By IVES GALARCEP
BALTIMORE- The U.S. Men’s National Team is considered the clearcut favorite to win the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but that label won’t matter much if the Americans stumble today in their first step through the knockout rounds.
Waiting to knock off the favorites today is El Salvador, which will play the role of underdog today in a sold-out M & T Bank Stadium expected to be packed with Salvadoran fans.
El Salvador features star striker Rodolfo Zelaya, the team’s leading scorer in the Gold Cup, and speedy wingers Andres Flores and Osael Romero, who are sure to test the American fullbacks today.
The U.S. will be led by Landon Donovan in the attack, and Matt Besler in central defense, where the Sporting KC defender is expected to bolster a U.S. defense that allowed two goals in the group stage.
SBI will be providing live commentary on today’s match, so please free to follow all the action before, during and after the match. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Today’s commentary is after the jump):
MLS Needs to sign up Zelaya. He can ball. LA would be a nice fit.
Always great to see EJ do well. Seeing him on the field highlights Wondo’s limitations. Don’t get me wrong, he has some ability but his tools are too limited to be very effective in the international game – can’t beat man on the dribble; limited jumping ability, speed and hold up play-ability… Seeing EJ and Landon and the speed they bring would terrorize defenses. we need to find a way to get Jozy, Dempsey, Landon and EJ on the field at the same time.
He deff doesnt not have limited jumping ability…. I’ll agree with you on the rest. Here is the thing, it should be the opposite. EJ should be starting IMO and Wondo should subbed in. Ives even mentioned it in an article earlier, Wondo is being asked to be pretty much the target forward, and he does not do that with SJ and is not a position that he is the best. Remember how Altidore fared when playing alone up top. Play Wondo with a forward like EJ that constantly runs at players and will have more space open up for runs. At the moment, Donovan runs wide ( which he is good at) and Wondo has to knock down balls for midfielders, instead of playing the open space created by a player like EJ.
Dont understand why ES took off Zelaya, he was one of the best players on the field for either side and his removal removed any sort of threat to the US.
Apparently it was a leg injury according to Univision.
Zalaya went out do to a small injury.
Wondolousy once again proves to me he’s super wack. He’s a C-D-team kind of guy.
LD & BC.. Enough of Zusi please. The guy imo is below average.
EJ has always been a B-team type player. He’s decent against C.A teams.
I don’t think you can say pull Zusi and be taken seriously. Zusi has been great recently. If you want Donovan on the field, pull Beasley, drop Fabian back and there you go.
Wondolousy LOL!!!!! He got an assist, though.
If it wasn’t apparent before, Donovan is BACK with the first team. Good for him. More importantly, good for the team.
1 goal 3 assists, whats the over/under on minutes it will take for some hater to call him landycakes. I say 20.
Wow, Portillo hasn’t been put _through_ the wringer, he’s been put into it and cannot get out!
And on top of everything else, he’s out there holding his players back to stay out of trouble. Respect. But the US was happily just too much for him/them…
Fans throwing bottles at players is absolutely disgraceful, even more so when it happens on your home soil.
I did kinda chuckle when Landon put on those sunglasses, though.
How can you not be proud of this team right now? It’s great to see such attacking mentality. Even if it is against an El Salvador.
Landon putting on the sunglasses was my moment of the match, how about yours?
Not every match can be 6-0 …
I guess it can be 5-1, though.
What’s the El Salvador player gonna do, tell his own fans to stop throwing stuff?
Franco too quick for the coverage (Univision) again. Ives had the timing right. Love to watch the commentary, but have to mute and look away when things get interesting. Just a 10 s wait would be helpful. Thanks
That’s got to make him feel better about the whole crashing out of the Olympics thing. Excellent.
There we go Landon. It’s about time he got one.
Landon!! Running before EJ even touches ball.
Once again, you were too quick. Announced the goal about 5 s before Univision
EJ to start over Wondo next game?
I think he’s earned it, and passed Klinsmann’s litmus test if you will.
Start Wondo and bring on EJ late,
No, send him back he is overmatched against a minnow team like El Salvador. Terrible passer and terrible dribbler n a step slow
Finally gets one of his own!
Amazing to think that Beas Lando and Beckerman were balling in a US shirt as long ago as 99.Possibly earlier.
Poor LD just cannot buy a goal (or almost a SOG) today
Agreed.
Just curious are the fox soccer making a big deal about Landon being possibly being offside for the cross to EJ?The Uni guys sure are.
nope
Actually they’re right. I missed that (I usually notice that on that type of play, but was too focused on EJ’s quick goal). Landon was ahead of even the keeper on that play, let alone any defenders (nobody was on the posts). That goal actually should not have counted. Looked like the Salvador players also missed it though because none of them complained about it.
Was JK yelling “Go down, go down” on that slow-mo replay after Landon didn’t go down after the challenge with the keeper? I really think that’s what he was saying and I hate that. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised JK is advocating for a dive though. He was certainly a master of the art.
Faking injuries is the scourge of the game.
To me he was shouting “shoot down” after Mix’s high shot that was blocked
I remember how folks were saying EJ’s not a great hold up striker, how about that layoff to Beckerdreads?
Yeah, that was very nice!
Breckerdreads! Ha! Me gusta!
Subs- Shea for Mix then shift torres to mix’s spot then sub off beckerman for holden
Let’s gooooooo! What’s up, RB?
What’s up about what?
Diskerud is slow in his decision making, not precise with his passing and many times too close to the man on the ball thus denying passing lanes, almost “following the ball”.