Barry Ferguson. Although Edu will not receive the captain’s armband, starting at center mid is very feasible.
Even if Rangers’ manager doesn’t give Edu a shot at such a demanding position as center mid, center back is not out of the question. Edu showed he was the United States’ most talented, capable, and confident defender in the Olympics. His confidence on the ball is something never before seen from an American back line player, and quite refreshing.
Whether hanging with Beasley, new teammates, or tutoring under Manager Walter Smith, Edu is in position to learn the ins and outs of a much faster, more physical game than MLS currently has to offer. Who can complain with that? Certainly not Maurice, and I know it won't be coming from his supporters on this side of the Atlantic.
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