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Olympic Qualifying: USA vs. Honduras (Running Commentary)

Good afternoon folks. Apologies for the lateness of this post but it is Easter after all.

If you are a die-hard U.S. national team fan and watching today’s qualifying final even though it doesn’t mean much, please feel free to follow along with the match here.

Enjoy the match.

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FINAL- Honduras 1, USA 0. It’s over. Honduras is the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying champion. No, it doesn’t really mean much but Honduras will certainly take it.

Terrible finishing by the Americans, who outplayed Honduras for much of the day, was what led to a disappointing finish to an otherwise successful tournament for the USA.

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107th minute- Looks like Robbie Findley is cramping up.

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HALFTIME- The USA has 15 minutes to find a goal and push this match into penalty kicks. Unfortunately, the American offense has been a mess all day.

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104th minute- GOAL HONDURAS. What a goal, a 23-yard blast. Honduras 1, USA 0.

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102nd minute- I think strikers should pay a fine whenever a shot attempt turns into a throw-in for the other team.

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100th minute- Is it me or does it feel like there isn’t an American player on the field who can beat a defender off the drible?

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OVERTIME- Honduras looks a bit fatigued heading into overtime and you have to wonder whether Jozy Altidore will be the difference maker in the final 30 minutes.

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REGULATION. USA 0, Honduras 0. We’re heading for overtime (Something none of us needed).

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93rd minute- Gaven draws another dangerous free kick. Where’s Freddy Adu? Bring him out in street clothes.

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91st minute- Altidore serves up a great ball to Kljestan, who squanders a great chance.

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89th minute- Marvell Wynne comes in for Holden, who had a pretty strong tournament.

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87th minute- Stuart Holden lucky to avoid a second yellow just now.

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83rd minute- Dangerous free kick for the USA after Gaven is fouled near the penalty area.

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79th minute- Here comes Jozy Altidore. Coming in for Chad Barrett. Slight upgrade.

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78th minute- Nothing like annointing goalkeepers as great who have yet to see any significant playing time as professionals.

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71st minute- FINDLEY with a golden opportunity but his header bounces off the crossbar after bouncing it off the ground. UNLUCKY.

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63rd minute- Kljestan turnover, DRINK. Nice work from Kamani Hill though.

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54th minute- Wow, Dom Cervi spills a save but his defenders help him out, including Patrick Ianni, who saves one off the line.

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49th minute- With Robbie Findley and Nathan Sturgis on the field today I can’t help but wonder if Alexi Lalas has ever bashed his head against the wall for the Findley/Sturgis for Chris Klein trade.

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HALFTIME- We’re about to get started for the second half.

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HALFTIME- We’re scoreless. USA 0, Honduras 0. At least there has been some action, although the Freeman injury puts a damper on things, though it didn’t appear that serious.

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39th minute- I think it’s time to add the Sacha Kljestan turnover drinking game

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37th minute- Barrett shot is blocked. DRINK

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31st minute- Barrett misses by inches, DRINK. Seriously though, Barrett is going to score a goal today.

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29th minute- Seeing Hunter Freeman treated for an injury isn’t going to do much to help the suicide watch for Red Bulls fans.

27th minute- Here’s the US lineup:

————Findley–Barrett———-

Gaven—Kljestan—–Edu–Holden

Sturgis—Ianni—-Orozco—–Hill

——————Cervi——————

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25th minute- Maurice Edu is coming in for Hunter Freeman, who took a knock

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18th minute- Wow, Honduras comes close with a 20-yard shot. This game can’t stay scoreless long.

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13th minute- Okay, we must have a Chad Barrett drinking game. Any time he shoots wide it’s a drink. (Is it wrong to have an Easter Day drinking game?)

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11th minute- I wonder if Tiffany May has made her way to Nashville.

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9th minute– Some wide-open soccer so far. A bit different than the last time these teams met.

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Comments

  1. I was at this game (and the Canada game, as well) and my opinion is that Sacha did not play as poorly as many here have written. That said, he was basically handed the keys to the car and was driving the team forward and directing the attack (which always sputtered at the time of the last pass or the shot). This was clearly mostly our second team. Barrett really does suck and Findley lacks touch. Holden was very active and fairly dangerous but he does have a short fuse. Jozy had little, if any, impact on the game. What nobody mentioned was that Georgie Welcome beat a defender (I think it was Sturgis) to the ball and the other defenders had dropped way off. He had the time to look up and crank a really nice shot. I think the first team will do well in Beijing. For Easter Sunday it was a good crowd.

    Reply
  2. I understand the kid had a few shaky moments, but he’s only been beaten once. If it takes a shot like that to beat the kid I’ll take it every time. BTW, only maybe Tim Howard would’ve sniffed that shot. He wasn’t out of position, it would look a lot worse if he was beat near post.

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  3. Ives, you are wrong. WAY WRONG.

    There are bunch of Americans who can be the Hoduros off the dribble. Unfortunately, Nowak don’t like that play.

    Terrible finishing today. What is wrong with Sacha’s shot? Edu’s? Damn. Those boys need to line’em up and take some practice. HORRIBLE. Good thing that is something you can practice. The intangibles we were great today. Holden and Wynne again proved to be studs. Hell, Barrett even had a good run…

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  4. I think Kljestan must be a honduran name. He sure played like he was on the honduran team. I never seen so many give-aways by a holding midfielder….poor, poor passing

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  5. Eric,

    I’m sure I will, that’s BB’s preferred central midfield tandem, but feilhaber looked good in his brief spell against mexico and Clark was to say it kindly, poor. Pearce plays LB for rostock, although he is able to move across the back line, similar to spector. Since cherundolo is on the right side and bocanegra and Gooch have the middle sown up. I see Pearce on the left, the same place he played against south africa. Spector could break in at LB if he has a good camp but he doesn’t play LB for West Ham, although he is capable of it.

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  6. MZ – I bet you’ll see Rico Clark in for Feilhaber given his lack of PT at Derby. Also, curious if Pearce gets the start, he seems to be the only real right back, but BB has a history of not playing Pearce.

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  7. they have a good chance to win this game and i hope they don’t blow it by going with josh wolff. He was non-existent in the brazil game and can’t hold up the ball.

    My lineup:

    ————Howard—————-

    Dolo—–Boca—–Gooch——-Pearce

    Donovan—Bradley—Feilhaber—-Lewis

    ——–Ching——Dempsey——–

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  8. Cyrus:

    Cory Gibbs? That’s hilarious. He hasn’t even played a single Championship League game, and he’s just coming off twenty years of injury. I find it hard to believe Charlton actually agreed to this. If he somehow got injured Charlton would be furious.

    Reply
  9. Big welcome back to Cory Gibbs!

    The only issue I have with that roster is it means a whole game of Eddie Lewis out on the left. Ugh.

    Reply

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