By IVES GALARCEP
PASADENA, California.– The CONCACAF Cup kicks off tonight at the Rose Bowl, pitting arch-rivals USA and Mexico in a clash that will determine which team goes to the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Mexico comes in off a 2015 Gold Cup title, but will be commanded by interim coach Ricardo ‘Tuca’ Ferretti after the firing of Miguel Herrera. Ferretti is expected to instill a bit more defensive-minded approach.
The U.S. enter with its strongest group since the 2014 World Cup, though Alejandro Bedoya’s absence due to illness, which will force Jurgen Klinsmann to shake things up a bit.
SBI will be providing live commentary on tonight’s action so please feel free to following the action. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action(Tonight’s SBI Live Commentary is after the jump):
//
The USMNT was much too defensive. In order to win there has to be the desire to score. And when the team was hanging on with a 2-2 tie, Klinsmann brings in another defender. I know whom I would have put in instead of Evans. On the other hand, maybe if Klinsmann had put in the almost sub Wondo, there would again be no end to the comments about how he didn’t belong. So why is nobody commenting on how Altidore missed a sure goal which looked strikingly similar to the one Wondo missed at the World Cup. I hope there will be consequences to the lack of scoring by Dempsey and Altidore. They seemed slow and couldn’t get any kind of attack going.
because we’re commenting on the coach who is richly deserving of all the attention we’re giving him which he so dearly craves
..because Altidore played much better than Dempsey. He tested the keeper with 1 good shot on goal and was a nuisance, neither he or Dempsey won balls in the air. Dempsey was utter garbage and was selfish on 2 opportunities when he should have laid the ball off for tap ins.
– Dempsey, Besler, Jones are done
can we fire him now?
Of course he should be gone but I’m thinking he’s here through the next world cup.
Gulati should pay for this farce. Forked over control of the farm to a fake, paid him the cheddar after buying his BS, and he we are
if we make it
I wonder how the usmnt would do if the guys were actually played in their natural positions. Don’t think we’ve ever seen that.
Klinsmann just said the game was “even” through extra time. Lol. Is he on f$&@ing drugs? the only two passes that were completed tonight were to the back of the net. Game was crappy. I consider them lucky to only lose by 1.
Yeah it was even until halftime but we were outplayed for most of the rest. He’s a delusional fool, we all know that by now.
Today’s showings, both results and in terms of style, confirm that the Klinsmann Experiment has failed. It’s time to move on.
The usmnt from the 46th minute on: “run back! Defend! Cut the pass! Oh wait, I’ve got the ball? Hot potato! Get rid of it!” Seriously until the Usmnt can learn to connect 3 passes in a row and know where to be on the field, the coach has failed.
Other thoughts:
Fabian Johnson is a midfielder for his club and it really showed it. Awful, was responsible for the first 2 goals
Altidore: doesn’t make runs, can’t hold the ball, can’t pass (laughable the times he tried to switch the ball), no energy. Watch how the 3 Mexican forwards swarmed our D all night. Learn.
Dempsey – was he on the field?
Feel bad for Bradley. He totally brought it.
Cameron also showed why he is a PL quality defender. Should be starting CB in every competitive game going forward.
Beasley too fought but was way gassed – should have been subbed out way earlier.
Sub strategy was all wrong.
Most alarming was how the team played scared. Mexico has good talent but we’re not talking about Brazil or Germany here. Bad strategy and bad coaching.
Yes, sub strategy was very wrong. I have been a Klinsi fan but it might be time for him to go. It seems that he has no idea and should just be a tech director.
I’m failing to understand what was wrong with the sub strategy. The first two subs combined to score a goal. The third sub was not planned. Pretty sure FJ was hurt.
+1
Yup
the indicator that Klinsmann is lost is the fact that he played essentially a World Cup team that he hasn’t bothered to give a look in the last year and a half. His “experimentation” consists of throwing crap against a wall and seeing what sticks. These guys haven’t played with each other at all and you could tell. Their timing/ideas were off all night. He may be a good technical director but he is not a tactician. The move is now, while we have 2 years to WC. Play the new kids now to build, and move on from the old.
Nobody, absolutely nobody will stop Mexico in CONCACAF anymore, at least in the next 2-3 years.
Sure, if they are given freebies. Not saying they got a freebie here, but in reality, it should have been Panama vs USA. It would have been nice to have won, but what really counts is qualifying. Winning this tournament means nothing if you can’t qualify. Klinsi started the right line-up, but he should have subbed a lot earlier; Beas was there was too long but poured his heart out.
Where do we really go from here, Tacobell or La Cantina?
Our top guys all playing in the 12th best league in the world. No worries of being benched or replacement. Age is creeping in.
losing our spot in the Olympics and losing this match on the same day has to spell FIRED for jk. Theres absolutely no way to defend him now.
Who will we replace him with? Sunil interviewed absolutely nobody last time around and just extended JK’s contract. What a mess.
I’d like to see either Marsch or Pareja
Get off that Marsch garbage. Pareja…maybe
It was a great game but difficult loss. The US after the second goal woke up but Beas should have not gone for the steal. He was just so tired and should have been subbed. Just did not have the wheels to get there, if not, it would have gone to penalties.
Well he did try to retire, can’t really blame him so much
Black Saturday with this and the U-23 today. It’s official US soccer has regressed. MLS may be bigger but certainly not better. Lack of quality in the league really hurting us.
How can you really blame MLS when you have better Americans in the league then what JK is putting out?
She’s just an anti-MLS troll. No one could seriously say the level of play in MLS is the same as 10 years ago. It’s far better with double the teams. Wake up Martha!
Very ignorant comment. Please keep quite rather than this type of nonsense.
The under 23 team is great, and Klinsmann is right in saying that soccer is a players game. Any team can lose even with good player on any given day.
It’s difficult when Dempsey isn’t having a good night. It’s like playing a man down. You put up with it because he is good for moments of magic. Tonight, he might as well have been in Seattle. I wish Obafemi Martens could play for us.
Bottom line is that Mexico was better than us for about 90 of 120. Sucks to watch them win, but they earned it tonight.
Dempsey hit a wall a few weeks ago, I think carrying us through the Gold Cup took a lot from him.
Klinsmann got out-coached by an interim manager. Sadly I’m not surprised by that.
and interim coach with two key players not playing at 100% (Marquez and Guardado) and another key player (Vasquez) injured. I don’t want to think what could have happened if Mexico had a healthy squad.
Congratulations El Tri, you played better and deserved the win. Also, good luck in Confederations, you deserve to be there as well.
Sry, forgot he subbed Evans. Apparently subbing defenders is a thing now.
I never comment here, but I need an outlet. We need to fire Klinsmann!! Great motivational speaker, not a great with tactics.
Yeah missing Confederations Cup and Olympics, it’s time to hit the hard reset.
Feilhaber a better 10 then Bradley, Finlay, Lletget better midfielders then Zardes, Dax having a better year Beckerman, Shea’s when healthy has been as good as Beasley this year, that’s about all you MLS players replaced by better options, younger options all well except for Feilhaber
Sickening day for a US fa. I am going to stop watching soccer for awhile. My takeaways:
– Beasley, Jones, Dempsey had horrible games. They are done.
– We still can’t hold the ball in midfield against technical teams. This has been an issue for 12 years ir so
– Dempsey cost us 2 clear goal scoring opportunities with his selfish play… taking on 4 defenders.
– Yedlin is not progressing
– People underestimate how good, technically Mexico is
Beasley, Beckerman, Jones, Dempsey all warriors and thank you but might just be time to move on, need to rethink how important Bradley’s role is as well, just not composed in the final third time and time again, not even so much at the MLS level
That last goal may be on Beas, but he played great all night otherwise IMO.
I’ve given up on Klinsy, it’s just impossible to support and defend him.
This US team doesn’t know how to pass to each other; always passing to lose the ball. Deserve to lose. They aren’t good enough/play like sh1t.
I’m tepid on guzan, there were many times he should have stormed forward and swallowed up some loose balls. It was like f$@&ing quidditch for our mids. They were gassed chasing the game. Williams should have been subbed in to provide some gd relief. He left a freaking sub on the bench. But oh well, like Klinsmann said in the pregame interview, as long as they soaked up the moment, had fun and got their asses handed to him, he would be happy.
Uh no, he used all three subs.
Pretty much every goal scored against the US had defenders ball watching. Must be something they coach at all levels now. Being a dumb American, I’m confused
I like Klinsi but the team is going in the wrong direction. It’s time for a change.
Ben Carson for prez of US AND USSF
So we played bunker ball and still lost? Fire Gulati and whoever is up after him, fire Klinsmann.
Fire Klinsmann.
Also, Guzan is not our keeper. Robles, Hamid are both better.
Bright sides? I thought Besler was good, and Cameron too.
Dempsey terrible. Bradley inconsistent. Yedlin was awful.
Very disappointing.
No conceded goal was particularly Guzan’s fault. When you spend most of the game defending, you are bound to concede.
Yeah, that goal Yedlin set up was terrible. …Watch the game.
You’re right, that pass was beautiful, but I would say every other touch was weak or overcommitted. He was brought into the game to run at the defense and down the flanks, and with the exception of that one pass, he was useless.
When we needed a goal we scored, when we were even, we played scared it cost us, whatever you think of Wondo, changing from Wondo to Evans said JK was just playing for PKs.
I’m pretty sure FJ was hurt and asked to come out. Either that or he was gassed. I don’t think that’s the sub JK wanted to make.
Unforgettable day for US Soccer.
It’s a disappointing day for US soccer.
The comment section on every article is going to be all doom and gloom for a while now (well, more so anyway)..
#bringbackbruce
Ummm….no.
Klinsman or Gulatti, which one?
neither please!
Lineup was wrong. Formation was wrong. Subs were wrong. Tactics were wrong. No Confed Cup. Olympics look unlikely. Tell me what’s going right under Jurgen.
Nothing.
He is clueless, and looks like he has lost the locker room.
Subs made no sense.
Let’s go have some tacos.
FIRE KLINNSMAN
Is it even possible to fire Gulati? I never imagined they’d get Blatter, so I’m hopeful
When was the last time that the U.S. looked good and dominant in an OFFICIAL game. Not today. Not the 2015 GC. Not the 2014 WC (they basically defended all the time even when they won).
Perhaps the 2013 GC.
Fire Klinsmann
Fire JK tonight! Enough is enough!
The best team won.