Tonight might not have been a bad night to invade Guatemala.
Now I don’t know how big the Guatamalan army is, but a good chunk of it is here, at Estadio Mateos Flores. We are more than an hour from kickoff of the USA-Guatamala World Cup qualifier and the stadium is already close to capacity, filled with excited Guatamalan fans (and a sprinkling of brave American fans).
You know the stats. The Americans have never won a World Cup qualifier in Guatemala, but will still be favored to take all three points tonight. U.S. coach Bob Bradley has called in a full-strength squad that will face the intimidating atmosphere at the Estadio Mateos Flores (for those of you wondering, Mateos Flores’ clame to fame was winning the 1952 Boston Marathon).
The wireless internet is working here so I will be able to provide you all with commentary on the goings on here throughout the evening. If you will be watching the match here, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the match (and the commentary).
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PRE-GAME– Trinidad & Tobago is thrashing Cuba, 3-0.
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PRE-GAME– Here is Guatemala’s lineup, the 4-5-1 we expected:
———————–Ruiz————–
Garcia————-Ramirez—–Rodriguez
————Contreras–Thompson——-
Gallardo—Rodriguez–Flores–Cabrera
——————-Trigueno—————-
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PRE-GAME– Just got word that Carlos Costly scored on a rocket free kick to give Honduras a 1-0 lead against Mexico at Azteca. Are those "Fire Sven" chants I hear in Spanish?
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PRE-GAME– If you were wondering about that police presence, here’s one look:
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PRE-GAME– Yes, there are American fans here, and they’re not being shy:
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PRE-GAME– Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole….Guate…..Guate……
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PRE-GAME– The Americans have just taken the field for warm-ups and are being serenaded by an ear-splitting chorus of boos and thundersticks. Pretty impressive.
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PRE-GAME– For those of you wondering, there is no rain right now and the field looks pretty good. I’m also enjoying the merengue music blaring from the sound system here. Not as good as the reggae in Kingston, but still good.
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PRE-GAME– The internet connection has been spotty at best so apologies for the delays, and for any delays during the match.
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PRE-GAME– Here is the USA lineup
———Donovan——–Ching———–
Lewis—-Bradley——Mastroeni—Dempsey
PEarce—-Bocanegra–Onyewu—Cherundolo
——————Howard————————
Good to see Ching get the nod, his connecting with Donovan is well-documented. Also, Lewis gets the nod ahead of Beasley, who isn’t fully fit from his injury to start yet.
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PRE-GAME– You really needed to see the display of military coordination put on by the army/security at the stadium. They created a human wall of riot shields and helmets as American players calmly passed through with headphones blaring. Don’t expect many of the U.S. players to be phased by this atmosphere. Okay, let’s face it, they’ll be fazed some, though they weren’t showing it before the game.
Someone must have given Guatamalan fans the traffic route the U.S. bus took to get here because there was a gauntlet of middle fingers and beer showers waiting for the bus as it neared the stadium. Extra credit to the American fans who were hanging out in the same area.
if anything id be more pissed about coops or buddle not getting a call. thats all for my ranting on the east coast, im going to bed.
I mean if you guys are really that sick of M. Bradley, we can always see how good john o’brien is playing in his ron jon surf shop beach soccer league in nowheresville beach, california.
For all of you calling on adu and altidore, im guessing you’re just a casual soccer fan. I, being on probation for a dui and taking this semester off, will break it down for you.
All 4 of these players played in beijing:
Edu
Adu
Bradley
Altidore
Why bradley and edu were called up:
1. Bradley is the best CM we have at this moment, period. Bring any coach into our camp to observe our CM’s and they will all say the same. Yeah he has had a few shaky games, but he is the most consistent all around performer in the center of the park.
2. Edu JUST transferred to rangers. By just, i mean he hasnt even secured a work permit yet, which means he probably hasn’t reported to the rangers camp yet. Which means, yes, he is in limbo right now. Which means, yes, he has free time to play for our senior team, because it will take a few days for his permit to be approved, and if it doesnt its not like he is going to lose his spot at TFC
3. Same with bradley. While both are probably tired from beijing, they are both players of our future who are already established at their clubs. If bradley ends up staying at herenveen, its not likely he is going to lose his spot either. Which means, yes, he is available to be called up.
Why adu and altidore didn’t show up:
1. tire: both players played in beijing along with bradley and edu, and they are all probably tired.
2. Fitness: Altidore still has a nagging ankle injury, therefore he is not fit enough to play in a WCQ. if he wasnt fit enough to start a single olympic game, what makes this any different?
3. New clubs: While edu just signed for rangers, he still hasnt been approved for a work permit, therefore he probably hasnt reported to camp. Adu and altidore both probably have, and unlike bradley, haven’t had enough time to establish themselves at their respectable clubs like bradley has.
4. significance of position: Adu and altidore both play at positions that we have depth in (CAM, FWD, and CM/WING), and even though many of us would like to see them starting, their absence is filled by the likes of clint dempsey and landon donpvan. Id say they are pretty qualified right? Bradley and edu have a little bit more of a signifacnt role at the positions they play. If we dont call them up, who do we call up? Clark? Mastro? REYNA? Think about these things people.
So now that i’ve spelled it out for everyone here, why adu and altidore were not called up, can we please shut up about that topic? These young players wont be any good for our MNT if they dont establish themselves with their new clubs, great clubs at that. Not everyone is Juan Roman Riquelme you know..
I think we need to ban the M Bradley haters. I mean please, the kid has consistently been one of our top 5 performers the last 18 months and we wouldn’t have won tonight if he wasn’t there. He has an outside chance of being a top 100 player in the world later in his career if he keeps up this level of improvement. He needs to get out of Holland ASAP.
Guatemalans really are lovely people. I mean wow.
Hey folks, I made it back to my hotel just fine. As you might have guessed, the wireless stopped working in the stadium and never came back. I know, a shock.
I’ll be posting as much as I can about the game tonight and for the morning so stay tuned.
Some thoughts:
1) my dvr sucks; I didn’t see the last five minutes of the game, I need tivo again
2) guat is the dirtiest nat’l team i’ve ever seen
3) Tim Howard rules
4) We easily could have lost
5) It was clear there were going to be red cards 10 minutes into the match
6) That was some exciting crap
7) I’m so glad Ruiz was traded from the Galaxy, I hate him now
8) US is not a top tier team or close
9) Guat had some scary speed, we could use that
10) I may have to travel to colorado for the rematch, world cup qualifying, even at this stage is awesome.
how about your ideal 2010 WC starting 11 right now, I couldnt help but start thinking of mine while I watched us struggle…:
——————howard——————-
wynne—–edu—————bocanegra——–pearce?
dempsey————bradley—————beasley
——————adu————————-
———altidore———–donovan———–
I’m fine taking this one step at a time. Tonight was all about getting a WC qualifier win for the first time ever in Guatemala, no matter how it looked, and we accomplished that.
I think there is a very good chance that we will both be in the hex together, so when we play them again in Guatemala we can be more critical about cohesiveness as a team. For now, I’m happy.
…and having gotten my fill of Olympic speedwalking, I’m off to bed.
Robie,
Read the rule book regarding hand balls, there must be intent. Although I wouldn’t have been stunned if the ref called it. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Be happy your team was in the game when it is played in the US it will be a 2 goal game.
Robie, your team cleared out space with two footed tackles and dove whenever a US player was near. You had space because we gave it to you, knowing how much your team cheats, and yet you couldn’t do anything with it, exactly as we expected.
Your team failed, and disgraced themselves doing so.
The fact that there were 10 Chapines on the field at the end of the game shows how generous the referee was to you. Frankly I think he sucked on both sides. The handball would have been a joke– a feeble header that Pearce did not play intentionally, and that Howard had covered. But the decision not to play on was a poor one. But seeing how bad your finishing was, don’t lose sleep– Howard would have stopped that one, too.
So, no red card–no yellow card even, for intentionally kicking a keeper when you could have easily gone around and he had the ball two steps before he was kicked?
Gotta love CONCACAF refs.
anti-soccer we created most of the good soccer that was played today. i think that you have to accept that. if you dont i dont thik you saw the same game. Guatemala was the better team today. they did not bunker, and we were not outplayed as most of you guys were saying. the referee took a penalty from us, and and stopped the game when el loco was one on one with the keeper,after a us foul
Xander, the Faroe Islands don’t stake their national pride on bludgeoning their opponent.
But for all of the people who equate Guatemala and Mexico (I saw it earlier): first of all, when Mexico plays the US, they actually try to play soccer first, so the US doesn’t have to devise tactics that are based on putting players on the field who can take a punch, and second, Guatemalans detest the Mexicans far more than they hate the US. If Guatemala gets to the hex (and based on their talent, they could do it, if they decide to play soccer and not UFC), the Guatemala-Mexico game will make this one look like pattycakes.
Cherunudulo is also out; hopefully Spector or Subotic can join… if not, consider Wynne? Albright? Moor? Bornstein?
The USA’s higher talent was definitely hard to find. I admit that if I watched this game and had no idea who was who, I might pick Guatemala as the team with a higher pedigree. EXCEPT for the fact, that they played with a lot less class. That left a very bitter taste in my mouth. Guatemala did seem technically improved
After having a half hour to digest this, my take (not that it’s worth much):
– Howard’s a stud, even if his distribution is a little off. I’ll give up the throw-in 45 yards from goal in exchange for a clean sheet any day of the week.
– The two defensive mids doesn’t work with two strikers up top. Given Beasley’s defensive prowess, I’d love to see us going with a 3-5-2 to allow an attacking midfielder to play in between the defensive mids and the strikers.
– Baby Bradley’s not ready for this level of play. Period.
– Cherundolo had perhaps his worst game ever. Onyewu has limited skill, but gets by on his physical presence. Bocanegra had an outstanding game, and I thought Pearce battled well all night and was one of our 3-4 best players. Other than Boca and Howard, it’s tough to find a starter who played well.
– As mentioned before, we need to start dictating the flow the play instead of having the opposition carry the game to us. Hell, when a European nation plays the Faeroe Islands, they don’t let the Islands dictate the flow of the game, do they? So why’s it acceptable for the US to do that when we play anyone in our region??
Robie, knowing that Guatemala was going to maim the US players, fake injuries, and play the least sporting game possible, the US put out a lineup of players who can stay calm and take the punches.
Bradley’s marching orders were for the US players to play safe passes and try to get a counterattack goal or a goal off a set piece. You can’t play “the beautiful game” against a team determined to make the match as ugly as possible.
So we took all your players could throw at us and still beat them. Guatemala has some very talented players and could match up well against the US, particularly at home. But your team opted to play anti-soccer and disgrace themselves. And you still lost.
The shame you must feel for your national humiliation must be very painful. But I’m laughing at you and your thug team and fool of a coach.
Scott at what point in the game was your skill more evident. I know that you guys have more talent than us. but in this particular game i did not see any consistency nor at any point in the game did the us put a string of good passed that lead to a dangerous opportunity. on the other hand guatemala had better control of the ball. i think that guate has a great chance to make it this time. a lot of good technical players this time around.
I hope Ives gets back to the hotel ok
Fire Bradley now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe our Olympic Team can beat our National Team.
I honestly believe that
Wait until the return leg Robie…
Clearly those complaining about the US performance haven’t seen a US WCQ in Central America. Wins are few and far between for the US down there that I don’t care who plays like crap when they draw or especially win. 3 points is 3 points.
The match in Cuba will have a tough environment for the US, but the superior talent will make a difference.
Have fun Toronto with Ruiz, I still don’t know how he managed not to get one yellow in that game.
Cherundolo’s first yellow should not have been a yellow. There was far worse going on the field before that than spiking a ball. Hell, I’ve seen people, and been one doing it in my league, spiking it like that all the time and only if the player has been a problem do they get a yellow that early.
That said, his second yellow shouldn’t have happened, and he can’t put himself in the position for that ever again…because Hejduk blows at this level.
Lucky for us the Guatemalans threw us a bone…I mean a ‘bow
Robie, I’ll grant you that the win was a generous result for us. You had more chances. Good home field advantage but I think the US’s better skill was still evident.
Great win for the team tonight, but I am still worried about the US.
When will we be able to score a goal from the run of play against a team other than Barbados? All of our goals come from either set-plays or a lucky bounce of the ball over the goal line. When are we going to see a consistent “international” who is actually a true striker, wear the kit?
Dempsey is NOT a striker (RM), Lewis is too slow to play the LM, and when does Bradley learn that his son needs to learn from his time and time again turnovers?
Too many questions from me after seeing the same team from Bradley over and over on the pitch. But great win from the guys tonight.
I thought this was going to be a harder game. we completly outplayed you guys. The referee was a disgrase for both teams. you guys aint got nothing on us, enjoy your lucky win.
(* Whoops. Not Galcarep: Galarcep. Even when spelled correctly, Galarcep still sounds “foreign,” so be careful when you insult some nationality; it might be your host’s.)
And there’s nothing wrong with calling Guatemala out for the cheap play and diving. Nothing wrong with rooting for your home team. But it shows class not to sink to the level of the cheap shot artist.
Alexandre, I’m not gonna get defensive…I’d like you to pick out one instance in which I judged someone based on their ethnicity. It’s wrong to observe the obvious fact that fans act in a despicable manner when we travel to CONCACAF countries? Get your head out of the sand. And if you don’t like Americans, and thus hypocritically judging people based on their nationality, then yes, maybe you shouldn’t come back you fool.
Scott A, couldn’t agree more. One game doesn’t us enough about a player to make the kind of judgments we do. It’s just hard not to get worked up when you’re so into a game.
Move off roster: Ching, Lewis
Move on roster: Adu, Altidore
Move onto starting roster for Cuba: Adu, Altidore, Beasley and Edu on; Mastroeni, Ching, Lewis and Bradley off (perhaps risky but would like to see how it works)
Monitor: Convey, Spector, Subotic
it is true that racism has no part in any sport anywhere or anytime
“Scary stadiums, lousy officiating, swampy pitches, kicks to the head, ……
This is CONCACAF WCQ!!!!”
Yep . . . this is the real deal. It wouldn’t matter who you are, Enlgand, Argentina, USA, Japan or Germany; You play a WCQ in the barrios & ghettos of Concacaf’s Central American venues . . . it’s gonna be ugly, wet and feel like you’re in the Thunder Dome.
Get the hell outa there with our 3 points now boys and get back to America.
I think we should judge players less on the performance of one game. I’m guilty of this as much of anyone. Everyone has an off-game…I mean there have been games where’ve we’ve comdemned Onyewu and Boca, and Bradley or Pearce is a hope. Just my two cents
Alexandre’s right, if only about this: the casual racism here really sucks. I don’t know what ethnicity you are if your name is Galcarep (which looks like an anagram to me), but I’m betting it isn’t Mayflower ‘Meriken. Even as a joke, it isn’t funny.
That speed walk may be the single most awkward looking thing I’ve ever seen. Like, even more so than an unnecessary man hug.
alexandre…its called having pride for your country and national team
…and hello peanut gallery
That was a captain’s goal from Bocanegra tonight, right when we needed it. Let’s face it, our play in Central America has never been top quality, and to get 3 points in an environment like that was a great result for us.
on the bright side, the only time ruiz will ever be in the us will be to play a game and then leave…maybe some of the mls based players will remember this game….
haha. I love how people in this site can bash on other countries and make fun of other ethnicities but the moment someone calls them out on it everyone starts bashing.
Don’t worry I won’t be back to this site. ill let’s ya’ll get back to your kkk meeting. tomorrows topic “ethnic cleansing.”
Scott ur right, it is all americans here, otherwise some dirty guat or spic would put people like you or julio in your place
My Thoughts on the match, Because you care:
Talk bad about EJ all day if you want but he is still a better option then Ching. EJ should have started.
Michael Bradley 90+ Seriuosly? Edu should have started. When will the Bradley Love end?
Pearce? Looked shaky back there
Bocanegra and Gooch = Solid
Pablo? need to see Adu make the trip
Lewis? Seriously again? That is DB’s spot and should be until he retires
and finally, Carlos Ruiz should be banned from the MLS
The Guatemalans play a disgusting brand of “soccer”, if you can even call it that. And I have hit a new level of hatred for Ruiz.
Bradley’s the best 10v10 manager in the world… only someone might want to tell the folks at Soccer House that the game is played 11v11…..
we got outplayed, Guatemala seems to have some talent this time around. If we continue to play like that we are going to have problems in the next round.
allnats thats my favorite event of hte summer games, thanks for letting me know it was on. THe best was 4 years ago when everyone was dqed except 1 guy who did the whole thing by himself
Give credit to Lewis.
His head bash is what turned the game around. It gave Bradley a timeout to get the team reorganized. He got the other guy red-carded and it took steam out of Guatamala’s attack. It allowed for substitutions to get the right players into the match.
Thank Eddie Lewis. His play sucked, but his bleeding got the job done to turn the game around.
For Tim to be MOTM, he’s going to have to stop giving the ball back to the other team. That’s a bad habit he’s picked up in the last few years. On the road in the WCQ, you have to take better care of the ball. He came up big; but by being more sensible, he would also have to be less spectacular.
AllNats, the only thing worse than walking that damn far is walking that damn far in a driving rainstorm….
Whoever the CONCACAAF head is needs to get off his butt and do something.
the flopping in his part of the world is horrendous, worse than UEFA. and there is a huge difference between tough play and dirty play…this game we saw it.
I’m sooooo glad the Red Bulls did not pick up Ruiz; I really hope that Parke, Mendes, Stammler give Ruiz the business on his next trip to Giants Stadium