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USMNT 3, Panama 2: Match Reaction

US Men's National team vs. Panama

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSx1QJJIzbk]

Comments

  1. One thing Goodson mentioned which has been ignored to date (at least I haven’t read it here or elsewhere) is the tactical mistake Panama made after they had the lead late. Why they didn’t try to play a possession game and keep the ball is a mystery. They kept pushing forward and leaving themselves open to counter attacks and it cost them dearly. They played stupidly.

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  2. I was more impressed with this team winning than with the other wins that included the first string. It seems that recently the US team has scored only in the second half. That means that the presumed A team is not as effective as the current perceived B team. I would like to know statistics about goals scored per minutes played. Is such a statistic available? I bet the A team forwards would not come out as the best goal scorers.

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    • Interesting.
      It may have to do with the switch to two forwards that has happened with substitutions. We look better with EJ or AJ next to Jozy that we do with five midfielders IMO.

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      • “We look better with EJ or AJ next to Jozy that we do with five midfielders IMO.”

        When it gets to the point where the US really need a goal it’s not just a question of putting another guy next to Jozy, it’s more of a commitment by everyone to attack.

  3. Ives, how about a huge “USMNT year in review” lookback piece? What an amazing centennial year for US soccer,with the WCQ, Gold Cup dominance, some memorable friendlies, the deepest team in memory, some promising new faces, another dos a cero, #yourewelcomemexico, some records set, etc. I’m giddy right now.

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    • ya a year that started with a boring draw vs Canada, beat down from Honduras and a rumored mutiny/Klinnsman bashing…only to be followed by..
      SnowBowl, draw at Azteca, victory over Germany, 9/9 points in the summer qualifiers, Gold Cup domination, Dos a Cero, #yourwelcomeMexico –> memorable year for sure!

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    • Jozy picks 3-5 days/year where he talks to the press. On those days he does 24 hours of interviews and then the remaining 360 or so days he never looks into a tv camera or speaks near a microphone

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  4. Story coming out now that Panama players were straight up asking USA players to throw the match while they were playing.

    Beckermann apparently told one of them he was playing for a spot of his own to Brazil lol

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  5. How many chances will Sacha get to underwhelm?

    This game was tailor made for him. Position he plays for his club. Opponent guaranteed to stretch and therefore leave holes. All he did was play short passes sideways and backwards while constantly getting dispossessed.

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    • Without width to the field created by the wings or the backs the middle gets clogged and everyone’s play in the middle suffers.

      The most important thing learned from these last 2 games wasn’t – so-n-so is horrible, or Howard is better, or that Johannson kicks a nice ball – it’s that without adequate width and attacking backs the US will do NOTHING in the WC. NOTHING. regardless of who is in the middle.

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      • When do we actually have width? All of our wingers pinch inside. Against Bosnia, our wings were non-existent, but we scored 4.

      • When Johnson plays. Either at LB or LM he brings width.

        Don’t even get me started about the Right side though.

        Bosnian substitutes in the middle of defense were why we scored 4.

    • he had a bad first half, but was good in the second. chalkboard stats show he had an overall good game. stats don’t always tell the whole story, but after being mad at him in the 1st, i remember thinking he improved drastically in the 2nd. so seeing the stats reflect a good game does not surprise me.

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    • this is absolutely ridiculous. What do you expect him to do really? he switched the point of attack, kept possession for us made smart passes out to the wing, and had a couple of nice flicks and touches. He was the best CM on the field for the US tonight

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      • Too weak on the ball? Kljestan recovered the ball just as much as he lost it (8 vs. 9 times respectively).

        He also completed >90% of his passes and was extremely involved across the entire pitch. His stats compare to those we usually get from MB90, and they are far better than those of any other midfielder on the pitch for either team.

        Don’t know what game you saw, because Sacha played pretty well considering the starters had–for the most part–not played together, and the team was on a waterlogged pitch in a drizzle.

  6. Brad Davis looks like wax, Zusi looks like Jack Black.

    Does anyone know who got the captain’s armband after Jozy subbed out? My guess is Zusi but I never saw who he handed it to.

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      • Obviously Goodson out-captained Jozy on our way to victory.

        Or…

        perhaps it doesn’t much matter and all the carrying on about who gets the armband.. what is essentially a ceremonial position is kind of wasted air.

      • In the olden days only the captain got to talk to the referee. That seems to have fallen by the wayside. Theoretically a player without the captain’s armband should be carded for talking or objecting to the ref.

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