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Americans Abroad: Midweek Rewind

Daniel Cuevas (Lobos BUAP)

By FRANCO PANIZO

A pair of Americans may have found the back of the net in cup matches this week, but those performances were not the only noteworthy ones.

A week after making his Atlante debut, Jonathan Bornstein made another appearance by starting and going the distance in the club’s 2-0 Copa MX victory over Merida. Bornstein was deployed in defense and helped the Potros de Hierro (Iron Colts) post a clean sheet while picking their first three points in Group 4. Bornstein and Atlante currently sit in second place in the group behind Pumas UNAM due to goal differential.

Two younger Americans also saw some rare playing time in Copa MX. Former Under-20 U.S. Men’s National Team standout Daniel Cuevas came off the bench and played 23 minutes in Lobos BUAP’s scoreless draw with Veracruz, while Alejandro Guido made a 14-minute cameo in Dorados’ 3-1 win vs. Estudiantes U.A. de G.

Guido’s teammate, Paul Arriola, was one of the two Americans to score during the midweek action. Arriola netted for the club for a second straight week, finishing a low cross just before halftime in what was ultimately the game’s decisive play.

The other player to score was Aron Johannsson. The U.S. Men’s National Team forward continued his strong campaign with his latest tally in a 2-0 triumph vs. Roda JC in the KNVB Cup, giving him 20 goals in all competitions this season and putting him just 11 shy of the record Jozy Altidore set just last year.

Here is how the Americans Abroad fared during the midweek action:

ENGLAND

Capital One Cup

  • Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 34 minutes in Sunderland’s 2-1 penalty kick win after a 2-1 victory (2-2 on aggregate) vs. Manchester United on Wednesday.

NETHERLANDS

KNVB Cup

  • Aron Johannsson started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-0 win vs. Roda JC on Tuesday.


MEXICO

Copa MX

  • Jonathan Bornstein started and played 90 minutes in Atlante’s 2-0 win vs. Merida on Wednesday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes in Puebla’s 1-0 win vs. Correcaminos on Tuesday.
  • Michael Orozco did not dress for Puebla.
  • Paul Arriola started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Dorados de Sinaloa’s 3-1 win vs. Estudiantes U.A. de G. on Tuesday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf4DrNOnbi0?feature=player_embedded]

  • Alejandro Guido came off the bench and played 14 minutes for Dorados.
  • Jose Torres started and played 45 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 6-1 win vs. Atletico San Luis on Wednesday.
  • Joaquin Hernandez dressed but did not play in Monterrey’s 3-1 win vs. Altamira on Wednesday.
  • Daniel Cuevas came off the bench and played 23 minutes in Lobos BUAP’s 0-0 draw vs. Veracruz on Tuesday.

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What do you think of these performances? Do you think Bornstein will see more time with Atlante this season or should he return to MLS as soon as possible? Which youngster do you think has more potential, Cuevas or Guido?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The problem with Jozy at Sunderland is that the two wide men cross on their weak foot and cut in to shoot. Borini can cross with his weak foot sometimes, but Johnson is a horrible crosser.

    Example: Sunderland vs Southhampton 2-2
    crosses from Borini 0/2
    crosses from Johnson 0/7
    goals from Borini 1/2
    goals from Johnson 1/2

    In that game, Marcus Alonso, an attacking left back with a LEFT foot, was the only successful crosser with 2/2 crosses (and twice as many pass attempts than anyone else)

    Reply
  2. The Jozy not-taking-a-pk thing has me wondering…who is the USMNT go-to pk taker in the World Cup? If its not Jozy…I love me some Dempsey but his pks have been shaky. Donovan you’d think is first-choice but it seems clear he may not be playing the minutes he did before so he may not be in the game. So who does that leave? Pretty important question I’d think considering we scored two critical pk goals in 2010.

    Reply
    • Ranking PK takers for the USMNT
      1) Donovan
      2) AJ (takes most for his club)
      3) Bradley (cool under pressure)
      4) Dempsey
      5) Jozy
      6) ?

      Reply
      • I don’t want Dempsey taking PKs. His record on them in pressure situations isn’t all that great. Missed as a rook vs. DCU in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final (aka MLS’ Greatest Match Ever), I remember him missing in 2009 or 2010 vs. Chelsea to win it for Fulham. And of course the Tres a Cero earlier this year.

  3. Who’s this Bornstein kid starting and going the distance in Mexico? Sounds like a promising young upstart. Maybe Jurgen should call him in to camp?

    Reply
  4. Sunderland looked fantastic yesterday against Man U, actually were solid offensively and created lots of opportunities bust just could not convert and they were mostly rock hard defenisvely. Poyet has made me a believer, the Sunderland guys play with heart so I am no longer worried about Jozy being at Sunderland. What bothered me yesterday was that Jozy for the first time at Sunderland that I have noticed actually looked nervous. There was an extreme lack of confidence. But part of that could have been playing in Old Trafford and also basically playing as a winger, which is not Jozy’s thing.

    It was interesting, when he was on the touch line waiting to enter the game, he kneeled down on his knees and leaned his head forward into his hands. Just makes me think that the plan did not call for Jozy to end his scoring drought yesterday, but at later date. Jozy needs to take a big breath and calm down and work his bu++ in training and wait for the right time. Goals will come. And I think sooner rather than later.

    Reply
  5. why didn’t Jozy take a PK yesterday?

    this weekend Sunderland play a 5th division team. should he play? If he doesn’t score a hat trick, it will be bad. If he plays 90 mins and doesn’t score, then his confidence will have sunk to an all new low.

    Reply
  6. Maybe a move to France or Germany might help with things. He probably should not have come back to ENGLAND but the man had ambition.

    I sense that he’s gonna BLOW up in the world cup with 4 goals.

    Reply
  7. Poyet did not have Jozy as one of the 5 yesterday…and he did not get a chance to take a kick from the spot against Cardiff after he was taken down (though Johnson was on a hat trick, I would have thought that giving Jozy the penalty kick would have more value to Sunderland going forward since it would have been a shot of confidence).

    Either way, these two recent items do have me concerned for our nominal starter in Brazil.

    Reply
    • Maybe Poyet wanted to reward the players that played most of the game. Although I would have thought he wanted to get a confidence goal to one of his strikers.

      Reply
    • I am not so concerned about missing shots, it is failure to take the shot that I think matters the most. Players miss 100% of shots not taken.

      Statistically speaking, the notion of hot or cold streaks extending, at least in basketball where there are enough shots for statistics to be useful, indicate that it is more likely a player experiencing a cold strike will score on the next shot than it is that a player on a hot streak will score on the next shot. If that holds, it is better for all the potential scorers for the US to enter the WC with a recent history of missing than it is for them to enter the WC after having a run of several goals.

      OTOH, statistics can be cold comfort if a player misses the 30th shot in a row.

      Reply
      • You need to look up gambler’s fallacy. If your a career 50% shooter and you hit 10 in a row, the chance you hit your next one is 50%. If you miss 10 in a row, its still 50%. Just like roulette. Every spin has a 50-50 shot to be red (technically 49-49) regardless of previous spins.

      • Mike, I get what you’re saying and have the same concern. However, a shot made or missed will affect the player’s mentality, meaning these events aren’t totally independent. I just would have thought it would be the other way around.. i.e. a goal scored means better confidence and better chance at scoring the next.

        Can anyone confirm Dennis’ statistic?

      • Yeah but…. soccer is not roulette where the game is rigged and all conditions are painstakingly, intentionally controlled/set at a fixed parameter. All kinds of varying, immensely inconsistent factors influence a given game or play in soccer… field conditions, officiating, skill level, the opponents skill level, weather, a players fitness, sharpness and yes confidence. Undoubtedly, confidence and a calm mind result in clearer decision making, decisive, aggressive play-making and superior physical performance. What makes soccer such a spectacular game… sometimes seemingly magical and sometimes excruciatingly painful is the unpredictability… the emotional human factor that repeatedly makes the seemingly impossible come to life.

        We’ve all seen it a million times…. a single goal sparks a striker and immediately transforms and energizes his play and you wonder.. where the &^%$ has this been?!!?.

    • I have concerns when a forward is not involved in a penalty shootout. This tells me something, either the coach don’t trust him, or the player doesn’t have the confidence.

      Reply
    • He is a guy who has had some confidence and frustration issues in the past but it’s impossible to tell what’s going on in his head. Strikers can turn everything ariund in a heartbeat with a simple tap in. If he scores a couple in the friendlies leading up to the Cup, he willProbably be fine.

      Reply

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