The U.S. men's national team looks to make it two wins in a row under Jurgen Klinsmann with tonight's match against Ecuador at Red Bull Arena (7pm, ESPN).
The Americans come in off a 1-0 victory against Honduras on Saturday, but tonight's opponent should provide a much tougher challenge, at least in terms of attacking threats. Featuring Manchester United midfielder Antonio Valencia and a plethora of top Mexican League-based attacking stars, Ecuador will push the U.S. defense and test out what could be the American first-choice defense for the forseeable future.
SBI will be providing live commentary on tonight's match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Tonight's commentary is after the jump):
We looked good, Tim Ream is almost single-handily at fault for the goal. I think the Edu-Beckerman pairing should be done.
Agree, Klinsmann gets a pass at CM because of injuries, but not at CB. Orozco and Ream are not best available as he claims.
5 games in. 5 questions.
Who Goes?
Who is not ready(goes for now)?
Who stays?
On the fence?
Needs a call up?
STUART HOLDEN IS INJURED SO STOP YELLING!
Bradley may be best at DMF but saying he offers nothing going forward is just ignorant. You didn’t watch him in Holland, you didn’t watch him in Germany, you’re not watching him with Chievo, and you’re clearly not paying attention to the USMNT games.
Direct reflection of the coaching regime:
looked good in the first half, with new blood. We asserted pressure as a team high up the field and showed creativity and team movement. German efficiency.
2nd half was all players that had most of the minutes under Bradley and they played just like Bob had them play.
Klinsman has to keep new blood inter mixed with this team so they don’t go back to their old ways.
LD played in the first 3 under Klinsi and the team went 0-2-1 with only 1 goal.
Beckerman singly handedly killed a number of US attacks with weak, uninspired, limp noodle passes that my grand mother could have intercepted. Simply painful to watch.
Once landon is back williams moves into the cm position with beckerman or johnson.
First half was best I’ve seen in a longtime.
I was in Germany in 2006. The Germans were ecstatic with Die Mannschaft and Klinsmann.
Beckerman singly handedly killed a number of US attacks with weak, uninspired limp noodle passes that my grand mother could have intercepted. Simply painful to watch.
Things we learned:
1. Williams is not ready yet.
2. It is impossible to score goals in Klinsi’s system with too many inept offensive players on the pitch (see Williams, Beckerman, Edu (at least for tonight). You simply can’t string enough passes together to score a goal.
3. As many people voiced weeks ago, Ream, Orozco, and Beckerman just don’t belong. John, Cameron, Omar, and Mixx would have had a better chance of contributing.
4. Chandler is a stud. Handling Valencia and still pushing forward? Wow.
5. Shea, Deuce, and Jozy are working well together, but the supporting cast needs to pitch in in Klinsi’s system in order to score goals.
6. Bradley clearly looks like the best currently available option at CM.
7. Gooch looks better than ever. Not sure he can stay healthy and in form until 2014, but we may not have another choice.
Why let Tim Ream play, when Ecuador is attacking and Bocanegra is doing a good job, also taking out Brek and Jozy after a half in which they have been our best scoring chances. I think the plus here is that Gooch looks to have regained form and playing hard all over. So disappointed with a loss especially because it was such a horrid defending job by Ream…
looks good to me perhaps williams behind bradley
He can get away with the poor CM’s attacks because of injuries but not the CB selections. Klinsmann statement that Ream and Orozco are the best available looks very weak.
I can’t wait to see Omar get called up for the next friendlies.
100% CORRECT…I couldn’t agree more! The first 11 actually looked…dare I say “very good”. Tired of moral victories though. Do we really not have any other defensive players in this very large nation of ours?
FWIW, I was in Germany when Klinsi coached Bayern. The Germans are really not fans of Klinsmann’s coaching ability. I think they may be onto something. At least offensively.
Personally, best (almost) complete game I have seen the US play. That goal was purely Ream’s fault. Otherwise we out played Ecuador.
I knew that too.
If it were game one of the WC qualifiers…
Howard
Cherundolo Boca Onyewu Chandler
Bradley
Donovan Williams Shea
Dempsey
Altidore
Good match, Gooch was a monster, man of match. Spector and Ream responsible for goal. Lots of good performances, Gooch, Chandler, Shea, Deuce, Jozy. Shea and Chandler made Valencia look bad. No attack from middle, can’t see Edu and Beckerman as the final choices, hope not.
The solution to our scoring problems is simple. Landon Donovan. I know he played the first three games but he is a game changer, so I’m not worried about these results.
Anyone else tired of listening to Klinsman after these games?
We needed Adu tonight. His passes were missed. Come on Klinsi. Give him a chance.
zzzzzz… Tim wake up. Tim?
Have to agree, offense stalemated in midfield.
Great to see Onyewu kill it out there tonight. Hopefully we will not see Tim Ream again until he dramatically improves. Nice effort from Clint as well.
Finishing has been lacking. Good possession in the first half, but an obvious drop off in the second half.
Tim Ream MUST go. TERRIBLE!!! Overall, a good game, but we should have left the starting 11 on for a few minutes longer in the second half.
I know this is “experimentation time” but the wholesale substitutions cost us this game. Period.
HaHa…yeah…2 goals in 5 games…He’s making Bradley looking like an Offensive Super Genius…smh
MICHAEL BRADLEY IS A DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER, HE DOES NOTHING GOING FORWARD AND WHEN HE DOES IT ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF WHEN I GET LUCKY WITH A RANDOM TOUCH. I AM EFFING PISSED!!!!!! Stuart Holden in the midfield would surely turn this stagnancy into a fluid operation
Man watching the USA under klinsman is so much fun… At some point “moral victories” are no longer enough.
Well, that sucked. Thought the US really missed Altidore, his ability to hold the ball up lets other guys make those second runs.
Gooch!
And/or George John since Orozco didnt make the bench… Hopefully both are done until they grow into better players.
Our Offense under Klinsi is just awful…I don’t want to hear about developing a team and all that nonsense. Other than Dempsey’s Goal (which had nothing to do with Klinsi..just pure creativity) our offense has produced jack squat
you were not alone
He isnt usually this bad at turning the ball over and not nearly as bad as Mo…
How so?
How did I know Ecuador was going to score on Tim Ream when he came in!
He has been great all night. He is a holding mid & they break play up. They are known for not being the best passers. That one bad pass doesnt mean he is terrible. He is one of the best holding mids in MLS & just about as good as any on the national team atm..
Tim Ream = CRAP! Seriously he is not a great player by any means!
Thank you Tim Ream! Now Klinsi will definitely call in Gonzalez.
Tim Ream strikes again. God, when is this kid gonna get it together.
still like giving Ream chances? LIABILITY!!!! lazzzzzzzzzzy marker.
Ouch Ream was sleeping. Too bad because the US really had out played Ecudaor to that point.
sorry guys… again
Huh, who would’ve thought it would be Jonathan Bornstein, oops er Tim Ream responsible for the goal?
Better be the end of tim ream until he actually starts playing well for his club…