USA v Ukraine: negatives are positives

Photo credit: KATIA CHRISTODOULOU / EPA

 

The USA lost its FIFA international date match versus the Ukraine mostly due to players unfamiliar with one another. Ukraine seemed inspired with the tragic backdrop of their torn nation. This, perhaps, was a dignified result for the game.

The negatives were the inexperience shown by John Brooks and rustiness presented by Onyewu. It was clear that this was a highly-experimental Europe-based crew that served to showcase the different individuals plying their trade in the old continent.

It's clear that the Gonzalez-Besler tandem is here to stay as the center backs and everyone else from Brooks to Onyewu to Ream is auditioning for the backup role. Do keep in mind that DeMerrit was a backup last Wrold Cup and played the hero when Onyewu was struggling. 

Klinsmann's biggest ideas played out in the midfield, where he slotted Fabian Johnson on the left flank and Kljestan in the middle. Does Kljestan still have a chance in this group? And is Fabian Johnson not the best left back option? It seems that Klinsmann would really want him in the midfield but has no reliable options to cover the left defensive position. Sound familiar?

Barring any injuries, Fabian Johnson is likely to remain with the back four. The rest of the midfield is still a question mark with the different lineups the German coach has tried. What happens when Zusi and Donovan return? Where does Dempsey fit in if he's not a withdrawn forward? And what about Bedoya and Diskerud?

And then there's the central midfield role. Michael Bradley, barring injury, is an undisputed starter. Jermaine Jones is likely to be his partner, but a diamond formation would pose interesting problems. Do they both remain box-to-box players? Who takes more of a defensive role? Last night it was partly due to Jones that Ukraine got their first goal. There was no help from the central midfield.

With Maurice Edu out for now, it comes down to Kyle Beckermann as a backup, with Brad Evans or Geoff Cameron able to shift to that role. Danny Williams has suddenly seen his stock rise with a good game versus Ukraine and a starting role with Championship side Reading. Beckermann better show up for the Mexico game in April.

The forward situation did not get any help from yesterday's game except to say this: Jozy is in trouble and Johannsson is the answer. Altidore had one clear chance at goal but it went wide like so many chances for Sunderland this season. Tough times for the youngster. 

Aron Johannsson almost made it a rescueable game for the Americans late in the match. His shot was saved by the defender on the goal line. He's a poacher and we need him. We do wish we had seen more of Agudelo and Boyd, especially the latter. Hopefully they will get some chances in the upcoming friendlies.

What will happen with Chivas USA?

A bomb dropped on Major League Soccer yesterday. The league is buying Chivas USA from Jorge Vergara and plans to keep the team in LA, for now. But let's not kid ourselves--we saw this coming.

If anything, a Chivas rebrand might be the best thing that could happen to the league if it really wants to move on to better things. Since 2005 the expansion side has tried to turn LA into a city of two soccer teams. For a time it worked and Chivas had serious quality when Preki was coach. Since then, however, the team has struggled and has been a type of "assured-points game" for stronger teams whenever they played.

The original intent with Chivas USA was to provide the significant Mexican presence in Southern California with a team they could truly call their own. The "Rebaño Sagrado" was the perfect fit, it seemed, since it is one of the most prominent teams in Mexico. 

One of the more curious things about the early Chivas USA was the inclusion of a heavy Mexican developmental contingent, which in retrospect was more of a stunt aimed at the local population than dealing with soccer reality. It was believed that Mexican players had an advantage being developed in a soccer community but this never translated into quality on the pitch. This, in addition to a parade of coaches, added to the misery experienced by the LA team.

But does Los Angeles really need a second soccer team? Are there really enough Chivas USA fans out there or were they always de facto Goats fans because their main team was Chivas Guadalajara? The latter is more likely to be the case.

Indeed, a case can be made that The American Goats was an experiment and that, however flawed, offered something fundamentally different from the glamor of the LA Galaxy and all that it means to the city. Chivas was often an afterthought only to be brought up for the so-called SuperClasico. And yes, at times those games were fun when Sacha Kljestan, Jonathan Bornstein and Brad Guzan played for the Rojiblancos, but the "derby" never quite caught up and was overshadowed by the Portland-Seattle rivalry when it arrived.

A move away from the LA area would serve the former Chivas team best and would benefit both the Galaxy and the league as a whole. And the team need not move too far. San Diego has been hoping to land a tier 1 soccer team for a while now, and deservedly so. It is a town rich in soccer culture and a strong market with Mexican influence that would provide a great fan base.

Los Angeles continues to run the soccer world in this country.  From Galaxy II's development in USL to the rebranding of Chivas. What else can the City of Angels give to American soccer?

Corona hat trick: USA U-23 vs Cuba

Photo credit: AP

The Olympic qualifiers are underway and the US U-23 crew has started off on the right foot with a resounding 6-0 victory over Cuba. Granted, this is Cuba and the island nation's defender was ejected in the 19th minute. Still, plenty of offensive firepower, control of the ball and great skills were displayed.

The Olympic squad as an U-23 team is the last step in player development for national teams. Last time around we were treated to Stuart Holden, Sacha Kljestan, Maurice Edu and Charlie Davies. Advancing to the finals of the Concacaf tournament means passage to the summer Olympics in London. Once there all bets are off for Caleb Porter's crew.

Caleb Porter is an up-and-coming collegiate coach that took Akron to its first ever win in a sports tournament for any discipline. He was offered the DC United post but declined it in favor of continuing with Akron. He has described himself as a possession-oriented, attack-minded strategist. A great column on this coach is available here.

The players to watch in this tournament are as exciting as last time around. In fact, most of these players already take part in MLS squads, Mexican Primera and Europe. Some, like Mixx Diskerud, are highly regarded by most in the soccer media. Also in the mix is Joe Gyau of Hoffenheim, who has shown promise for the Bundesliga team and will likely take part in league games sometime soon.

MLS stars abound in this squad: Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu, Ike Opara, Kofi Sarkodie, Zarek Valentin, Brek Shea. None was more impressive tonight than Brek Shea and is further testament to this young player's bright future.

A secret weapon on this team is Joe Corona. The Tijuana Xolo exploded onto the scene in the Mexican Primera and, after toying with representing Mexico internationally, had a change of heart and decided to play for USA. His hat trick tonight was sure to send shockwaves among soccer media and fans of Team USA.

Both Corona and Diskerud were particularly impressive. Diskerud's quick passing and cheeky moves were enough to distract the Cuban players and his back and forth with Adu and Corona made for some fun soccer to watch. And yes, Adu still has it. A great long distance shot reminded us of that fact.

The USA U-23 still have two more games in the group phase against Canada and El Salvador. Both are much more demanding opponents than Cuba but it looks like this American team has what counts to make it deep into the tournament. They did, after all, defeat the other powerhouse--Mexico--in a friendly in February by the score of 2-0.

US squeaks, Mexico rolls in friendlies

International friendlies during non-FIFA dates are a way to diagnose how domestic-based players stack up compared to those playing in Europe's elite leagues (and other countries as well). These games are usually reserved for non-European teams and/or mid to low level Europeans. Why is this so? Big leagues, big teams, big players. The clubs have priorities and do not release their players for non-FIFA dates. This is why Mexico can't call on Guardado or why the US can't call on Donovan or Altidore.

For teams like the US and Mexico, as well as, recently, even Argentina, domestic leagues cede their players to the national team as a way to support national team success and/or to comply with ordinances from the country's federation. For the US, MLS is not in season at the moment and players are free to engage in national team camps. Even some Scandinavian-based players like Clarence Goodson are allowed to partake in non-FIFA dates since their leagues are on winter breaks.

In the end, it's about gaging prospects within the domestic league that may compete for spot with more prominent Europe-based players. Bornstein, Ching and Casey are probable picks for the final 23. But rest assured that the majority of the squad will be comprised of Dempsey, Altidore, Bocanegra, Howard and other international stars. These unofficial friendlies become crucial for at-the-moment fringe players like Kljestan, Findley, Pearce, Beckerman. We might say that they haven't done as well as they could have. Their first friendly versus Honduras was horrendous due to an early red card. Yesterday's match against El Salvador was a great deal more promising but we are left wondering if our base players are very shallow in scale and confined to Europe.

Granted, Kljestan, Pearce, and Ching showed signs yesterday that they can compete at a higher level and are worth keeping as potential supersubs at the World Cup. A 2-1 win is a win, especially given their shot-on-goal ratio versus their counterparts (something like 4 to 1 with 15+ shots for the US). A lack of the finishing tough is what was missing, something we cannot afford in South Africa. Mexico, on the other hand, ruled the day and completed a thourough routing, 5-0, of Bolivia. Players like Hernandez, Blanco and the veteran Braulio Luna emerged as potential competitors for the Europe-based players like Vela, Osorio and Guardado. Mexico showed how a friendly match on home turf (it's San Francisco, people) should be won when the competing squad is also comprised of domestic-based players.

All in all, it was a promising start. Now it's time for the international stars to affirm their status as first-teamers... and the chance comes against Holland in Amsterdam (Wed, March 3 on ESPN2). Good luck.

Red card USA: National team almost out of Confederations Cup

Red cards, red cards, red cards. A 3-0 loss against a classy, albeit not awesome Brazil. What went wrong? Everything. If the game against Italy was a steal (not a red card for Clark, no reds for two Italian offenses) and a dignified game for most of the squad, then today's game made us look more like New Zealand or Canada in the last Confederations Cup. DeMerrit and Bornstein were often beaten whilst Spector (he should keep the job) and Onyewu held their own. I'm not sure why B. Bradley would start Beasley and Kljestan in favor of Feilhaber, Torres or even Adu. He had his reasons, and although I thought Beasley had a chance to redeem himself, he once again showed why his place with the nats may be expiring.

I'm also questioning players' ability to show off for European teams. Besides Landon Donovan and Oguchi Onyewu I don't think the rest of the group merits a second look. Let's hope the Egypt game goes better for our national team. Pride alone is at stake. No red cards please. For once, as much as it pains me, I have to side with Trecker.

Player ratings:
Howard....5
Spector....4.5
Onyewu....5
DeMerrit....4
Bornstein....4
Beasley...3
Kljestan....2
Donovan...5
Dempsey...5
Altidore...4
subs: Feilhaber (6), Casey (5)

The comeback kids: El Salvador - US

No Gooch (Onyewu), no Tim Howard in goal. I mentioned in my previous post that this indeed had the makes of a hard game for the US. It's hard to imagine an important team having a hard time against so-called "minnows," i.e. El Salvador. But such was the case. Potentially it was the noise from the boisterous fans, luck of the draw, good Salvadoran side, or bad football.

Bradley's team didn't gel today. The offense was uninspired for a good portion of the game. But it didn't start out that way. Even in the depths of the Cuscatlan, the considerable might of the US national team weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of players and fans alike. El Salvador scores first, early and painfully. It was a freak play partially blamed on the noise and an alteration of the US backline (Califf for Onyewu, Guzan for Howard). Point is USA was losing to El Salvador for the first time in 16 years.

Things went from bad to worse. Pearce was getting lost and Califf confused. Errant passes from Beasley, Kljestan, Bradley and Dempsey didn't help. Donovan and Ching were trying to get it done up front but they received little service from midfield. Indeed, Ching repeatedly found himself playing defense.

A change was needed. Bradley Sr answered with a surprise shift from 4-2-1-1 to an interchangeable 3-4-3 with Beasley as the "enganche," the polyfunctional position he excels at. In comes Altidore for a quiet Pearce. Things didn't pay off automatically, however. El Salvador answered Bradley's change with a beautiful second goal right after the second substitution (Torres for Kljestan). Hejduk was outdone by an appreciably shorter Castillo that headed the ball beyond Guzan's reach. Howard was missing but I'm not sure he would have done much better against the two goals scored.

The subs and change in scheme turned things around from the Americans. Torres was considerably more efficient than Kljestan in the midfield (again, playing time may be a factor here). The ball was solely in the American's possession. Soon it was Jozy taking care of business, using his size and strength to bring the score to 1-2. Hejduk, often clumsily beaten by Salvadorans in the first half, forcibly headed the tying goal 2 minutes to stoppage time. The man was inspired, but sometimes his aggressiveness with the ball and offensive play led to important attacks by the Cuscatlecos.

In the end this was a lesson in humility. No one can be too big for history. Tonight, the considerable differences in quality between these two sides did not decide the outcome of the game. The US had to win back its style of play to come away with a tie that felt painfully as a loss. USA still leads the table with 4 points after Mexico beat Costa Rica and Honduras and Trinidad shared points. Next up is Trinidad in Nashville--a must win.

Player Ratings:
Guzan....6
Pearce....5
Califf....4.5
Bocanegra....5.5
Hejduk.....6.5
Bradley.....6
Kljestan....5
Dempsey.....6
Beasley.....6
Donovan.....6.5
Ching.....7
subs: Altidore (7.5), Torres (8)

Preview: USA vs Mexico

Bob Bradley has chosen his side:
GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan; DEFENDERS: Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Frankie Hejduk, Heath Pearce, Dan Califf, Jonathan Bornstein, Marvell Wynne; MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, Clint Dempsey, Jose Francisco Torres, Ricardo Clark, Robbie Rogers; FORWARDS: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Brian Ching, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies.

This team is not too different from the one that played the last friendly against Mexico in February of last year in Houston. Cherundolo's presence in the back will be missed but homeboy and ageless Hejduk will fit just fine playing against his home crowd at Crew Stadium. Also in, although maybe not in the final 18 are speedster Marvell Wynne, composed Dan Califf and feisty Bornstein. The midfield is where it gets interesting... Out is Bobby Convey to be replaced by an impressive Sacha Kljestan (hat trick versus Sweden). Freddy Adu's lack of minutes on the pitch have meant his temporary replacement by Mexican-American Jose Fransisco Torres (recently chose to play for the US instead of Mexico). This is a brilliant move by Bradley considering Torres' play with Pachuca in the national and international scene. It's also great to have someone in the team understand the inner workings of the Mexican League play. Ricardo Clark is steady at midfield and does the dirty work whilst Robbie Rogers and Michael Bradley (coach's son) inject some youth into the system as well. Up front we have some of the usual suspects with Dempsey as an attacking midfielder/striker in an "enganche" position. Donovan always a must as is Brian Ching's experience. To round things out are American prodigy and recently transferred Jozy Altidore and Sweden league standout Charlie Davies.



As we move closer to gametime more and more of the Spanish media in this country covers the Mexican team. Some, like XM Deportivo's Futbol de Primera program with Andres Cantor, Sammy Sadovnik, Rosa Beatriz Sanchez and Jaime Gallardo are annoyingly, understandably and poignantly on the Mexican side of the balance. Sometimes it makes me wonder... hey, Andres aren't you and Rosa and Sammy Argentinean? Well, such is the market for mainstream latin soccer in the US. It's interesting, however, to point out the scale of meaning of this match. Here in the US, to most, it's just another sports game. To us fans of the sport and of the American team this is the grand Superbowl of them all. In Mexico and to the legions of immigrants already on American soil, this is the biggest game of the year. It shouldn't strike as strange that Blockbuster in Mexico as well as a certain newspaper started circulating voodoo dolls of the US national team to inject certain doom for our players. USsoccer has outdone itself this year in various ways... first is playing in our home base of Columbus. It may not be as cold as we thought a mid-February match would be but considering both teams have players at high latitudes this shouldn't be the determining factor. Instead we have a fortress of american fans in an intimate scenario, mainly colored red, at the stadium of the current MLS Champ--Columbus Crew.

As a wise man once put it: Two teams, both with head coaches, playing the game of football. This should prove to be a great game!

Olympic Dreamz

That's right, the "z" is to get people's attention because that's what this US Olympic team deserves. From Jamie Trecker's lukewarm, although generally positive overview of the game to Ives Galarcep's excitement with the realization the potential of this squad, to an impressed Spanish-speaking media liking the team's chances, the US Olympic team's 2-2 tie versus Holland in the second game of group play was nothing short of spectacular although with a sobering end. Granted, I was only able to watch 60% of the game due to DVR malfunction, I saw enough to be happy with the style of play and the lack of stage fright and lack of respect for their foe (yes, I said it). It's important for these youngsters to realize that, as Trecker put it, this isn't the famed clockwork orange that trounced World Cup finalists Italy and France. This was another U-23 team just like them. As I like to say to people when I discuss soccer comptetitions: when it's not the full national team playing all bets are off. That is why Nigeria won the Olympic tournament in Atlanta and why Mexico's U-17 won that tournament.
Back to the Americans: Flashes of glory from the Freddy Adu we all had such high hopes for back in 2003, Altidore's opportunistic brilliance, Kljestan's masterful play, Bradley's presence, Holden's quick moves, Parkhurst's steadiness, Wynne's pace, all came together in a spectacular performance. I was, thankfully, able to catch some of the highlights online even though youtube isn't allowed to broadcast. This, I feel, is one of the most important results for the national team to date. Here they have laid the groundwork for an appearance in the quarterfinals and a chance for glory on the olympic podium. It's close to what they did in 2002 when they reached the quarterfinals. Now only Nigeria remains in the horizon. This Wednesday morning at 5AM ET the game will be broadcast on USA network of the Olympic soccer HD channel if you have that. DVRs are a plus but make sure you set it correctly and allow for overtime, etc. We will be missing Bradley and Adu, the engines of our midfield, but Nigeria will be missing key defenders as well. It's time for Kljestan to show just how good he is and why he belongs in Europe. Feilhaber has a shot at redemption in what is a likely start for him. Szetela is another player to watch in place of Bradley. To me this game is like US-Mexico in 2002. So much is at stake and so much is to gain. A tie or a win sends the US to quarterfinals. Losing is not good enough unless Holland fails to win against Japan. Enjoy and succumb to your superstitions.