4-4-2 works: US wins at Slovenia

Photo credit: Srdjan Zivulovic/Landov

Klinsmann finally tried his luck with a familiar formation: 4-4-2. Bob Bradley's choice throughout most of his 5-year career with the US Men's National Team, 4-4-2 gave the US team more attacking options and clear penetration of the opposing defense. But Klinsmann still maintained an attacking style and went with a diamond midfield instead of the flat 4-4-2 that Bradley had used so much. It payed off: Dempsey (attacking mid), Buddle (forward 1) and Altidore (forward 2) all scored.

Besides the stylish attacking play of the front three throughout the first half and part of the second half, was the addition of Fabian Johnson to the team. The Hoffenheim midfielder added spark and creativity to the US attack. He was involved in Buddle's opening goal and Altidore's penalty-winning play. Johnson constantly broke down the Slovenian defense and showed that he could also play centrally if needed (today he was a left winger). In the absence of Donovan or Dempsey, Johnson is looking like a go-to playmaker.

When Michael Bradley started as a right midfielder it was clear that Beckerman would be the sole holding midfielder ahead of the 4-man back line. This had some uninspiring moments. Cherundolo and Chandler looked off and Goodson had trouble with the Slovenian attacks. As a good friend of mine put it: "entertaining match but the defense was terrible." Indeed.

Klinsmann's modified 4-4-2 formation was inspiring to see, fun to watch, and payed strong dividends with an away win in Europe. It comes down to when this formation can be played and how Klinsmann should revert to a 4-5-1 or a two holding-mid center. Clearly, this has not been efficient with either stronger teams (France, Belgium) or weaker ones (Honduras, Costa Rica). The goals came out of a more versatile 4-4-2 formation. It comes down to who the starting forwards should be and which player is tasked as holding midfielder.

Other questions remain: Who will go out wide with Donovan and Dempsey? Would Johnson still figure into the lineup? Does Bradley shift to the defensive midfield role? What will the healthy back line look like? All good questions, especially considering options left out like Omar Gonzales and George John. And what happens when Stuart Holden is healthy and Bedoya and Freddy Adu find form?

Player ratings:
Howard...............6
Chandler.............5.5
Bocanegra...........6.5
Cherundolo..........5
Bradley.................7
Dempsey..............7.5
Johnson................7
Beckerman...........5.5
Altidore................7.5
Buddle..................7.5

Subs: Edu (6), Shea (5), Williams (N/A), Jones (N/A), Rogers (N/A)

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)

Too much hype: USA vs Slovenia

It may not be as hyped-up as the US-England match, but tomorrow's contest against Slovenia is generating plenty of hype in the soccer world and the US media. Most alarming, perhaps, is the overconfidence shown by soccer outlets inside the US. It is claimed that the national team is favored to win the match and have too much firepower to be denied. The response to that statement may, unfortunately, be no.

Tying the match against England was a great achievement given the European squad's star power, history and role as a contender for the title. The match was about defending against some of the best in the world. The US did it with discipline after the first goal and with an injured goalkeeper. Making a claim that they are the favorites for the Slovenia contest based on the first game is stretching it a bit too much. Slovenia is a highly-defensive squad. They allowed the fewest goals than any other team in Europe during qualifying and eliminated Andrei Arshavin's Russia (semifinalists at Euro 2008).

We would all rather see a comprehensive win for the United States. A tie is a more likely outcome with the Algeria match being more accessible. But, as Landon Donovan said: "if we can't beat Slovenia then we don't belong in the next round." Wise words indeed. Have fun tomorrow. Enjoy the match and the World Cup stage. Being considered the favorites may seem like a burden, but the very fact that they are and that US fans outnumber Slovenians in the stadium is the real triumph for team USA.

Weezer + USA at South Africa

Feeling like you need some inspiration before Friday's match versus Slovenia? How about Weezer helps you out? River Cuomo (lead singer/songwriter) is quite a fan of the game and the national team. Check out the new video/song by Weezer:

World Cup Memories: Slovenia

Unlike Algeria, I actually do have some experience/memories with Slovenia. The Slovenians actually made it to Korea/Japan 2002 although their stay was short and forgettable. Still, this time around the Slovenians are pitted against my home country--USA, and they deserve another look.

Korea/Japan 2002 was the only instance in which Slovenia made it to the World Cup. They were also surprise qualifiers for the 2000 Euro. The Slovenia FA is relatively young, having sprouted from the breakup of Yugoslavia early in the 1990s. In 2002, they were pitted against Spain, South Africa and Paraguay. Their opening game against Spain was almost a total blowout until they scored late in the second half and fell by 3-1. In their next game, they faced South Africa and fell by the minimum of 1-0. In perhaps their most interesting match, the Slovenians went ahead against Paraguay before the South Americans roared back with three unanswered scores in the second half. At the same time, South Africa was falling to Spain by 3-2. This mix of scores ensured that Chilavert's team would pass on to the round of 16 on goal differential, as they were tied with South Africa in points.

What's next for Slovenia? The US, England and Algeria. Considering the fact that they eliminated mighty Russia in the Uefa playoffs, it is conceivable that they have the material to handle US and Algeria, with England being a less likely source of points.

Be ready to see some important players in action for Slovenia: Hadanovic (Udinese), Bostjan Cesar of Grenoble, youngster Krhin (currently with Inter Milan), Novakovic (Koln),

World Cup teams set, scheming begins

Vive la France. Vive les Bleus. France are in after Henry "handed" them a victory thanks to his pass for William Gallas. It's tough to argue that significant dividends will come from the French's inclusion in next year's tournament. Add Anelka, Benzema, Henry and Malouda and you start to see the economic impact. This also sets up another possibility for Brazil to not win the tournament. For the past six World Cups, only France and Argentina have been able to knock off the "verdeamarela." France-Brazil in quarterfinals of Mexico '86 and Argentina-Brazil in the round of 16 in Italia '90 are some of my best memories.

Another economic success is Portugal's entry into the tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the World Cup after all. After a poor showing at home versus Bosnia in a match that the Bosnians deserved to win (3 hits on the post), the Balkan team collapsed at home due to player suspensions and saw their chances of advancing come to an end on a sad night in Zenica. Portugal won without CR9 by the minimal score away from home.

Welcome back, Greece, Slovenia, Uruguay, Algeria. Greece, the unlikely Euro chanps in 2004, enter their second World Cup since their debut in 1994. This a stronger Greek team full of defensive potential. They are the new Italy of defensive football. Out is Shevchenko's Ukraine, which failed to win in Donetsk. Slovenia also managed to knock off another former Soviet republic--Russia. Guus Hiddink failed to qualify a young and promising Russian team that had raised a few eyebrows during the last three years.

Uruguay are back thanks to a playoff versus relatively weak Costa Rica. The team is loaded with attacking talent in Bueno and Forlan. Then there is Algeria, appearing in its first World Cup since 1986. They are a country rich in soccer history (Zidane's family is from Algeria). They battled against Egypt on neutral soil in Sudan after tying in every statistic in their respective African group. The match was a gut-wrenching 90+ minutes full of joy and sorrow. I caught the Egyptian-based signal and it was sad to hear the tones of voice emanating from the announcers even though I couldn't understand a word they said.

The next phase is Friday, December 4th in Cape Town (ESPN2 at noon), where the draw will take place that will decide the groups for the initial stage in next summer's tournament. Who will be in the "group of death"? Who will have an easy "group of life"? What group will the USA land in? It will be a fun couple of hours .

In & out: the November World Cup playoffs

Yesterday I had the pleasure of experiencing a full world cup qualifying day with a great Bosnian friend of mine. Our prerogative was, of course, the playoff between Bosnia and Portugal played at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon. The home team came away with a victory of 1-0 in a game that could easily have gone Bosnia's way with three (yes, three) shots hitting the post. Dzeko was a threat in the area but Bosnia's chances came only in spurts as the hosts put continuous pressure on the visiting team. Return leg is on Wednesday at Zenica in Bosnia. An upset by the Balkan team could effectively push Cristiano Ronaldo's team out of South Africa. That would add another superstar's absence from to next year's tournament after Ibrahimovic's Sweden was eliminated.

Elsewhere in football yesterday was France's win in Ireland thanks to a Nicolas Anelka goal in Dublin. The bleus are now one foot away from South Africa. It was a scorcher between Russia and Slovenia. Russia deserved more, but Slovenia got an away goal late in the game that will prove crucial during Wednesday's return match in the former Yugoslav republic. Arshavin and Pavlichenko's play, along with Bilyaletdinov's brilliant strikes highlighted a young Russian side with great prospects for the future... if they are able to advance after Wednesday's game. Ukraine and Greece tied 0-0 in Athens. Donetsk will be a tough, cold venue for the Greeks in the return leg.

But the playoffs in Europe weren't the only qualifiers yesterday. Egypt forced a playoff in neutral ground against Algeria after a 95th minute goal earned them a 2-0 victory that tied their North African neighbors in points and goal differential. Nigeria and Cameroon also returned to the World Cup after their absence in 2006. Oceania finally has a team other than Australia (now in the AFC) earning a spot in the World Cup after New Zealand posted a 1-0 victory over AFC's Bahrain. Finally, another inter-conference playoff between Concacaf and Conmebol ended in a 1-0 victory for Uruguay in Costa Rican soil. The two-time world champs are now poised for another appearance in FIFA's most important tournament.

The fun doesn't stop there. Because this was an official FIFA date (meaning all club teams are required to cede their players for international matchups), high profile friendlies could be played. A depleted England fell to Brazil in Quatar whilst Spain beat out Maradona's Argentina. The US also had a friendly in Bratislava against a limited Slovakia side that was content with a 1-0 margin attained through a questionable penalty. Cunningham and Dax McCarty made the squad but didn't factor much. Wednesday brings a more intriguing game against Denmark on Danish soil. Edgar Castillo will feature for the Americans, as will Torres, Holden and Clark. Dempsey, Cherundolo, and Marshall have been released from camp.

Wednesday should be another great day for international futbol. Much is still at stake and all will be resolved ahead of next month's World Cup draw.