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USMNT vs. Jamaica: SBI Live Commentary

Photo by Jake Roth/USA Today Sports
Photo by Jake Roth/USA Today Sports

The U.S. Men’s National Team’s annual winter camp finishes with a friendly against a familiar foe with several players vying for more consistent time with the group.

Following a 0-0 draw with Serbia last time out, the U.S. takes on Jamaica on Friday (7 p.m., Fox Sports 1) in Chatanooga for the second and final match of camp. The clash is Bruce Arena’s second in charge and, following the departures of Sacha Kljestan and Jermaine Jones, there’s room to experiment.

While Luis Robles gets the nod in goal, Walker Zimmerman and Dax McCarty join the lineup after remaining on the bench last time out. Chris Pontius, Jorge Villafana and Sebastian Lletget return to the midfield after earning their first caps last time out while Jordan Morris and Juan Agudelo lead the forward line in place of Jozy Altidore.

The SBI staff will be offering updates and analysis in the comments section below, so feel free to follow along, and as always, please feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions below.

Enjoy the action.

 

 

Comments

  1. So Morris has goals against a Mexico B team and a Jamaica B team, still not sold. Hopefully starters don’t get hurt

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  2. Here is something to ponder? Why not move Lletget to LB. I understand the learning curve for defending 1vs1 and playing a high line for offsides trap. However, he has good strength, balance, good with the ball, and has a left foot.
    I just don’t see him making an impact in a stacked midfield.

    Side note Donovan’s comment about everyone(except Villa&Lletget) being “very mediocre” was honest and spot on!

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  3. I think we need to do a better job of getting Pontious better balls into the corner. We have done a great job of guys guys into the 18 but bad balls out wide has translated to bad service.

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    • Pontus need to find space in the box when balls come in from left. 3 or 4 times Villafana has the ball with his head up looking for open guys and Morris, Agudela, and Pontius all bunched up

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    • He literally took one bad angle tracking back against a big, fast athletic guy and got bumped off the ball. Otherwise, for the second game in a row he hasn’t looked all that bad for recently being thrown into a RB role.

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      • At this level, for a defender to get beat badly which leads to a goal enough? If Honduras gets a goal to go up 1-0, the US is going to be really chasing the game. Unfortunately, defenders need to be perfect while attackers can flub lots of chances.

      • Are you calling that “beat badly” for a guy who has played 2 games at the position? Everyone wants to be perfect, not always going to happen.

    • Definitely a fan of Villafana’s game. Still needs reps, especially on the club level, but think he’s made his case during these two games.

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    • 59′ GOAL MORRIS! His first goal since the famous Mexico finish. Morris breaks through on the right side on a pass from Feilhaber and he simply taps it home. Great pass from Feilhaber.

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      • 67′ Great ball in from Villafana and Pontius gets a head to it, but it’s saved. Spectacular service from the left back.

  4. Anyone else think the camera work is terrible. For some reason (especially in the beginning of the game) the camera man decided to zoom in as much as possible when the ball was on the near sideline.

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    • The camera work always sucks with Fox Soccer.
      Doesn’t help that this field looks like my junior high school field, except my junior high school field was grass, not green concrete, and had the right dimensions.
      Can we please get some games in this country on actual grass with the right size… Or are we still learning… SMH

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  5. I do like Lletget and Villafana. Morris lack finishing skills. USNT still needs one more game before Honduras, the rhythm isn’t there yet.

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  6. Morris just had a clear crossing opportunity that should always be taken with your left foot, and instead tried to hit it with the outside of his right foot, and the ball goes out of play. Smh.

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  7. Seems odd that Lletget is on the wing. I thought he would be DM, behind Benny. But, not sure who is still available to be a wing on the left, maybe Zardes would have been a worthwhile look on the left.
    Like the JA & JM partnership up top.

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    • The USMNT is playing a 4-4-2 diamond tonight and Lletget works well on the left wing in that system. He’s looking good early there. I’d bet on him in a more central role in the second half.

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    • I’m good man, thanks for asking. Got hit with a flu bug when I came back from LA, but am finally over it. I’m in Jersey tonight, not Tennessee. A month in SoCal was enough travel for now.

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    • Through the first six minutes or so, U.S. the more active. Earn a corner and it’s headed JUST over the bar by McCarty. Still have NO IDEA how he wins those so often.

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      • Nearly from Birnbaum on the ensuing free kick. Feilhaber chipped it in to cause havoc and the D.C. United defender almost took advantage of it.

      • Through 23 minutes, U.S. still just lacking that final product, much like last game. Lots of new faces on the field so somewhat understandable. Attacking effort is there, just not that final pass or shot required for a goal.

      • 31′ U.S. with a solid period of attacking pressure. Solid play from the U.S. as a cross goes over Pontius’ head, but still nothing doing on goal.

      • 34′ SAVE ROBLES! Zusi beat for pace down the sideline and Robles parries away a shot from a tough angle. Follow up is tapped over the bar. U.S. VERY lucky.

      • 39′ GREAT set piece play from the U.S. Short corner across is then tapped back to Lletget, who curls it inches wide. Best chance so far.

  8. With Nagbe not starting along with the regulars MB, Ale, and Jozy, can we assume that Bruce has seen enough of him that he likes and is looking at these others to fight for depth?

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    • Think that’s somewhat fair to say. Nagbe was THAT good last time out and, if he or Zardes can hold down that left midfield spot, it also clears up left back by pushing Johnson back. At this point, Altidore is almost certainly the starting striker. It just depends how they use him. Is he up top alone? Is he alongside Wood/Morris/Agudelo? At the end of the day, the spots that are up for grabs in this camp are left wing, right wing, left back and MAYBE centerback if Geoff Cameron isn’t ready.

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  9. I like it.. Hopefully we come out with a little more enthusiasm. Dax will never be a viable option but I could see him playing well enough tonight to make MB look pedestrian. Might be a good thing.

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    • Might not be able to overtake Bradley but there’s definitely a spot available when it comes to his backup. Danny Williams and Perry Kitchen generally the favorites, but McCarty can certainly insert himself into that conversation. Always room for defensive-minded midfielders.

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      • Ryan, I definitely don’t think Dax will ever sniff a starting role. Probably won’t make the bench when it matters either. I was saying in a game like this if he plays fairly well it will make MB look even more replaceable… with someone like a Williams or Kitchen.

      • That’s too bad since McCarty is better than Bradley. McCarty is one of the best in MLS but can only get a whiff of the national team. Bradley isn’t even one of the top ten defensive midfielders in MLS yet never gets benched on the national team. McCarty has already looked better than Bradley has in the last 5 years.

  10. Hello all. I’ll be here all night to discuss all things USMNT before, during and after tonight’s match. Feel free to offer your analysis and predictions ahead of tonight’s match. What do you think of the lineup? What are you hoping to see tonight?

    Feel free to shoot some questions my way ahead of kickoff as well.

    Reply

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