Photo by ISIphotos.com
For the third time in four matches, the U.S. men's national team surrendered an early goal in a hotly-contested match-up. For the third time in four matches, the Americans tasted defeat.
A sixth-minute goal by Brazil's Felipe Melo doomed the USA to play catch-up mode and it was never up to the task as several players delivered underwhelming performances in a 3-0 drubbing that killed off any chances the Americans had of reaching the Confederations Cup semifinals.
While Melo's header started things off, it was DaMarcus Beasley's awful miscue that helped set-up Brazil's second goal and effectively ended any chances of a U.S. comeback. Beasley failed to control a short USA corner kick in his own penalty area, setting off a blazing-fast counterattack that went Kaka to Ramires to Robinho, who beat a helpless Tim Howard for Brazil's second goal just 19 minutes into the match.
Maicon's deflected goal in the 61st minute came just five minutes after Sacha Kljestan's terrible challenge on Ramires that produced a red card, leaving the Americans down a man against a Brazil team that put things on cruise control the rest of the match. Benny Feilhaber and Conor Casey both hit the woodwork with shots late, but that was all the U.S. team could muster in defeat.
Bright spots for the Americans? Landon Donovan, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu and Jonathan Spector put in admirable performances in defeat. Disappointments? Bob Bradley's lineup selection was tragic, Beasley had a shocker, Kljestan was overmatched and Dempsey delivered another yawner.
Now the Americans face Egypt on Sunday with nothing to play for but pride as U.S. coach Bob Bradley gets one more chance to test players out in an international competition.
What did you think of the U.S. team's performance today? Disgusted? Disappointed? Did you never really give the USA a chance against Brazil today? Still trying to figure out why Bradley started Beasley and Kljestan? Will you still watch the Egypt match?
Share your thoughts below.
I’ve got a question for all those Ching haters out there….Do you like the US attack more or less without Ching up top?
I just emailed Gulati the following:
Re: Logically, Bradley is clueless.
Its pretty linear to conclude as much. Here’s the argument: US players play at a higher level now than they did 10 years ago; the highest level has remained constant during those 10 years; the only explanation for inferior performances are tactical missteps.
Quite frankly, the US has not looked like a real soccer team since the U-20s’ performance in Canada. One must either conclude that our players are terrible, or that the coaching is terrible. There is no other logical conclusion. However, the former is also illogical, because as noted above, our players demand higher transfer fees and play for better teams than ever before.
I recommended to you well over a year ago to drop Bradley.
If we lose to Egypt, I can’t see how you can have any other choice.
I have tickets already to South Africa – please make a change so that while there, it will not be embarrassing to call myself an American soccer fan. I travel a lot and have lived abroad several places, and it kills me when I tell non-Americans that I am an American soccer fan and player (NCAA III quarterfinalist; US Open Cup participant) and their verbal and nonverbal response indicates they think including “American” and “soccer” in the same sentence is an oxymoron.
As a Bob Bradley apologist, I understand his player selection. You give guys 2nd and 3rd chances to repay your trust. In this case, it didn’t happen, and the results were abyssmal. They repaid his trust with terrible performances. I still don’t see the need to change coachs, but I can certainly see why those who doubt Bob are ready for a change. He served up a high risk lineup and everything that could go wrong went wrong, he he’ll take heat because of it.
Bob Bradley needs to go. I think Howard said it best after the match…”sometimes David doesn’t beat Goliath.” This is our entire problem. We need to get over the fact that just being there is good enough. We aren’t David anymore and this isn’t 1994. Our performance in the last month has been pathetic. If BB is still allowing his players to make these kind of statements than it is pretty obvious that his players do not believe in him or his ability to coach anymore.
We have to do this now, or else we are going have another WC of frustration and disappointment. It is time we start playing like a Top 15 Team.
This isn’t an issue of playing top competition…I don’t care who we play…but getting outscored 10-4 in th last four matchs is unacceptable.
Dempsey’s season has been no longer than most of the guys he playing against. Fulham didn’t play Champion’s League. So the question is, “What’s really wrong?” Is he trying to do too much? I would say yes. Why? Because he probably doesn’t believe in the system and is playing outside himself.
Donovan DID NOT have a “great” match. He has ZERO offensive impact most of the time (unless it’s a PK).
What is he trying to do?
Is he generating offensive opportunities? Is he creating space?
Is he creating chances?
Does he come up to support Jozy for those zillion balls they lob into him at the top of the formation surrounded by 3 defenders?
So then what’s so great about how he played?
Jozy receiving lobs at the top of the box w/ no MFers making runs is STUPID. He has size, and he posses but w/ no MFers attacking it’s beyond easy to defend. So he get pushed in the back and beaten on and then gives up the ball because he has no outlet. Then we come on here and say, “He can’t get it done.”
Although, he HAS TO be more aggressive when he does get space. He has not developed the termination mentality because I think he defers to Donovan way too much. He needs to realize/believe that HE is the finisher.
It’s not Bob Bradley or Gulati (primarily). It’s the players. Particularly the midfield, which has been horrible. You can’t win if you can’t keep possession.
Is it me or does this team look completely disorganized and lost in any formation besides a 4-4-2. I don’t know why Bradley insists on using other formations that clearly disorganize his team. Keep it simple stupid.
I agree using Sascha and Beasley was a clear mistake even before their biggest flups of the day.
It is clear to everyone on this site and every other site that Dempsey is out of gas. He has played the longest club season of his career and almost every national team minute. He will never admit it himself but he needs a break. No reason not to sub him out yesterday after you went down 3-0. It is clear from his work rate that he doesn’t have anything left in the tank. Bradley, you have a bench full of players who want a chance. Give it to them.
I think the Egypt game needs to be an audition. Give Guzan, Adu, Davies, and Torres playing time. Show the regulars that if they are going to embarrass the country their are plenty of others guys to step in and play.
When is Bradley going to be questioned as a viable coach of this team? It has been some time since we have seen the US squad play a solid match and however dangerous it may be to consider a coaching change this close to the Cup something needs to be done. The tactics are poor and they consistently seem unprepared. We will not improve until the team learns how to be organized for 90 minutes and I am afraid that is not going to happen under Bradley.
Spector’s man on first goal, but cross was perfectly placed and more likely Howard’s ball for me.
sacha sucks should not be on the national team he does not know how play against real teams and same goes for Beasley he is a tragedy and a few other players, Bob bradley should start pickin right players for the national team or hes gone lol cuz we needs a winning team and this loss was no tactic and wasn’t paid to lose don’t start making things up they just have no skill what so ever really suck against real soccer players
My girlfriend, who knows not much about soccer, thinks that we might have been paid off to be sure we lose. Judging by our performance, she may have a point. However, I countered, that would be a waste of money. Looking back on it though, maybe we are playing poorly on purpose. Hey, maybe, like some crazy jerk during the Italy game was saying Italy was doing, maybe we are doing it. This dummy said that the Italians weren’t trying so a year from now we would understimate them. well, that is a dumb tactic, and clearly Italy wasn’t doing that. Bob and co. may not be that good at tatics, so maybe this is their tactic!
Beasley is a tragedy. Either he has lost all self-confidence, or simply doesn’t have the motivation to play anymore. Doesn’t matter to me which one, he has no place on this team. You can see it in his face. Hhe is vacant. Time to hang up the cleats.
This team lacks discipline and mental toughness. The immaturity of the younger players is showing. We don’t need a million dollar manager, but we do need one who is competent and returns to the basics … like completing a pass, taking a shot on goal, marking up the open man, and playing with some heart. Maybe this is just an indicator of American culture right now.
The team seems dysfunctional and we should be approaching peak performance a year out from WC. Replace Bradley? Not sure that solves the problem. But, something needs to change.
I thought Bradley (the player), the backline, and Donovan had a good game. It’s interesting I think our defense despite giving up six goals in two games has played quite well, it’s the completely disorganized front six that has let them and US fans down. Dempsey has to be spent because he’s just wasting space out their, beasley’s fall from form has been shocking, the guy hasn’t been himself since a year or two after 2002 world cup. Or maybe the two good years at PSV and the 2002 world cup cycle were just a fluke?
Anyways Jozy is out of form as well, so depending on him so much is quite unfair, hated his flop against Italy, and wish he would use his size more in individual battles. Ching in my mind is a 1000 times more effective up top at this point, but JOzy is the future. If Bob Bradley is to go this late in the game it should be for Klinsmann who is at least familiar with the US setup.
My squad for next game
Altidore up top, Adu in the hole
Donovan and Davies on the wings
Bradley and Fielhaber in the middle
bornstein, Gooch, DeMerit, Spector
Howard
When will USA stop using players that persist in misconduct (e.g.,Sascha the Basher)
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I feel utterly, truly hopeless. This tournament has nearly crushed my excitement for the World Cup.
I just realized something…
God created barley so that men would invent beer, all the while knowing that men would fall in love with a game they invented called soccer, and one day they would fall into tough times and find solace in the beer when their national team suffers an embarrassing, disgraceful loss in front of the entire soccer world.
Unfortunately, our beer compares to the rest of the world much as our soccer does.
Is it too much of a long shot to think that italy will lose badly to brazil and we will win by a margin of 3 or more against egypt to somehow still get to the next stage?
I think Dempsey is the big question after this match. Why was he acting so, for lack of a better world, weird in the second half? I think dropping him from the team should at least be considered.
You can read the rest of my reaction to the other 14 U.S. players here: http://intelligentsoccer.com/?p=286
stop playing beasley…he’s playing himself out of the team and the 18 man roster
*not putting Dempsey in
I still have faith in our guys to do well in the World Cup and I have no hate for Bob Bradley…however: For the first time I am saying that Bob Bradley has to go. I excused some of his previous decisions as being preparations for serious games, but these were serious games and he was baffling. Beasley again? No thought to putting Dempsey in? I dunno, I’m never a fan of shaking up a team’s management too often, but I think we’d get to 2010 regardless and this just isn’t cutting it
if the team shows no passion or if that same squad starts against Egpyt then BB is gone..if he doesnt get fired then our system is seriously corrupt! which is a realistic circumstance that is definately happening which no one seems to discuss..the US has progressed but with all the butt kissing going on inside the system the US will never be a dominate team..i mean come on..we should be cruising in CONCACAF with our talent pool but we for some reason are struggling???
Where’s the accountability in this debacle? Where’s the inspired play? Where’s the heart? Bueller? Anybody? It’s a shame that players get playing time because of their reputation and not because of their performance or form. No need to panic b/c qualifying for the WC in CONCACAF should still be a breeze. However, the USSF seriously needs to reflect on the most likely outcome next summer. 3 games and out.
It seems to me that the Nats performance dropped significantly when Peter Nowak left.