The goal never came for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Saturday night, but it was Bobby Wood who was consistently the USMNT’s best chance at finding one.
Wood led the way with five shots for the USMNT while proving to be the most dangerous player on the field for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side, earning honors as SBI USMNT Man of the Match in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Colombia.
In a match that saw the USMNT create plenty of chances, Wood tended to be at the forefront of the USMNT attack. After missing the semifinal loss against Argentina, Wood added a valuable presence with both his creativity and hold-up play as the U.S. challenged the Colombia defense. Wood’s best efforts came in the second half, as the forward rattled the post and nearly set up Clint Dempsey in what proved to be the USMNT’s best opportunities to find an equalizing goal.
Wood’s efforts deserved a goal, although it never came. Regardless, the forward earned Saturday’s SBI USMNT Man of the Match honors over Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones and Geoff Cameron.
What did you think of Wood’s performance? Which player stood out to you on Saturday?
Share your thoughts below.
just dont see how its possible. he is good at losing the ball, having a fit, and complaining. he is strong and physical and improving but just didnt see MOTM in his performance. Cameron did the best in my opinion. I really thought Zardes improved as the tournament progressed. it will be interesting to see who fills the starting spot at striker
i would’ve picked cameron as well, but i thought bobby had a pretty good game. was involved in most of our dangerous plays, and (more importantly) no one else really stood out.
i agree with gary page above though: he needs to start pulling the trigger sooner — he doesn’t have nearly as much space against the better teams in the world, and anything can happen when you put a shot on frame.
Watching a couple of MLS games this weekend and even some of the Euro knockout games, too, in both places it seemed that players had noticeably more time and space on the ball than when the good teams like Argentina, Chile and Colombia played. In international play so often you have to shoot first time if you want to get a shot off because you are closed down so quickly.
I love how Wood has played in this tourney and have real hopes of him leading the line for us in Russia, but I can’t give him MOTM when he wasted so many chances. He did everything else right, but he has GOT to bury 1 or 2 of those chances in the Colombia match. I’ll go with Cameron who was steady all tournament, looked sharp last night, and was really pushing at the end to even the game.
I also have to say that Bradley looked much better last night, particularly before whatever minor injury happened late in the first half. But then again, Colombia did not press him like Argentina did either. There was a noticeable dropoff in the team when Nagbe came in for him. Make of that what you will. It’s not encouraging.
Wood was hungry for goals and i like to see that but he should have finished atleast on of those chances. Shoot it under Bedoya when he jumps in front of him, pass it to Zardes when he makes the run off you in the box, dont hit the post (just kiding that was a great attempt). I like to see that Bobby really really wanted a goal but i think he tried to hard in some situations to get it when a pass or a quicker shot would have been a better option.
Still MOTM if its not given to Jones or Cameron (who was making runs through the midfield like he was trying out to take Bradley’s spot in the middle of the game)
“Cameron (who was making runs through the midfield like he was trying out to take Bradley’s spot in the middle of the game)” Maybe he is trying to, or at least take Jermaine Jones’ job. I just have this feeling that Cameron would prefer to play defensive mid more than CB or RB. Can’t give you a specific reason why, but I have heard or read him making some comments that give me this feeling.
“I just have this feeling that Cameron would prefer to play defensive mid more than CB or RB. Can’t give you a specific reason why, but I have heard or read him making some comments that give me this feeling.”
because it’s waaaaay more fun? as a rule, soccer players like moving further up the field.
Anyone remember when Cameron scored against Arsenal? I think he probably got more stoked (no pun intended) doing that than making 10 great defensive plays. So, Nate, you are probably right.
I thought Orozco was the motm but Wood also did good
I nominate Orozco for stupid play of the tournament. On a yellow, puts his hands to the guys face in retaliation not two feet away from the ref. I hope you are being sarcastic, because Colombia had their best attacks going down Orozco’s side. He pretty much held his own, but hardly MOTM.
well now this is confusing: i thought it was “a striker’s job to score goals”. bobby has 1 goal in his last 5 games, and no one’s given him an oh-so-clever derogatory nickname yet?
Preach.
Every time wood had a donkey touch I chuckled and thought ‘what if Jozy had made that bad touch…” lol
Not to mention Jozy is injured and still has scored the most goals for country in 2016. (Although I believe Dempsey tied him with this tourney).
#Facts
Altidore:
1 goal against Guatemala
1 goal friendly against Iceland
1 goal friendly against Canada
Goals that matter in 2016 = 1
Dempsey: NOT IN THE SAME CLASS AS DEMPSEY
1 goal against Costa Rica
1 goal against Paraguay
1 goal against Ecuador
1 goal against Guatemala (game Altidore scored)
Goals that matter in 2016 = 4
Gyasi Zardes: BEING COMPARED TO GYASI IS MORE LIKE IT
2 goals friendly against Boliva
1 goal against Ecuador
Goals that matter in 2016 = 1
Bobbie Wood:
1 goal against Costa Rica
1 goal friendly against Puerto Rica
Goals that matter in 2016 = 1
“Not to mention Jozy is injured and still has scored the most goals for country in 2016”
Not true
Also where are all the people that were saying never bring in Altidore again because he might get hurt, calls for Brooks and Johnson to be left off rosters because they get frequent injuries?
Game, set, Bizzy.
@bizzy
so what you’re saying is, bobby is only as good as altidore, who, according to you, “can’t score”. sounds like our future starting forward!
also, i love that we’re now changing the argument to “goals that matter”.
Wood 555 minutes in meaningful matches 1 goal
Altidore 48 minutes in meaningful matches 1 goal
Wondo 58 minutes in meaningful matches 0 goals
Wood shows a lot of promise, but let’s wait before making him a permanent starter. The key is how well he does in the Bundesliga this next season. I thought we were hurt because both he and Zardes weren’t decisive enough in front of goal. There were times when we seemed to want to make the perfect play or get a set up for an easy shot. I thought our players should shoot more because you never know if there will be a rebound, a deflection, or if the GK will screw up (Dempsey goal vs. England 2010). The only time the Colombian GK was really tested was Dempsey’s free kick. It’s hard to score if you don’t take a shot and we still didn’t take enough of them and we could have taken more.
“I thought we were hurt because both he and Zardes weren’t decisive enough in front of goal. There were times when we seemed to want to make the perfect play or get a set up for an easy shot.”
that’s what i saw, too. it seems to be a theme with all our forwards not named dempsey.
Well deserved MOTM title for Wood. He has stepped into the lead striker position and we are starting to see promise. With a decent striker core (Wood, Johnnasson, Morris, Altidore) the USMNT could (again could) take it to the next level. We have another striker / winger in the pipeline awaiting citizenship and like Darlington Nagbe wants to play for the USMNT…min 2:03(“and that’s all she wrote” lol)
http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2016-06-25-philadelphia-union-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-fc/recap
We need players that play with heart and don’t quit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz3mUqxK8R8
Jozy should not start again and I’m a Jozy fan but Wood just has everything and more
I’m curious where Jozy fits now. You gotta think as a back up now. But who knows JK hard to predict.
Like for Like backup for Wood.
Jozy will have to compete with Jordon Morris and AJ to be Wood’s backup.
Totally different types of players. Morris is a winger playing Target forward and AJ is more in the cloth of Dempsey than Wood. I hope Wood tears up bundesliga this season. He could become near world class over the next 5 years. Altidore needs to go back to eredivisie and stay there.
AJ should probably be able to run again before you give him anyone’s spot. He’s not expected back on the pitch anytime soon.
in no way is morris a winger
I said he is a winger playing Target forward. he might have played a 9 at Stanfurd but he is not an international caliber 9. He is a winger. he is fast, makes good runs and can shoot with power or deliver a decent cross. He is very one footed and his hold up play is mediocre at best. He is not good on the ball and can’t combine in tight spaces with any consistency. he is not a 9. He is a 7 aping a 9.
Sorry where we first see a player is their natural position. So Morris must always be a #9 anyone who does not play him in this position is unqualified to manage a ymca team, I’ve been scolded about this quite often.
Say what you will but Jozy can finish and already has the goal numbers to prove it! Too often the ball has gotten stuck in Woods spokes when all it takes is a toe poke on frame.. Don’t get me wrong Woods goes full tilt with speed and aggression. He will only get better and hopefully motivates Jozy. Both Jozy, Woods, and eventually Johannsson really need some wide service from the wings and backs. Sadly the search continues for a left back and FabJohnson cannot provide the much need width at midfield.
Anyone else notice when the US did get numbers forward not just in this game but how often players were literally standing next to each other in the 18 yard box and sometimes one of the players would be in possession of the ball shoulder to shoulder?
With a player like Woods triangles can be formed with space, room for runs, and give and goes. Let’s not forget switches and crosses when a ball goes into Woods and played back wide!
HIS NAME IS WOOD, NOT WOODS. Competition breeds excellence so if Jozy is truly the man then he should be able to prove it when he gets back. Problem is, he can’t stay healthy. At least now we have an alternative target striker. Jozy will have to fight for his place in MLS and his place on the national team. This is a good thing. Michael BRadley should have to fight for both as well. No living on past glories and free rides. You have to win every day.
…and don’t forget in the like for like category we have to wait and see how Terrance Boyd recovers and plays this year.
Boyd is currently playing with his team’s 13 year olds there is still a lot of doubt he will be able to play again at the professional or international level.
I love Dempsey, but I’m not sure we can pencil him in for every qualification match throughout the process. Whether it’s injury, fatigue or general matches off…he’s at a point now where it’s not unforeseen that his body may not do what his mind wants on the pitch.
I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility we see Altidore and Wood paired up in the final third if we decide to stick with this 4-4-2. In fact, I think Altidore could regain some form if we do so. As you pointed out, Altidore doesn’t have a problem with scoring goals for the Nats (unlike club) but he does labor to provide pressure on offense of defense to the opponents back line. That’s where Wood comes in.
Shades of Davies and Altidore come to mind in contrasting styles complementing one another.
“Shades of Davies and Altidore come to mind in contrasting styles complementing one another.”
yes. i think they’d play really well together. i still think klinsmann tries to move forward longterm with a 4-3-3, and then bobby and jozy would be competing for the same spot, but who the hell knows at this point.
Jozy wood FJ
Pulisic
Nagbe Bradley
Shea Brooks GC yedlin
I ain’t mad at it
Move Nagbe up with Pulisic so that we can press, otherwise we won’t win the ball and Altidore and FJ will be buried deep in our own half with no outlet if we win the ball.
@dloa
i know you think jozy can play out on the wing, and although i wouldn’t have a problem trying it in some friendlies, he hasn’t played there in a minute, and i have my doubts about him pulling it off at this point; he certainly isn’t the player now that he was with nyrb or even villarreal (for better or worse).
and i like how you snuck brek in there. almost missed it. 🙂