BY IVES GALARCEP
Landon Donovan turned in yet another outstanding Gold Cup performance, but there were some new faces among the U.S. Men’s National Team’s list of top contributors in Wednesday’s 3-1 win vs. Honduras.
Alejandro Bedoya enjoyed a standout evening, delivering a pair of assists and being an overall pest on the wings for the Honduran defense.
Kyle Beckerman played one of his better games in a USMNT uniform, controlling the midfield and dominating his Honduran counterparts, which set the tone for the U.S. team’s control of the match.
Who else did well on Wednesday night for the USMNT? Here is a rundown of the SBI USMNT Player Grades vs. Honduras:
SBI USMNT PLAYER GRADES
NICK RIMANDO (5.5)– Made just one save on the night and didn’t have much to do, but did very well to come off his line and bail out Clarence Goodson after a dangerous turnover at the top of the penalty area.
DAMARCUS BEASLEY (6.5)– Got forward well but didn’t provide much service from the wing. Handled his defensive duties well and kept Andy Najar quiet for most of the night.
MATT BESLER (7). Quietly turned in another outstanding game in central defense. His passing was sharp, he dominated his area of the field and gave Honduran attackers no room to operate.
CLARENCE GOODSON (6.5). Not as impressive defensively as Besler, but Goodson earns his grade on the strength of a pair of quality passes that helped lead to U.S. goals. Did have a scary moment in the second half where he got too casual with the ball and nearly gifted Honduras a goal.
MICHAEL PARKHURST (5). Offensively, he wasn’t nearly efficient enough, committing 13 turnovers out of a total of 60 possessions. Wasn’t very effective passing the ball in the final third, but did do his part defensively.
KYLE BECKERMAN (7.5). Provided the perfect shield in front of the U.S. defense, breaking up several Honduran attacks and circulating the ball efficiently. His 37-of-41 passing percentage was best among the U.S. team, and you could see the U.S. team’s hold on the match slip when he left the match.
JOSE TORRES (6). When the U.S. team was knocking the ball around well, Torres was usually playing a part in that. Having said that, it wasn’t his strongest performance overall, but his defensive contributions did help the U.S. contain Andy Najar.
STUART HOLDEN (6.5). Holden might fall victim to high expectations when it comes time to judge his performances, but it’s tough not to give him some credit for a good outing vs. Honduras. He covered ground excellently, passed the ball well (completing 51 of 58) and did his part defensively to help keep Honduras from building through the middle.
ALEJANDRO BEDOYA (7.5). An excellent match, not only for the two assists he delivered, but for the hustle he provided all over the right flank. He put together defensive stats that would have been strong for a defender to post, while also contributing to the attack and making a good case for starting in the Gold Cup final.
LANDON DONOVAN (8). Another top-class showing from the U.S. star. His pass to set up Johnson’s goal was excellent, and his finish on his first goal was perfect. He has shown a real ability to pick his spots perfectly to attack and punish opposing defenses.
EDDIE JOHNSON (7). Set the tone for the match with his impressive run and finish for the opening goal, but looked to fade in the second half. Did well to draw fouls and put pressure on the Honduran defense, which create space for Donovan and Bedoya to do damage.
MIX DISKERUD (5.5). Active, and did his part to break up Honduran attempts to build attacks, but was sloppy with the ball, committing eight turnovers in 23 possession during his 23 minutes.
BREK SHEA (NR). Ran around, but was largely ineffective in his cameo.
CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI (NR). Closed out the match trying to be a pest for the Honduran attack as it searched for a way back into the game.
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What do you think of the grades? Which rating do you consider too high? Who did we give too low a grade to?
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