The Official US Soccer thread

[gr000000vy]

Well the first rule for a striker is to play the way you face, and that's pretty much what he did... If a back on was on his tail then you need to kick it out wide and change the point of attack... he had numerous great passes outside to Landon and was very creative on the ball and had a bit of an edge to his game.. i like that..

bradley is bradley.. he was solid, had a few good hard tackles... wasn't overly great but i don't think he ever really is..

i think he played some of the european players way too long and i hope it doesn't effect them come this weekend because fulham needs Dempsey when they play boro this weekend..

[Zeno]

Dempsey was by no way one of the better players in last nights match. He didn't look comfortable and aside from one turn and shot (that should have been a goal--stupid ref) he was constantly giving the ball away or trying to dribble through defenders. He had a below average game. The 3 best US players were Bocanegra, Onyewu, Altidore with Feilhaber being the 4th best when he got on the field.

I did like seeing Bradley being aggresive in breaking up Mexican attacks but his passing was horrible.

Moor didn't put in "some" good crosses--he put in one good cross. The other good crosses were put in there by Donovan and there weren't enough from him either.

Coach Bradley can't be particularly happy with the way the US played.

[gr000000vy]

hah stupid ref? you should say stupid off side law because that is what stopped the goal...

granted with this game being nothing more than a friendly i didn't seem to study each player as closely as you may have... but dempsey did a heck of alot more than have one good turn and shot... hopefully you tivo'd it so you could watch it again..

moor didn't really impress me and i don't see him being on the cup qualifying roster, but he had more than one good cross and if it wasn't for his mistakes on the goals would have gotten a better rating imo.

I did like what Benny brought to the squad when he was subbed on.. including Adu, the one play that really stood out was when he deked a couple guys and than earned a free kick late in the game.. we need more of that...

i would have liked to see what the game would have been like had mexico not gone so conservative .. we gave up so many counter attacks santos would have scorched us early on....

[Zeno]

Originally Posted by gr000000vy

hah stupid ref? you should say stupid off side law because that is what stopped the goal...

The late whistle was the problem, had he been whistled initially offside and not allowed to take 3 dribbles turn and shoot before a whistle was blown I'd agree with you. The way it looked live the call wasn't on him, replays showed different and the call was correct.

Looking at player ratings on various sites the one consistent thing is Corrales, Moor and Convey are the lowest rated players from the match. Opinions vary quite a bit on other ratings though.

One thing is nobody put out a consistent game aside from Tim Howard, everyone showed a flash of brilliance at some point (except maybe Corrales & Convey) but nobody maintained a high level of play for the entire match. Thats whats missing, thats whats so frustrating about players like Donovan & Dempsey in particular, neither one strings great matches back to back or rarely strings a great 90 together. If this team played at the level they were capable of consistently we would be a legitimate top 10 team in the world.

[Compa]

The offside call on Dempsey was correct. One of the replays showed that the linesman had his flag up at least by the time Dempsey pulled the ball down. The commentators frequently mentioned the noise in the stadium was loud enough to drown out a whistle.

I was disappointed in the fullbacks and Convey, as others have said. I also was disappointed in Bradley, simply because I keep reading reports about how well he is playing. Maybe he just feels more comfortable with Feilhaber instead of Clark.

I was really impressed with Feilhaber. Until he came on, nobody on the US showed any true dribbling/possession skills.

I also hate the 30 at 30 updates and even the ticker at the bottom. I would bet that almost everybody who has their TV tuned to a soccer game on ESPN2 has the game on for a reason, and is not as interested in receiving continuous updates to college basketball or Roger Clemens news at the expense of televising the game. I do like that broadcasting duo, though...much better than Dave O'Brien.

And even though it was mostly Mexico fans at the stadium, it is really cool to see the US in a packed high-capacity stadium (as opposed to a sparsely filled place like Toyota Park).

[Zeno]

FWIW

Here are player ratings from Soccer America...

USA-MEXICO
U.S. PLAYER RATINGS
GRADE PLAYER (CLUB) GP/G
STARTERS
7 Tim Howard (Everton/ENG) 27/0
4 Drew Moor (FC Dallas) 4/0
6 Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham/ENG) 54/8
7 Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege/BEL) 14/1
4 Ramiro Corrales (SK Brann/NOR) 6/0
4 Bobby Convey (Reading/ENG) 46/1
4 Michael Bradley (Heerenveen/NED) 15/1
5 Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo) 12/1
6 Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy) 98/35
7 Jozy Altidore (Red Bull New York) 3/0
5 Clint Dempsey (Fulham/ENG) 37/9
SUBSTITUTES
5 Benny Feilhaber (Derby/ENG) 15/2
5 Freddy Adu (Benfica/POR) 3/0
5 Eddie Lewis (Derby County/ENG) 74/8
nr Maurice Edu (Toronto FC) 3/0
(1=low; 5=average; 10=high)

I'm trying to find other match ratings. Just to compare.

[Zeno]

FIRST ELEVEN

Tim Howard (6.5) – tested early a couple of times. He was courageous off his line to deal with a dangerous cross and did well to save (and hold) from distance twice before the 30-minute mark. He was left out to dry on both goals, but was steady in his dealings with everything else.

Ramiro Corrales (5.0) – weakest of the back four in the first half and committed the foul that led to the first goal. Gave the ball away and didn’t look sharp at all. Only fitting that he received a yellow card late in the game.

Oguchi Oneywu (6.5) – scored an ugly, but important goal in the 29th minute against the run of play. Strong in the air and was extremely physically dominant. Took care of the ball and was far from his usual clumsy self. Really seems to be making some positive progress.

Carlos Bocanegra (6.5) – once again, he validated his new role as Captain. After getting clobbered by Howard, he returned un-phased. He did well stepping in to deal with the Mexican forwards in the hole and showed a pension for striking balls over distance.

Drew Moor (5.5) – an interesting outing. His man beat him to the ball on both Mexican goals. Both times he looked lost, facing his man and not able to see the ball. However, he hit an absolutely superb cross into Altidore which resulted in the second American goal.

Bobby Convey (5.0) – One word: vanilla. Not dynamic and too content to serve the ball into the teeth of the defense. Needs to get to the end line if he’s going to play out wide. Good in the middle third playing in combination, but blatantly runs out of ideas in the final third.

Michael Bradley (6.5) – engine of the midfield, and of the team, for that matter. Very good at playing first-time forward in possession and getting to second balls. Needs to take better care of the ball when he has time and minimize his tendency to dive in.

Ricardo Clark (6.0) – raw and athletic. Pretty much invisible save for a few tackles. Similar to Bradley, but just not as good. Would have rather seen Maurice Edu or Benny Feilhaber slide into his spot.

Landon Donovan (6.5) – quiet throughout the game, as the Mexicans were really monitoring his touches. When he was switched on and was able to get the ball he was good, however. Great crosser of the ball. He did well to put the ball back into the mixer on the Americans’ first goal. Won his personal battle with Carlos Salcido.

Clint Dempsey (6.0) – looked strong and confident. The only American in the first half to really mix it up, getting shots, clipping good balls forward, and taking people off the dribble. Scored a great goal only to have it called back in the 42nd minute. Faded in the second half.

Jozy Altidore (6.5) – a manly 18-year-old striker. He showed good body positioning and good tactical positioning, which he demonstrated as he scored a great goal on a perfect ball from Moor. He wasn’t overwhelming, but for his first crack at it, one can only say that he may need to get these kinds of games every week.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Benny Feilhaber (6.0) – came on for Bradley in the 62nd minute. He definitely showed enough to make one think it might have been nice to have him in the game longer. His ability in possession coupled with his willingness to defend make him valuable.

Freddy Adu (6.0) – in for Dempsey in the 62nd minute. Had some small, smart touches, but nothing significant in his 30 minutes. He did look very dangerous late in the game as he took on a mess of Mexicans on the left side of the field. He’s another player that it would have been to good to see more of.

Eddie Lewis (5.5) – replaced Convey in the 69th minute. It would be easy to say he was better than Convey, but he still wasn’t very active. Not bad, not good.

Maurice Edu (NR) – subbed for Clark in the 78th minute and didn’t have a lot of time to make an impact. He may have been difficult for the Mexicans to deal with due to his physical prowess and ability to play both ways. Next time, maybe.

[gr000000vy]

the ratings from soccer america are hilarious.... Jozy a 7 and clint and benny and adu get 5s?

The ones from goal seem a bit more accurate imo...

everyone is going to pin point on something different i guess....

[Stout]

Originally Posted by Compa

And even though it was mostly Mexico fans at the stadium, it is really cool to see the US in a packed high-capacity stadium (as opposed to a sparsely filled place like Toyota Park).

I disagree. In fact, I strongly disagree. I absolutely loathe the fact that U.S. Soccer cowtows and kisses the feet of Mexican fans for OUR HOME GAMES just so they can get fannies in the seats. It would be great if our home games would, you know, be home games where maybe, just maybe, they cheer for us instead of our rivals.

If we have a home qualifier against Mexico in the coming WC qualifiers, and we don't put the game as north as possible, we'll be friggin' idiots.

[Zeno]

Originally Posted by Stout

I disagree. In fact, I strongly disagree. I absolutely loathe the fact that U.S. Soccer cowtows and kisses the feet of Mexican fans for OUR HOME GAMES just so they can get fannies in the seats. It would be great if our home games would, you know, be home games where maybe, just maybe, they cheer for us instead of our rivals.

If we have a home qualifier against Mexico in the coming WC qualifiers, and we don't put the game as north as possible, we'll be friggin' idiots.

You can almost guarantee any qualifiers against Mexico will be played in either New England or Columbus. They've learned from that mistake, WCQ aren't about making money...friendlies are.

[Zeno]

Player ratings (scale 1-10):

Tim Howard, 6 -- No fault on the goals, although maybe you could maybe nitpick that he could have come for the first goal-producing service. He claimed the crosses that needing claiming, gobbled up the efforts from range and got after his defenders at the right moments.

Drew Moor, 4 -- A few things good, like setting up the second U.S. goal and reasonably efficient passing. But he's on the hook for two huge boo-boos, as Jonny Magallon got by him for both Mexican goals. That's hardly what Moor needed in making a case to understudy for Steve Cherundolo.

Carlos Bocanegra, 6 -- Bob Bradley's preferred center back pairing looks more comfortable together with each match. The Fulham vet was sure in the tackle and never beaten over the top.

Oguchi Onyewu, 7 -- The big man did it all on the first goal, causing havoc by heaving a mighty throw-in, then powering his way up for a huge goal. At the other end, Onyewu is beginning to look less like a young project and more like a leader.

Ramiro Corrales, 4 -- It's tough to see him as the answer at left back, even temporarily. He looked uncertain all night, like he was always about to make a mistake. His foul led to El Tri's opening goal, and he was never a threat going forward.


Landon Donovan, 6 -- The one U.S. player who did something from wide spots. Caused some limited trouble with pace on the right side and set up Onyewu's goal. Still, as the team's go-to, you'd like to see Donovan hunt and probe and find the ways to influence big matches.


Michael Bradley, 4 -- Not the best night for Bradley, despite a confident and active start. Never exploited his specialty, the late run into the penalty area. A bit sloppy after the break. And like the rest of the midfield, never supplied the forwards enough to work with.

Ricardo Clark, 5 -- A pretty average night. Not bad. Not great. Nothing special. His passing was typically competent, but rarely incisive. Clark did what he does best: competed hard.


Bobby Convey, 4 -- The U.S. left midfielder contributed absolutely nothing to the match. Never linked with Corrales, couldn't run at people, lost some early battles with Castro and never got into crossing spots. With DaMarcus Beasley injured, he had a big chance to seize the spot.


Clint Dempsey, 5 -- Scored a terrific goal that was called back for offside. Doesn't have much chemistry with strike-partner Altidore, which isn't surprising given limited time together. A pretty quiet night overall.


Jozy Altidore, 7 -- Probably the busiest man on the pitch. Certainly didn't look out of place despite being the youngest of 22 starters and playing in a somewhat pressurized environment. His goal was a cracker. All in all a promising show from the youngster.

Substitutes

Benny Feilhaber, 6 -- Had a settling effect on a team that needed it, giving the Americans a little more possession. Did mangle one late, routine possession, which nearly proved costly.

Freddy Adu, 6 -- Set up one of the Americans precious few dangerous free kicks by going at two defenders. Provided a useful delivery on his one corner kick.

Eddie Lewis, 5 -- At 35 years old, he isn't the answer going forward at left midfield. On the other hand, he delivered exactly what you expect in 20 minutes: a couple of good tackles and reliable possession.

Maurice Edu, 5 -- Played the last 11 minutes for Ricardo Clark and got immediately into the physical battles and didn't back down.

[Zeno]

IMO the best ratings were the ESPN.Com ones. Very accurate account of the match and matches pretty closely to what I observed during the match.

[Zeno]

Michael Bradley scored again for Heerenven..thats his seventh goal in 6 games and 17th for the season.

[Zeno]

CHICAGO (AP) -- The U.S. Soccer Federation finalized exhibition games for the American national team at Poland on March 26 and at Spain on June 4.

The game at Poland will be played in Krakow, the USSF said Monday. The site for the game in Spain has not yet been set.

USSF president Sunil Gulati said last week the federation is negotiating to play a top five team in the northeast United States on June 8. Argentina appears to be the most likely possibility.

In addition, the News of the World reported Sunday that the United States may replace Scotland as an opponent for England in an exhibition game at Wembley on May 28.

The United States is preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying, against Barbados or Dominica on June 15 at Carson, Calif. Poland and Spain are getting ready for the European Championship, which opens June 7.

[Stout]

Originally Posted by Zeno

CHICAGO (AP) -- The U.S. Soccer Federation finalized exhibition games for the American national team at Poland on March 26 and at Spain on June 4.

The game at Poland will be played in Krakow, the USSF said Monday. The site for the game in Spain has not yet been set.

USSF president Sunil Gulati said last week the federation is negotiating to play a top five team in the northeast United States on June 8. Argentina appears to be the most likely possibility.

In addition, the News of the World reported Sunday that the United States may replace Scotland as an opponent for England in an exhibition game at Wembley on May 28.

The United States is preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying, against Barbados or Dominica on June 15 at Carson, Calif. Poland and Spain are getting ready for the European Championship, which opens June 7.

Man, you beat me to the punch! I like these games. Sure, I think we'll be humbled quite a bit, but it's only before we play Barbados or Dominica, whom we should beat out of hand. I think Bradley needs a few wake-up calls, and we either get those wake-up calls, or we somehow get great overnight.