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U.S. Olympic team falls, 1-0, to Cameroon

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                                                                                 Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. men’s Olympic team fell, 1-0, to Cameroon on Sunday in Hong Kong. A first-half penalty kick goal proved to be the difference for the Africans.

Here is the lineup the Americans trotted out against Cameroon:

————–McBride————-Altidore——————

Rogers——–Holden————Bradley———— Kljestan

Orozco———-Edu———Parkhurst—————Wynne

————————Guzan————————————

Freddy Adu came on for Altidore in the 64th minute. Charlie Davies entered for Brian McBride in the 69th minute. Dann Szetela and Benny Feilhaber entered for Michael Bradley and Robbie Rogers in the 79th minute.

The result drops the Americans to 0-1-1 at the ING Tournament in Hong Kong. The U.S. team will now travel to China for the Olympics. The United States face Japan on Aug. 7th.

What do you think of the result? Is a second straight game without a goal a concern? Do you think Michael Orozco can handle left back duties? Surprised to see Freddy Adu not in the starting lineup?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. ives, can we just have another comment page just for Nowak jokes? just kidding but not really.

    @cm- that fish comment had me on the floor

    Reply
  2. my problem is this, each year that the olympics occur (4) there is what 3 overage players… soccer players are very specific in how long you can play, goalies are the exception, goalkeepers get better the older they get (not 50 years old) look at dino zoff. why didnt the olympic staff from the u.s. not recall tim howard? well yes he is about to start a season at everton but heck he could be an asset plus tim mulqueen is/was his goalkeeper coach i know i trained with both..

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  3. its an intl’ friendly before a major competition… he’s going to rest a few players and prepare others…. the constant Nowak hating is getting old

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  4. Nowak should be banned from coaching Soccer period. I wouldnt hire him to coach a 7 year old girls team- what a piece of SH!T

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  5. I’m honestly laughing at the poster who thinks that the US should be beating the best youth sides in the world. This US team is so overrated that it’s not even funny. I mean, how can you forecast a gold medal for a team that literally has no offense when Adu isn’t on the pitch? And that can’t seem to score goals from the run of play?

    Also, rumor has it that Neven Subotic may be eligible to play for Germany on a technicality. If that’s true, he’s obviously going to choose Germany over the US. And Rossi has already chosen Italy. Get over it.

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  6. Jim,

    So, just to be clear, instead of basing yoru evaluation of Feilhaber on the last 12 months, you are basing it on the minutes he played in mop up time against Ivory Coast (9 mins) and Cameroon (12 mins), plus the volley – which trust me was great – over a year ago?

    I do think I need to even comment on that.

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  7. @steve

    Kljestan was terrible against Cameroon. He didn’t contribute anything at all. He shouldn’t be playing. Watch his international games and you’ll see he isn’t the same player as when he plays for Chivas.

    @Ed Ho

    Have you even watched these two tuneup games? Feilhaber was the best midfield player against Ivory Coast and when he came in, albeit for 9 minutes, against Cameroon he looked great again. He should start because he is THE BEST CENTRAL MIDFIELD PLAYER ON THE TEAM. He hasn’t done anything for a club team in history as a player but that didn’t stop him from scoring the game winner against Mexico in the gold cup, did it?

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  8. The thinking here is that the USA will go 0-3 in this tournament. Truth is, we really aren’t that good. Add Subotic and Rossi….and we may have something.

    BTW – Are you curious why the African teams always do well in tournaments with age limits? Could it be that nobody knows how old these ‘kids’ are? Cameroon’s U-23 team is probably more like a U-27 team.

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  9. JB hit the nail on the head – the Olympic games are very close together. Its a huge concern if they don’t have everyone contributing.

    Another concern though, is experimental line-ups only a few days before the tournament. Nowak should have a pretty good idea on where these guys can and can’t play by now. See Demarcus Beasely being incorrectly used in the last World Cup by Arena to see how that strategy turns out. We need to stick to a system and tweak as necessary, not play players in unnatural positions.

    Finally, enough of the Fielhaber must start comments. He hasn’t shown anything is over a year (unless you are counting the horrible turnovers he commited anytime he wasn’t just backpassing at Derby). He clearly was a stretch to even be on the squad. Much speculation has him there only to help get his confidence back.

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  10. if this is the best we can do…

    good luck when you have to face argentina or brazil…maybe the pollution will be on our side and we can pull some upsets

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  11. Hey, in tune-ups, we haven’t let in a goal from the run of play. That means we’re pretty solid on defense. If that’s taken care of, we can be optimistic that the goals for us will come. Or a PK the other way 😉

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  12. i think players that HAVE to be in the starting line up are Feilhaber and Kljestan. They have been nothing but pure class so far.

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  13. For some of you please note how close the games are to each other during the Olympics. The U.S. plays on the 7th, 10th, 13th, and if we proceed into the knockout stages 16th and 19th for the the quarters and semis. There is no such thing as a definitive starting lineup or an A team on an 18 man roster with that schedule. Every player has to contribute, every player will see minutes, zero players are likely going to see 270 minutes in group play. The point is, y’all should stop posting these definitive lineups the U.S. should be using because the tournament format almost demands that the entire roster is getting used, and if our secondary players can’t play then we won’t be going very far in this tournament.

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  14. Japan looked pretty tough while losing to Argentina today, 1-0. Here’s hoping the U.S. team finds its stride before next Thursday.

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  15. @ Dr dcr vcr

    They got their PK from a god awful challenge from M.Bradley. As good as he is, he makes some of the dumbest choices.

    @J

    You’re right. Thats why hes not there. The national team is going to need him for the WCQ this month. Think before you post.

    Reply
  16. I didn’t see the game and can’t comment on it but I wanted to answer a few questions about Holden. I think it’s fair to say that Holden’s natural position seems to be in the middle. He first started earning some serious time for Houston wide left when Brad Davis was injured. He has played wide right at times when Mullan was up top but lately he often seems to play a more central role, especially if DeRo is up top or not playing.

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  17. I watched the game and Holden was wide right most of the time. This was Cameroon’s B side, too.

    We got kind of dominated in the first half, yet Guzan didn’t have to make many saves. Second half we pretty much had all of the possession but couldn’t manage more than maybe one good shot on goal and should have had PK called for us.

    Bradley absolutely crushed the cameroon player for no reason. Parkhurst seemed to have it covered and Bradley came out of nowhere and two foot tackled the guy while getting none of the ball. It was worse than his stupid tackle against Brazil. I used to not think that him playing so much for the national team was nepotism, but I believe it now. There is no way he should be playing ahead of Feilhaber or Szetela, and he shouldn’t even be playing d-mid too.

    Kljestan was the worst player on the field. He played all 90 minutes and didn’t do anything, even in the second half when the team was better. Why does he keep getting called up when he has never done anything for the national team. Holden can’t cross and didn’t bring much to the game either.

    Davies, Feilhaber, Szetela all looked really comfortable when they came in and should be starting. Mcbride, Kljestan and Holden to the bench.

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  18. I too question the addition of McBride to the Olympic squad. We are going to have to roll this guy in a wheel chair to the games.

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  19. tony, i didnt mean that as an either/or between szetela and adu, just that danny has as strong a case to be in the first 11 at his position as freddy does at his.

    bradley being a mortal lock at one cm spot leaves one for szetela.feilhaber,holden,kljesten,edu…until benny hits the rewind button to the summer of 07 ill take szetela there by a mile over the rest.

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  20. The US team has to have Feilhaber, Donovan or Adu on the starting line up. They are difference makers.

    I’m not a huge fan of Feilhaber, but he can play a Reyna type role (holding, distrubuting)

    Without one of those 3, any US team is just not the same. Their soccer IQ in tough games is a difference maker.

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  21. “szetela deserves to be starting as much as adu.”

    I like Szetela but I’m not sure how many will agree with you. i don’t – but I also don’t thin it matters. It’s not Adu or Szetela. It’s Holden or Bradley instead of Szetela. Not sure he bumps them either.

    Reply
  22. Lets roll with this lineup!!!

    ———McBride————-Altidore——

    ———————Adu———————

    Holden——————————Kljestan

    ——————-Bradley——————

    ———————Edu————————

    Parkhurst—— Orozco ————-Wynne

    ——————–Guzan——————–

    Reply
  23. how well has feilhaber played in the two games? if he’s fit and playing well our starting lineup should be…

    —————-Guzan————-

    -Wynne—–Parkhurst—Edu——-Orozco

    ——Feilhaber—Bradley—-Kljestan—–

    ——————-Adu———-

    ———–McBride—–Altidore

    Reply
  24. Seems to me that a few people take these training friendlies a lil’ too seriously…

    honestly guys, this is to fine tune and get some time together…. and we are playing some sides with some quality players… again, sometimes it seems people expect too much from the US b/c we make the WC so often…

    just sit back and enjoy the tourny… if the US go out early, then we fire can enjoy BMB’s services earlier… after saying that i hope our boys do well…

    Reply
  25. Woke up at 3 a.m. to watch this match. Yes, I’m a freak. But we already established that, no?

    First off, Cameroon was supposedly playing much of its B team. Mmm, doesn’t bode well for the US, especially after being worked in the first half.

    Cameroon earned a PK just before the midpoint of the first half with a M. Bradley foul. Many will and have blamed M. Bradley for this loss because it was another ill-advised tackle from the kid. It seemed that M. Parkhurst had the play and the player covered but M. Bradley unexpectedly and unfortunately fouled the Cameroon player in the box.

    To his slight defense, he played much better the rest of the way.

    The U.S. could have had a PK of their own but were denied the chance even when it looked like McBride was being held back and pulled down in the box. (I believe that was also in the first half? It was early, folks.)

    Holden and Kljestan looked lost and maybe would have played better if they switched positions. Though I do believe this was an experimental lineup and both players likely won’t earn a start come the Olympic tournament.

    The back four did fine, especially in the second half. Cameroon had one really good chance and scored off it, but was ruled offside.

    The U.S. team overall did much better in the second half, but just couldn’t find that last pass for a great scoring chance.

    Altidore had a couple of chances in the first half but scoffed them and needs to do better in those situations.

    McBride has shown that he really is ineffective if he does not have good service, something that was obvious in his early MLS career. Rogers, who used his speed well and played OK, nor Kljestan provided good crosses all game.

    Wynne also played well.

    Adu, when he came in after the 50th minute, played well, used his speed well, and was very comfortable on the ball in tight situations, getting out of trouble.

    The one component that was lacking was that one pass or that one move or play that could have led to a U.S. goal.

    Reply
  26. we have to give this team time to get, im not concerned but this is the lineup we need out their.

    ———-McBride———Altidore———

    ——————–Adu——————–

    —-Rogers————————Holden—

    ————–Bradley—-Edu—————

    ——-Orozco—–Parkhearst——-Wynne—

    We will score with this lineup its great balance of speed, power, and ability. Go USA

    Reply
  27. I think you guys are over-reacting. African teams traditionally do very well at the Olympics and we have played tight matches against two of the better teams. I am not worried about the result but a goal would be nice.

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  28. I echo Vman’s comments. Ives, are you sure about that disposition of the starting lineup? Holden in the middle and Kljestan out wide?

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  29. Freddy took a knock in the fist ING cup game and that was the reason for not starting. He looked good when he was in.

    This team has now logged 180 minutes without finding the back of the net and quite honestly after watching both games all of their very few chances were half chances at best.

    Altidore looked much better in the second game. I still don’t think Altidore and McBride are the right pairing up top. They simply lack chemistry.

    It looks like next week will be pretty ugly.

    Reply
  30. It actually looks like a nice lineup. Solid target forwards in the middle who can also hold the ball, good attacking flanks, good inside mids that can play defense and pass well, good middle defenders and pretty good outside defenders with some attacking skills complemented by a very good goal-keeper.

    Would be nice towork Freddy into the startingline-up – maybe for Holden – but its not a bad lineup.

    Reply
  31. Egads! Did they trot out an “empty bucket”? Nooooooooo! In all seriousness, is it odd that Kljestan would be out wide with Holden in the middle? I though Holden was a wide player and Kljestan a more central player who often seems miscast on the outside. Anyway, I hope that was an experimental lineup. I think Adu, Altidore, and McBride need to be on the field together at all times.

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  32. We need this roster starting.

    ———McBride————-Altidore——-

    ———————Adu———————

    —-Rogers————————-Kljestan–

    ———–Szetela———–Bradley———

    ——-Orozco——Parkhurst——Wynne——

    ——————–Guzan——————–

    Reply
  33. How many times will I have to write this sentence? It sure would be nice if the US scored a goal against decent competition every now and then, no?

    Reply

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