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USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago: Match Night Commentary

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The U.S. men's national team takes on Trinidad & Tobago tonight in a crucial World Cup qualifier for both teams. The Americans are looking to rebound after a disappointing performance in tying El Salvador, while Trinidad & Tobago comes in off a 1-1 tie vs. Honduras.

The U.S. team will see several changes from the squad that started out vs. El Salvador. Goalkeeper Tim Howard is back from suspension while defender Oguchi Onyewu is back after resting a sore knee. Those aren't the only change we will see tonight though as head coach Bob Bradley turns to a veteran and a youngster to help provide a boost tonight.

I will be providing commentary throughout the match, but as always, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (and take a sneak peak at the U.S. starting lineup after the jump):

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FINAL- Not many negatives from this match. Oguchi Onyewu looked rusty at times, but was otherwise solid. Other than that, I'm not sure what can be complained about.

That's all for me. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on tonight's match in the comments section below. Thanks for following along and be sure to check in to SBI on Thursday for more post-match coverage of tonight's USA victory.

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FINAL– Altidore looked like a hungry player tonight, and I can't help but wonder if his nightmare loan deal with Xerez hasn't lit a fire under the young striker.

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FINAL– USA 3, Trinidad & Tobago 0. Jozy Altidore's coming-out party, but almost as important is the overall response from the squad, especially from veterans like Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley.

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90th minute– Donovan with his third assist of the match, and good job by Bradley to lay it off to Donovan.

Altidore must have surpassed Eddie Johnson for youngest American to score a hat-trick in qualifying.

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88th minute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!! And it's Jozy Altidore with the HAT-TRICK on a very soft goal given up by T&T's goalkeeper. USA 3, Trinidad & Tobago 0.

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87th minute– USA corner kick.

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85th minute– How good does Torres look on the ball? His touch is sublime.

Donovan misses JUST wide.

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84th minute– Kljestan for Dempsey.

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83rd minute– Kljestan is set to come in. Could it be for Michael Bradley, who has a yellow he's protecting?

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82nd minute– Pablo Mah-stroh-ahni. DRINK!

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80th minute– Torres is set to come in for Ching, who had a strong game. People love to criticize him, but he's good and serves as a solid complement to Altidore. That's the tandem for the forseeable future.

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76th minute– Hejduk gets away with that two-footed tackle way too often. It's part luck and experience.

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75th minute– Altiore will get the headlines after this performance, but Donovan's play on the left flank and Beasley's play at left back are also major storylines from this match.

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72nd minute- Jozy Altidore with a beautiful finish off a great pass from Donovan. Altidore collects at the top of the box, makes a nice move and finishes from 12. USA 2, T&T 0.

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70th minute– GOAL USA!!!

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70th minute– Altidore looks like he's on fumes (I replaced this one with the goal post, but yes, Jozy was looking gassed. Guess he was gathering himself for that great goal.)

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69th minute– Where did everybody go? If you're still following along, let me know.

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67th minute– Will we see USA subs soon? You have to believe we'll see Jose Torres soon.

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65th minute– Good stat from ESPN's PEdro Gomez. USA under Bradley is 15-0-1 when leading at halftime. The only non-win was the 2-2 tie vs. Mexico last year.

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64th minute– Calls are going against the USA. They need to keep their composure

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63rd minute– The wall blocks Daniels first attempt, then Howard grabs the rebound. T&T needed to do better with that one.

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62nd minute– Onyewu fouls in the arc and T&T has a dangerous free kick. Keon Daniel is DANGEROUS>

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15th minute– Donovan is having fun on the left flank.

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61st minute– T&T with a half chance but Jones can't get a good strike of the ball.

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60th minute– By the way, the T&T goalkeeper completely spilled a rebound just before. I wonder if any of his defenders yelled at him.

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57th minute– Altidore tracks back and forces a turnover. Bob Bradley loves seeing that.

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56th minute– Kaleem Hyland is on for Birchall and Birchall is not happy. To be honest I don't get that one. Birchall was the only T&T midfielder really putting in work.

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55th minute– Donovan is having fun on the left flank.

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53rd minute– Was that Onyewu trying to make some moves on the ball?

Aklie Edwards with a yellow for a foul on Altidore.

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51st minute– Now one from the left, punched away. Bocanegra missed a header on the previous one.

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49th minute– USA with a dangerous free kick from the right flank.

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HALFTIME– Who has played well so far? Donovan, Ching, Bradley, Mastroeni and Bocanegra. Altidore had the finish on the goal but he has been set up with several chances and has scuffed some. The Ching-Altidore combo looks good though and we might just be seeing that combo for a while, especially with how good Donovan looks working on from the left flank.

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HALFTIME– USA 1, T&T 0. Americans have controlled play this half, but should have more goals. Jozy has looked good and DaMarcus Beasley has been sharp at left back. Throw in Landon Donovan being very dangerous playing off the left flank and it's a good 45 minutes for the U.S. team. They needed a second goal though.

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45th minute– As well as the Americans are playing, they need to find that second goal to get comfortable. A one-goal lead won't cut it.

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42nd minute– Beasley with the open header but it's right at the keeper, who finds time to yell at his defense AGAIN. Love this guy.

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40th minute– How's this for a drinking game. Any time the Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper yells at his defense, we drink.

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39th minute– Is it me or is this ref a cool customer? For a CONCACAF ref he seems very composed.

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38th minute– Wow, Donovan almost stole one for a second goal. T&T got SO lucky on that one.

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36th minute– The US is winning this game in midfield, where the T&T midfield is just not doing enough work. The group is just flat and isn't putting any pressure on the Americans.

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35th minute– Not trying to jinx the US, but Kenwyne Jones WILL have a good chance before this game is done and Tim Howard will need to make a great save on that chance (yes, I can see the future).

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32nd minute– Edwards gets open for a look but his left-footed shot is blocked. There's a reason the US is letting him shoot with his left.

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31st minute– Nice run forward from Bradley. I also think Donovan looks very good on the left, his freedom to cut inside lets him do a lot.

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29th minute– Any time Pablo Mastroeni's last name is mispronounced I say we drink.

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28th minute– Aklie Edwards, the T&T left back, is struggling. If the name sounds familiar it is because he was on trial with the Red Bulls, who are auditioning left backs off the street, so Edwards can't be that good if he couldn't latch on with them.

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27th minute– Frankie Hejduk two-footed tackles will definitely be a drinking game, but that first one won't count

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25th minute– Edwards gets by Beasley on the right flank but can't get much on the cross. He won't be turning the corner on Beasley.

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24th minute– I can just hear Carlos Edwards saying (in a thick Trini accent), "What happened to de white boy Pearce? I miss heem."

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22nd minute– Time for a drinking game. Any suggestions? Also, if you're following here please let me know. 

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21st minute-I have to say that I'm liking Beasley at left back. Someone coming out of the back with confidence on the ball? What a novelty.

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19th minute– Donovan is buzzing around early. He's come to play today.

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17th minute– Dempsey with the attempted bike, sends it high.

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17th minute– Good ball movement from the US right now. They're brimming with confidence.

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15th minute– USA corner. They are smothering the T&T defense.

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15th minute– Donovan is having fun on the left flank.

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14th minute- Ching with the flick header to free Donovan, who has a wide-open look to pass off to Altidore, who taps home from close range. USA 1, T&T 0.

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13thminute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it's Jozy Altidore with the finish off a great pass from Landon Donovan. Who set the play up? Brian Ching.

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12th minute- Jones blocks his own team's header.

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11th minute- T&T corner kick.

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10th minute– Beasley does well to keep in front of Edwards, who just shanked a cross with his left foot.

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9th minute- Ching with a chance but his shot goes across the goalmouth. Not a bad sequence from Mastroeni on that play.

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7th minute- You can already see that Onyewu is going to have his hands full with Jones tonight.

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6th minute– Howard kicks a ball right at STern John, barely avoided an embarrassing moment.

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4th minute– Great ball in from Bocanegra, but Dennis Lawrence clears it. US is pressuring early.

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4th minute– There is Ching, drawing a free kick.

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1st minute– And we're off. USA 41-0-10 vs. CONCACAF opponents at home since 2001. Not bad.

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PRE-GAME– A moment of silence for the fans who died in the Ivory Coast-Malawi WOrld Cup qualifier. Terrible event, touching moment.

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PRE-GAME– For those scoring at home, that's three Jersey-born players in the starting lineup (Howard, Bradley and Altidore) and a Jersey-born head coach in Bob Bradley. Yes, all former MetroStars/ Red Bulls.

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PRE-GAME– Chris Burchall in central midfield is one to watch. Mastroeni will be looking to shut him down.

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PRE-GAME– Kenwyne Jones and Stern John up top for the Soca Warriors. A dangerous tandem who will be a handful for the Americans.

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PRE-GAME– Great anthem (and no, not all fans need to be in HD).

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PRE-GAME– Anthems are playing and we're getting close.

Is there anything better than soccer in HD?

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PRE-GAME– So why no Jose Francisco Torres? Well, T&T boasts the tricky and dangerous Russell Latapy in central midfielder (Latapy isn't starting actually) and he's someone that Pablo Mastroeni will be assigned to shut down. Torres is a safe bet to come into the match in the second half, but for the first half you can expect Donovan and Dempsey to attack on the flanks while Bradley and Mastroeni look to shut off the supply of service from T&T's best playmakers to Kenwyne Jones.

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PRE-GAME– I am reading some of the comments being made about Beasley as left back. Listen folks, Beasley has always counted his defensive ability as a strength. He is someone who can stay with a speedy midfield. This isn't a first either. Those of you who were paying attention might recall that Beasley was used at left back in the blowout win vs. Cuba last fall. The traits of a left back in Bob Bradley's system is someone who can get forward on the overlap and contribute offensively, and someone who can still handle the 1v1 defensive responsibilites of the position.

So why no Jonathan Spector? Perhaps Bradley wasn't confident in Spector being able to deal with the speed of Carlos Edwards.

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PRE-GAME– Is it me or is it surreal to hear Alexi Lalas talking about Bob Bradley's decisions?

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PRE-GAME– Here is how the U.S. team will run out:

————-Ching———–Altidore————–

Donovan———————————Dempsey

————-Bradley——–Mastroeni———–

Beasley—-Bocanegra—–Onyewu——-Hejduk

———————Howard———————-

As I said earlier in the week, Beasley should not be discounted as a left back option. He has the defensive qualities to thrive there. He can certainly keep up with Carlos Edwards, especially with Landon Donovan supporting him.

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PRE-GAME– ESPN TV is reporting that Landon Donovan will be playing on the left wing and Dempsey on the right wing. Beasley and Donovan on the left flank could be very interesting and successful.

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PRE-GAME- We're less than a half hour from kickoff and the lineup SBI revealed more than an hour ago has been confirmed as the lineup tonight. WHo isn't dressed for the game? Jonathan Spector, Heath Pearce, Danny Califf and no Freddy Adu.

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PRE-GAME– Here is the U.S. national team's starting lineup (yep, you're seeing it here first)

————-Ching———–Altidore————–

Dempsey———————————Donovan

————-Bradley——–Mastroeni———–

Beasley—-Bocanegra—–Onyewu——-Hejduk

———————Howard———————-

No, that's not an April Fool's Joke, but a very interesting starting lineup indeed. Are you surprised to see this group? Jozy Altidore has earned the chance to start while Beasley could wind up being the answer to a shaky left back position.

I was not able to confirm what formation the U.S. team will be using, but this makes the most sense for this group of players. The other remote possibility is a 3-5-2 formation, which would be a real departure from what we've come to expect from Bob Bradley:

————-Ching———–Altidore————–

Beasley————-Donovan————-Dempsey

————-Bradley——–Mastroeni————–

Bocanegra———Onyewu—————–Hejduk

———————Howard————————–

The 4-4-2 makes much more sense, particularly with Kenwyne Jone roaming around for T&T. To be fair, even if Beasley plays as the left back, he will be looking to attack enough so that the formation plays like a 3-5-2.

Comments

  1. If you’re playing beasley at left back you better have mastroeni in there to cover back.

    I thought coach Bradley made 2 great lineup switches.

    Michael Bradley seemed a little ineffective at times in the middle. But Beasley moving up the field with Donovon getting a ton of touches made up for the lack of offense from Bradley.

    Reply
  2. hey cheese people have a right to say whatever they want. who annointed you all seeing all knowing football expert? if anything, regardless of what people say you should be happy that the sport actually seems to be experiencing growth. now you want to chase away some of these new fans because they don’t meet your lofty standards of football knowledge. sorry but some people out there are realists and your approach of just blindly supporting whoever is in charge and not questioning their strategies of decisions is practically the same thing you criticize other people for doing, you’re being just as closeminded as they are only b/c youre blindly suppoting bradley and the whole of the usmnt its ok for you to do? well youre wrong. torres should start or atleast play a more prominent role. mastroeni is a one dimensional player and can be a liability on the pitch. hejduk for all his “heart” and “grit” would be exposed by quality sides. ching is like a homeless man with AIDS’ emile heskey so sorry if some of us would rather see someone who consistently puts the ball in the net like davies or cooper up front with jozy. so what if he made FOUR whole changes to the lineup. did you watch the game saturday night? an overhaul was definitely necessary. and if people want to see freddy play, they do b/c for all his flaws he’s only 19 and he’s actually very exciting to watch when he’s on the field. to suggest there should be a checklist for commenting is the douchiest thing i’ve heard on these here internets in a long time. stop being a snob and getting so ofended because people don;t share the same opinions as you and leave your fascist rhetoric at the door. thank you.

    Reply
  3. Ives can we have an option to skip to the last page of comments for running commentaries of national team games? I don’t mean to group everyone in this tirade because some of you are knowledgeable and intelligent, but the rest of you are really…really stupid. I know it makes the blog look great if there are a ton of comments, but there should be a line somewhere…something to disparage people from writing just because they have fingers and know how to use them. Think of the comment space as a place for your most intelligent comment, remark, or whatever about the game. Maybe provide a checklist for yourself that helps you notice when you’re being stupid. Here’s a proposal for things not to do with comments.

    1. write GOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!! 🙂 haha lollol
    2. criticize the flow of play before the 20th minute.
    3. asking for more changes to the starting 11 after the coach makes 4…FOUR..changes from the last match.
    4. make an attempt to hit on someone over the comment section.
    5. make comparisons between our national team players and players like cristiano ronaldo, leo messi, ronaldhino, etc. just don’t do it.
    6. outright call our coach stupid, an idiot, or demand he be fired. not just now but at least until after the world cup. the guy has an unbelievable record and made adjustments that worked in the el salvador game and tonight.
    7. after one game claim the US is a top 10 team in the world or bottom tier team. If you have to try to rank our team, just compare us to teams that we played in competitive matches that have significance (NOT FRIENDLIES).

    To help some of you out, I call on fellow frustrated commenters, fans, and readers to help me police this blog by simply writing checklist and the commenters username following a violation. ex. checklist-Yopauly, checklist-Oranje Mike, checklist- Dave.

    I don’t usually comment. Might be my third time. But i’ll be more active to make this blog a stupid-free zone. Maybe our fans will gain a bit of respect around the world now instead of being viewed as a bunch of homer, ignorant, obnoxious apes.

    Reply
  4. so just got back to memphis after going to the game.

    thoughts:
    jozzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
    jjjoooooooooooooozzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyy
    JJJOOOOOZZZZZZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
    hahaha um the crowd was decent sized, sat with sam’s army which was tight. best chan all night was the “are you watching, are you watching, are you watching mmmeeexxxiiiccoooo”
    formation was solid, everyone played well, beasley, ching def impressed, donovan looked like himself, the scary, i will dominate you self. awesome game to be at, esp for my first wcq ever.

    Reply
  5. Ives – I wasn’t able to comment live today but I love reading your rundown after the match. Great to get your immediate reactions. Thanks for the effort and good work.

    And I think DMB might actually take some criticism for this match just because people still can’t fathom him as a fullback. I still have concerns about his size and lack of power against bigger attackers (like a Dirk Kuyt, if we met the Dutch in the WC) but his ability to attack from that position is a boon for sure. He and Hejduk making runs is fantastic, as long as Gooch/Boca can cover. That’s the real question for me: can our centerbacks hold down the fort while DMB/Frankie make runs?

    Reply
  6. what is the deal with everyone drinkin the Hejduk Kool-aid? Yes we all like how he drinks with the fans, does post games with his shirt off like Bret Michaels, and says dude alot. but come on!!! he is not that great. He runs forever and has no fear. hmm i can think of a couple thousand marathon runners who fit that description. You put any decent left sided player against him and Hejduk becomes a walking red card. Spare me the Hejduk praise. Im not a hater, just a realist. Paging Dolo, Dolo where are you? Oh and when is the last time we could say the US scored from open play. Usually its soom FK or corner. Thats the most impressive thing to take away from the game for me

    Reply

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