Reflections on a W

So a give away goal wasn't really the start they were looking for on Saturday night but always better to give up a goal early than late....at least you have the time to fight back after that.

I think it served as a wake up call to Clint Dempsey; he's a great player but just b/c he had a great year at Fulham doesn't mean he's that much better than everyone around him. He constantly tried to do too much when he had the ball in Costa Rica and again early Saturday which ended up biting the entire team in ass. From there on out, he was fighting hard and seemed to trust his teammates, looking to pass a little earlier rather than continue to fool w/the ball. He must trust his teammates.

They were able to recover well after the goal and I thought Ricardo Clark did a great job in midfield. He was hungry and constantly getting in the mess, winning balls, and distributing quickly...albeit not always as accurately as liked.

I think the real spark came in the 2nd half subsitution; Benny Feilhaber. Not only did he bring creativity and direct passes but surprisingly did a great job tracking back and winning balls. Can't help but wonder if BB was surprised that he found a midfield that was successful w/o LB (Michael "Little" Bradley) as a cog.

I think Landon Dononvan, probably MotM, fed off of Feilhaber's substitution and he exploded for an energetic 2nd half. I think him coming off the left flank is ideal and his experience makes him a better option than Torres.

Conor Casey did well enough up front but I continue to maintain that the 2nd striker spot is awaiting someone to come and grab it. He's just not dynamic enough to translate MLS form into international success.

The Jonathans in the back did a good job as well; preferred Spector on the right but both worked hard, did pretty well playing the ball into the box, and weren't total liabilities defensively. (Going to be very interesting to see how they do in S Africa next week but more on that later in the week).

Bocanegra's goal was brilliant, he definitely has a sense for the big goal as all 3 of his WCQ goals are now game winners. After the first goal, him and Onyewu worked nicely together. His injury was unfortunate but it will be interesting to see how Demerit responds if Bocanegra can't play on Monday.

More on things to watch for in the Confederations Cup later this week...