Bob Bradley versus Ghana

Photo credit: Sports Illustrated

If you are a US Men's National Soccer Team fan, then you remember the second round of World Cup 2010, an ill-fated, 7th minute yellow card for Ricardo Clark and the eventual defeat of Team USA versus Ghana. Bob Bradley was blamed due to his starting of Clark over a much steadier (and fan-favored) Maurice Edu.

It was America's second time to be booted from the tournament by the Ghanaians. The first one occurred in 2006 with Bruce Arena's 4th-ranked US team and although Clint Dempsey almost made things interesting, the Americans bowed out of the tournament with only 1 point and one goal scored.

Most people will undoubtedly remember Boateng's goal in the 5th minute and Donovan's penalty in the second half. However, it was Gyan's game-winner in extra time that will forever haunt Bradley and still gives him nightmares to this day. His ubiquitous choice of Johnny Bornstein at left back also opened up the most dangerous side of the field for most opposing teams, as we also learned with the 2011 Gold Cup final versus Mexico.

So what can Bob Bradley come up with this time around with his Pharaohs? He has an entire country dreaming of the World Cup and players hungry for the tournament and a chance for redemption after the 2010's cycle's games versus Algeria. There was some drama with those matches (3-1 Algeria win in Algiers; 2-0 Egypt win in Cairo; 1-0 Algeria playoff win in Sudan) and it included frozen diplomatic (not soccer) relations between the two nations.

But Bob Bradley has been almost spectacular for the Egyptians during this qualifying round. With an unmatched 100% record in the qualifiers, signs would point to certain victory for his team. But Bradley must be cautious in picking his squad and avoid the Clarks and Bornsteins. His side is heavily domestic-based and reliant on Al-Ahly players, especially at defense. At forward he has some quality in players like Koka (Rio Ave) and Salah (Basel). 

Should Bradley defeat Ghana it will be twice the victory. One for America versus their African nemesis and two for Egypt and making it to the World Cup after 24 years of absence. And, oh yes, an American coach qualifying for a World Cup with another nation's squad. Hard to beat. We are all cheering for you.

Clark Returns: USA defeats Venezuela in friendly

Photo credit: USA Today

A forgettable match for non-die-hard fans. A moment of redemption for a USA original: Ricardo Clark. We may remember him from the World Cup 2010 round of 16 game between USA and Ghana. In that match, an early yellow card for Clark meant he had to be restrained in tackles later in the half. This allowed for Ghana's first goal, as he was out-muscled by Boateng. But today he scored a last-gasp goal in the 97th minute in his first match since that fateful day.

Clark wasn't the lone bright spot today. Geoff Cameron was especially impressive in defense. Feilhaber also enjoyed a good showing and expressed why he should still be in the conversation for the US midfield. Graham Zusi and Brek Shea had their moments, with the latter displaying sporadic instances of brilliance.

In the attack, Wondolowski showed why he may well be on his way to becoming a supersub. He may not be as fast as Agudelo or Altidore or be a possession player like Ching, but he has a good instinct in the penalty area. He was close on more than one occasion, and if it hadn't been for the Venezuelan goalkeeper, Wondo may have scored the game-winner. We didn't however, get a longer look at CJ Sapong. Bunbury did well but had extended periods in which he did not see the ball.

Not much else can be said about the defense or the defensive midfield. Jones did well in his outing as a captain and the yellow card let us know that yes, he's still being Jermaine Jones. Venezuela hardly tested Hamid so we didn't get to see why Klinsmann holds the DC goalkeeper with such high regard.

Player Ratings:

Hamid..................6
Parkhurst.............6
Cameron..............7
Pearce...................6
De la Garza..........6.5
Jones..................6.5
Shea....................7
Zusi.....................6.5
Larentowicz........6.5
Feilhaber............7
Bunbury..............6.5

Subs: Wondolowski (7.5), Sapong (6), Evans (6), Loyd (6), Clark (7.5)

Klinsmann's new team

Photo credit: US Soccer

It's important to try to make sense of Klinsmann's team for the date with Gold Cup champions Mexico to be played next week (August 10th). This is mostly because it's his first try and against a worthy foe. He stayed true to the fact that mostly experienced players would be called up for this match. He also called up players recently ignored by Bob Bradley and gave a first call for one player: Bill Hamid (GK, DC United).

"Klinsi" is known for an athletic, attacking style with significant support for players. This will be interesting to see given the lack of depth and production from our forwards. In are Agudelo, Donovan, Adu and Buddle. Adu and Donovan double as attacking midfielders but he looks to set them up as forwards. Surprisingly, his "forward" category also includes Beasley, who has had a mix-bag of results in his short stint in Mexico (Puebla). Beasley is a natural winger so suiting up as a forward is an interesting change of pace. Agudelo is, currently, the future of the attack and Buddle may just bring what this team needs. Bradley used him only sparingly at the World Cup, choosing Gomez and Findley instead.

Aside from the reliable trio of defensive midfielders that is Edu-Bradley-Jones, Klinsmann also elected to bring back Beckerman (never quite settled in with the national team under Bradley). Another player with plenty to prove with a new manager is much-maligned Ricardo Clark (E. Frankfurt). The former-Dynamo player has settled in with his German team and has played well in the defense. He has had plenty of great moments (his goal versus Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifiers) and also flops (early yellow card in the round of 16 match versus Ghana at South Africa 2010). Finally there's Brek Shea. Mister "haircut" didn't have great showings with Bradley in a couple of friendlies last year but has looked phenomenal for Dallas during the 2011 season. Torres (Pachuca) makes a comeback after not playing with the national team at the Gold Cup.

The back line has a lot of old faces: Cherundolo, Goodson, Bocanegra, Ream, Pearce. No Lichaj (injury) or Spector (recently transferred). Look for a reliable back four to start the match and perhaps Pearce will get the nod at left back. It's also nice to have Timmy Chandler back in the team after showing such promise in friendlies versus Argentina and Paraguay. Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis) makes the team after 3 years since his one and only appearance with the national side. Edgar Castillo is another player called up by Klinsmann to break from the Bob Bradley norm. Castillo was recently reintroduced into Club America and has made a couple of appearances. He's a naturally left-footed player and could start at left back.

What's a probable starting lineup? It could look like this:

Howard (GK)
Castillo (LB), Bocanegra (CB), Goodson (CB), Cherundolo (RB)
Torres (LM), Bradley (DM), Jones (DM), Shea (RM)
Donovan (F), Agudelo (F)

I could see Donovan and/or Beasley in the midfield instead of Torres/Shea. Adu-Agudelo at forward would be interesting also. Chandler could get the nod ahead of Cherundolo but I wouldn't bet on it yet. He will, however, be on the pitch at some point as a sub.

Robbed: US ties Slovenia

It started like any other US match: USA starts slow, timid and uncreative. Opposing squad scores an early goal by way of Birsa. It wasn't doom and gloom yet and Donovan, Torres, Findley and Altidore attacked. That's when it hit home... a second Slovenian goal courtesy of Ljubijankic. Why? Torres wasn't tracking back to the defensive mid position required when given the chance in substitute of Ricardo Clark. His understanding with Bradley was missing and didn't echo what was gained from the Turkey friendly in Philadelphia. Onyewu also showed signs that he may not be fully fit yet.

But Bradley fought back as he always does. He switched Edu for Torres (I wish Edu had been there from the start versus England also) and inserted Feilhaber for Findley. Yes, we lost a pure forward. Not so fast... Dempsey can slide into that position (same as against Egypt last summer). There, he can provide a creative spark and a moment of brilliance or two. The response was immediate: Donovan slipped past a sliding defender for a run on the right wing and delivered a shocker of a goal from an impossible angle that the goalkeeper shied away from as if spooked by a mouse.

Gritty American soccer followed Donovan's goal. And by gritty, we also mean attacking football. Altidore sparked into life and used his size to win balls and draw fouls. A masterful center from Donovan almost from midfield was headed down cleverly by Altidore and met a one-time strike from Michael Bradley. The score was tied.

America was back and it might just be a win for the Stars and Stripes. Donovan took a perfect free kick that lobbed into the 6 yard box, where Maurice Edu buried it in the back of the net. But the referee disagreed. A phantom call. Was it offsides? Who? Only Edu touched the ball and he was several yards behind the last defender. A foul? Hustle and tussle from both teams as with any free kick into the area... and Edu barely made contact with his marking man. A robbery indeed. America lost two points today and it wasn't because Slovenia was better. It was because of amateur refereeing. When will FIFA allow for goal line refs at least?

It's sad to admit it, but the US always looks better when coming from behind. Just remember important matches like the 2007 Gold Cup final (down 0-1 to Mexico, final score 2-1), World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador (twice and one time from being 0-2 down), Honduras (at home and away from 0-1) and Costa Rica (0-2). Oh, a little game against England last Saturday. Why can't we have more of the 2-0 versus Spain (Confederations Cup) or 3-1 versus Australia (friendly). It is a continuous disappointment, followed by exhilaration and then a continuous heart attack as we pray the match can end in a favorable draw or an improbable win.

Today we watched most of the game but settled for a half hour of radio coverage. We still screamed in joy as our team scored. Other American fans were celebrating in pubs from Chicago to Seattle and living rooms from Cleveland to Phoenix. And better yet, the majority of fans at the stadium were cheering for the USA. That's the real win today. Welcome, soccer. America is ready for you.

Wednesday's test will be stiff. Algeria tied a top-ranked English team and is still alive for a spot in the round of 16. The USA needs to win, plain and simple. Hopefully Bradley will have learned his lesson and we will take over the field to book a spot in the next round. The team deserves it. The country deserves it.



Player ratings:

• Howard-----------6
• Bocanegra--------6.5
• DeMerrit---------5
• Onyewu----------4.5
• Cherundolo-------7
• Dempsey---------5.5
• Bradley-----------7
• Torres------------4
• Donovan----------7.5
• Altidore-----------6
• Findley-----------3.5

Subs: Feilhaber (6), Edu (6.5), Gomez (N/A)

Final Exam: US vs Australia

It's for real from here on out. But the US Men's National Team got the win they had been looking for. A game at a neutral location and against a worthy foe--Australia. The Socceroos had previously defeated Denmark so they weren't going to be push-overs today. Then again, China beat France and Mexico defeated Italy, the two finalists in 2006. A sign of things to come?

Today was a lineup that could potentially start if there are one or two unforeseen injuries. Altidore, for example, had a mild ankle sprain and did not take part in the game. Buddle took his place alongside Findley. The two forwards performed admirably. Findley missed a couple of clear chances but he was dangerous with the ball. Buddle made the most of every opportunity and scored a brace. His second goal was a textbook header. Gomez, true to his nature, stepped in late in the second half and scored the last tally.

In the midfield, Dempsey and Donovan were coherent and quick in the attack. Donovan was a bit less prevalent today but Dempsey made up for him. Donovan also did provide the assist for Gomez's final strike late in the game. Bradley performed well in his usual back-and-forth, attack-and-defend. Clark was largely quiet, but that's a good sign. He wasn't subbed today so it makes you wonder who will actually start versus England... will it be Torres or Edu or Clark?

The back line was also quite efficient except for the goal, which was a strange strike that went between everyone's legs. By efficient I mean the last ball was taken care of. DeMerrit and Goodson did scare us a bit, however, losing a few battles in the air. Thankfully, they didn't amount to much. Hahnemann got caught in no-man's land on at least three occasions. He didn't get scored on, however, so the number 2 may still be his.

Next is England. The mother country versus the former colony. It's World Cup time, everyone.

The starters: US vs Turkey

The US came from behind to defeat Turkey by 2-1 in front of 55,000 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. This was supposed to be a match for the starters. Kljestan, Bedoya, Ching, Rogers, Pearce and Johnson had all been dropped since Wednesday. It was time to see who would start in the back. Would it be Bornstein on the left and Onyewu returning to the central position? What about the midfield? Clark or Edu? Torres or Feilahber? And who do we pair with Altidore?

A surprising formation from Bob Bradley with a 4-5-1 with Altidore alone up top and a withdrawn Dempsey right behind him. Feilhaber and Donovan also roaming from mid to forward. Clark and Michael Bradley cleaning up the middle. Bocanegra at left back (expect to see him there in two weeks), Goodson and DeMerrit in the middle and Spector at right back. It didn't work. Howard was furious with his defenders, including Spector, whose incursion forward generated a Turkish counter that opened the score in their favor.

Yes, Spector's place should have been covered by Clark. But the team looked shaky for most of the first half and, if it wasn't for Howard, could have been down by a lot more. Enter Findley fro Feilaber, Torres for Clark, Onyewu for Goodson and Cherundolo for Spector. New team. New attitude. Dempsey retreats to a diamond formation center midfield/forward, Findley roams around as a second striker, Torres defends and attacks alongside Bradley and the back line is solidified. What follows is ball possession for the Americans and scores by two of its prominent strikers: Dempsey and Altidore. Dempsey got to play like he sometimes does with Fulham. Donovan drifted forward also, providing assists on both tallies. Torres feeds Donovan, Dempsey and Findley.

Findley's inclusion in this team was quite a surprise for US followers, including myself. Yesterday he showed us why Bradley picked him. He adds spark and speed late in the game when it's needed. He isn't worried about scoring as a starting forward. He and Gomez make excellent supersubs. Holden is another great option on the left flank, as is Beasley. You have to wonder what will happen with the forward position. Out of this came we have two probable changes: Edu for Clark and Torres/Beasley/Holden for Feilhaber. Expect Cherundolo to take over the right back position. Onyewu may take over for Goodson. Buddle may get the nod up top with Jozy.

Australia is a worthy opponent and the next game is in South Africa, on neutral ground, and a week before the US debuts against England. A last chance to see our probable starters for the World Cup.

Strength and honor: US beats Trinidad and Tobago

I admit to being wrong on my last post. The defense looked stout despite a few Bornstein mishaps and Spector's injury at the end of the game. It was Ricardo Clark, the Livorno-bound man, that broke the stalemate and catapulted the US to the top of the Concacaf table after El Salvador and Mexico won their respective games. The score of 1-0 was telling of the hard-fought, physical match that we had expected.

Altidore did not repeat his hat trick this time around, and there was no "stanky leg" for Davies but they showed up and played the game. Donovan missed a few opportunities but remained the #1 man for the US. Holden again showed his supersub status as well as Feilhaber. I would rather have this starting line-up from now on.

I can't say too much more about this game since I had to DVR it due to prior commitments and basically fast-forwarded through most of the game. Cheers, USA. We can breathe a little easier now. Things are still tight, however, and it looks like it may come to the last day of qualifying for the US to advance. They will, however, only need a tie at that point to qualify if Honduras (vs USA) and Costa Rica (vs T&T) win their respective games.

No ratings today as I did not watch the game in its entirety.

Rico's blast:

A hole in the middle: Italy 3 - US 1

I won't get into too much description of the game. For that you can go here or here. Instead, I want to focus on the central midfield and what went wrong. First, that was not a red card on Clark's challenge during the first half. If anything, a Benny Feilhaber foul in the second half merited it much more. Second, there was at least one foul that deserved a red if Clark's was deemed so offensive.. An elbow to Donovan's face that only got a yellow.

Donovan comes up big again and delivers a scintillating penalty. But the upset was not to be. An inspired supersub (and US born) Giusseppe Rossi ties it up from a distance with a splendid shot that outmatches Howard. This started with a careless play by Feilhaber. The second goal by de Rossi was also a long shot. What do these two goals have in common? They were generated by poor passing in the middle of the pitch. That's where Ricardo Clark (red card) would have been. That's where Mastroeni and Christ Armas used to shine and Edu would work wonders. I'm not saying Italy couldn't have won anyway but we have to take into account that the US defense, despite a few misskicks, was pretty stout except for these long-range shots.

Yes, let's remember that Italy are the world champs and that they have the luxury of having players like Luca Toni and Rossi on the bench. And the road does not become any easier. Up next is mighty Brazil. The "caraninha" fought hard for a 4-3 win against Egypt in a game that the "pharaohs" played extremely well and perhaps deserved better. So what happens with Clark's omission on Thursday? This will be a very difficult decision for Bob Bradley. He needs someone to partner up with Michael Bradley in the middle of the pitch to break up plays from the opposing team. Torres, Kljestan and even Beasley are options here. I would slide Beasley into the middle in favor of Kljestan or Torres due to his experience. Feilhaber is an option too but his skills are more creative and offensive. The same goes for Kljestan. Finally, there's the Torres option. The Pachuca man has shown effective ball-possessing technique. This is key when facing a squad like Brazil.

Aside from the devastating hole in the midfield due to a huge misscall by the ref, I thought team USA played courageously and with a certain amount of attitude.

Player ratings:
Howard...6
Spector...6
DeMerrit...5
Onyewu...4
Bornstein...5.5
Clark...3
Bradley...5
Feilhaber...5
Dempsey...5
Donovan...7
Altidore...6
Subs: Kljestan (5), Davies (4), Beasley (5)