Reaction: US v Denmark 11/18/09 + Randoms

Wednesday's friendly between the US and Denmark so far down the list of important soccer happenings from this last week that I feel a little stupid even mentioning it. However, we love the USMNT here so I will provide a few notes.

Besides the goal which was gifted to Jeff Cunningham, there were almost 0 positives to take from this. The goal was nicely finished and while Cunningham did seem to be the most likely to score, too often he was muscled off the ball and seems too undersized to participate at that level. I think he would be useful in CONCACAF qualifying but the defensive quality is just too high at the World Cup level for him to be effective.

His partner, Jozy Altidore, seems to be out of form lately and hopefully Phil Brown keeps his faith in him at Hull and he can discover some form and more importantly some ball control over the next few months. Form can change in a flash but touch must be developed.

Spector looked lost in the back and so did Hejduk.

Seems that Castillo was brought on in a left midfield role, a pretty crowded position for the US so not sure that's his best fit but at least he's now an "American" for good.

Feilhaber and Bradley both looked good. Benny seems to overthink it sometimes and his teammates aren't always on the same page but he's always thinking positively and creatively.

And now moving on...

Henry

Everyone probably has some idea of Wednesday's major news item; Thierry Henry's blatant handball led directly to the winning goal in the France/Ireland playoff for one of the final UEFA WC spots.

The reaction has been massive and wide-ranging. Absurd suggestions like boycotting all of the companies who Henry endorses or asking him to compensate the FAI for the income they have lost by not qualifying seemed to be the first response. Since then, there has been time for those with a little more credibility to react and personally I think that is where we should look. A quick digest of my favorites...

The famously inflamatory Italian coach of the Irish national team, Giovanni Trappatoni, takes a very well adjust view of it.

Jack Bell of the NYTimes thinks it lends credibility to the 5 referee system currently being tested in the Europa League.

Ireland cited a previous example of FIFA granting a replay of a match between Bahrain and Uzbekistan for much less than a blatant handball.

FIFA issued a brief statement yesterday AM refusing the request and it seems that France's disagreement with the request was the reason.

An Irish contributor to EPLTalk.com, and Arsenal fan, gives his well rounded view.

A breakdown of Arsene Wenger's response to the whole thing, also from EPLTalk.com.

The former Ireland star, Roy Keane, believes it was karma for the FAI to be denied a replay. More humorous and personal than anything though.

Personally, I think things like this are part of the game. Is it a bit of a negative on Henry's resume, sure, but he will be remembered for much more than this. The situation seems to unfold slowly now b/c all the replays are in slow motion but the games move so fast that its hard to believe that it was anything more than the quickest of reactions. He is obviously not proud of it and would prefer to have gone through in a more honorable way but les bleus will be there next summer and Ireland will not.

Having only 3 referees out there make the chance that they will miss something fairly likely. It is hard to blame the referee as the request for them to catch everything, especially at the speed of today's game, is extremely heavy. Look at the NFL where there are the same amount of players on a similar sized field but 7 total referees. Video replay is very difficult in a sport that prides itself on flow and while it might be the best solution, I think the 5 referee system of the UEFA league has to be the next step. A referee behind the touch line would provide more points of view on play in the box (where most of the controversy occurs) and therefore provide a more accurate decision.

If FIFA is not going to force a replay then they would ensure 5 referees at all games next summer in South Africa or there is the chance that much bigger games will be tainted.

Some US notes...

The mens national team has fallen in the FIFA world rankings. These rankings are pretty irrelevant but it should be noted that Mexico has risen and is now considered, fairly I think, on par with the US.

There is still a chance to get tickets associated with the US Team for the World Cup in South Africa next summer. You have to join some sort of supporters club as part of some effort for US Soccer to raise money but to have another chance at team specific tickets is huge if you plan on going next summer. Definitely worth it.

Randoms

Wrote this on Saturday morning while watching Liverpool/Man City on ESPN2. Getting these games in HD is awesome.

Liverpool definitely has some problems in the back and is now gotta be focusing on just squeezing into that 4th spot and not losing the extra income that comes with Champions League qualification.

I was impressed by David N'Gog though. Filling Fernando Torres shoes is virtually impossible but he seems to be playing more relaxed now and some excellent solo play in the box directly resulted in their quick equilizer.

Alas, a chance to move into 4th was lost and they continue to battle with Man City, Tottenham, and Aston Villa for that final CL spot.

Costa Rica lost their bid to become CONCACAF's 4th team in South Africa losing 2-1 on aggregate to Uruguay. They gave up a valuable away goal in a 1-0 loss to Uruguay but could only muster a 1-1 tie on their trip to Uruguay, not enough to move on. When combined with Jonathan Borenstein's last gasp equalizer in DC last month, it was a crushing way to miss the tournament for the Ticos.

That's all for now, I will probably chime in with some thoughts on El Classico next weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Reaction (Brief): US v Slovakia 11/14/09

It was a rather timid affair that saw the USMNT fall to Slovakia 1-0 on Saturday AM.

The only real surprise was Jonathan Spector getting the central defensive start alongside Carlos Bocanegra. He never looked overmatched and did a much better job of feeding the ball into the midfield than Onyewu usually does. He is not the physical presence that the AC Milan center back is but he seems to be much more comfortable with the ball at his feet and helping the US establish possession.

Due to the nature of the player pool, it was not a huge surprise that BB went with the, up to this point ineffective, midfield pairing of Bradley Jr and Feilhaber. Whereas in the past they seemed to have trouble establishing an understanding, this necessary component of a successful midfield seems to be developing with time. Hopefully BB gives them at least another half together against Denmark.

Individually, Feilhaber displayed some needed (albeit occasionally too much) aggressiveness, and displayed the quality distribution we have come to expect.

Bradley Jr. also looked excellent, producing numerous quality runs forward and winning the ball nicely.

If they aren't going to employ a traditional defensive midfielder it is important that these are able to pick up that aggressive nature and effective tackling skill.

Robbie Rogers always looked dangerous on the left hand side and provided some excellent service into the middle. My opinion is that he is still too focused on flank and doesn't venture into the middle enough, but hopefully that comes as he establishes a bit more experience.

Up front, the 4 forwards who got in didn't impress much. They have do a little more with the ball once they got at their feet or in the air. Jeff Cunningham probably looked the most positive but it's hard to gather much in a <10 minute appearance

The two outside defenders were polar opposites. Steve Cherundolo showed that he has the experience and skill to provide quality defending on that right side along with a willingness to get forward when appropriate. Jonathan Borenstein on the other hand loves to get forward but got absolutely abused in the back. His touch often deserts him as well and leaves his team rushing back after giving up possession in the offensive half of the field. He did provide some quality service into the box, which is lacking across the board for the US but that LB position is still only a massive ? for this team.

Speaking of which, BB announced his 23 for Denmark on Wednesday and included was the recent Mexican defection....Edgar Castillo. The question now is, does he start?

The 2 other new additions are Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark who saw the Houston Dynamo crash in the MLS semi-finals on Friday night.

WTWF tomorrow....hopefully.

Lock it in: South Africa, June 2010

It's a good thing I didn't write that final preview for the US v Honduras game as it definitely would not have come close to foreshadowing that type of result. Overall it seemed more like Honduras were intimidated at home and the US was able to capitalize when opportunities presented themselves.

I though the inclusion of Stuart Holden worked out pretty well, as he showed flashes down the right hand side and defended pretty. His handball late could have been disastrous but he got lucky. Hopefully he this valuable experience helps him to keep improving. His service from the right is more often than not, exceptional.

Speaking of which, a great ball into Charlie Davies midway through the first half really should have been finished. Improving as a striker means those are the chances that must be taken calmly. Davies didn't seem to be a threat at any other time although his pace clearly makes opposing defenders nervous.

His striker partner, the surprising inclusion, Conor Casey is the headline stealer as the US secured their 6th World Cup birth in a row. Never a threat with the ball at his feet but who can argue with two goals. The first one is the type I hate as it reinforces that kick and pray type of soccer which is so often associated with Americans. It is rarely effective and Casey got lucky that the Honduran GK was indecisive enough to allow him to get there first. The second goal was the product of a great ball from Donovan but did require a clinical finish; never underestimate the importance of clinical finishing from a striker and this is was Casey brings to the game. He will not create chances on his own but give him a chance and he is excellent at finishing.

Speaking of Landon Donovan, the Man of the Match IMO, for the US. He is the energy and vision going forward and he seems to be embracing the role of offensive leader for this team. As Donovan goes, so goes the US. His free kick, which turned out to be the game winner, was a blast but benefited slightly from more suspect Honduran GK'ing. His celebrations could also use some work, maybe talk to Davies and Altidore about that buddy. Will he get a shot to make a move to Europe in Jan? Does he want to? It might serve him well going into next summer but his form is so good right now that I am not sure you want to make such a drastic move.

Michael Bradley wasn't present for much of the game but did make some very good runs going forward. He also has a wicked right foot and isn't afraid to take his chances from outside the box, something you have to like to see.

Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Borenstein both provided some quality going forward, an important part of helping cohesive forward progress, but were definitely suspect in the back. I like the potential that Spector brings but his final ball never seems to be on the mark or direct enough. Borenstein sometimes seems to get lost out there and while I like his desire, he still has a way to go before being a threat.

In the center, Carlos Bocanegra was a beast. He was in position and came up with multiple key blocks. Maybe his role for the US is in the center but only if BB can find a valid solution on the left I think. Edgar Castillo, donde esta?

Oguchi Onyewu didn't seem to be at his best. From an early turnover followed immediately by a bad foul, his lack of playing time in Milan seems to be hurting. He did get in during Milan's latest CL debacle so hopefully that is a sign of things to come. His form going into next summer is as important as anyone in the back.

Overall it was an excellent way to guarantee a place next summer and avoided the must-win scenario that wouldn't be fun for anyone on Wednesday. The next step is putting together a win on Wednesday in DC, guaranteeing first place in the CONCACAF hexagonal stage, and making their case for being in one of the top 2 pools for the WC draw.

For those of you who didn't get to see any of the game....

US vs Honduras Highlights - 10/10/09

Reaction: US v Mexico 8/12/09

Not going to spend too much time discussing what happened earlier today but just a few quick thoughts for now.

Overall, I think the US looked ok, they came out playing well and took the game right too Mexico. They kept the midfield battle pretty even and looked up to the task for the first 10'. Davies' goal was very well taken off a very nice move in the midfield from Donovan; great touch and a perfect ball. Davies took it in stride and finished calmly and clinically.

Thats about where the positives ended as right after the goal the US basically decided to pack the back and attempt to hold off Mexico. When the US has gotten up against some of these teams they aren't supposed to beat, this has been a popular style this summer and they have had trouble with the lead in these games. They must work on improving if they plan on using it further.

Some people are opposed to this style and while it frustruating to watch a team you are rooting for play against this style, it can be an effective way to win the game. See, Chelsea v Barcelona Champions League 2010 Knockout Round, or, 2006 World Cup Champion Italy.

It worked against Spain b/c they were able to play as a team and didn't get solely defensive until 75'. Against Brazil, they tried to do it for 60' and gave up 3 2nd half goals. Against Mexico, they seemed to try it for almost 80' after the goal. They didn't get more offensive even after Mexico tied it, saying basically..."we would be satisfied with a tie."

They lost their midfield form when BB pulled Bradley and Clark way deep and parked them directly in front of the CBs. They were totally taken from any possession role either as any time a defender found themselves with the ball it was usually sent almost aimlessly upfield, trying to find a fwd. Even when a fwd was able to win the ball up front they had very little support.

In order to pack the back effectively, you must have players closing down the ball immediately and your CMs should be trying to avoid letting the opposition get close to the box, rather than being parked directly at the top of the semi circle. A series of quick, accurate, and sometimes long passes can result in dangerous attacking chances.

Davies, Altidore, Donovan...have the speed and attacking style to be effective offensive players for this style, Brian Ching does not. Even when he does get up in the air and win a ball, his distribution was off and he had no one coming up to support him.

The introduction of Feilhaber and Holden helped spark some offensive work but BB still had Michael Bradley playing too deep, basically positioning him out of the ability to make any contribution. That ball from Holden which Davies came so close to putting away was brilliant. Their other chances were limited to a few corner kicks.

There were some instances when they were able to push up field, using quality/under control play from the backline but, even then, the proposed solution seemed to be a final long ball into the box. The US was caught standing around too often and had no sense of attacking purpose or form for almost the entire remaining 80'.

The final goal was well taken by Miguel Sabah but the only one with a chance at it was Tim Howard. From that range, it would have been a brilliant albeit not impossible save; it's tough to say, but thats what you sign up for 'keep.

We now see why the US is 0-23-1 in the Azteca. It is a difficult and hostile place to play, but the US was in great position early on. They gave it a great effort but unfortunately couldn't pull out the point they would have been satisfied with.

As I said prior though, this kind of result should not invoke too much hostility towards the team or their progress this summer and prospect moving forward. They have improved and have been in position twice to come up with massive wins. Use the lessons learned to continue that improvement for the next 10.5 months. Also...make sure you qualify.

Others thoughts...

• Ivan Galarcep, the classic soccer blogger, with some great reaction ESPN.com
• Goal.com player ratings and Goal.com "Winners and Losers"
• Player reaction: Bocanegra, Holden, Davies, Bradley Jr
  
• This could explain why Donovan seemed to fall out of the game...SWINE!

Quick Thoughts: US v Panama

Despite being stretched for the full 120 minutes, the US was able to qualify for a semi final date with Honduras thanks to an extra time penalty from Kenny Cooper. A few quick thoughts from the game and on the Thursday night semi-final against Honduras in Chicago...

Stuart Holden has continued to establish himself as the integral offensive cog for this iteration of the national team. Feeding Kenny Cooper on the play that drew the penalty, letting the ball run past him on the Beckerman equalizer, and sliding just wide on a beautiful give and go mid-way through the 2nd half.

Davy Arnaud impressed me greatly as well and it was unfortunate that he came off. Not sure I believe in the Cooper/Ching pairing as they are very similar players. If BB wants two strikers, one should be in the Arnaud/Davies mold...smaller, faster, more comfortable with the ball at his feet. Ching and Cooper's strength is not feeding other players to provide much service to eachother.

Kyle Beckerman has been invaluable throughout this tournament as well, making his way from box to box, distributing the ball well and coming up with a huge/timely equalizer last night as well. Whether there is room for him on the 'A' team is yet to be seen but he has put in a good showing for himself so far.

I thought Jimmy Conrad played a superb first half and despite being beat in the air for the Panama goal, Clarence Goodson filled in admirably for the 2nd half really doing everything he could to limit their chances. If Conrad's concussion is serious though, he will be missed for the duration of this tournament.

Heath Pearce looks good coming forward out of the left back role and should cement himself within the 'A' team. I do prefer having Bocanegra out there but Pearce has shown that he can provide a solid backup/secondary option.

Moving into the semi-finals it remains to be seen if BB chooses to pull from his extended pool of players. I can't seem to find who that pool includes but BB has hinted that he is going to go with what he has here. Not sure this is the best option as winning the Gold Cup could go a long way in establishing World Cup seeding, as Greg Lalas explains here.

BB has done a great job of getting 80+ players capped during his 3 year tenure as the the USMNT coach and he has continued during the early stages here. At this point though, he needs to focus on winning this tournament and therefore putting the best possible team out there. As admirable as it would be win this tournament with a team that is basically a 'B' team, there are no points awarded for level of difficulty.

The key cogs in the group stage 2-0 win over Honduras, Davies and Feilhaber, are with their club teams in Europe now and are tehrefore unavailable for the upcoming semi-final. Who is going to step up in order for the US to win is the question for the next 4 days....

The Gold Cup now matters....kind of....

The US is through to the elimination round, expectedly.

Feilhaber, Davies, Adu, Cherundolo, and Parkhurst are back in Europe as the shortest offseason imaginable comes to a conclusion.

Jozy Altidore seems to be in Florida with his family while his club future is being determined.

So let's take a look at where the US goes from here (hopefully) and how...

Panama has had a pretty good showing in Gold Cup v2009 thus far and an absolute thrashing of Nicaragua has put them through to the quarter finals.

The US could struggle with out Feilhaber and Davies who proved to the shot needed against Honduras. However, I like what Stuart Holden and Kyle Beckerman have shown thus far, two stars of the tournament for the US.

Robbie Rogers has pace that can be dangerous but I get frustrated when pace alone is considered dangerous. Pushing the ball forward and trying to run by your man is predictable from about minute 10 on and often leads to loss of possession. It might work against some lesser teams but these opponents are nothing if not athletic. The players who have pace and are dangerous, are those who are unpredictable with it and keep the defenders guessing about which way they'll go, which foot will be used, what the player is thinking, etc. Personally, I haven't seen RR exhibit any of the necessary skill to go along with his pace to make him an international threat.

Stuart Holden on the other hand has been calm on the ball, shown excellent balance, has done a great job of finishing and distributing. There have been calls for Rogers to get a nod next summer but I think BB would be making a grand mistake to leave Holden home.

The next few games come down to him and beckerman continuing their coordination in the middle. They also need Santino Quaranta, one of the feel good stories of the tournament, to continue his playmaking. He is dangerous from the outside, confident with the ball and not afraid to think creatively. His finishing is also quite good and he is once again putting himself in the top tier of American players.

If they can get by Panama I hope you see BB pick up some more of that extended roster he was granted so generously by CONCACAF.

See it tomorrow night, 8 PM on FSC.

It was coming all along...

A good friend of mine says that a 2 0 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey. Yesterday it also proved to be disastrous for the the US National Team. At halftime, their fortune was an exact 180 from the prior Sunday's final group game against Egypt. They went from a match that seemed to be a formality to being up 2-0 in a final with only 45 minutes to play against one of the top 3 teams in the world.

Unfortunately, that 2-0 lead was turned into 2-1 lead within the first 40 seconds of the second half. A turning point so obvious that in the midst of the Yankees sweep last night, Joe Morgan himself (oblivious to even his own career) shared with us that he thought the goal just after the half was when their fortunes changed.

From that point on the US was under constant attack from Brazil and the 2nd and 3rd goals really only seemed to be a formality. Some overall thoughts from the game and the tournament...

Skip

BB did a great job of instilling a never say die attitude in his team after 2 disastrous group stage games. He prepared them impeccably for the Spain game, in which they outplayed and outmatched the undisputed #1 team in the world to that point. He had them believing in themselves for the first half against Brazil when they did a good job of sticking to their guns, accepting they would have less possession but being responsible when they did get the ball.

My issues surround the subsitutions he made in the 75th min, Bornstein and Sacha (I belong here) Kljestan for Feilhaber and Altidore. Both were probably too tired to be 100% effective but they had an idea for the flow of the game and what Brazil was bringing, while Kljestan especially has never been in a game of this importance and looked entirely out of his element.

This could relate to BB's questionable squad choices all along. Why are you carrying only 1 true defensive midfielder, especially if you planned on going all 'pack the back' when getting a lead. Why carry so many defenders and not include a hard nosed guy like Pablo Mastroeni who you could slot in if Clark got a Red Card or you needed to go more defensive.

He also seemed content in just clearing the ball and conceding possession for the whole 2nd half instead of making any effort at forming an attack or even just holding some possession.

This all being said, I think (qualification pending) BB has earned himself the right to coach the US in their return trip to South Africa next summer. He's got a good core of like 13 guys who deserve to start or be a first choice sub; let's hope he adds to that with some experience and insurance for those key defensive/midfielder roles.

His Gold Cup selections are also a little experimental but the first choice guys definitely deserve a break after most played long European Seasons and a full slate of Confed Cup games. More on that in the leadup to the opener on July 4th.

On the field...

Landon Donovan is clearly the winner of my highly anticipated (he told me played extra hard for this accolade alone) AotT Award (American of the Tournament). He played hard, never stopped running, was integral to the build up and provided a great finish to that 2nd goal, and basically led by example through the entire tournament. This is a major step for him and it comes with greater weight being added to his shoulders going into the WC. His reaction to the loss is also what I like to see...

“What is respect? Respect doesn’t mean anything. If we lose our next two qualifiers, nobody cares about respect. We need to get to the point where we’re winning in these kind of tournaments.”

Pedro Martinez-esque.

Hopefully he can parlay this success into another attempt with a European team in the buildup to next summer.

Tim Howard made a late run with a brilliant game yesterday but nevertheless, they lost, he let in 3 goals and the sense that he was slightly off earlier in the tournament prevented this. 9 saves on 31 shots is excellent but his response to the game was a little too, "o well" for my liking. Overall, the US should be pumped to have him back there for the foreseeable future...when he's good, he is as good as any GK in the world.

Feilhaber does well with the ball but I think he does better playing a more forward position than just slotting in for Bradley who is relied on for a more Box to Box role.

Charlie Davies necessary maturation has seemingly already begun. His final ball to Donovan on the 2nd goal yesterday was perfect and I couldn't help but worry when it came to him that he was going to try to go 1 on 1 and lose the ball. Field vision is key if you are going to be part of a striker pairing and he seems to be developing it.

When he is front of goal with the opportunity to score it seems like Clint Dempsey just plays with more passion. He continued to get too fancy when relegated to the RM/RAM role yesterday and was eliminated from the game after the first half.

As mentioned earlier, Sacha (I am a hipster) Kljestan, is not ready for the National Team yet. He had a good year up to this point and the potential is there but he needs to improve vastly before contributing on the international stage. Also, I doubt him purely for the fact that he seems to be a hipster and from experience I know they can't play this sport.

Michael Bradley was sorely missed. There is no one else in the US pool right now that has his ability to be a true CM. Offensive ability, aggressive on D, vision with the ball and a desire to have it at his feet.

Confed Cup Lookback

Dear Disney/ABC/ESPN...

Please please please do not employ JP Dellacamera and John Harkes any longer. John Harkes sounds senile and bitter from the booth, often reflecting and longing for his own playing days and providing only the most inane insights into life on the team. He does make occasional good points about the flow of the game but for the most part is just a bore. Dellacamera is intermittent in his commentating and his lack of knowledge of the game is at best, hidden behind Harkes.

Overall it was a great showing from the US team. Two early/demoralizing defeats, followed by a great W and some necessary luck, followed by a brilliant showing against the top team in the world and a hallmark win for US Soccer, and closed with a great run at another huge upset. The experience of even playing in the final will be incredibly valuable for the core of this team moving forward. A win would probably have set the bar too high for next summer and resulted dissapointment, so it's important for the entire US Soccer establishment to learn from this and utilize it as they continue to try and make that leap to Soccer powerhouse.

Others views...

Will Leitch on the predictably intermittent mass interest in Soccer in America

Greg Lalas on the progress this does show

A commentary on "winners" and "losers" from the Final

Thoughts on Watching US Soccer while deployed in Iraq

Video: USMNT Reaction

Some video reaction from the players on Wednesday's win.

THIS IS WHY THEY PLAY THE FCKING GAME

Spain Vs United States Highlights 6/24

Quick thoughts...

Tim Howard showed why so many consider him one of the top GKs in the Premier League and therefore the world at this time. Quick off his line, aggressive and accurate in the air, and constantly in great position to make big save after big save.

Bocanegra on the left was a brilliant move by BB. It is the best solution at this time as it allows the US to get their best defensive players on the field at once. Onyewu was a stud and as I said has really developed the instincts and mental clarity needed to be a world class Center Back...this should do wonders for this imminent transfer. Borenstein has potential but he doesn't bring enough offensive ability to justify the defensive dropoff.

Dempsey probably played his best game of the tournament so far but still think that when he's playing as a striker, even if its slightly deeper than Jozy, is when he's most effective. It also allows Feilhaber to get on the field, and I can't recall an American who seems so natural and controlled with the ball at his feet.

Jozy played very well and I hoped that playing against the nation where he plays his club soccer would inspire him to put forth maximum effort and it seemd to do so. His play to get in position for the goal was brilliant and while he got a little lucky with the shot as it was almost right at Casillas, he did have him going the other direction.

Charlie Davies and his speed cause problems for opposing defenses but he needs time to mature and develop a better sense of the where he/his teammates are on the field. Starting him though, and then making that ~60th min change to Feilhaber on the right and Dempsey up front is an option I like though.

Spector has shown a lot this tournament and while I still like Hejduk back there for the time being, the future is bright and clear at the RB position for the US.

While it's always unfortunate to see someone go down hurt, Bocanegra in this case, I am really happy that Jay Demerit finally got a big chance (READ THIS ARTICLE FROM SI IN '06). He plays as hard as anyone out there and brings an aggressiveness to this backline that only improves this team.

Landon Donovan has been a sparkplug for this team and hopefully he understands how important he is to this team. Performing in CONCACAF qualifying is one thing but finally he didn't disappear on a huge stage.

Michael Bradley's Red Card was absurd....honestly, that was fcking bullshit. The ref had it out for the American's all night it seemed and that really just confirmed it. Sometimes I think referees from classic soccer nations get upset when the American's play well and then decide it's their own job to show them up somehow. It's a disgrace and hopefully FIFA looks at it and accepts some sort of appeal. He didn't come in late, with two feet, cleats up, or with any malicious intent.....where's the red card??? Please....tell me??

GFY Jorge Larrionda from Uruguay

Others thoughts...

From Spain via the NYTimes

Goal.com's Editors from Around the World

Andrea Canales on what this means moving forward for the US

The Classic American Soccer Columnist...George Vecsey

Lovely...just lovely...

Sorry for the delay with this reaction. Fathers Day, the USOpen ending on Monday, and actual work all pushed this back...in the interest of time, I have combined reaction with a brief look at the US v Spain Semi Final tomorrow at 2:30 (see it live on ESPN or DVR it)

Just when everyone was ready to send BB back to the MLS and make snide comments about the staet of American soccer, they put together an incredibly gutsy performance which included 3 (yes...3!) goals from the run of play.

Egypt, who looked to be coming into the role of WC dark horse, looked sluggish and was entirely outplayed by the US. Whether they were up to it or not can be argued, but their impressive performances against same powerhouses who dismantled the US, cannot be understated.

Player thoughts...

It is too bad Jonathan Spector and Frankie Hejduk both play right back; Spector has really come into his own over the past two months. He is showing a great combination of willingness to get into attack and make the effort to get back on defense; his defending will only improve with experience. His crosses still go wayward occasionally but that ball on Dempsey's header was perfect. Spector seems to be a little more polished, confident and smooth than Borenstein on the other side.

Speaking of Clint Dempsey, he seemed to be uninterested in both attacking and defending when put on the wing opposite Donovan. He was giving the ball away again and just loafing around. Switch him to the striker role though and he immediately sprang to life; maybe this is where he would serve the team best...pair him with Altidore up top and see what happens. What makes this slightly interesting is that FIFA's "Castrol Index" has Dempsey ranked in the top 4 midfielders of the tournament. The accuracy of something like this is obviously questionable, but the idea is interesting.

Dempsey's counterpart out wide, Landon Donovan, is probably the player of the tournament so far for the Americans. He has discovered a fondness for having the ball at his feet and has showed no fear in running at the opposition, just stop being so concentrated on playing provider and take a chance on goal every now and then.

I thought Charlie Davies experiment worked well, his energy and pace causes trouble for defenses and his goal was very well taken. Some luck was needed, but he stayed with the play and deserved the lucky bounce. His inexperience showed slightly as he is always looking to shoot but he has the potential to improve vastly.

Michael Bradley is one of two other players who could make a case for American player of the tournament thus far. He must cut down on bad fouls but does a great job providing from the middle, has great vision (on both long and short balls), causes trouble when pushing forward, and does a very good job when given chances in the box; both taking shots and finishing often enough that those efforts are warranted.

Ricardo Clark rebounded nicely from that Red Card and has the mindset/aggressive nature needed to play that defensive midfield enforcer role. His most important contribution is probably allowing Bradley Jr to concentrate on being more of a pure Central Midfielder and not worry quite so much about defensive responsibilities. I can't help but wonder how Maurice Edu would have compared though...

Along the backline, Jay Demerit has stepped in admirably for Bocanegra. Other than being embaressed late by Pirlo (jokes on him though) he plays hard and is a very natural defender. Onyewu is the final American nominated for my American of the Tournament Award (AotT - the trophy is being polished as we speak). While we knew he had the ability in the air, I have been most impressed by his ability to step up in place of attacking defenders early enough to stop the attack, his defending sense is now catching up to his ability; him v Fernando Torres will be an excellent test.

V Spain

It hardly needs to be said but the chance to play Spain in the semi finals is a golden opportunity. Their performances against Italy and Brazil left much to be desired, so another shot at a powerhouse provides a shot at redemption. Let's see if BB tinkers with his lineup anymore...the only change I would like to see is move Dempsey to the #2 striker role and insert Feilhaber into the RM/RAM slot (this could be Torres or Adu as well, but Feilhaber seems to be favored by BB right now).

While a victory is an obvious long shot, Spain has set a record with 15 straight wins and 35 straight w/o a loss, but.....THIS IS WHY THEY PLAY THE GAME

Blue and Red but limited White

Not sure what the title means but it incorporates all the important colors of the game....back to basics.

Anywho, based on the way yesterday's game unfolded, let's be honest...the final socre wasn't a surprise.

For the US to be red-carded, deservedly or not, and be up 1-0 at the half the first 45 couldn't have turned out any better unless Bradley Jr or Altidore had remember to finish.

However, BB made the mistake of including only 1 defensive midfielder for this trip to S Africa, Ricardo Clark. In order to play the 10 man, defensive 4-4-1 with the goal of winning possession and sending the ball far forward as quick as possible, he really needed a defensive midfielder willing to get in the mix, cut off the Italians farther out, get the ball wide and make progress up the wings.

Instead BB relied on Bradley Jr and Feilhaber in the middle, and while I liked the early idea of having them out there with Clark, they do not posses the skill set needed to maintain that "pack the back" type of mentality; Bradley Jr is a decent defender but Feilhaber is much better in the offensive half than in the defensive half.

With no one defensive minded patrolling the middle, they were leaving the middle open to the Italian midfield and it showed with 2 goals coming from well outside the penalty area (the third was late, desereved, and well taken) They were also out of luck going forward, as Altidore had no one to help him up front and his touch deserted him as the game wore on. Charlie Davies brought little to the mix when he got in, except a seemingly mistimed effort on a late corner.

For the first 35 minutes or so though, the US did look excellent and evenly matched. It probably helped that the Italians attempted to put Vicenzo Iaquinta on the LW in one of the oddest 4-3-3s ever assembled, but this was still the defending world champions and the US looked up to the task. The unfolding of the game can only be described as unfortunate.

Brief Thoughts...

Once again Clint Dempsey attempted to do too much too often. When he works hard and busts his ass, he is invaluable. When he gets the ball and does those outside of the foot circles, it must result in losing possession like 75% of the time...it's like he's overthinking himself.

Michael Bradley did look good for most of the game, could have done more in front of the goal in the first half but overall provided good service and was a force in the middle.

Benny Feilhaber is probably the best pure passer out there for the US but was overmatched in the 2nd half when BB had to employ him in a more defensive role.

Landon Donovan proved that he also works well with Jozy Altidore upfront, providing excellent balls and making things a little tough for the Italian defense; the more offensive his role the more effective he is, although I still prefer him on the wing.

Oguchi Onyewu was a beast in the back and it says something about his effort with Jay Demerit that the only way the Italians could get on the board was from such distance....that was until the laziness took hold in the final minute and they put away the 3rd.

Speaking of the 3rd....Giuseppe Rossi. His first goal was sublime and his 2nd was a perfect finish. Creating for himself or doing justice to some unbelievable one man buildup from Andrea Pirlo, the 22 year old from Teaneck is establishing himself as a World Class talent. Am I bitter that he took a chance by spurning the USMNT for the Italians, got an opporunity beginnning in last years olympics, earned a spot on the senior team and then scored two beautiful goals against the US? Goals that I am not sure anyone on the current US roster would have scored? Of course but that is the state of US Soccer....the talent exists in the country, and while it might be best developed by a private club team in Europe, we need someone of that level to step up and say, I want to make a difference to United States b/c I love this country and I want to play for them....Want is that key trait that Rossi did not possess. It is worth to note that he is 22 and has been working at this for a while....hopefully that serves as an inspiration or kick start to someone with a desire to be an American.

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...

Well Then.....

A 3-1 thrashing at the hands of Costa Rica and a qualifying campaign that seemed to be running smoothly has suddenly become a little more tenuous. The squad that optimistically would have been able to put up at least a fight against Italy/Brazil in two weeks is now one that has all sorts of question marks about it.

Let's start with BB (Bob Bradley) . He had the squad responding to him; a quality performance against Mexico, a road comeback draw in El Salvador, and a thrashing of T&T, all while doing a good job of rotating a variety of players.

Now he faces a return trip to the US as #2 in the region with an upcoming must win in Chicago on Saturday vs Honduras, the #3 team in the region. His attempt to control the game from the midfield with what ended up being a 4-5-1 was a disaster from the beginning as no one seemed interested in defending, winning or maintaining possession. Backpasses are well and good but if you're going to rely on your keeper to get the ball upfield, you better not be relying on Landon Donovan to win the ball in the air.

Needing two goals, I do not understand the decision to remove Torres in favor of Klestjan as Torres was at least interested in offensive Soccer. While I love Clint Dempsey, he seemed entirely uninterested in even participating in the game...passes were off, wasn't challenging the ball, getting pushed off when he did come across it, and had no touch. Just b/c he is succeeding in the UK should not guarantee his spot in these games regardless of quality. He should have been removed at the half for Klestjan or Adu.

Adu did provide a spark when he got in there, as slight as it was; he always seems calm on the ball and thinking think creatively, and his decision to not play the daring ball is as important as when he does attempt them. He deserves a start on Saturday.

Altidore once again did a good job of holding up the ball and did ok distributing but Costa Rica gave him little space to move. Just as well though, no one seemed interested in supporting him. At least until Donovan woke up sometime in the middle of the 2nd half. I also believe he does a little better with a Striking partner, whether it be Ching or Charlie Davis...Ching is the choice if they are going to continue with Howard as the main distributor.

DaMarcus Beasley has been a staple for this team for years now but his future is not at the left back position. Defensively he just isn't there, whether he is too small or just doesn't think that way, I'm not sure...but I am sure that he's a liability. If you like Torres on the left, Beasley should just remain an option off the bench with an ability to provide a spark off the bench.

On the other side, Wynne looked decent going forward and has the speed/energy to get back but was completely cut up for that 2nd goal. He needs more time to develop I think and was clearly out of his element in an environment like that. Hejduk is my 1st choice over there still and hopefully Bradley gives Spector a chance on Saturday.

Onyewu and Bocanegra have the ability but they gotta get loud and take charge of this team on Saturday; they have the experience and the ability and need to exude confidence at all times....from the locker room straight through the match, give the squad something to feed off and believe in.