Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
While the U.S. Men’s National Team succumbed to a second consecutive shutout in their 1-0 defeat to Austria, there were a number of noteworthy positives. One of them was certainly the reemergence of Michael Bradley.
The AS Roma midfielder brushed off a subdued performance from Friday at Scotland with a much better game on Tuesday night in the rain of Vienna, earning him SBI USMNT Man of the Match honors.
On a night when central midfield partner Jermaine Jones struggled badly, Bradley provided the link between attack and defense for the entire 90 minutes, as well as tracking back well when his side turned the ball over in the midfield. The 26-year-old also provided the corner kick that was turned in by Geoff Cameron, who also had a solid game, though the referee missed the goal.
Bradley narrowly edged out Cameron for Man of the Match honors. Cameron was very steady playing at right back for U.S. national team for the first time since March. Cameron defended well and was a threat on set pieces.
In addition to Cameron, honorable mentions go to Tim Howard, who couldn’t do much on the conceded goal, and to Jozy Altidore, who helped set up a number of chances up top, though he couldn’t put any of his own opportunities into the net.
Who did you think was the USMNT Man of the Match against Austria? Cast your vote here:
——-
What do you think of Bradley winning SBI USMNT Man of the Match? Were you impressed with his performance? Which USMNT player stood out to you on Tuesday?
Share your thoughts below.