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USMNT 0, Scotland 0: Match Highlights

Jozy Altidore of USA
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLqypKd8pVc]

Comments

  1. Tuned in at the 60 min mark. In truth, the US did well over the last 30 mins and was unlucky not to score 1-2 goals. Based on the commentary, the 1st 60 mins must have been unbearably painful.

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    • The players looked a bit unsure, as players who play out of position will. Kljestan playing in an advanced role he hasn’t performed in since leaving MLS and Evans at RB mean that any time the ball has to circulate through them they end up backtracking in order to avoid losing possession.

      I also noticed that too many times Bradley and Jones were occupying the same space. I still don’t buy this as a solid partnership. We honestly look better with Cameron next to General Baldy in my opinion.

      EJ didn’t do as bad as people are making it out to sound. He wasn’t running through or around defenders, but he was consistently putting himself in decent spots. At one point he unmarked himself in front of goal during a buildup and instead of finding him, Jozy tried some miracle turn and shoot move that went well wide.

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  2. obviously this doesn’t mean much, but from the highlights, jozy certainly did some good things, which i did not gather from most of the comments about him. i guess he also screwed up a lot?

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    • It was alot like the Jamaica match where about 75 minutes in they finally decided to play. They just didn’t get the goals this time. Alot of passing the ball in circles then passing it all the way back to howard then someone trying a 40 yard pass that doesn’t really work out. Hopefully they won’t be happy with this result and will come out with a bit more fire early against Austria.

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    • Nate Dollars: Jozy was fine. He really didn’t get much service or have anyone to play to. That changed when Bacon came on; i.e., when EJ went off. I like EJ, but he played terribly: really showed off his lack of skill and his playground-level creativity (stepovers and then try to race down the wing). Beasley got forward on the wing more than EJ did. Shea came in and was basically just a blonde EJ (not to be confused with the actual blonde EJ from a few weeks ago).

      Bacon played well but needs more time getting to know his teammates. Lichaj looked promising—again, he played like someone who has never played with this team before (I wonder why?) but showed a lot of potential. I’m a big fan of Evans, but I think Lichaj shows more promise.

      Jones, who is either a beast or a let-down, decided to be the latter. Kljestache played well enough but seemed out of position—playing as a attacking mid (playmaker) instead of defensive mid.

      In sum, we played:
      Jozy
      EJ – Kljestache – Bedoya
      Jones – Powder
      Beas – Cam – Omar – Evans

      but we probably would have looked far better with:
      Jozy
      Bacon – Mix – Bedoya
      Kljestache – Powder
      Beas – Cam – Omar – Lichaj

      (Not sure I like Bacon/Mix like that, but considering the options…. Also, Cam+Omar was unstable; maybe try Cam – Brooks – Omar – Lichaj?)

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      • I don’t see how you can think Shea wasn’t a huge improvement over EJs play on the night. He created probably the best chance on the night if Aron hadn’t sliced it wide.

      • John: I actually agree with you that Shea was “a huge improvement over EJ.” But that’s not saying much; 1>0 after all.

        I said Shea was a blonde EJ because they showed the same weaknesses: poor ball control and poor link-up. Yes, Shea created one great opportunity, but in the time he had he should have created several.

      • He should have played it driven across the face of goal to Jozy who had unmarked himself and was bearing down on the goal.

      • Jozy has a man in front of him the entire way. He could have played it across the face of goal to Wondolowski making the far post run. However it could have been cut out. AJ was open and in the box, so it was a solid pass that nearly created a goal.

      • Jozy did not play well. He made several poor mistakes. He was passed directly the ball and let it go by him by accident on more than three different occasions. Imagine taking your friend who is a baseball star out to the soccer pitch and start passing him the ball; most likely his foot-eye coordination will be so bad that he will miss it 9/10 times. That was Jozy two night ago. On top of that, he got pushed around way too easily. He is a BIG BOY, that shouldn’t happen.

        He had a few moments but all in all he was terrible. Note: I usually defend him and I think he is world-class when he is on, but against Scotland, he WAS NOT.

        Beasley did not get forward, especially when compared to Shea. He passed the ball back to Howard more than he did forward. He is a poor left back and if he has that spot at the World Cup, the USA will bleed goals on the left, FACT.

        Shea was not just a blonde EJ. He was the best player for the US that night and brought an attitude and spark down the left flank that was greatly needed. He should have had an assist in fact. He is very much a one-trick pony (I’ll give you that), however he is very fast, likes to get defenders head on and always goes for the throat. He is fearless and this team is in desperate need of that.

        Evans is not a right back. Cameron is and is damn good at it. Look at how he got forward and passed the ball on what should have been Jozy’s goal. This notion that he can’t get forward or whatever jazz that people throw up to argue he should be the starting right back is ridiculous. JK’s lack of understanding of the game really shows when it comes to this. Cameron is all class and should have the spot, not an MLS midfielder. Jeez….

        I can’t even believe these comments. It’s like you were watching a different game. Or perhaps you simply don’t understand the game. I don’t know which it is but most of your assessments are DEAD WRONG.

        The team is playing poorly and disjointedly. Bradley is not being given space to dictate the game due to Jones being on the field. Jozy needs to get out of his head and JUST PLAY. Beasley and Evans need to be replace ASAP. Mix needs to be our number 10 and the Iceman needs to start with Jozy ALWAYS.

      • usaalltheway: I’ll take you up on your idiotic comment, “I can’t even believe these comments. It’s like you were watching a different game. Or perhaps you simply don’t understand the game.”

        Let’s start with just one of your bold assertions: “[Beasley] passed the ball back to Howard more than he did forward.” Beasley made 48 passes; only 3 were to Howard. He passed 10 times to Cameron, 9 times to EJ, 5 to Bacon, 5 to Jozy, etc. Hopefully this alone is enough to show that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

        Some of your other assertions (e.g., your rant about Cameron) don’t even apply to anything I wrote, so I won’t bother with those.

  3. 4 minute 10 second video and the first 20 seconds is nothing. Sums up the night.

    I’m actually amazing you could get more than two and a half minutes of actual video footage.

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  4. Did the team stay out the night prior in Glasgow? Too many pints in the local pubs? You could see glimpses of their quality at times from Johansson, Bradley, and Cameron, but it was an uninspiring performance. I’m mad that I left the office early to watch.

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    • Blame Klinsmann. The team looked much better when guys like Diskerud, A Johannsson, and Shea came on, and guys like Kljestan, E Johnson, Jones, and Evans were removed.

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    • I thought it was fairly entertaining for a 0-0. Each side had golden chances set up by nice runs and passing sequences. A few different bounces and the scoreline might have been 2-1 or 3-2.

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      • This comment is fair. Both teams “should” have scored.

        Still, the USMNT is not playing well. The sum is not greater than it’s parts. We have too many great and good players to be looking the way we did.

        JK is a bad coach in my mind. He simply doesn’t know what he is doing. I have a feeling that he is going to get exposed at the World Cup. Beasley and Evans as are backs?? Jones and Bradley together? Playing Jozy as a lone striker. Come on already!!!

      • Brett: you’re right about a few different bounces. What I found awful about the game is that the USMNT played very poorly—like a Tuesday night rec team that never practices together. It takes the beauty out of the beautiful game. Scotland played well enough, but I hate seeing one team do well only because the other team is so sloppy.

      • Unfairly harsh if you ask me. We had so e good omertà of link up play. A few players were unimpressive but for the not part there were things to be positive about.

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