photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
HARRISON, N.J. — The U.S. Men’s National Team may have had to hold on late, but it is still unbeaten in its send-off series.
The U.S. edged Turkey, 2-1, in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,762 at Red Bull Arena on Sunday afternoon in its second-to-last match before heading to Brazil for the World Cup. Fabian Johnson and Clint Dempsey scored on each side of halftime, but a late penalty kick from Selcuk Inan made for some nervy moments until the final whistle.
Inan converted his 90th-minute spot kick after centerback Geoff Cameron was called for a handball on the goal line, but the Americans held on for the victory in a game that saw their defense tested often by the Turks.
“It was a good game, it was quite an open game,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “Based on the workload that these guys have in their legs now over the last two-and-a-half weeks, it was still a good pace, it was still a good rhythm. I think defensively first half we needed to make some corrections at halftime.
“We need to close the gaps a bit better, so we still have a lot of work on that ahead of us to become more compact, more connected between the players, making it more difficult for the opponent to come through there. But overall I think it was a nice game to watch.”
Turkey had the majority of the quality scoring chances in the opening 25 minutes, but inaccuracy in front of goal kept the proceedings level before Johnson and Dempsey struck in the 26th and 52nd minutes, respectively, to swing momentum in the U.S.’s favor.
Johnson scored his first goal for the U.S. after playing a beautiful give-and-go sequence with Michael Bradley, who collected a pass from the right back before chipping the ball over the back line. Johnson then one-timed a shot into the left corner of the net.
“He has the change of pace that can really surprise opponents and that’s what it was,” said Klinsmann of the play. “He goes into the midfield, plays a one-two basically with Michael and goes for it.”
Dempsey netted the winner and one of the easiest goals of his career following a defensive blunder by Turkey. The U.S. captain saw a ball trickle across the six-yard before and proceeding to poke it home from a foot out at the back post.
“I feel good,” said Dempsey. “I’m playing well with the club ball. It’s only been three games here and it’s always good to score.”
The Turks had more than enough opportunities to score at the beginning of the game. Inan, Oguzhan Ozyakup and Nuri Sahin all had good looks in the first 20 minutes, but were not able to beat Tim Howard. Sahin came closest, firing a shot off the outside part of the right post in the 12th minute.
As much as the U.S. struggled defensively in its 4-4-2 diamond setup in the first half, it almost took a lead through Jozy Altidore in the 15th minute. Altidore found the back of the net following a corner kick from the left, but he was deemed to have fouled his defender and the goal was waved off.
Johnson then gave the U.S. lead with his tidy finish, which helped calm the game down a bit and allowed for the Americans’ attack to begin creating its own chances.
Dempsey doubled the lead seven minutes into the second half, which saw the U.S. use its six substitutions and tweak things tactically in order to limit the looks Turkey had on goal.
“Michael a little bit deeper and we sat a little bit,” said Cameron. “We recognized that early and we knew what was going on and Jurgen made the change. I thought, overall, it was fantastic.”
While the defensive performance improved in the closing 45 minutes, a late turnover by left back Timmy Chandler led to a penalty kick being awarded to Turkey. Substitute goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who entered the match at halftime, was not able to keep Inan’s attempt from 12 yards out from finding the back of the net despite guessing correctly.
The Americans will travel to Jacksonville, Fla. on Monday to begin preparing for their final pre-World Cup friendly vs. Nigeria on June 7.
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What do you think of the U.S.’s 2-0 win over Turkey? Feeling confident about the Americans’ chances at World Cup after the performance? Who impressed you?
Share your thoughts below.
My analysis:
The game was good for us. I think we looked generally good in attack especially in the 1st half. Altidore had never been the kind if player that could get defenders with speed. His hold up play was very good. If US fans have every observed his play objectively, we know he’s not exactly a all out striker that always goes for goal and consistently beats people 1v 1. He’s got this qualities sometimes. He’s always been he kind of forward thy can he the ball up and use his muscle to bring others into he play, and occasionally (like against Spain in the Confederations Cup years ago) he can use that muscle to be productive and score goals. I think we are expecting him to be a player that he isn’t and never has been. He served us well today.
Hands down, my favorite part of the game was when Demsey was fouled by he Turkish player and after a lull in the play was motioned to his mouth as if he had a j. And seemingly asking he guy ” if that wasn’t a foul, what are you smoking”.
We are never a “favored team” in the World Cup. I honk all of us, no matter how high the hopes are need to come to terms with that. We are not a team of World Beaters. Our strength has always been out togetherness. That’s the characteristic that has always been out strong point. Hopefully it will help us get points in Brasil.
We’ve never had the type of forward you are describing. Closest to it has been Donovan. Interestingly, During 2010 qualification,when Jozy was just breaking into the team, Brian Ching was preferred because of perceived weaknesses in Jozy’s hold up game. Red Bull Jozy would run at defenders with the ball at his feet. Would you consider 21 goals for the national team “occasional” goal scoring?
I laugh so hard at the comments on this site recently. We could make the quarters this summer, and people would still be talking about how bad the team and JK are. Its unbelievable to me how, no matter what, people refuse to get behind our team because of decisions they disagree with.
They’re learning from the English.
+1. I am increasingly baffled by some of the behaviors this seems to be producing. It seems the post-mortem just can’t wait until we’ve crashed out (or played the first game). Cynacism, hyperbole, defeatism, antagonism– you are right that it does have all the hallmarks of the English approach
The World Cup should be the crescendo of the four-year cycle, where we get to put all the hypotheses aside and enjoy sports’ greatest event in celebration. History suggests the US will probably not win. Hasn’t spoiled the fun in the past. Won’t this time.
Even those with misgivings about the process can take solace in the fact people can can spend the entire month of August identifying culprits, allocating responsibility, discussing reprocussions, etc. Everything will still be there, and there will be a lot less “distraction” from that pesky soccer tournament.
Negativity is a choice. Then again, so is buying a vuvulzuela. I guess some people just have to do it… Just not so much fun for us innocent bystanders– hope they can figure a way to put it down before the National Anthem,.
the team i would have the most faith in (with Klinsy’s tactics) after this game:
altidore
————-dempsey
——-bradley——-
–bedoya—-zusi–
—–beckerman—
beasley–brooks–cameron–johnson
Faith is an understatement if you’re willing to go without a GK
Honestly if anyone deserves criticism its Klinsmann. He’s had plenty of time to organize this time and he hasn’t done so yet.
I had no problem with this, but why does JK play Johnson on the right if he is left-footed and Chandler on the left if he is right-footed? Just wondering because I noticed Johnson cut to his left a few times on the wing today.
Johnson isn’t actually left footed, he’s just really good with his left as well.
Wow all this time I thought he was left-footed. That assist to Altidore against Panama gave me that impression. Btw nice name sir haha
because that’s just what they’d be expecting!
but yeah, fabian’s right-footed. your point still stands, though, since he’s pretty ambidextrous.
This is so frustrating. This squad feels so illegitimate. Donovan still is one of our top-five players. Yet we fans will have to watch the squad go to Brazil with some mediocre players, and we’ll have to swallow JK’s soundbites about his preferred “direction” and the players’ “hunger.” And, no matter what happens, we’ll have to wonder what could have been.
the writing is on the wall: this team is going to get wrecked in brasil.
Well it looks like Klinsi’s shiny new pennies he’s putting out aren’t living up to the hype. No way that Yedlin, Green and Chandler are an improvement over Evans, Donovan and DaMarcus. Maybe next year but not now.
DaMarcus Beasley is on the team. What the hell are you talking about? News to you Yedlin and Chandler are better and faster than Evans.
Faster does not equal better. When you displace the people that got the team there you better show why and they didn’t. Yes I kow DMB is on the team but is clear that Jurgen wants somebody else to play. So far the replacements haven’t shown anything.
I am glad hat Klinsmann is not listening to the really sometimes nonsensical comments I see recently
When you are on the sideline, you will get a polo that says BC. That’s exciting, right?
Those are so bizarre. They look like some sorta middle aged boy band. Endearing though.
While it’s entirely possible that Green might grow up to be a good soccer player, is there a single soccer reason for his being on the 23-man roster today??
And about Chandler. He’s the worst player on the field for the US in the Honduras qualifier, then takes a 15-month sabbatical from the national team because he’s not sure of what he wants to do, and finally comes back to play another horrible game. But I guess being German is good enough for Klinsmann.
Chandler will be just fine. Everybody did poorly in that Honduras game.
True. But he has to better than he did against Turkey. He was a liability yesterday.
Underwhelming performance. Chandler was absolutely terrible, Jones was a turnover machine, I think Beckerman is a better fit with Bradley Also, Beckerman isn’t constantly trying to play spectacular long passes that never work. Dempsey looked a little rusty, even Bradley I thought was a little below his best. Davis looked pretty good, Johnson had a solid overall game and excellent finish for the first goal. And of course, Julian Green – just not good enough right now is he?
Yeah. I was one of the people serving as a vocal Green proponent the last few months. I figured Klinsmann must have seen something that warranted the call up. But it’s just not there. I was 100% wrong about that. Klinsmann gained my trust after many early reservations, only to abuse it. I no longer trust his judgment on this issue, whic h leads me to not believe anything he has said about his personnel selection.
Green’s played 2 games and a total of 60 minutes. No way you can irrevocably lose trust in Klinsmann just because of that small sample size.
Jones has been doing his thing in these tune up games and has played great. Fans are only afraid of him, because they think he will get a lot of yellow card accumulation or get red we will be down to 10. If you check his stats that has not happened to him very much/not at all.
My impressions-
1- Diamond is a nice tool to have in the bag, since we have no natural wingers, but we need other formations as well.
2- The best part of the diamond is that it forces Jones to stay back.
3- Clint makes a difference – he was dangerous on long balls, though he didn’t finish on one.
4- Bradley is a natural 8, not a 10. Still, it could work as a change up.
(BTW, just how do you number a diamond?)
5- Jozy is working hard, but he needs a goal before Brazil.
6- The defense from our outside backs is scary, but we’ve known that for several years. We need to score in Brazil, because we won’t be keeping any clean sheets.
7- Green taking a corner? WTF?
8- With Bradley at the top of the diamond and Dempsey at second forward, there is no real place for Donovan in the diamond, which is probably why he wasn’t chosen. But if we go straight 4-4-2, Donovan would be nice to have.
9- The plan vs Portugal must be to have Beasley play LB, while we use all our subs at RB as each player (Johnson, Chandler, Yedlin, Klinsmann) fouls until he picks up a yellow card, and is then subbed.
LOL! Klinsmann adopts Phil Jackson’s Hack-a-Shaq!
That said, if you watched Portugal the other day you wouldn’t exactly be shaking in your boots. Of course it was also just a tuneup and we haven’t looked like World Beaters ourselves. Just think Portugal might be the most winnable game and no one seems to entertain the notion.
-Davis was fairly given a shot after his performance against Azerbaijan, and showed that he isn’t ready to start.
-Green was horrible. Didn’t show the speed or 1 v 1 ability that he was supposed to be brought in for and was a turnover machine. Couple that with the interview of his mother before the game where he said he always dreamed of playing for Germany but explained his decision to commit to the US by saying “but mom, It’s the World Cup” and watch the soap opera unfold.
-Brooks justified his inclusion and might steal Besler’s spot.
-The fullbacks were all good but got caught up the field a couple times. Yedlin has been playing better for the US than for Seattle.
-Jozy was great and used his body well, and Dempsey was dangerous in the first half. They could be a very good combo.
-Beckerman looked better than Jones, but in a different tactical setup that offered more support. There’s no way to accurately compare them today.
Well lets get real, was there really ever any question he was given this spot?
There are some people who refuse to believe it.
I am coming around. Especially based on what he is saying in interviews. I could just chalk it up to ESPN’s controversial editing… but that’s tin foil hat stuff too. Guess all I have left is: “let’s wait and see” and/or “I still would have brought Corona or over LD.” LD’s play in the last Mexico friendly sealed his fate in my eyes — I would not have taken him — but sure, that might have been a mere convenience for Jurgen.
He was coming back from injury, but his form has gotten good. I wished he was on fire before the camp.
are the only choices “believing he was promised a spot” or “refusing to believe it”? i simply wasn’t going to speculate about it to avoid any possible false accusations, but i guess that’s unreasonable.
What about, “I don’t really care because he’s the 19th field player on the roster.” Is that an option?
well, now i’m wondering who’s the 20th. yedlin?
+1 Pretty much said everything I wanted to say. JAB looked way better than I expected today.
1) Has anyone discussed yet that in the pre-match segment with Green he all but confirmed he was gifted a World Cup roster spot if he chose the USA?
2) MY GOD, I don’t care if anyone is “tired” of the Donovan debate. I don’t care if Klinsi claims Donovan is a forward. Green’s showing was pitiful and we as fans should be enraged we are being denied the talents of Donovan and being given some 18 year old who is far from ready for the World Cup.
Yeah. I noticed that with Green too. It was pretty blatant, especially with what his mom said.
I think most US soccer fans agree with you Chris.
+1, hoping he makes us eat crow during the cup, but that’s just (desperately) wishful thinking at this point.
I thought exactly the same thing when his mom recalled is rational for saying yes to Jurgen. The whole thing makes me very uneasy and a bit embarrassed… Reminds me of that awful movie Blue Chips with Nick Nolte and Anfernee Hardaway and Shaq.
Just wondering. Why does no one give Jozy credit for the goal that was disallowed after the whistle but it is okay to criticize him about the one on one with the keeper after the whistle (when it was clear he was distracted by the call from the ref)?
I don’t think either matters, just wondering why people aren’t consistent.
Ya, Jozy heard the whistle. You could tell but wanted to play on. That Ref screwed up that whole play. The Ref was completely out of his depth.
Because people are silly.
Brain, I replayed half of the game and I can say this:
1. He is never even close to be in line with the other backs.
2. He starting points are horrible. Body language is bad
3. By replaying all of the chances Turkey had in the first half, it is obvious there is no communication in the back. Turkey ran through unmarked in a shocking factor.
4. His lack of alertness scares me.
Btw, most of the above comments could be made about FJ also. He scored a class goal but he scares the hell out of me as a defender
In regards to this, I noticed in the first half we were playing a ridiculously high back line. That definitely opens us up to those sorts of through balls if our opponents can get the timing right. I do think that this gave us some practice scrambling in defense for the Cup, but it was definitely a bit of a nervy sight.
I was at the game, and for some reason – bad positioning? pinching in too much? just part of a strategy to have him push forward? – Chandler was repeatedly beaten with diagonal balls over the top. He seemed a bit at sea out there.
My observations
1.Guzan is going to be solid for years to come.
2. Brooks was better today but still is not ready
3. Johnson may have scored a great goal but he is constantly out of position defensively and Chandler will hurt us big time. Althogh I am not on the field I can tell there is no communication or organization among the back four. I like Johnson as a right midfielder in a 4-2-3-1.
4. Bradley will move up the ranks as one of our greatest players ever. He already is a Top 5
5. The 4-4-2 will get shreaded. The flanks are always open.
6. Zusi played a tremendous ball to Green in the 2nd half but did not impress that much
7. Find it hard to believe Donovan could not help this team
8. It is shocking to think how little time this back four has played together
I could go on but I think if we don’t go to 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 we could get blitzed. Still a good win
Agree with pretty much everything even tho Bradley didn’t have his best game in distribution. I would prefer to see a 4-2-3-1 as well. The thing I miss about Donovan is that he often uses his last dribble to move a defender away from his intended pass target. He is brilliant at creating space that way and I don’t see the technique used enough on this team.
Geoff Cameron should play all of the time. That haircut does it for me.
Final 23 were chosen too soon.
Davis and J. Green being on this team over Landon Donavon is a disgrace!! Donovan is also better than Wondo. JK let his ego get the best of him and hurt the strength of our national team.
Goal Donovan!
He should have done that before Klnsmann chose the 23.
Dude he’s done it for how many years now??? Just because he starts out the season slow we’re going to say he can’t cut it anymore??? Give the man some respect!!! He is a US soccer legend and yes, he’s still got it!!!
+100000 Calhoun must be Wondo’s mom.
it seems like ESPN’s favorite whipping boy is going to be Green. It’s obvious Twellman absolutely hates him because he is convinced that LD’s spot was given to him. But according to JK, LD was competing with Wondo, Dempsey and AJ. Green didn’t light the field on fire but he didn’t absolutely stink either. I don’t think trashing Green gets LD back on the field and Twellman’s whining got old pretty fast IMO.
Well when you bring in an 18 year old that no one has really seen play, there’s going to be a couple questions.
questions, sure, but nitpicking every aspect of his performance is harsh. Green didn’t make the roster decisions. Why punish him? Instead of directing their criticisms about leaving LD out to/at JK it seems they’ve decided to go after Green.
He’s not ready.
Yeah so much of the negative commentary in here directed towards Green & others, is novice and emotional. Green put himself in a wonderful spot by an even better ball from Zusi – what you do off the ball is often as important as what you do on it. Green otherwise had a nondescript performance. And right as someone else pointed out, Green & Donovan occupied two different roles on the squad.
Get real, ex. Why are you such a Julian Green fangirl? Were you born that way or do you earn your living posting in support of him under dozens of names? Green’s awful performance today and diving every time he was touched deserves to be criticized. He was an embarrassment to the team and should not be going to Brazil over Donovan and others.
Your anger with green is irrational. He didn’t make the roster decisions…that was JK. It’s pretty funny you calling someone a fan girl when it’s pretty clear the only thing that matters to you is that LD isn’t in the final 23.
Sorry, I am going to nitpick…he shouldn’t be there. Donovan is better…by a lot.
As in Donovan is making $5 million this year and a one year contract to Julian Green is probably zero.
Donovan has played wing in his career at least as much as he has been a striker. Just today in the Galaxy game he started as a striker and then shifted to wing late on. He plays both for the Galaxy. JK saying that Donovan was to be considered only as a striker was basically setting himself up with an excuse for not picking Donovan. Everyone who has followed US soccer knows Donovan can play any spot up top or in the midfield. By saying Donovan was a striker, then JK can justify picking Green and Davis when Donovan can play their positions much better than they do. If you can’t recognize this tactic, which is very common when you want someone to fail, you must have little world experience.
Sure, I recognize it. But your beef is with JK. Green and Davis made no roster decisions. What are they going to do? Not accept? It was the very thing that everyone hates Chandler for and that got LD in to trouble withJK in the first place. It’s unfortunate that everyone vents their spleens at these two players for something they have zero control over.
Altidore – no complaint with his work rate in this one, good hold-up play and pressure, but the guy looks indecisive when it comes time to shoot. He has been in bad form for a year now, so when does that start to matter?
Julian Green? What a joke. More like a tragedy when we consider how many players we could be better off with, not least Donovan. Klinsmann is either an idiot or has higher priorities than helping the US put its best foot forward.
Why are people stating Jozy doesn’t look himself? Maybe this is AltiIdore. Would rather see Conor Casey at this point. I think JK would agree especially since we’re in the NOW stage of US Soccer.
Great to see the US creating a lot of chances because we’ll need a lot of goals to get out of our group. Goodson should be on this team. MB’s touch was off again, without the wind of Candlestick to blame. Is it finally time to panic yet?
Good outing at the park for the young ‘uns. Yedlin 1v1 turning into that annoying gnat you can’t swat away. Brooks – has to be said – outplayed Besler today. Green a bit better each time he comes on, and more of his versatility in attack on display today.
he didn’t injure himself, so that’s an improvement
A bit better each time he comes on? How in the world can you make that assessment when this was only his second showing? And actually he looked a heck of alot WORSE in this game than vs mexico
Please don’t say Brooks out played Besler today. Everyone did that with bedoya and davis after the AZJ game and look how that turned out. The second half when Brooks came on was about half as competitive as the first.
But he did. Brooks is the best American LCB. Besler will get the playing time, but Brooks is strong in the air, fast and able step into passing lanes better than Besler. The only argument for Besler is experience and savvy- which may be good enough.
Possible line up against Nigeria
Johannson-Dempsey
Johnson Bradley Jones Zusi
Beasley Besler Cameron Chandler
Subs: Altidore Davis Bedoya Beckerman Yedlin Brooks
Its time to figure out how we play when jozy doesn’t start for better or for worse.
True, He might pick up cards. We need to know how to deal with it.
Same goes for Bradley. For experience only, I wanna see Jones and Beckerman on at the same time. Which wouldn’t be good but it could happen.
I think Jozy starts and AJ comes in at half or 60 min.
beckerman as well. no speed
davis and zusi are too slow
My observation from watching them today is that they’re there for crossing ability (and set pieces, Davis).
How about yedlin, looked great. If he can get his positioning right he will be amazing.
His positioning isn’t really a problem on the NT i think its more of a club thing. They simple refuse to provide cover for him in Seattle.
The combo Besler/Chandler/Davis on the left just wasn’t working defensively. Turkey took 12 shots in the first half, 10 from that part of the pitch.
Agree. Far too many times we were out of position and out maned on the left side of defense, during the first half.
Uncomfortable Elephant in the room?
Besler?
Definitely
started sloppy but cleaned it up:
OptaJack @OptaJack · 2h
10 – @mbesler led all players in #USAvTUR with 10 CBI’s (6 clearances, 2 blocks, 2 interceptions) in the first half. Stopper.
Hmmm, felt worse than it was then.
i agree Increase, that stat surprised me. but Besler absolutely had some iffy decisions.
Stats in this case appear misleading.
He looked confused by the positioning of the formation and who was responsible for who. Too much space, too many gaps.
Chandler appeared to be looking for direction from him a few times
There’s a reason we needed all those clearances, blocks, and interceptions, almost all of them within 20 yards of goal. It isn’t a pretty reason.
Besler is really off and Bradley seems to be a bit off on his passing but ace with everything else.(Yes that assist is awesome I just mean his general passing is less than his normal super amazing.)
Still waiting for Johannson to start.
That might be in the Nigeria game. I want to see a Gonzalez and Brooks CB pairing
It’s a total hunch, but I think AJ is going to score an important goal for us in Brazil.
#JozyOut
He has no confidence right now. Get him out, and put someone in who has seen the back of the net this year.
But his hold-up play has been good. If he had looked horrible then I would say get him out too, but he’s putting in the work and getting shots. It’s just a matter of time til he scores.
The posters who don’t really understand soccer make it apparent quickly.
As the advanced forward in a 4-4-2, he needs to do much more than simply hold the ball up. He needs to be able to work with, and off, Dempsey, and to a lesser extent Bradley and the wide midfielders. If we were still playing a 4-2-3-1, and he was a lone striker, I would agree with you – but for this role, he is not doing enough. The fact that he had two one-on-ones with the keeper, and came up empty both times, and had a chance to go at the keeper another time and opted to pass it off, tells me he has no confidence, and will be of little use – no matter how hard he works – in Brazil.
How do you know how much confidence he has or doesn’t have? It’s not exactly a measurable statistic like shots, touches, etc.
Not scoring does not equate to zero confidence.
If you were to say he can’t finish, then that’s an argument. But his opps today weren’t gimme’s.
You are forgetting the goal he did score that was called back for a mystery push. If Jozy is not your striker then who is? AJ is a reasonable answer but if you say Wondo I’ll no longer take this discussion seriously.
Mystery push? Alidore pushed the goalie out of the way before in the goal area. You can’t push the goalie in the goal area. Altidore is known to use his muscle to foul people. Of course he makes it look as if it was nothing, but that’s Altidore.
the goalie pushed Altidore as well. He just lost the pushing battle.
I thought he played well minus the no goals. He held up the ball, drew fouls, and set up chances
he needs to finish, but everything else has been solid:
5 – @JozyAltidore led all #USMNT players with 5 chances created on Tuesday night. Hustle.
good stats tonight too other than not finishing.
Terim (Turkey coach) says he was impressed by Altidore, Bradley and Johnson. On Jozy, “he’s the type of striker that center backs don’t like much.”
And this is exactly what I was thinking…. those Turkish defenders are going to have nightmares about Jozy.
Superb focus and stamina as well– didn’t tire a bit or allow frustration to seep into his game.. Was still finishing runs and bullying people right through stoppage time. I’m less worried about him getting a goal after watching today’s game because (1) His play is clearly making the team better regardless and (2) At this rate, the goal will most certainly arrive soon (says Diego anyway)
El Diego knows all.
Completely agree. There were a couple of times where I just wished he would shoot, but honestly I’m not sure that would have been the right decision. His cross to Mix was dangerous, though Mix fluffed the chance.
Yes. Like I told my son, if I’m a defender, I don’t want Jozy bearing down in me if I am facing my own goal.
Bradley just has another level when he switches it on something positive always happens for the US.
Yes but he also had some bad giveaways. He needs to figure out when to go for it and when to be safe. The commentators were complaining when Yedlin was caught up one time but it was actually bradley’s fault. Yedlin was wide open and bradley should have swung the ball to him but bradley instead forced a pass that was intercepted and turkey broke the other way.
The diamond in the middle formation? I just don’t see it working as the competition increases. We seem to have a lot of interchangeable players so hopefully the depth pays off.
I still don’t get FJ on the right and TC on the left. I would rather they switch sides.
Not a bad game at all a few mistakes here and there but solid all round game. Jones proved once again that he belongs here and he can start. Yedlin and Brooks too care of the Goodson, Parkhurst and Evans argument. Green needs to do better though. Altidore come on I’m rooting for you against Nigeria. I know a lot of people will be coming for Chandlers head but it’s one mistake it 135 minutes he played a very solid game and 2 more friendlies should solidify the Chemistry.
One ?
he made a back pass that was intercepted too
or was that the one that you were talking about ?
didn’t get to see much of the game. how many times did dempsey fall down and throw his hands up in the air?
and i’m assuming that fabian and chandler didn’t play at LB and RB, respectively?
Johnson LB. Chandler RB
Clint didn’t fall over too much I don’t think.
Agreed. I didn’t see him pull his socks up once.
I see he and JJ got better socks for this game.
Johnson played RB and Chandler played LB…Chandler just looks so uncomfortable on the left side. Can’t understand why JK doesn’t flip them
Appears to be 2 reasons, he’s committed to FJ on the right & wants him playing there as much as possible while undecided about the left side, and prob because he’s our best FB and he’s needed on that side more..
Well know for sure soon
Durrr, ya. Oops.
I only remember one time and it looked like he had a solid beef for a foul not called.
Chandler was solid expect of that lazy pass near the end. Jones was solid as well. The U.S. can get out of this group.Their D had to be solid, though.
Chandler also had another pretty bad mistake where is was too far inside
I noticed the same thing on either side. Our wingbacks’ positioning reveals how nervous Jurgen is about our back line, which I thought showed fairly well.
Really Benny? Really Quaker Otis? Solid D? If you taped the game watch how many times Johnson (even more than Chandler) and Chandler were out of position. Germany would have hung 6 on us today, Portugal 4.
Ronaldo, is standing/posing in front of a mirror dreaming of going up against Chandler and Johnson
I’m talking about the whole game in the context of a win. If Ives felt like it, he could verify that I wanted to comment on the live commentary how Fabian was asleep for the first 15-20 minutes. I think the whole team was too, except maybe Jones. As a warmup, I think this went fairly well, but, sure, much to work on.
And I think you missed a major point in my comment: the positioning of our FBs seems, imho, a result of a manager’s direction. I could be wrong, but they did not appear so much “out of position” but consistently in a position they were told to cover. I would hope Jurgen and Vogts saw what we did though, and corrects that.
Ronaldo is posing in front of a mirror just because that’s what he does all day.
What IS this? A Ronaldo Museum for ANTS?! It needs to be at least… three times bigger!
Yeahhhhhh ………… really!!!!!!!
He had a few very dangerous give aways.
Chandler was the worst US player on the field today. Every Turkey attack came down his side, he was constantly out of position, decent number of turnovers and misplaced passes. I don’t know who else to put out there but wow he was bad.
OptaJack says otherwise. not his best performance, or most consistent, but he had the most interceptions of any player on either team and played well overall. but probably not enough to displace Beasley given he dropped off towards the end. certainly not the worse player on the pitch. he DID set up Dempsey’s goal after all.
Well all that tells me if that I shouldn’t put any stock in “optajack”
He made the most interceptions because Turkey attacked the left side the most. He looked lost out there
I didnt see the game. But i looked at the stats. Based on that Turkey had more shots on frame. Were they taking it to us?
They had plenty of chances but couldnt finish, but i wouldnt say they were dominating us
A lot of those On Target shots were blocked almost as soon as they were taken. They did have some rather good chances though.
US had plenty of good looks as well
It was back and forth with both teams getting chances, I thought the US was slightly better and 2-1 was a fair out come
Agree with this. The score could have been lots of different things– the referee (who had apparently just returned from extended FIFA suspension) was not enitirely engaged all of the time in the events around him– like he had huffed a case of computer duster or something — there were some strange calls and bizarre moments. Both teams conceded (and fluffed) plenty of opportunities though, so hard to focus on the ref.
Entertaining game for a neutral I’d think (last 20 mins things fizzled a bit). But prob a few too many mistakes to make most USMNT fans totally comfortable.
Jermaine Jones scares me sometimes. Really not a susi fan. I u/s he’s a top player in mls I just don’t see him impacting the game against the other group teams.
How can anyone NOT be a fan of the ball Zusi put on Green’s foot.
if we had someone that belongs there on that ball, it is very dangerous at the least.
The Good: J. A. Brooks, Fab J, Both Keepers, Deuce, and for the most part Jozy
The Bad: Timmy Chandler (mainly in the second half), Besler and Cameron
The Ugly: Brad Davis’s terrible defending and hand ball on the sideline.
Chandler faded but:
OptaJack @OptaJack · 9m
6 – In his 6th start for #USMNT, Timmy Chandler made 6 interceptions, most of any player in #USAvTUR. Route.
agree about Davis. that is the type of performance we are used to. he should NOT be starting.
Agreed Chandler looked poor later, but at that point in the match, the game was pretty disjointed and lackluster anyway.
yeah, honestly the team fell apart after the subs. luckily for Brooks because he got to show how good he can be.
Jones played solid again. He’s been one of, if not the most reliable player on the squad in the two tune up games. Anyone who thinks Beckerman will start in Brazil is on crazy pills.
But they invented the piano key neck tie. They invented it!!!
LOL
Notwithstanding the beautiful assist, I agree that Bradley’s distribution is a little off. He is not totally thriving at the top of the diamond.
I don’t think his distribution is any worse than it was, but that he has more final 3rd passes and more passes overall to make while playing at the top of the diamond. We are noticing the mistakes because they are entry passes or through passes for forwards.
Odds are he goes back to his normal spot in the 4231 in Brazil anyway.
He thrives coming in later.
Mexico played that 3-5-2, Bradley owned the first half till they adjusted..
Diamond may be going back to the shelf
Nobody feels confident about our chances in the world cup. And nobody should. Despite winning these games the team did not look good.
Green cannot be on this roster. He will never see the field. You cannot waste a roster spot in a key position to someone like him that’s all their is to it.
Aside from a few good runs early on Dempsey was invisible. The second half he did very very little. David was being over ran by turkeys right side. Ghanas midfield will run all over him if he starts. Bradley with some give aways but better than last game. He is key to our chances.
Turkey knew where to attack, and it was down the Davis/Chandler side. How many times did Turkey switch fields to their right and have somebody completely open? Not always Chandler’s fault, but it was a lot of the time.
This Davis episode just proves that people on here (and I suppose JK) need to chill out. Sure Bedoya didn’t look great at LM last game, but its his 3rd best position (after CAM and RM). Davis came in late into a game in which the opponent was giving him tons of space and time. This will not happen in the WC. Bedoya gets the nod on work rate, defensive abilities and fearlessness.
Note: i was referring to Davis in the Azj game, and why he should not have been moved into the starting lineup.
Yes, I think Davis solidified Bedoya’s place in the starting lineup with his performance today. Davis is too much of a defensive liability to overcome the advantages of his left foot.
Assuming you are a US fan and not a troll, this kind of post makes me wonder if US fans in general have a huge inferiority complex since I see this kind of comment so often. Are we good enough to finish ahead of Germany and Portugal both? Probably not, but how many teams are?. The US is a good team. Turkey is a tough side and we beat them, even with a disallowed goal that should have counted and a penalty not called inside the box. My theory on that, BTW, is that the referee knew that if he called the penalty he would have had to red card the defender and then Turkey would have had to play with 10, defeating the whole purpose of the game, which is to get the US ready for the WC. Meanwhile, our group opponents haven’t exactly been lighting things up in their friendlies. So, not everyone had a great game for the US, some weaknesses were exposed, but we won pretty convincingly against a good team. Although I strongly disagree with several personnel decisions JK has made, it looks like we are capable of competing with everyone we will play or will likely play.
Very well said Gary. I don’t get the seemingly mean-spirited pessimism so many commenters have about the US team. I too, strongly disagree with some of Klinsmann’s roster decisions (read: Donovan), but still think that he has the team playing pretty damn well. Are they likely to get out of the group? No. But they’ve got a fighter’s chance.
Personally I think that Michael Bradley has looked a little pedestrian. They finally settled down as the game moved on, but the scattered make up defending has to be fixed. Hopefully the back four can get used to each other in the next week.
+1 True dat.
he was trying way too many long balls in the second half
Brooks best ever game for the US, minus the bad first couple minutes. We are gonna need some of that in Brazil if he plays
+1 he reminded me of the old dominant Gooch
Gooch is/was more physical than Brooks. Brooks still hasn’t learned to use his body as well as other CB’s.
He does seem a bit soft for his side but he had a good game.
All the young guys(and Chandler) had good games outside of Green who… seemed barely there. BTW It felt like all our wingers were barely there. Zusi was barely involved a lot too.
I think the idea is for our wingers to pinch in and our outside backs attack
Brooks is going to be an absolute beast in 2018 if he stays healthy.
Some good things… and some dreadful things. I’ll take Beckerman’s passing over Jones’ any day. Chandler’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it. Poor Jozy’s not himself… And Green? Sure looks like a boy out there. Hard for me to fathom that a spot was squandered on him.
I’ve stopped being annoyed and just started being sad for Jozy. So many chances we all know he can bury and they just aren’t coming off for him. Green, ehh, yeah, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt but he’s 0 – 2 now. Nice run today but doesn’t mean much if he can’t trap and at least get a shot off.
Guzan was excellent, and we’re spoiled with him.
Chandler fought hard- I think he was a little gassed towards the end and lost his concentration. Jozy’s holdup play looked good. Brad Davis- I was a doubter, but now I see why he’s there and it’s possible he will contribute in a big way down in Brazil. Thought Bradley played much better. Green was underwhelming. And Fabian- wow! I can’t picture anyone else on the team having a finish like that- pure class.
I can picture Dempsey, Bradley, and even an in-form Jozy having finishes like Fabian’s.
I don’t understand the praise for Davis. His free kicks, which is why he was included, were not very good; most were too close to the GK and presented no problems for the defense. I have seen him do much better and I have seen Donovan do much better.
I’ll let you in on a little secret Gary… it’s because a great many US football fans still don’t really understand the game yet, and they rely on talking points from the talking heads and their ‘gut’ mostly when making assessments.
Outside of Green I pretty much disagree with you entirely. Jozy was great. Chandler was strong until the last 10 minutes. And Jones played better than Beckerman, though Kyle had a solid showing as well (he just looked a tad slow).
I’m with you here too. Not sure what we’re watching the same game if you think Jozy play was “sad”. Should have finished on one real good look, but otherwise was making things happen and was a handful for Turkey.
I thought Jones played about as well as he did last game, which is to say quite good.
Chandler lost steam at the end for sure, will be interesting who at LB for Nigeria
I don’t follow how Jozy’s play could be interpreted as great. This perplexes me; he’s a striker – not a # 10 – and he did not score today, when he could have. Take note of subtle things he does – passing when he should attack and take a player on. He’s lost tremendous confidence. I genuinely feel for the guy, but that doesn’t mean he gets a pass when it comes to criticism.
Wrong. The reason Jozy is miles above a player like Wondo is for what he brought today. Jozy was linking up with players, winning the ball in the final 3rd, and holding it up to advance the attack. Sure it’d be nice if he scored today, but he played a multidimensional game. Something Wondo is not capable of.
Sanchez, a multi-dimensional game would have had him SCORING!
Hes reached 21 goals faster than any US player other than Donovan. How can anyone in their right mind say the kid “can’t score.”? This “snap shot” analysis where you evaluate a player’s skill set based on “today” while ignoring their history is tremendously short sighted and unhelpful.
But h was also into an inordinate number of soft fouls. He shouldn’t have to resort to that if he is truly as great a soccer player as his being part of the spine requiers..
That would be like saying Turkey had a terrible game and we simply destroyed them. Because it didn’t matter if Turkey’s strikers made great runs, found open space, gave our backs trouble, and continuously laid off great chances to their mids at the 18. Because strikers are not #10s. They need to score. I genuinely feel for your analysis.
+1 Cheers.
no one player needs to score; the team needs to score. all that matters is if our team has more goals than them in the end.
yes, it helps if your best goalscorers are closest to the goal, but if you use the target forward to create chances for others (as jozy has done), that can be just as good–again, depending on the final score.
Turkey’s manager, Terim, said he was the US’s best player.
You guys seem to forget it’s a team game. Jozy is there, on this team, to terrorize the opponent’s back four, to beat them up and tire them out. And in the process make chances for himself and others. If he can’t score, well Clint is happy to pick up the scraps. If you don’t think Clint is happy with Jozy well too bad.
I see Jozy often compared to Emile Heskey who once partnered, at Liverpool and England, with a guy named Michael Owen. Owen loved playing with Heskey, who played 18 seasons in the EPL and had 62 caps for England..
If he keeps playing like he did today he will be fine in Brazil. .
+1 on the heskey comment.
i love seeing people think they’re criticizing jozy by comparing him to heskey.
Chandler was out of position, on the wrong side of the ball all game.
He and Johnson are HORRIBLE DEFENDERS. Not sayig Johnson is not a good attacking player, but horribly on the wrong side of the ball and not in line with the two center backs
Well they are both horrible enough to be full time starters in The Bundesliga for several years..
Issue is with the backline as a unit and the formation..
Chandler blew chunks today. Jones and Davis saved him.
Just got back from the game and this was my take-away. Every chance they had, including the penalty, somehow had to do with a Chandler f-up.
For the life of me, I only remember Chandler playing 3 big games for the usmnt. One was okay, the other two were complete f*ups. It was like he channeled Omar’s clumsiness for most of the game.
Beckerman had a great game. I think he had a 100 percent passing rate. His simple but perfectly timed and weighted pass sprung bradley that eventually led to the second goal. He continually played calmly even under pressure. He anticipated and intercepted a lot of passes. I never him out of place defensively. I am sick and tired of hearing how “slow” he is. Is Busquets or Alonso any faster? A good defensive midfielder is more about smarts, finding the right pass and possession, and psitioning than it is about speed. Beckerman, more than any other sub showed that against high level competition he has what it takes.
+1. I agree with the other guys in the thread in that Beckerman had it a bit easier (than Jones) in the second half because Bradley sat back a bit more, but bottom line, for me, he’s more shrewd and intelligent than Jones…
Turkey’s back pass rate went way up after beckerman entered, as opposed to the entire first half where turkey had their way in the middle. Our possession in the middle also increased, and the reason Bradley had less of the ball was beckerman was a constant outlet and so Bradley passed it to him to more often… hence the increased poise in the middle.
It was literally like a switch after beckerman entered, beckerman broke up a couple plays and passes, and from then on turkey thought much hard about, and actually delayed and decided against, passing up the middle. I really didn’t see that in the first half.
Beckerman makes the us a better team… until they settle for bunker ball like they did in the last 15 min.
These Jozy problems is where Terrence Boyd would come nicely from the bench. He absolutely wanted it whole heartedly and was playing relentlessly at the club level.
this is a perfect exmplae of people seeing what they want to see. according to Opta:
against AZE, JJ led the team with 85 out of 91 completed passes. today:
29-34 – @Jermainejunior trails only Selcuk Inan (30-36) in successful and attempted passes so far in #USAvTUR. Connected. #USMNT
stop hating people. Jones is more than capable of playing that position and has shown well the past two games. no matter what your Beckerman blinders make you see.
Beckerman creatively links better with other Players. Also, Beckerman has a calming affect.
Beckerman may have a calming affect on a group of fans, but I’m pretty sure the back 4 are much calmer when they have JJ laying his body on the line in front of them and cleaning up messes.
Not to say Beckerman isn’t a solid option, but to me there is ZERO doubt I want Jones in the midfield against all three opponents.
I do doubt. JJ may not make many missed passed, but they seem to put the team in danger and put pressure on the back line. If I were a defender, I’m not sure which I’d prefer, Beckerman or JJ.
Beckerman will get exposed for speed at the world cup…
fulbolisimo, no, he doesn.t this is all in your head because outside of one half against Mexico, Beckerman hasn’t added anything more than Jones.
Ok.
Every game Becks makes an appearance, I can collectively count all of his forwards passes on just one finger.
Oye, here we go… a forward-pass-counter-guy… Ever watch Barcelona play? Maybe you’ve heard of Iniesta or Xavi?
You’re comparing Becks to Xavi and Iniesta? A few games ago, Becks had possession in our box with no one to pass backwards to. So what did he do? He looked like his head was going to explode and he simply kicked it out for a corner. There’s a difference between build-up play and a utter lack of confidence for playing forward passes.
No, dummy, I’m not comparing them. I merely pointing out that Beckerman’s passing is not simply attackingly disoriented, tentative stuff. He’s got game. You just gotta be patient.
seems you missed the point…How many goal scoring opportunities does Beckerman create? Since you are bringing up Xavi and Iniesta…
It shows you dont understand soccer. Watch the run up to usa’s 2nd goal. Watch beckermans role in springing bradley while under pressure. Beckermans simple but perfectly timed pass had as much to do with that goal scoring opportunity as any.
Jones had it rough first half due to the Tactical set up. It had nothing to do with how he played.
What was the tactical set up?
Jones alone vs 2 central midfielders from Turkey
And that was different than what Beckerman faced?
The difference inthe second was that Beckerman got help from Bradley. Bradley was getting caught too far up field in the first half.
yes, as JK said at halftime, that was the biggest issue and he said they would address it with the subs. also confirmed that Beckerman coming in for 45 was pre-determined.
Beckerman played against tired guys and subs with the benefit of tactical adjustments. Beckerman is great. Glad he’s on the team, but I swear… I feel like I should change my screen name to Context.
You might have to Otis. Beckerman did a good job in the second half however it wasn’t the same job as Jones did in the first.
2nd half Bradley was deeper, tactically didn’t look as much of a diamond. Jones vs. Beckerman without taking that into account not a fair comparison.
They both played well and did their job. JJ was covering more space from the others looking confused in the diamond.
We were not playing a diamond in the second half, from what I saw. We were in a straight 4-4-2, with Beckerman at 6 and Bradley at 8.
Yup.. I thought both JJ & KB showed well
Yeah, kind of a hibrid 442/4231 with dempsey dropping into the central midfield, bradley dropping in with beckerman at dmid but bradley moving forward on offense playing off beckerman. Quite effective I thought.
Jones was a turnover machine, he may be more talented than Beckerman but Beckerman works better in this team.
Not a slow left arm just a slow left brain. JJ missed on 5 passes total. Guess how many he missed last game 5. Wanna take a guess how many he missed the game before that?
Turnover machine? Turnover your talking points sheet and start watching the game.
Turkey was slower in the second half. Jones saved the backline numerous times in the first half usually under appreciated
He’s boring though.
With all due respect, Jones could be the most boring player on the planet of Earth, but if he blocks shots, makes tackles, and intercepts passes like he did the entire first half then I will gladly let him lull me to sleep knowing that our back line is safe. I was behind the US goal in the first half and I can’t even count the number of times Jones saved Besler or Cameron for some positioning error or for not picking up a diagonal run in the box
Looked the same on TV…
How did you enjoy your first NATS game Matthew R? Looked like a great scene out there today.
Yep, Jones was good. There was just a lot of space around him due to the tactical set up. He had to cover tons of ground to make it work and he did.
Totally agreed that Green looked like he needs muuuuccch more seasoning to be effective at the WC. Not sure who else we could bring on the wing other than Donovan though.
+ 1… Gotta be other options out there. It’s a big country… How about Jose Torres? Oh wait, he’s hispanic and small. Doesn’t fit the Klinsmann Germanic criteria…
Yeah other than the greatest to ever suit up for our country….
It was Cameron that got called for the handball.
Better than last game. Starting to gel a little bit.
Speaking of which, Davis’ little hand flick was brilliant. The U.S. needs a little more a that kind of thing.
Why am I not surprised YOU of all commenters have that to say?! LOL
After all that Pro-Italia chatter and trolling on Rossi’s article today, it all makes sense now… Lemme guess, this is what your youth football practice sessions were like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl2F6P8bw9w&feature=kp
Ciao 😉
Wow. Love it. Great stuff. Think boys: Maradona-hand-of-God. Whatever it takes baby!
Hand of Clod!
Jurkman making him practice it all week – right after diving practice
After today’s showing I’m surprised Green’s inclusion isn’t more of a topic in the thread below. Utter boy out there today. Note the subtle things like the lack of conviction and the tentative, indecisive movement off the ball. Yedlin – with his MLS experience – has more moxie and gumption in his left toe than Green entirely has. Is the state of U.S. soccer so dire that Green was included in the 23? (Note: this is not a personal criticism of the kid himself.)
Fair observation. Maybe it is a matter of pressure. It’s a lot to handle. Could also just be that he’s 19.
Ahhhhh yeah, exactly. Why on earth is he in this squad? EVERY single player is needed in a Cup. His selection is beyond me. And no one – not in these threads or in the media is tackling the matter. Just can’t get my head around it. To put it in a kind of counter-perspective, watch highlights of the 2002 Cup – Donovan’s face and body language were dripping with desire and moxie.
Totally agree. Green looked like a boy in a mans game. He hasnt impressed even once. Lets remember all the other players that started at that age, including Landon, Jozy, etc and they all looked better than Green. Im not saying he doesnt have a future but he SHOULD NOT be on this squad.
Mos def agree.
sorry Jozzy doesn’t have a future I take Green.
I could find about half a dozen pub players in their 30’s in each little pocket of this melting-pot country that have more to offer than Green right now. World Cup is now homies, not later.
Did we forget that he was probably promised a spot on the team for his allegiance?
I addressed this in the comments for the live game reaction. Many of us suspected that this is payment for him signing with the US instead of Germany and his performance pretty much solidifies that conjecture. And if he doesn’t have composure during a friendly, how can you expect him to perform well in the actual WC? Also, Brad Davis was pretty forgettable, his free kicks were not all that good. Still more reasons why Donovan, who scored again today, should have been included in the 23. Perhaps the worst personnel decision ever made for the US world cup selection, at least since 1990,.
I see your Green and raise you a Ricardo Clark.
And I will raise you one Robbie Finley and an Edson Buddle.
Well played
In the last cycle for the ’10 WC, at an away game against T&T, Rico Clark scored a goal on a shot outside the box that secured a vital 3 points. At the moment, he’s already more productive than Green.
You Buddle believe it
While I agree with you in principle–I am skeptical over his inclusion (especially over Donovan, whether or not Jurgen deemed them direct competitors)–Your first statement is patently UNTRUE. Save for a situation of dire circumstances (ie many injuries/suspensions) it is very common for 2-6 players to see little to even NO minutes at the World Cup Finals. For Example:
In 2010, for the USMNT, SIX outfield players (not keepers) played less than 45 minutes of football — two of those: Jonathan Specter and Clarence Goodson played ZERO minutes. Stuart Holden played 5 minutes, DaMarcus Beasley played 11 minutes… Edson buddle almost played a whole half but so ineffective he was yanked early!
Ok, well put.
If you don’t understand why he is on the squad, there’s no use in trying to explain it to you. Let’s get Donnovan back and while we’re at it Cobi Jones and Taylor Twellman and Lalas. Since they seem to know better than Klinnsman. Route one! play for corners. Kick and run! that is the legacy of US Soccer right! Participation trophys for everyone!
Hey lightweight, by no means am I implying what you’re saying – Donovan, Jones, Lalas, Twellman, returning to the fold, etc. – so, please, edify me: explain to me why Green should be on this team. What exactly does he have to offer for this Cup? For sake of discussion, let’s say the U.S.’s reasonable hope is to get out of the group stage. In what way could Green legitimately contribute to this ambition in light of our specific competition – Ghana, Portugal & Germany? And feel free to digress among the conceivable components of his theoretical talents – physical, technical, tactical, even psychological, etc.
Do you remember how awful Brooks looked in his last USMNT game?
Did you see Brooks today?
You may yet see Green in this WC make a contribution.
Besides based on these send off games LD lost his spot to Zusi, Davis, Bedoya, Mix and AJ more or less in that order.
Green got the Shea wild card spot.
I’m tired of these. Donovan is not coming, so STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM. You sound like the guy who keeps pining for the ex for is now married with kids. Let it go!!!!!!!
Here’s another way to think about it: for sake of discussion, let’s say another country – relatively similar quality but of Latin or European background (say, Chile, Sweden or Serbia, for example) were to have a coach pick an 18 year old 4th division player for it’s W.C. squad… Don’t you think the media in those countries would go absolutley berzerk bat-sh*t? My impression is – still to this day – the U.S. footballing culture – the fans, critics, media, etc. – is soft as puddin’.
Probably… and? Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m personally, consistently against such hyperventilation and reactionary thinking. We’re still developing.
And by your logic, how batsh*t crazy would the same countries go if their star player took qualifying off, went to Cambodia to “find them self”, and then hoofed it up to the point where they *had* to start trying? Not to beat a dead horse, but I think that one cuts both ways. But sure, Green looked out of his element. We can agree on that.
Landon thought it was for the best for both his teams and himself. If he really was fatigued and needed a rest then so be it. Its not like he didnt work his way back in with the us team through games. The guy was owed a little more respect then what he got.
Exactly. Really, I find that people who come down on Donovan in a kind of draconian fashion are young, inexperienced, have never really had to carry a load in life, so to speak.
Futbolismo — Couldn’t agree with you more.
You might have also noticed that during every World Cup cycle, a new brand of Jumpers onto the bandwagon, who have been following the game (only since after the last World Cup) come on these boards and talk about the squad as if they really know what their are talking about and never really took the time to go back and educate themselves on what they missed in previous cycles. My point here being that many people around here seem to agree that we are a decidedly “better” team today than we were in 2002…. but I just don’t believe that argument at this time. I hope the boys prove me wrong.
Right, because you know me personally.
And now you’re flip flopping. Is it that we need to be tougher, or is it that we need to give him another chance? Which is it? Or maybe it’s two different people commenting. LOL.
And dude, 2002?! LOL. It’s always funny when people attack others personally by in fact describing themselves. But hey, glad we won today.
And it’s funny, the pattern I’ve noticed. I don’t know you but consider this:
We give an 18-yo black kid a chance… You say the US is soft
We don’t give a 32-yo white guy who is, by his own admission, not what he used to be the ax… You say we are draconian and lack life experience
Guys who are half black and don’t speak perfect English… we take comments about not sleeping on planes out of context and claim they are not committed
White guy who admitted on tv that he was conflicted over playing for the US or Iceland… Welcome aboard!!!
Hmmm…
Ok.
The issue is picking the best players in order to do as well as possible for your country. How about Chandler acting like he disdained the US squad, yet being picked? Do you think there are a lot of Uruguay fans who think Suarez should have been left at home because he bit somebody’s ear? Donovan’s alleged transgression was slight and long past, get over it.
I have no problem with Green in the roster because he’s there to develop. England did this with Walcott, so again, people saying, “In other countries there would be riots” don’t know other countries.
We don’t need all 23. We used so many four years ago because Bradley was horrible at picking a starting XI as demonstrated by his constant tinkering at the tournament and the fact he pulled people before half and during half time. Green has been identified by one of the best coaches in the world (Pep) as an up and coming player. Whatever we can do to continue that development, I’m game.
Also, people who were bashing Klinsi for bringing the likes of Brooks and Davis saw today that they’re both here to play and are both ready.
Good point about Brooks. He had a shaky start with the NT but played fantastically today.
Grow up. You’re soft.
Well said… cough*TOSSER*cough
How is taking Walcott a good example? It’s widely considered a mistake.
Players in the team said taking Walcott was a distraction. He’s said himself he shouldn’t have been there. The press hated the move and Eriksson ended up stepping down after the tournament. Any “experience” he may have got has been wasted because he’s missed the last 2 World Cups because injury. Theo Walcott is a perfect example of why you don’t take such a young player.
Ronald from Brazil was 17. It could go both ways really.
Ronaldo wasnt taken over, say, Dunga, or Rai, or Bebeto…Plus, its Ronaldo AND its Brazil (which had a ridiculously deep team and went on to win that year). Julian Green and the US are a totally different scenario.
Jack,
Every player is different.
Walcott was a wasted spot because he did not play in 2006 and then he was injured for the next two (2010, 2014) cycles so in effect any WC development experience was wasted on him.
Ronaldo was on the 1994 team at more or less the same age as Green, maybe a little younger. He had just torn things up in the Brazilian leagues but that Brazil team went on to win the Cup and they were loaded. So they could afford to have Ronaldo audit the class. If Ronaldo had played, there seems to be little doubt he would have done just fine.
JK has made it clear he intends to play Green in the World Cup. He did not pick him to have him audit the class either. We’ll find out soon enough.
Cameron and Guzan can kick Chandler for giving it away and leading to the problem.