By FRANCO PANIZO
PASADENA, Calif. - The U.S. men's national team started its Gold Cup final almost as good as anyone could have imagined, but a two-goal lead to start the game wasn't enough against its most bitter rival.
The United States lost its second consecutive Gold Cup final to Mexico, falling 4-2 in a thrilling match played in front of a sold out crowd of 93,420 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.
Goals from Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan put the Americans ahead 23 minutes into the game, but Mexico responded with four unanswered. Pablo Barrera netted twice and Andres Guardado and Giovani Dos Santos added one a piece as Mexico stayed undefeated in the tournament, won its sixth Gold Cup title and a place in the 2013 Confederations Cup.
“These games, more often than not, come down to special plays and sometimes players,” said Donovan, who started in his first game of the knockout rounds. "They just made more plays."
The Mexicans pushed the game from the opening whistle, looking dangerous with runs on the flank from Barrera and Guardado.
The U.S. team withstood the pressure, however, and opened the scoring in the eighth minute when surprise starter Freddy Adu whipped in a corner kick that Bradley was able to head home.
The United States' fortunes took a turn for the worse three minutes later as Steve Cherundolo sustained an injury to his left ankle. He was replaced by Jonathan Bornstein, who manned the left flank while Eric Lichaj switched to right back.
"Both teams had to deal with losing some players, key players," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "But certainly Stevie is an important part of our back line and when you play Mexico because of the way they play, it's a real challenge to your back four.
"Mexico came out and put all the pressure right from the start. I think we were figuring out ways to deal with it. Losing Stevie hurts in that moment, and we then move Eric Lichaj to the right and Jonny Bornstein comes in. But not having that experience at that point is a tough one."
The Americans didn't appear to let the injury phase them at first, doubling their lead in th 23rd when Clint Dempsey sprung Donovan free on goal. Donovan, deployed as a forward to start the match, raced by goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera and finished with his left foot. It was Donovan's first goal since last summer's World Cup.
Then things changed for the worse for the Americans, as El Tri began attacking Bornstein.
That resulted in Mexico starting its comeback with a goal from Barrera near the half-hour mark. Following a throw-in, Barrera got behind Bornstein and received a pass from Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez before finishing with a shot inside the near post.
The Mexicans found their equalizer in the 36th minute when Guardado found the back of the net. The play began when Dos Santos cut inside of Bornstein and played a ball across the penalty area. Lichaj got a touch on it but not enough, allowing Guardado to pounce on the loose ball and tap it in from close range.
"They did well to battle back,” said Tim Howard. “I thought we knocked the stuffing out of them at 2-0. We really hit them where it hurt, but take your hat off to them. They’re a good bunch of players.
It was more of the same in the second half as Mexico got a goal five minutes after the intermission. Guardado played a ball to Barrera, who took a couple of touches on the ball and then took a shot with the outside part of his right foot passed a helpless Howard.
“It’s beyond me how they rallied back from that,” said Howard. “We hit them, they counterpunched, and I think they staggered us with that counterpunch.
The U.S. team had chances to equalize, but Mexico added a fourth goal with 14 minutes left in regulation to seal the victory. Dos Santos received a through ball into the six yard box and he eluded an oncoming Howard, dribbling away from goal before floating a shot over a leaping Lichaj into the top corner of the goal.
"It's one of those things where we had a great start and unfortunately they got a couple goals and it put a lot of pressure on us," said Adu. "It's not easy playing against quick, fast guys. Like their whole front line are quick, fast guys and it's difficult for us to always have to deal with every single one of them. They've got a lot of weapons."
Those weapons translated into a loss that the Americans will find tough to digest. That, and bragging rights and a Gold Cup title for Mexico.
Get it done mrk_76! Lead the charge.
Dolo probably won’t be on the next WC team because of his age if the world cup was next month and he was healthy he would start for us. The fact of the matter is that in International soccer you have to constantly reload and the US is lagging behind in reloading it’s back line. We are set in the mid field as we have lots of good younge players and Dempsy and Donavan will be solid veterans for the next WC (maybe starters but maybe back ups) I also like us up top with Altidore, Davies, and Agudelo in the mix. It’s the back line that will hold this team back. We need chandler(capped) and Lachaj to continue to improve and we need at least one of the following players to raise their game to pair with goodson in the middle: Ream, John (who should have been on this team), Whitebeard.
Also because you have to reload every cycle you need to have a new coach every cycle. Bob bradley like areana before him doen’t bring fresh eyes to the squad which is why Onyewu and Borenstine make this team. It is why shasa makes and plays on this team and bedoya is a late injury sub. I don’t care who the coach is I’d just like someone knew who comes with a clean slate so every player has to step up and earn his spot (notice how donavan was pretty complacent for the whole gold cup except the final)
+1000000000000….
Hundreds of millions? You really have no idea about USSF, do you? The biggest clue was talking about Gulati’s fat paycheck. Just so you know, the President of USSF is an unpaid position. Want to know more about the org’s finances? Go to their website, download the last annual report and 990 form. It’s all public information. Do some basic research, or just keep spewing nonsensical comments. Whichever.
Well, that, and the US has ridiculous numbers of its elite athletes going into other sports… as far as numbers of actual soccer players, the US is effectively a country the size of like South Korea. Which can put together a good team, but isn’t challenging for World Cup wins.
Maybe there’ll be a cultural shift. I’m not holding my breath, though.
I do agree that the youth/college system is retarded, though. As in so many other areas, Americans have this idiotic notion that laissez-faire and the “private sector” will solve anything if you just wish hard enough.
What does Gulati get paid? Nothing, actually. i’m sure the Revs and Columbia pay him something, but not USSF.
Spector lost his job as a defender on a team which was relegated from the EPL.
Show me a depth chart foe each of those positions and I might agree with you. On paper our confed cup squad was supposed to go to south Africa and that did not happen.
Well get used to living a miserable life!
Only half joking!
In 2009/2010 Chicharito was a monster for Chivas, and you obviously don’t understand that players go through cycles! Did you watch any of the games from the 2005 U-17 WC in Peru? Dos Santos assisted half the goals for Mexico to become World Champion 3-0 vs favorites Brazil! He was playing for Barcelona at 19 years old and was first choice for Rijkaard over Messi as a Barca sub!
The fact that he made a huge mistake leaving Barca and never took off in England is not unique and has happened to more than a few. Giovani’s style and characteristics are better suited for La Liga and he is obviously wanting to go to a better club which finally motivated him to play his @ss off.
You have your opinion but Giovani is not just good.
Bornstein was getting burned up a Mexican who can’t even crack the starting line up at West Ham. Spector was higher in the pecking order than him.
If only Bradley would have taken Bobby Convey.
I disagree…Cherundolo had a wonderful club season and was getting forward all Gold Cup forcing opposing Flank Midfielders to defend. Lichaj had match Gio for speed and while not spectacular was doing fine. Boca is a good, good player. Goodsen while not first choice is OK….the problem WAS Bornstien. He was at fault on last 3 goals. Until BB quits playing him I will hope for another coach.
+1
It’s depressing how weak we are defensively at present.
1. Organizationally we’re weak. Bocanegra is good but has limitations as a central defender. I’m not sure if there is anyone else we can look at and say “yeah, in a year I could envision this guy organizing our defense in tough spots and looking good.” We’ve got some players who could be fine individually. But at this point, it’s a real stretch to say that Ream is that guy. Goodson could be there individually. Gooch ain’t there but with PT could make a return individually. DeMerit–that’s a real stretch to say he’s our answer…he’s going to be 4 years older by the next WC, has never been stronger technically (in a game that has evolved to high pressure which requires a backline with technical ability).
2. To argue that if only we’d had Chandler is…a non-answer. If a team is dependent upon one player to be credible and competent than it’s asking for problems. We rely a lot on Cherundolo…he goes out with an injury and where does that leave us? Besides, Chandler was a revelation going forward and with his speed. How has he looked against Guardado? Or Dos Santos?
3. The leftback situation is still uncertain. Lichaj showed a lot this cup (with some down moments but clearly some upside). There really is no-one else we can look at and project as a reasonable option.
4. Even then, this is a team with a history of giving up early goals so to say that the answer is a return to form of Gooch or relying on DeMerit…I don’t know.
Wow. This is a fabulous post. Exactly the kind of stuff I come to this forum for. I think your logic is sound, but unless we watch a training camp there’s really no way to know if these things are in fact not happening. A manager or coach can only affect change indirectly. He or she can create an environment for success and get their players as well prepared as possible, but in the end the players you have to choose from need to execute. Look, teams lose games, and the US lost this one. Will a new coach change the level of play? Maybe. Will it make u’s a ton 10 soccer power by 2014? No. I think folks who want to clean house wish to do so for all the wrong reasons, thank you for articulating some of the right ones. We need concrete ideas an reasons, not rhetorical twaddle. thanks again!
I guess everyone has said what can be said, but for me the take home points are:
– USA was naive to keep things wide open with a 2-0 lead, why not sit a bit deeper, keep possession, and counter?
– Jones and Bradley caught in possession too often
– USA tactically could not keep their shape in the second 45
– No adjustment to Mexico’s threat on Bornstein’s side
– Just the simple fact that our back 4 (and dare I say our keeper) are suffering from a combination of lack of talent, experience, no speed…the talent gap is there now.
Look deeper into the system and then look at the last goal.
Want to know what our future MNT players are doing? Not the Wondos, but the next generation. The current U9s – u16s. I’ll tell you. They are going to practice twice a week, a game on Saturday and they are not touching a ball in between.
In our highly competitive youth system the skills and confidence needed to make that last Mexico goal are, as we debate the MNT performance, being coached right out of our kids. If a young player pulled that stunt the coach would have hammered him because chances are he would have lost the ball the first time he tried it. And the second and the third. At that point the coach would screaming at him to pass the ball out of traffic.
In my area we are surrounded by more ‘elite clubs’ than there are line up opinions on this board and yet outside of official practice there are never any kids out kicking the ball around and learning the creativity and risk taking that leads to greatness. The kids in the areas where they are out learning these things are probably never going to be seen. They are going to have to get a job
when the leave school instead of going to college where they might get noticed.
The MNT coach is responsible for the line up, the game prep, the initial game plan and the half time arse kicking.
Whoever the next coach, he is going to face the same player pool with the same problems that are not in his power to fix.
If you don’t think we have a problem with the youth system take a look at the backgrounds of the 16 and 17 year olds being bought by top level European leagues out of places like Africa. Where are the young US players that are being chased for millions of $?
Enough already, I’m sorry for the US players but they were outclassed by a country that doesn’t stifle it’s young players.
Also, let’s not completely lose sight of the fact that the players nearly bailed Bradley out, again…
Dempsey’s shot off the bar. Bradley’s whip shot that bent too much and barely missed. At least 2 open-net chances. This could have ended 4-4 at 90 and gone even longer.
This game proved to me that we have the talent to beat Mexico, but we don’t have the coaching.
I agree. Our central defense was too slow and weak to handle Mexico’s fast attack. Surprised to say it, but we really could have used a fit Demerit who’s been our best center back since the World Cup. Overall, the US played alright and had a few great attacking sequences, especially with the second goal. Haven’t seen the U.S. pass that well and finish- maybe ever. You have to give credit to Mexico for scoring two phenomenal goals. The U.S. also had its chances but couldn’t finish. That’s soccer. Adu did very well most of the time, but then would make some really dumb plays, especially toward the end- holding on too the ball for too long when there were two defenders on him and there was a simple pass to be made. Also, not coming to the ball when passed to him. But, those mistakes are acceptable given his lack of experience. I thought Bob Bradley did a great job, and really can’t be blamed for having to sub in Bornstein. I do think he should have subbed early at the end and gone to more attacking posture to try and comeback.
Simple for the USA, Keep Adu in the starting 11, get some new young blood in the back, and get a coach that has played and coached at the highest level!!
He isn’t now, but yesterday he sure looked like he is heading there. He just has a different look about him on the ball than anyone on either team. You can tell he is Brazilian (unlike our Brazilian ringer Feilhaber, who most people think is German or Austrian anyway).
+1
the loss hurts buts it is what it is. and we are what we are. i always want improvement too but there is that reality thing we have to deal with.
Congrats to Mexico and they better be in the Confeds Final if not win!
Mediocre
Sucks
Sucks
Switching read the writing on the wall
Promising
Your overating them. They are a chicharito injury away from being reg mex and in the premiership it’s not if but when he will get hurt. Without him gio has less space. We’ve. Handled gio before. Lichaj Chandler Whitbread and a healthy Gooch will handle them.
Bornstein Wondo Ream should never be called on again. Not sure about Anguduelo didnt show much
Agree. We need to be more technical. There’s also no Dos Santos Chicharitos Donovans or Dempseys coming up. The u 17 team sucks and have no one special.
I’d take Freidel if he wasn’t retired from internationals…
After Mexico’s third goal, all I could think of was another Confed Cup final-like performance. That’s two finals in a row now that this coach’s team has squandered momentum of multi-goal leads against quality opposition with no fight back once the ball starts rolling the other team’s way. It is unacceptable to give up four unanswered goals after being up by two. Greater tactical changes were clearly needed during the game, particularly after our second goal.
Really, find out more please like quotes of players. Thats crazy stuff, too bad our media doesn’t pick hat stuff up (and to be fair the Mex media tends to stretch the truth sometimes)…
No it’s injuries, Feilhaber Onyewu Holden Altidore Davies out who was Mex missing? Go back to wc Jones out onyewu again nit in form due to injury same with Holden mex…. No one. Us players reliance on a overly physical game and overly physical leagues does us in. Live by the sword die by it. MLS an US players need to be more technical n quit that hack a man soccer
When you have a USSF president who rehires a coach for a second cycle and the team continues to underachieve you are going to suck. US Soccer has mediocre leadership and changes must be made. Don’t blame Bornstein. Blame Gulati and Bradley.
JJ – your point help builds John D’s argument. If one of Mexico’s best player is on the left, then why put one of the US’s weakest defenders against him?
B.Bradley had a decent tournament, but his realignment of the back line completely f#ked the US.
They still probably concedes a goal or 2, but perhaps not so embarassingly.
You can always bring him back it’s not like hell be coaching man u. The team is stale and time for a change.
There is simply no excuse for losing after going up 2-0 at “home.” As talented as this Mexican team is, they are not Spain or Brazil.
Bornstein was predictably dreadful, but the entire back four looked vulnerable even before Dolo went out. Chicharito botched a couple good chances. No doubt Spector or Edu would have been better options for Dolo (shifting Boca outside if Edu is the call). But apparently Bornstein has naked photos of BB or something.
Nevertheless, Michael Bradely and Jones were awful in midfield. Bradely got the goal but his defensive effort was terrible for a CM. Jones not much better. And Tim Howard? Wow — haven’t seen him play so badly in a long time. Barrera’s 17 yard shot beats him on the short-side — that reminds me of Ghana’s Boateng’s weak goal in the WC. The Dos Santos adventure was just pathetic.
What exactly was BB thinking after USA went up 2-0? You clearly have a vulnerable, makeshift back four that needs help, and yet we continue to play an open, attacking style, which allows Mexico to counter in wide open spaces where they excel. Foolish. Pull back and make Mexico work. USA, not Mexico, should’ve been playing the counter. The longer Mexico is down 2-0, the better the chance they starting losing their grip — bitching to each other, the refs, coaches, whomever. We’ve seen such implosions before.
BB deserves credit for playing Adu in this tourney, but other than that, what did he accomplish? He lost the first group stage game for USA and choked a 2-0 lead against our most bitter rival in the Final. Is this progress???
spector is not an EPL defender. he is an EPL midfielder.
Freddy Adu showed that he really has a place on this team.
Imagine a stadium filled with 80,000 US fans chanting Timmy Howard!
For me, I simply cannot understand bringing in Bornstein at LB instead of leaving Lichaj there, where’s been playing well, and bringing in Spector at RB for Dolo. Makes NO SENSE AT ALL.
Secondly, just for the record, there are some seriously misinformed and misguided comments on this board, clearly made by people who do not closely follow the national team or the clubs for which our guys play. Losing Dolo early on CLEARLY hurt our back line, and Mexico went right for the throat. Their first two goals were as a DIRECT result of Mexican strikers beating Bornstein. Bornstein has great pace, but a very poor sense of field positioning and marking.
I think the MNT was clearly hampered in this tournament by the absence of Holden and Chandler. Going forward, I think we’ll be fine, but we need to work on the depth and consistency of our back line. Mexico lost Marquez, their captain, early on just like we did Dolo early on, but had a capable sub to come in and didn’t completely collapse. The U.S. needs to be two deep at every position in the back. Forwards and midfielders are a little more versatile at changing up, but it is VERY difficult to bring guys into the back line that are not accustomed to playing a particular position, or who have not logged many minutes in games. Bringing in Bornstein was risky enough, but moving Lichaj to RB was disastrous.
I’ve said it for years, T Ho is a fine keeper, a very solid keeper, but all these people claiming he’s “world class” and “one of the best in the world” don’t know what they’re talking about. He didn’t have a great World Cup and he didn’t have a great Gold Cup. A world class keeper stops a couple of those.
There’s nobody else I’d rather have in goal in for the US, he’s the best we’ve got. But he would not walk into any team in the world. That’s world class.
Aren’t things ugly enough as it is? This team continues to underachieve. Even Guatemala could hold a 1-0 lead to the half.
He’s not playing at Tottenham because he wasn’t good enough to play at Tottenham. There’s your update. He’s playing for a small team in La Liga and, admittedly, doing relatively well but, no, Gio Dos Santos is not world class by any definition.
I honestly would have called in Kellyn Acosta from the U-17’s waaaaaaay before Jonathan Bornstein. For those asking who else we could have called to fill in the roster instead of some of these terrible choices: Frank Simek, Zak Whitbred, Heath Pearce, hell I would have even taken Sheanon Williams, gone with an old and tried Ramiro Corrales, Danny Califf, or given guys like Zach Loyd, Brek Shea or Sean Cunningham a chance before a slow Onyewu or a Bornstein sitting on the bench at Tigres.
Even if you don’t think Bornstein was responsible for most of those goals, it’s the aura that he brings when he steps on the field. As soon as he does, I know we’re going to lose. He’s like those rain clouds that follow cartoon characters around. The rest of the team has to cover for him, and even if he’s not directly responsible for goals, he sets off chain reactions of people trying to rush to cover that does eventually lead to goals.
So you know how many players from our previous U17 squads end up being everyday players? Even from the u17 team Landon was on we for no more than 4 so chill dude… Not to mention the best striker on that team got kicked out of the residency program and Wilmer Cabrera has repeatedly said these guys weren’t as talented as other teams he has had in the past.. We should have more faith in the u21-23 boys though, with a different coach they will ball out like nobodys business… So if we do end up makin noise in the u17s how about you go hide under a rock while the rest of us enjoy their performance
Jones was absent and Bedoya looked lost. Jones and Bradley needed to help out more on defense.
You act like you’ve known about chicharito for years lol stfu… I lived I guadalajara two years ago and he had not comebinto his own yet so give our players a chance to develop and our chicharito will reveal himself… And Gio is good but we made him look a lot better than what he is in my opinion with our sh*tty play in the back…
Yea and what about that comment implied that he doesn’t still play for the US? Certainly from a PR perspective you never say a player is out of the picture until he is 100% out of the picture so I think were still good to go. If he’s only getting calls from us and then one day after being disregarded by the junior national team why would he come back and play for them (besidesthe fact thatbits Germany were talking about)… Kinda reminds me of Subotic in a sense.. If they leave you out for most of your career you just don’t hop back on their D just because theyre some high profile prestigious team…
…and one more thing. Maybe the time is right for a US Coach to go abroad to learn his trade. Maybe Bob should go to Europe maybe the Championship or a place like Scotland or Belgium to continue to improve his game. It is good enough for the players why not the coach?
I agree. Look it is just a fact that Bornstein can’t play at this level – that doesn’t make him a bad guy. But that doesn’t mean he should be on our squad and by now, Bob should have known that because – everyone on this board does. That is why Bob needs to go.
Bob is a good coach but again – that doesn’t mean he should be our national team coach. He has done a lot to get our program to where it is now. The US now pulls the majority of its players from European sides. Many of them may not be from the biggest leagues or be starters but they understand the difference in approach,commitment and sensabilities involved. Now we need a coach who does if we want our team to progress.
Bob seems to get tactics wrong and get outcoached at times. We need someone who can get tactics right who people know and respect.
The US is turning into an attractive job believe it or not. Not a top-tier but desireable. Consider: the money is good(it is there for the right coach), the lifestyle is good and the pressure is not high and you are virtually assured a spot in the World Cup.
Two coaches that come to mind immediately are Martin O’Neil and Mark Hughes – admitedly I am a Prem watcher but I am sure those of us who watch SerieA and Bundesleague can also contribute names of like-situated people in these countries. The timing is right. A new coach would have enough time to come in, figure out the player pool and the US-system and get the team playing his sytem in time for 2014. We have to make the switch now.
While I advocate replacing Bob, the biggest impediment to our progress isn’t Bob but rather Sunil and his cohorts at the Soccer House in Chicago! This has always been about control – NOT WINNING! They like thier arrangement and don’t want anyone tinkering with it. Unless we put the pressure on them to make a change they will stick with thier boy Bob and thier cushy no-pressure jobs!
We need quicker centerbacks. End of story. Love Boca, and Goodson, but they aren’t the most fleet afoot and against teams like Mexico, who are quick and can make decisions with lightning quick timing, we need some centerbacks with quicker pace to be able to make up ground. Don’t know if there are any in the player pool like that though.
I like the 5 man midfield. That is our strength, problem is we have almost too many midfielders. Very few strikers and very few defenders. Lichaj and Chandler (if he is in the picture) will be the two outside wing backs, we have up and comers like Ream, Gonzalez, Opara, Boss, and some veterans like Clark, Edu and Goodson (for another cycle) who can possibly fill in at CB (say what you will but Clark has been playing CB for his club and he is much quicker than anyone who has currently been playing CB…the trade off is how good is he in the air? and he’s not a “big-physical presence”.
I still say we give the 3-5-2 a look. And as much as I was against it at first, I think Dempsey as the CAM and Donovan as a striker is our best bet going forward. Adu needs to play a role but not sure he should start and in the 3-5-2 Lichaj and Chandler have free range to run up and down the flanks and 3 CBs stay home with 2 DMids in front of them to clean up anything and link defense to offense. Bedoya also needs to play a role he has much needed energy out there tracking back and making runs but I know he won’t start once Holden gets back.
I would still like to see more of Torres to add a little Latin flare and with his ability to keep possession it could be a much needed addition.
BB should be fired. I wll not give credit for bb limping us into the finals. I could coach that team to the finals.
Fireable mistakes. (Yes fireable)
Putting borstein in (really caling him to camp)
Edu playing like 10 minutes in the whole tournament.
I keep seeing people say we can’t just blame bornstein, we are a team but when u know ur coach puts int the worst player and weakest link it deflates you. The mexicans knew he sucked and stated attacking every possession.
Its hard to stay in it when bb keeps making the same mistakes. (Like playing ric clark in world cup). Bob bradley must hate edu. He’s so much better than bornstein, jones, goodson. Etc.
Watch timmy’s face after the 3rd goal. I feel bad for the 6-8 truly exceptional players we have that they have to play for bb. He needs to go. You can’t lose a final with a 2 nil. Mexico is good, but they aren’t spain or brazil.