By IVES GALARCEP
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras– Now is when things get real.
The U.S. Men’s National Team takes on Honduras today in the opening match of the Hexagonal Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying (4pm, beIN Sport), a critical game for a group of Americans looking to get off to a strong start before playing two of their next three qualifiers on the road.
It is a hot and sunny day at Estadio Olympico and the U.S. team will be facing a very tough challenge in a hostile environment against a dynamic Honduras team that will be eager to get their qualifying campaign off to a winning start at home.
Here is the the lineup U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has opted to go with against Los Catrachos: Tim Howard (captain); Timmy Chandler, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, Fabian Johnson; Danny Williams, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Eddie Johnson; Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore.
SBI will be providing live commentary on today’s match, including updates from San Pedro Sula, so feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions.
Enjoy the action (Today’s Match Commentary is after the jump):
The back line was shaky and we didn’t have a ton of ideas on the attack. We looked collectively exhausted from the opening whistle. I hope they will find some urgency and cohesiveness moving forward. I thought Maurice Edu was a vast improvement over what Danny Williams brought in the midfield. Williams had no energy and he looked like a player with no confidence. I thought Timmy Chandler really had a poor game as well; he looked gassed after 20 minutes and was timid with the ball and in the tackle throughout the game. Gonzalez played like a player with 3 caps and Jermaine Jones turned the ball over repeatedly. Klinsmann has a lot to ponder between now and the next qualifier. It will be very interesting how many changes he makes.
I shaved my legs for this?
+1. LOL
it’s simple. We don’t have the players.
we don’t develop players like successful soccer nations do. We don’t have the soccer infrastructure that successful soccer natons do. We don’t have the same kind of football pyramid that successful soccer nations do.
We develop players like they do in other American sports (sports that no other country players or cares to play) And we structure our soccer league like other American sports (when it’s abundantly clear there is a much more efficient and successful way to structure a soccer league). And then we go on the Internet and ask why we suck.
It’s obvious why we suck.
Sorry for my ignorance but if you have time, please explain what we should be doing…
Great ask Phil! I get so tired of hearing this and yet I never hear a viable alternative.
Henry Ford developed the assembly line and the most efficient way to produce automobiles. It was copied throughout the world by business. This is called the theory of rationalization.
The same goes for soccer. Successful soccer nations have created a way to structure domestic soccer leagues and develop talent. It’s been copied throughout the globe. Even smaller countries use it, though not all are successful due to economics and population. But they all give it a go.
We on the other hand do it the American way. We don’t follow the rest of the world. Why? I dunno..”MERICA” i guess. Or as some people who have no clue will say,”we do it the American way because the NFL is the most popular league in the world” Yeah, I don’t understand that argument either. But thats what they say.
Our system is the most european it has ever been and we are producing less top players
we do not have a promotion/relegation league system and it is killing us. It is no coincidence that all of the FIFA top 25 countries have pro/rel.
Pro/rel = more clubs. More clubs = lower barrier to entry for young players and shorter distance from player to club.
This is so obvious.
That is ridiculous. Even under Bunker Bob we played better, more attractive/threatening soccer. Recently I dont know what I’ve been watching. Atleast under previous coaches we had something to lean on. ie defense/set piece. Now we can’t even send in a proper corner kick. This is not about the players it’s about the coach. Klinsmann is a junk coach plain and simple. Dempsey plays better for his club, F.Johnson better for his club, Jozy better for his club. See a pattern here? Klinsmann doesn’t know how to use these players simple and plain.
It’s not JK
wake up
Now watch Mexico catch an L too. Really make things interesting.
Well I was gonna root against Mexico, but i DON’T want Jamaica 3 points clear of us now.
Good point!
Hindsight is 20/20. Our best lineup just didn’t get the job done. Well, best, and then Eddie Johnson.
Have to place blame on three US players for the winning goal, Howard for lack of organization/communication, Cameron for getting beat too easily, Gonzalez for giving up on the play. Just poor all around.
Squarely on Cameron. After he gets beat the others are caught in bad positions trying to make up for his mistake.
TRAJIC
Wow, that replay of the last goal and Gonzalez haplessly looking around… painful to watch!
Not that my thoughts are worth anything, but Klinsi is repeating the mistakes of Bradley. Taking the best players is nice, but when they don’t include a single real winger, it is not a helpful or worthwhile strategy. You need some speed in this game. Eddie Johnson does a decent job, but you need more, even if they aren”t the best. Zusi is just too small and too slow for international ball.
I now believe Klinsman has to go. He is clueless on how to win games here
yeah what a great idea, replace your coach after one qualifyer :/. We’re not Mexico.
Ha ha
Well, it’s not so different than Bob Bradley’s empty bucket. The difference is Bradley had better players. Despite the growth of the game and its popularity in the US, the upcoming generation of players appears to be just simply not as good as the last. There is no new Landon Donovan. But more than that there isn’t a new Carlos Bocanegra, or Eddie Pope, or Brian McBride or even Pablo Mastroeni.
Everyone, including commentators, wanted Klinsi to use Gonzo in defense claiming Boca was too injured. Some even didn’t include him in the 23. Now Klinsi starts Gonzo and everyone throws him under the bus.
Away, in heat, against a speedy team is asking for a more athletic defender. It was a gamble. But so was an old, just over an injury Boca. If he played Boca and we lost, people would bite Klinsi’s head off.
Klinsi put out the side I wanted. I accept it didn’t work out. Now for the love of God can we see someone creative in central midfield????
Almost all pundits had Boca starting. Bottom line is, though, we got completely outworked and outhustled all game. Honduras had the ball the whole match. You can’t win if you don’t have the ball. Klinsi is supposed to be this master of fitness science. Why does this team consistently come out looking tired and heavy legged? Jones is one of the best workers in the Bundesliga, yet he always looks tired for USA. What’s going on?
I’ve consistently said Gonzalez shouldn’t be selected.
So much for “everyone”.
Gonzo screwed up on that goal along with others, and considering he was palying next to Chandler, who was beaten repeatedly and in merciless fashion, his play wasn’t great but not bad; Chandler struggled so much JK had to shift JJ wide to help out and even change system looked like
for his first game under fire, on the road in Honduras…so many other places to begin with this loss, but Gonzo shares blame on that last goal. true
If you believe what was posted in boot room (Picture from a reporter made by a USA staffer) JJ out wide was a tactical decision made before the game commenced.
wow…not exactly 🙂
No one would have batted an eye if JK started Boca.
At this point, and looking down the schedule, it’s a small relief to recall that the 4th place finisher in the CONCACAF hex no longer has to face a CONMEBOL opponent…
I had to look that up because I’m feeling so pessimistic right now
Ha.
Yeah some Asian team now gets the CONMEBOL also-ran, while somebody from Oceania plays the one from CONCACAF.
I would like to think that’s a tad bit of insurance for the US (or for some CONCACAF team, at least), but then again, it probably won’t be easy either way…
So the predictable excuse machine has churned out the following doozies:
1. Honduras has really improved over the years. The gap is lessening.
2. The travel and humidity
3. Inexperienced squad that will only get better in the next 9 Hexies
Based on this one, we are far from being a 2014 power. Keep working guys. It’s not too late, fortunately.
Anyone else catch that comment about “your old friend Eric Wynalda”?? Harkes clammed up, I guess it was addressed to the other guy.
walking dead.
no life at all on the USA attack.
Graham Zusi you suck! #1 didnt play gomez #2edu? #Fabian on the wing with castillo as LB
+1 Fabian on the wing w/Castillo as LB would have been a boost
We’ve had no cohesion in the final third from our mids and fwds.
would like to squeak out a point here at the end of course, but it’s not like I feel we deserve a point from this performance. sure would be a lift
+1
How on earth does the US deserve a point? Possession is all Honduras, we had … I can’t think of any true chances apart from Dempsey’s and that shot late. US looked poor. Very disheartening.
like I said Conrad, it’s not like I feel we deserve a point, we don’t and did not earn one. calm down man
Cameron is not a Center Back he is on outside back…like on Stoke. He is played out of position…Jones played out of position..EJ out of position..all this points to JK. For that matter Fabian Johnson is not a back he is a midfielder….qualifying does not look good this cycle…It’s these kinds of games that expose a team’s strength and weakness…JK fails to learn from mistakes, but tries to repeat the past.
Couldn’t agree more
My thought after every single match. Why is it so difficult for JK to wrap his head around playing players in their natural positions. Drives me up the wall. Right now can’t help but argue that the single largest weakness on this team is JK’s tactical decisions.
Anyone here think it might have been better to start Carlos at CB? I think it would have been beneficial to have an experienced CB to keep order. The back line looked shakey all game.
gonzalez just let his team down! that was his ball to clear. way to casual!
No surprise at all with Klinnsmann’s terrible line-up.
I think all four defense positions are totally open at this point. None look like anything
+1
Chandler horrible. Cameron almost as bad. Gonzalez falls asleep and gives up a goal. I’d say Johnson was the one of the four who was decent. The rest were below average.
mls duo strike
That sums it up. Pathetic play by the nats today.
Bad play by both Cameron and Gonzalez…
yes it was, Howard in on it too
Might have to watch it again but I couldn’t go that far. Not after Cameron misses and then Gonzalez spectacularly misses. It’s asking a lot of your GKer to still make the play, at that point…
OK, think you’ve got a good point, there, now that I see it again.
Still I cannot blame him as much as Gonzalez, in particular. How was he so lost back there? It’s not like he suddenly found himself on the wing or farther up, way out of position, or anything like that. That’s his spot and his job…
Jesus…….. It was just a matter of time.
E.E.U.U. es muy despacio
Wow Chandler! You were holding out for the German NT, and frankly, you’re not good enough for our team. Man I miss Stevie Cherundolo!
Let’s not jump to conclusions based on one game or single out one player, it’s his first concacaf road qualifier and frankly the rest of the team has not looked great.
completely agree. all this fuss to cap tie him. not showing that he wants to play for this country
Chandler should’ve been the first sub. Let us pray now.
well be lucky to get out with a tie
Boy, this is dangerous. All 3 subs already made, and still over 20 minutes left.
good midfield changes….
Terrible line up with very little skill out there. We could dominate possession if we had the right players out there. Mexico wouldn’t come in get dominated and try to counter attack and neither should we.
Franco Panizo’s drinking a haterade smoothy.
Keep drinking that kool aid
Poor defending by Omar. You KNOW Carlo is going for that drag move. Also a bad job by JJ. He had guys wide open in the offensive third yet he takes 3 extra touches and turns it open. Move the ball!
We should see some poise and composure with Sasha
Feilhaber would’ve been invaluable in this game.Instead of two stk, Benny in front of the 3 behind the stk.
maybe Torres sees the field? I’d bet it’s Herc tho
Zusi for JJ
Gonzo!!! yeah baby
after these US-corners, we really need BRAD DAVIS.
Williams for Edu.Klinsi playing for the draw.No Gomez or Torres or Klejstsn?
JK better start warming up some people before its too late
We just dodged a bullet.offside on the Hon goal.
other tactic change has JJ wide right now, marking back up the line, along with playing mdore direct looking to win second balls
Too many stopovers to no effect from EJ. Make the simple play. Guys were streaming wide open. Knock it past and make the cross or cut it back
Jones for Klejstan please.
out with Jones, agreed. Not sure Klejstan is the sub to make, though. Torres is a better choice to deal with the Central American atmosphere.
tactical change is playing the long ball to bypass the midfield and then win the second ball…working so far
US players are more fit than Hon. we should be able to wear them down physically
I can’t imagine Klinsi was dumb enough to overwork them in training but they look awfully heavy legged and he’s done it before.