The U.S. men's national team is in must-win mode tonight as it faces El Salvador in World Cup qualifying in Sandy, Utah (8pm, ESPN Classic).
The Americans currently sit in third place in CONCACAF qualifying, but a win tonight would go a long way toward helping the USA qualify.
I will be providing commentary throughout the evening so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
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FINAL– That's all for tonight. Please feel free to share your post-match thoughts in the comments section below.
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FINAL– The Americans won and avoided losing any players to yellow card suspensions. Some great performances, and some shaky ones. OVerall though, the US team showed heart to fight back and earn a sorely-needed home win.
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FINAL– USA 2, El Salvador 1. It was much tougher than some would have expected, but the Americans battled back from a goal down to record a crucial three points.
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93rd minute– Great play by Holden to break up a chance.
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92nd minute- El Salvador with a last gasp.
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90th minute– SAVE!!! Jose Torres had a clear header but it was saved by a GREAT stop from Montes. Sure goal there. Great pass from Holden.
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89th minute– Americans with too many turnovers, but El Salvador sends one out of bounds. One minute left.
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87th minute– SAVE HOWARD. Stops a shot from Reyes. Not sure he was onside.
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86th minute– Four minutes to go. Can the Americans add a third goal?
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85th minute– Look for Donovan to move up top, as well as roam and help defensively, while Torres works the left flank.
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84th minute– Jose Francisco Torres is in for Altidore.
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83rd minute– Not a great night for Bornstein. El Salvador corner kick.
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81st minute– El Salvador is still pushing for an equalizer. Americans look tired. They have one more sub left.
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80th minute– Beckerman comes in for Benny Feilhaber.
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78th minute– Kyle Beckerman is warming up and could come in.
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76th minute– Davies' injury was a calf injury.
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75th minute– Rudis Corrales comes in for Quintanilla.
Bornstein with another turnover.
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73rd minute– Holden is in. Look for him to be on the right wing, with Dempsey moving up top.
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71st minute– Charlie Davies is down. Leg injury. WHo comes in? I say Holden.
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69th minute– Nice passes between Feilhaber and Dempsey, but again, the final pass is lacking.
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67th minute– El Salvador pressing hard for an equalizer. Americans look gassed. Bob Bradley needs some subs. Stuart Holden is one that comes to mind.
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65th minute– So much for the home team getting calls in a big game. These Honduran officials have not had a good night.
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64th minute– Bradley with a dangerous turnover that El Salvador nearly turns into a shot on goal. He can't afford to lose the ball in front of the defense.
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61st minute– If there's a bright spot on the waived-off goal it is that the play showed what a few passes can do to El Salvador's defense. Combine well and the chances will come for the USA.
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60th minute– Unless the referee whistled Altidore for a foul I'm not sure what the call was there.
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58th minute– A USA goal from Altidore is waved off. Curious call on that one.
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54th minute– Bradley misses wide from 23. Good chance there.
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53rd minute– Some extended possession for the Americans and Spector with another good cross.
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51st minute– Arturo Alvarez comes out of the match, gets some boos. Romero is in for El Salvador.
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46th minute– We're back
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HALFTIME– The Americans definitely woke up after that El Salvador goal, a goal the US team may have needed in order to have a fire lit under it. TOo many wasted chances early on, but now that the USA has found a rhythm, they need to convert the other chances that are going to come.
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HALFTIME– USA 2, El Salvador 1. The breakdowns that led to the El Salvador goal were bad, but the comeback showed heart and the ability of the American attack.
Great job by Donovan to provide the service on both goals, and Dempsey and Altidore convert the chances.
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45th minute- GOAL ALTIDORE!!!!! A beautiful ball from Donovan and clinical header finish for Altidore. And yes, Altidore and Davies do the Stanky Leg.
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45th minute– USA with two corners but can't put a shot on goal.
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45th minute– Chances that Bob Bradley's half-time speech includes a message to stop the back-heels and ball tricks? Pretty high.
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44th minute– Bradley and Feilhaber need to do a better job of communicating on their surges forward. They get caught forward at the same time and leave a ton of space behind them when El Salvador counters.
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42nd minute– Dempsey does it again. He missed a handful of good chances, but he steps up yet again.
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41st minute- GOAL USA!!!!! And it's Dempsey with the header off a GREAT ball from DOnovan. USA 1, El Salvador 1.
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40th minute– DAVIES SHOT SAVED off the line!!! Wow, El Salvador saved on that one by Marvin Gonzalez.
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39th minute– DEMPSEY MISSES! A great cross from Spector but Dempsey misses yet again. Bad day so far for the Fulham man.
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35th minute– DAVIES WIDE! He streaked in close to goal but couldn't put his shot on net. Great chance by Davies.
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34th minute– Multiple breakdowns on that goal and El Salvador is energized right now. Bornstein bad clear, too much space and Howard was out of position.
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32nd minute- GOAL EL SALVADOR!!! Christian Castillo with a header after a poor clearance attempt by Bornstein.
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28th minute– Dempsey MISS wide. Davies with a great quick move and cross into the area, but Dempsey can't put in on net.
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25th minute– Americans have done well to keep possession, but can't finish the final pass. Bornstein hasn't looked too bad early on at left back.
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21st minute– For those wondering, the referee is Jose Pineda from Honduras.
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20th minute– Bradley misses wide from distance, nice run to get the look, could have taken another touch and gotten closer. Better from the US offense, still not enough though.
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18th minute– The referee is calling everything against the Americans early on. US team needs to be careful and adjust. With seven starters in yellow card jeopardy, they don't want key suspensions going into Wednesday's qualifiers vs. Trinidad & Tobago.
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17th minute– Bradley dispossesses Alvarez.
Americans with a nice break, but couldn't put one on net.
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16th minute– Altidore needs to do better on the long corner from Donovan.
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15th minute– Davies draws a corner. Can Donovan make one count.
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13th minute– Bradley showing some good composure early on.
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11th minute– The free kick was wasted and the Americans couldn't do anything with the rebound. Can't waste free kicks like that.
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9th minute– Foul on El Salvador sets up a great free kick at the left corner of the area. Donovan with a nice run to create that.
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8th minute– Chad Marshall has been involved in some bad calls early and will need to keep his cool.
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6th minute– Drinking games tonight (it is Saturday night after all): El Salvador faked injuries, Davies shots on goal and good Donovan corner kicks/bad Donovan free kicks.
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5th minute– Marshall whistled for a questionable foul. El Salvador has some quick players who will trouble the USA's back-line.
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3rd minute– How will Chad Marshall do tonight? This is his first qualifier in four years.
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2nd minute– A shaky moment for the USA back-line but Howard clears the danger.
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1st minute– USA corner
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1st minute– We're underway.
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PRE-GAME– Very spirited rendition of the American national anthem, perhaps the best of this qualifying round (though the one in Columbus was great).
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PRE-GAME– We're getting close to kickoff in Sandy and the crowd is pumped.
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PRE-GAME– Here is El Salvador's starting lineup:
Miguel Montes, Marvin Gonzalez, Henriquez, Ramon Flores, Arturo Alvarez, Ramon Sanchez, Eliseo Quintanilla, Rodolfo Zelaya, Manuel Salazar, Deris Ariel Umanzor, Christian Castillo.
Zelaya, Quintanilla and Castillo are the key attacking threats for an El Salvador team that isn't likely to open things up too much.
And yes, Arturo Alvarez is starting. After being an injury doubt all week, the American-born winger is going to face his native country.
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PRE-GAME– Here are the USA subs:
Guzan, Holden, Ching, Rogers, Cherundolo, Beckerman, Torres
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PRE-GAME– Bornstein's inclusion will turn some heads but he'll have a chance tonight to show that he's once again the top natural left-back option in the pool.
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PRE-GAME– Here is the USA lineup for tonight:
——————Altidore—————Davies—————
Donovan———————————————Dempsey
——————Bradley———-Feilhaber——————
Bornstein——Bocanegra——-Marshall———–Spector
—————————Howard—————————–
Altidore gets the start, as does Feilhaber, while Spector gets the nod ahead of Cherundolo. This is the lineup we figurd to see if Altidore was fit enough to start. Bob Bradley will have his team on the attack from the start.
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madmax-
Even though lol, truth is Blanco gave a crucial pass on the first two and made a superhuman run on the second, that if Guardado would not have been there to tap in, he would’ve!
Efrain Juarez, which some nincompoop, had called ‘bad’ in some other post, and has become the great discovery of Aguirre, made a fantasmagorical play to set up Gio for the second. and Osorio was pure class on defense yesterday!
Jeff-
I think Marquez comes to life on real important matches, and especially against Argentina. Guardiola must see in him something, since now even Puyol is being weeded out of central defense in favor of him and Pique!
As for the rest of your analysis, I mostly agree.
Can’t wait to see Jones play, and YES more JF TOWERS!!!
Actually only Dos Santos came to play football. The other 21 were involved in a street fight. Without Dos the game ends 0-0 with bruises and scars. Dos looks like the best player in the region by a mile.
Joe in Miami – tho’ he’s a good player, Marquez does not give gravitas to MEX shirt. Not just v US, but he sees red & yellow 2 much….but I dont need to sort out MEX’s issues….For the US Nats, I think that we close to complete. Jones & Castillo only bump marginal guys back (mayeb Rico, maybe MoEdu, I pray Bornstein). Still the squad has some issues re: tactics. The single biggest Q is wil Bob bench his son for Jones. From what all say, Jones is a great box-to-box guy, D first, but enuff offense to contrbute. GER Kicker mag rates him 1st last year, top 5 last three seasons. If Jones is as good as advertised, then Bob could play Benny all the time…even think about JF Towers or Holden with Landon up top (Clint gets benched b/c poor form v magic drives me crazy)….
Jeff-
I agree to a certain point, But most teams have an overlap where they have a combo of exoerience and new blood, which most often than not, is necessary.
I still feel that Marquez and especially Blanco give a sense of gravitas to the Mexican team.
I can honestly say that this is still NOT the final MNT squad that we’ll see in the WC!
The US didn’t play all that bad. And remember, they didn’t have all their guys either. And I wouldn’t consider El Salvador the ‘dregs’ of the Hex. Obviously they got here. Of course, if The ref didn’t disallow that perfectly legit goal scored by Altidore, there wouldn’t be all this grumbling going on. However Mexico does look good right now…
How is this US team better than the one from four years ago?
The problem with El Tri was similar to what we see with bob. Guys getting picked to start based on prior performance (& some bias) not on who’s good now. Hugo was a complete disaster who refused to see that the 06 squad needed retooling. He delayed intro of new blood. Sven was an outsider who could have culled the ranks, but didn’t. Aguirre, kicks & all, made the changes. The Gold Cup is their best team, period….just not the most experienced one, the one we beat soundly in 07 & 08 in friendlies.
Hush-
You are obviously drunk!
The US is at its peak, and won’t be getting any better than this!
Mexico is at 80% max, and missing major players, still!
Let me clear up the fog for you… OK?
What you really meant to say is that Mexico went thru a bewildering time when Sven was at the helm, and NEVER understood his footballing ideas! That since Aguirre arrived they have ONLY been improving and will only get better. And that by the times qualifiers are all said and done, they will probably be fourteen games undefeated and No.#1 in the table, with Honduras #2, and the US#3!
And that you’re obviously SCARED at how poorly the USMNT is playing, and your rant is like nervous giggling!
The Dutch have also been IMPROVING ever since they invented modern football. And they’re STILL WAITING TO WIN THE BIG ONE!!!
INVENTED modern football, and are still dreaming of winning the BIG ONE!
Yet another US Goal disallowed by typical CONCACAF nonsense! US plays El Salvador (and I commend their 5-4-1 set up on an away game, credit to them), we get a ref from Honduras! Great. Why not at least a ref from Canada or at least Trinidad. It wouldn’t be great, but sheesh…
@dman:
Unfortunately Fifa always prefers to give Mexico the seeded position over the US even if we come in above them in qualifying.
I gotta say though after seeing this game maybe I like the empty bucket of Clark with Bradley. I actually think Feilhaber had a slightly better game than Bradley. The issue is Bradley is always going forward while at least Clark is more of a stay-at-home defensive midfielder. I would like to see Feilhaber & Clark vs the Trini’s. But will BB sub junior???
All in all at least we’re not Argentina and Portugal right now…
US needs to win the next 2 to avoid a last game dogfight with Costa Rica.
Mexico has a great chance to win the group and screw the US in getting seeded.
Marshall ,Beckerman,Bornstein, have no business in the USMNT!!! I hate to say it, but after the W.C 2010 BB has to go!! The U.S played liked they had already won the game,.. what the fuc$ is up with that, Mr.BOB??!! El Salvador is one of the worse teams in the concacaf and yesterday we played like one too! BB needs to stick with one lineup and stop changing things around every freaking game!! Now I know that some players couldn’t play because of suspension or yellow cards, but after the Confederations cup BB took a different team going in to mexico and that is messing up the chemistry between players! Why mess around with something that is working?!!
MExico VS Costa:
Costa Rica showed yesterday that they can’t play without their captain Walter Centeno!!! Centeno is the heart and the brain of the team! They were still very overated by concacaf! Costaricans fans and players were actually thinking they wre the better team in the Concacaf, I guess the mexicans gave them a reality check!lol
MExico: They are just an average team. They are the second best team in our area, but they will struggle sooner or later, then they will rise up once again,.. like they usually do every W.C qualifier. They are not consistant, but then, who really is in the Concacaf?lol The U.S is the only team that has been growing tremendously in the last 15 years. The rest of the concacaf teams just sort of fall and get back running again, sort of like a cycle! I’m not surprise with the 3-0! Costa rica next time around wil win in the Azteca!lol
oh. jozy+charlie equals team stanky leg. goals and dances, they do it big. TSA 2010 just like like the us commercial except instead of usa 2010 its Team Stanky America 2010
Cost Rica was always overated ive said that before. For whatever reason our USMNT are a bunch of scared p#ssies on the road.
Should have trounced Costa Rica and El Salvador away. Mexico did what they should have done.
Costa Rica had the advantage of a favorable schedule early. This led to a lot of Stupid Costa Rica are the new kings of Concacaf posts.
Additionaly the US has looked like crap all year except the home game against T and T and of course Spain and Egypt.
US at El Salvador…played like Crap gave up early goal
US at Costa Rica played like pansies. Gave up early goal
US at MExico played scared
US home to Honduras looked bad gave up early goal
US home against El Salvador looked bad gave up early goal.
Seriously El Salvador is horrible should have been 4-0 now with it getting tight were not doing good on goal differential.
Mexico blowing away the pansies and were giving up the early goal to them and barely beating them by 1 goal.
dang mexico owned costa rica worse than they owned us.
i think their gold cup victory woke them up.
21st minute- For those wondering, the referee is Jose Pineda from Honduras.
guess the Obamao administration shouldn’t have cut off aid to Honduras
Bornstein made miss Jay Heaps.
The guy is just horrible no touch poor defending.
Dempsey needs to play up top offers little as a midfielder.
Why the negativity?
A) we won
B) we were clearly the better team
C) we won even though calls went against us
D) Remember when we had no strikers?
Altidore and Davies are for real
E) The goal against us was a gigantic screw up that happened because our top defenders were not present.
F) Could have been 3 -6 goals for us on the right night.
MOTM: Davies (2 goals)
Sleeper (surprise star): Holden (1 assist)
Asleep: Bornstein
i really want Deuce to have a solid game, but our forwards need to shine like no other!
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my prediction wasn’t that far off…
ok ya just a bit
Deuce came through, but i was hoping for Davies to finish that one touch he had, particularly cuz that’s all we’ll get vs. Espana y Brazil. word.
awesome job USA!!! proud of y’all! CONCACA ain’t as tough as CONMEBOL but it’s sure is getting there!
johnathon bornstein … r u kidding me. gmafb bob bradley. dolololololololo
Every cycle we have that defender we hold on to for too long. 2002 Agoos. 2006 Pope. I fear Bocanegra may be the 2010 version. I hope he proves me wrong. But right now if we do not settle the LB slot we are in trouble. He is not the answer out wide.
Cenote-
Marquez sucks???
Some people are just…stupid!
John1-
Oh so now Mexico won beacause CR is a bad team?
Let me tell you something, Aguirre is ten times the coach Diego Maradona is, and as of this moment I’ll bet my life savings that Mexico beats Argentina!!!
And something YOU DON”T KNOW, but I’ll tell you OK?
In all of the teams that won or tied in South American qualifiers, except the Brazil/Argentina, there where players involved in each goal scored, that have either played, or play in Mexico!
The Mexican league and their National team are coming back BIG…PERIOD!
So basically one point for MNT “guarantees” within all practical scenarios a playoff spot, and three+ points is a practical “guarantee” for 3rd place or better.
Not worried.
I’m glad most of you are couch coaches! Go to bed already. Jeez!
Marquez sucks and Vela never starts. At Saprissa is impressive, assuming CR shows up. Since they didn’t, less so. Try again.
Dempsey is not worthless — he’s tired. He’s played more minutes, between club and country, than anyone else on the Nats over the last year. He really needed more of a summer break than he got — he looked exhausted during the Confed Cup.
Let’s see Mexico wihout Marquez, Vela, Moreno, and for the first seventy five minutes Guardado, and they destroy CR at Saprissa?
Call me crazy, but that to me is PRETTY IMPRESSIVE!!!
demspey is completely worthless. he is so interested in being pele or ronaldinho, but he’s not even close.
As I stated when Costa Rica defeated the U.S. in Costa Rica, that it was preposterous to state that Costa Rica was the best in the region. I also stated that Costa Rica was not that great of a team and would fade, and it looks like they will. Costa Rica has its handful in El Salvador now. I would not give too much praise to the Mexican side since Costa Rica is not a very good team right now. El Salvador is a better side at the moment. The U.S. now has its chance to win the group, and I believe it will. It would have been great to have seen Mexico play Argentina and lose to Argentina, but it looks like Mexico will probably go to the World Cup and lose 3 consecutive matches there, while the U.S. makes the quarter finals.
So it’s ELEVEN matches without losing for El TRI!
obviously that should be 3 pts there…I wish….g’night!
Uh, @ThaDuece from 10:45; Alabama won tonight. RTR!
I’m glad we got the 5 pts, but this was not a good win. Fortunately, we are not going to go without our two best CBs every time. But where the he#! was our midfield in the second half? Holden and Torres pleased, but Bornstein and Beckerman can go to SA only to fill out the numbers, in my opinion.
MC23, the problem I have with both DeMerit and Gooch starting at the same time is that they are too similar and we lose the balance. The both like to attack the ball and are good at it but thier positioning is terrible and are too often caught watching the ball and not the player.
Andrew, no contest between DeMerit and Gooch? Idk about that. As for Boca, I agree that he’s late closing down but we have also given up many goals due to bad positioning by Gooch. He’s also not that great on 1 v 1 defending. He’s just a beast attacking the ball on 50/50s.
Well the US have to pretty much at the least go 2-0-1 and assume everything else goes to plan….
go to http://www.mediotiempo.com/multimedia/infografias/simuladores&cual=408
and mess around with the hexagonal
the Honduras game is scary
Jaime —
See, I disagree. They WERE Mexico’s best players, they just hadn’t been given the opportunity to start. No excuses for the US performances — I wish our coach had played young and promising players in the Gold Cup rather than the old MLS hands he played. But, bear this in mind please, Mexico is not as good as they looked tonight either. Gio is good, Torrado is enjoying a brief return to form, and that is making all of the difference. I still like the US team better on a neutral field if the best players are selected. But I prefer Mexico’s coach to BB.
mex 3-0 cr
Cenote-
With all do respect, the players that Mexico played in the Gold Cup AT THE TIME, WHERE NOT Mexico’s best players, Aguirre inspired them to become just that!
The trite excuses about the rapidly decaying US team are getting sad!
Japan and MC —
I have some concerns about Boca anywhere right now. He seems to have lost a step or two. Gooch and Demerit both offer a little more athletically and I fear that Boca is going to be the next Beasley/Mastroeni, as in the player that everyone knows (except BB) has lost it but who BB keeps starting. I hope I’m wrong, but it’s not often thsat you see someone stop the kind of slide I fear Boca’s on.