Photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
Alejandro Bedoya made sure to impress in his first action of the 2015 Gold Cup.
Coming off of a knee injury to assume his spot on the left side of the midfield, Bedoya provided an assist on the U.S. Men’s National Team’s lone goal of a 1-1 draw with Panama to earn SBI MLS USMNT Man of the Match honors.
Stationed out wide, Bedoya was a consistent presence in the midfield, as the Nantes star earned the USMNT opportunities through both his creativity on the ball and off it.
A perfectly-timed run in the first half nearly yielded a goal for the U.S., but Bedoya’s biggest contribution came with his pinpoint passing on Michael Bradley’s 55th-minute winner. After receiving the ball out wide, Bedoya slid a weighted pass into the path of the cutting Bradley, allowing an easy tap-in to earn the U.S. a hard-earned point.
Bedoya’s presence in the midfield earned the midfielder SBI USMNT Man of the Match, beating out Bradley, Gyasi Zardes and Brad Guzan for Monday’s honors.
What did you think of Bedoya’s performance? Which player stood out to you in Monday’s game?
Share your thoughts below.
BOOO, it was Guzan
For long stretches of the game, the US team looked like a team with nothing to play for, it was more about going through the repetitions. I’m fine with that. Don’t get hurt, don’t pickup a 2nd yellow (Brooks, wtf man). Wondolowski and Zardes did not make for a good forward pairing, I know it was a meaningless game, so the idea is let’s try some new things out. But please never again.
I agree Bradley was dropping too deep, if he wants to play that close the the center backs, start him with Diskerud and let Mix play up the field. I’m not sure why they play Mix as a defensive midfielder. His best skills seem to be vision and creativity. I know Bradley brings a lot to the attack, but his defensive chops and conditioning are so good I’d rather see him in the defensive midfielder role.
Hoping to see Besler and Beasley called in for group stage. Our back line performed pretty poorly in the group stage. Alvarado always seems to be making poor decisions, Chandler is a turnover machine. Wouldn’t mind seeing: Fabian, Brooks/Besler, Gonzales/Ream, Beasley as the starting back 4 the rest of the way.
You touch on an important question for the USMNT: What is MB90’s best role? SBNation had a good article about exactly this question.
The whole team was hampered by a really poor showing from the midfield. Bradley was really off his game, especially up until his goal, which was a nice finish, but otherwise a forgettable performance. It especially was frustrating to see Bradley come all the way back to the centerbacks and take the ball off their feet. This had a domino effect that essentially left a gaping hole between the defense and offense. I mean Beckerman was the #6, right? I understand the team is built around Bradley, and maybe rightly so, but one consequence of that is if Bradley has a bad game, it drastically affects the entire team.
Bedoya was the most effective as far as combining with teammates and pressing the attack. That being said, he looked a little rusty for him, no doubt from his recent injury. Hopefully after a few days rest, he will be ready to go. We will need him.
Unfortunately the players that stood out did so for the wrong reasons. Chandler’s passing has been terrible lately. Beckerman was unusually ineffective and perhaps its time to start Mix in that sport. Morales didn’t do much. Alvarado saved a bad performance with a better second half. Zardes was not nearly as dangerous up front and he in on the wing (maybe someday someone will realize that’s where Jozy should be playing). Guzan still makes me nervous. Bedoya was just ok in the way that Bedoya always seems to be just ok. The US will need to improve if they want to win this tournament.
“The US will need to improve if they want to win this tournament.”
I guess you haven’t watched the games of the remaining teams.
They are all capable of beating the US but it would be an upset.
The US starts shaky but they have been finishing strong, which is preferable to the other way around. The US looks very fit.
He didn’t seem like that much of a presence to me, but I don’t think there were any truly outstanding performances by the US tonight. It was more a case of who looked least bad. In addition to Bedoya, I would add FJ, Yedlin, Dempsey and Guzan. Actually, in thinking about it, while Guzan did spill one ball, he maybe had the best game of all the US players.
I think that FJ had a solid half. And Guzan was atrocious on the disallowed goal. It was two feet away from him and he let the Panama player strike it. Inside his box, the keeper is boss. Other than that he did alright.
forget about which players were the best of the worst.. errr let me see, Mexican ref, heavily protested by the teams in game one due to incompetence, so in the dead of the night he’s switched to the US game.. so, prior to taking the pitch in game 2, Mexican ref browses the US Roster to see which starters are on yellow… 15 minutes in whack.. I’ll take that center defender out of the QF stage!! Never fails! What is it that makes Mexico tremble with such anti American bias on the soccer pitch? Jealousy? It never fails, including the Mexican ref that gave Brooks the yellow in the Honduras game. Disgusting! Bet my bottom buck that we another Mexican ref before the end of the Gold Cup if we get that far! Bitter fan here!
Look: I’m on record as saying that I think the ref was in over his head and that CONCACAF was absolutely bush-league to switch him in at the last hour, but Brooks earned his yellow card. That one was probably the easiest call the ref had all night.
On that one, I’m mostly annoyed with Brooks. Ultimately, that match didn’t mean anything to the US. I know he didn’t have time to think but don’t pick up a silly yellow that knocks you out of a match that matters.
Yup, other than Bradley or Deuce, the one guy I don’t want to see miss a match. 10 -20 years ago any CONCACAF ref would have given him red and smiled.
If the ball had been any closer (and not a long one over the top like it was) red would have been the right card. Two hands pulling on the attackers shoulders as the last man with the ball anywhere near by and play headed toward goal is an easy red.
Very well , however the bloody brutal example of Futbol that ensued, got a lot of “play on”.. there were multiple occasions for this incompetent ref to take control of the game, but he proved to be a failure. Bigger problem is that his “failures” hurt the US team by far the most.
Did you notice the number of times when he actually did call fouls against Los Canales, the late whistles stopped American possession to counter, for a re start? The main point of my complaints are of the maddening ways that referees from Mexico find it all just too easy and by all accounts and means, to show discipline against the US. It’s almost a built in ‘given’..
Spot on Gary! +1000000000000000000