Blame Bradley!

Look, I didn't want to be right about Bob Bradley. I was hoping that he'd prove me wrong and that I would be forced to delete my blog in shame as Herculez Gomez was carried off the field in triumph in their stunning upset of Brazil in the final. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be, as Ghana took advantage of a flat-footed, overmatched Ricardo Clark and a weak tired backline to defeat our Yanks.

Of course I can't pin this all on Bradley because ... oh wait, yes I can! His selections for each match were absolutely inexplicable. Sure, he "got" us through the first round but that feat is much more a reflection of England playing poorly and Slovenia and Algeria being flawed teams. His starter selections in all four matches were inexplicable. Ricardo Clark was responsible for the only goal England scored, so he gets the start in the knockout round? Maurice Edu scored the winning (if not counted) goal against Slovenia and he rides the bench.

In every game the U.S. had to recover from the starting line-up and Bradley had to try to reshuffle and reorganize. He was successful (somewhat) against Slovenia and Algeria. He wasn't against Ghana, when it was do or die. The substitution of Clark after only 30 minutes told me everything I needed to know. As he left the field, Bradley didn't deride his lack of defense or his clumsy ball handling, he embraced him and told him he was sorry. Well, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that you chose camaraderie over common sense. Edu should have been starting in his place.

Everytime Edu entered the game the pace changed and we looked improved through the midfield. Bradley looked more composed on the ball and the defense on our thin backline was relieved. And let's talk about that backline. Why did you take Oneywu if you were going to ultimately decide he wasn't ready for the competition? Why not bring him into the Ghana game as a sub? Oh wait, I already know the answer because you had to waste a sub to rescue Clark from drowning and then had to remove not-so-Herculez Gomez. Seriously, how can a I guy that had barely a sniff of the national team be the go-to striker in the most important game of our World Cup? Don't talk to me about Charlie Davies. Talk to me about Brian Ching. All the experience you left at home with him. Talk to me about Edson Buddle. Wasn't he "in form" as well?

We're all left with a lot of questions. And yet I'm proud of our boys. Dempsey and Donovan and Howard and the rest of them. They woke up a nation and demanded attention. Did they change the sporting landscape? No. But for a minute soccer was not second-class in this country. Soccer was King of America.

Ultimately, the blame must fall to Bradley. Because his inability to develop the talent, to choose the talent or to construct a line-up that features that talent was what led to our defeat. And if you are a coach that can't develop. select and optimize talent, then you aren't really a coach at all.

2010 World Cup: USA USA USA USA USA

U.S. advances thanks to an injury-time goal from Landon Donovan!!!!! U.S. wins Group C based on goals scored. England finishes second. I enjoyed typing that, so let me do it again: England finishes second to the U.S.

2010 World Cup: U.S. beat Slovs 2-2?

Thanks to a perplexing and terrible decision. The U.S. needs a win going into its last match with Algeria.

2010 World Cup: The Gift

Thank you, Mr. Green.

U.S. impresses vs. Aussies

Second-half subs lift U.S.

Introducing Team USA

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Tim Howard.

TYH analysis: Perhaps the only (slight) surprise of this group is the order. It appears based on the match versus the Czechs that Brad Guzan has the edge on Marcus Hahnemann for the number 2 spot. How can a guy who can’t beat out 39-year-old (although admittedly still solid) keeper on his club team edge out a guy who has won his club’s No.1 and never relinquished it all season, posting seven clean sheets?

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Onyewu , Jonathan Spector.

TYH analysis: Heath Pearce’s dreadful performance on Tuesday made Bradley’s decision to cut him a no-brainer. Based on the original 30 selected, this was always going to be the group that was selected. Goodson’s ability in the area on corners really won him a spot because as a defender he’s just average.

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Jose F. Torres.

TYH analysis: To be honest, I’m surprised that Bradley cut Sasha Kljestan loose but not because I think he deserved to be on the squad (he absolutely did not) but considering the number of chances he was given, I assumed that he and Bradley had a relationship. This is a strong group. The U.S. has had a consistently strong and deep midfield (the problem is that is where there depth begins and ends). I like the late addition of an experience Beasley, although he should be a late-game sub, not a starter.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore,Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez

TYH analysis: So, will Edson and Herculez (once upon a time average MLSers) emerge as legitimate goalscorers? It’s a gamble. But I think Bradley went with best available, in-form players. I have one difference of opinion with this group, however. What exactly did Robbie Findlay do to earn a spot on this team? Does he have naked pictures of Bradley or something? The choice should have been Brian Ching rather than Findley. EdJo made a valiant attempt at a comeback but it just wasn’t enough.

Reflections on last night

In a word: depressing. Sure, Oguchi Onyewu was not 100%. Sure, most of our starters were enjoying cheeseburgers and wings in the luxury boxes overlooking Rentschler Field. Sure, there were two goals off set pieces, including a promising finish from Herculez Gomez in his final shot at squeezing onto today's 23-man roster announcement. But the 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic highlighted what I've been pointing out since he took over the job. Bob Bradley has failed to develop any depth past his World Cup starters.

The very fact that Gomez and Buddle were getting try-outs in the zero hour underscore Bradley's lack of foresight. Silly early call-ups (Jeff Cunnningham, Eddie Gaven, Frankie Hejduk) and late injuries forced him back into a very muddy player pool and he's been digging around for diamonds in the slop like a single mother on Minute to Win It.

I don't mean to indicate that Gomez and Buddle shouldn't be on the team (because I think they should be, at the expense of DMB and Eddie Johnson) but the fact that he’s waited so long to add new components to the national team means that the U.S. could struggle with continuity and collaboration if these players are called upon.

But putting aside the argument over who should be playing alongside of Jozy Altidore, last night’s match revealed a bigger problem: the lack of depth in defense. Hopefully, Gooch, Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit are in game shape for June 12 because after those three I shudder to think of who will cover. Bradley’s positive assessment of Clarence Goodson’s performance was mind-boggling. Sure he assisted on three goals; unfortunately, two were for the Czechs. And Maurice Edu at centerback = failed experiment.

But even if the Big Three stay healthy in the backline, there is still the issue of left back. Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce made the Czechs look like Brazilians. They were dreadful! But since Bradley didn’t discover and develop American talent at that position (read: Marc Burch among others), we have to bring one of them, I guess. The only other option is to put Bocanegra there and hope that DeMerit can hold his own. At right back, Jonathan Spector should be the starter because Steve Cherundolo really should be a right winger, not a straight right back. He’s not physical enough to fit the U.S. formation or style.

At 1pm Bradley will announce the roster and although I’m expecting maybe one or two surprises, my optimism for this year’s World Cup is tempered with anxiety that our depth will be challenged in those first three matches.

Shall we go Dutch?

I don’t blame U.S. fans (and John Harkes) for jumping on the Brian Ching/Sacha Kljestan bandwagon after each scored a goal in the predictably underwhelming 2-1 win over El Salvador. After all, finishing, any finishing, is something the U.S. has always lacked, so anytime a player manages to put one away, the goalscorer is immediately vaulted into sacred cow status.

But slow down. Ching had a number of quality opportunities that he couldn't manage to put on frame, and Kljestan had a pretty poor second half until El Salvador's terrible, terrible giveaway.

For once, Bradley seems to be avoiding the rush to anoint the Wednesday goalscorers. He named Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Eddie Johnson (Aris), and Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake) to the roster for next Wednesday's friendly against The Netherlands, not Brian Ching. And Kljestan is absent from the midfield, as the European players come back to the fold. This doesn't mean that Bradley has settled his World Cup squad, however, as evidenced by the additions of DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers) and Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro).

Putting aside for a moment that Bradley should have begun these try-outs long ago, I like the additions of Johnson, Bedoya and Beasley. DMB and EDJO deserve another shot at Nats glory before their relegated to the status of other acronymed failures like JOB (John O'Brien), especially Beasley who could use some good news. Bedoya is a real wild card and I'm excited to see him rolled out against a quality side.

This is when the real cohesion needs to begin, so hopefully this match can finally provide clarity without hype. Of course, if Robbie Findlay manages to score, throw all of that out the window and proclaim him The GOAT.

USA 2010 squad still missing pieces

Ok, it's been forever and a day since I posted anything new on here. And really there's been nothing comment worthy (besides Landon Donovan sticking it to his critics at Everton). But after reading the Goffinator's rundown of the potential 2010 World Cup squad, I had to throw my two cents in (although what I want to do is hit Bob Bradley with a sock of quarters).

Goff's Locks:
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton) and Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Guzan is underwhelming but he isn't the worst No. 2. He's certainly better than Zach Thornton or Nick Rimando (who were called up for the Feb. 23 match vs. El Salvador). I'd like to see Marcus Hahnemann steal the spot from Guzan, but really I'll be praying that Howard stays healthy. The thing is, in the worst possible scenario do you want youth (Guzan) or experience (Hahnemann) stepping in? I mean, Guzan can't even beat out a 38-year-old Brad Friedel at Villa.

Defenders: Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)
Nice group. No surprises. Bocanegra may be the weak link in this group, but only if he's forced to play left back. Jonathan Bornstein, who Goff says is on the bubble at the moment, will likely get the LB spot. It's not an inspired selection there, but he's serviceable. He's good for one gaff a game though, so hopefully it won't be a costly one.

Midfielders: Landon Donovan (Galaxy-Everton), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Michael Bradley (Moenchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Stuart Holden (Bolton)
The midfield depth for the U.S. continues to be a strength, but on the field, it continues to reflect Bradley's poor tactical management. Bradley should be taking notes from David Moyes at Everton. Moyes has utilized LD's skill set superbly, putting him on the right-side of midfield and asking him to run and create. LD isn't a forward and he's limited as a central midfielder. With quickness on the edges (LD on the right, Holden (or Torres) on the left, the center of the pitch should be players who hold well and play excellent counter-attacking balls. I love Rocardo Clark, but he doesn't fit this mold. Should he be on the squad? Yes. But as a injury replacement for Maurice Edu or Benny Feilhaber. Hopefully, Jermaine Jones can get healthy and into the mix. But Michael Bradley (and I can't believe I'm writing this) will be crucial to our success at the World Cup. So hopefully, he makes dear ol' dad proud.

Forward: Jozy Altidore (Hull City)
The fact that Goff can only come up with one sure-thing at forward demonstrates the frighten lack of depth at this position (see previous post). But Goff's suggestion for a running partner for Jozy shows that if ignorance is repeated often enough it becomes conventional wisdom. "The squad is also going to need a target forward: Conor Casey (Colorado) or Brian Ching (Houston)" Why? Target forwards are for clubs with deadly accurate crossers or teams that play long balls all day. We are not that team. We are a possession team. Short passes. Stretch the defense. Backline-beating chips or through balls. You do not need a tall player to be successful in this style. You need someone with control and strength. If we are relying on Casey and Ching, we're done. Forget England, we won't beat Algeria or Slovenia. So, who should it be? Charlie Davies likely won't be 100 percent if he completes his remarkable comeback, so he'll be a better super-sub if we need a goal in the final 15 minutes. You could move Dempsey up front but he plays around too much and gives away possession far too often. It's probably too late to go digging for a diamond in the rough. So, Bradley's left himself few options. Out of the dreadful recent call-ups, Robbie Findlay is the only legitimate option, but he's awfully inconsistent. I mean, why call up washed up Jeff Cunningham? Jason Kreis was busy? Kenny Cooper, Eddie Johnson and dare I speak his name, Freddie Adu should be the camp invitees, not Cunningham or Casey.

An American Revolution, Part 2

2010 World Cup USA schedule (Group C)
England in Rustenberg on June 12
Slovenia in Johannesburg on June 18
Algeria in Pretoria June 23

The Final Draw:
GROUP A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France.
GROUP B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece.
GROUP C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia.
GROUP D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia.
GROUP E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark.
GROUP F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia.
GROUP G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal.
GROUP H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland.

Blame Bradley for U.S.'s depth problem

The sun even shines on a dog’s ass occasionally. And that explains how the dreadful Conor Casey could score two goals in the win over Honduras. Against Costa RIca, his miss in the 10th minute was absolutely criminal and might explain why Landon Donovan “didn’t see him” wide open at the far post in the 37th.

With the news that “Gooch” (Oguchi Onyewu) will be out at least three months with a torn tendon in his knee, you have to second guess the decision to play the first team. Add to that the fact that Charlie Davies was badly injured on Tuesday in a car accident in northern Virginia and one can see the enormous lack of depth on the U.S. team. Of course, Davies could have been in that accident anywhere, but the argument that neither he nor Gooch should have been in D.C. in the first place has to be addressed. Winning CONCACAF means nothing in terms of seeding in the World Cup, so why do you risk injuries and red cards (which do carry over into the WC) in a meaningless match?

The loss of Davies’ pace was evident in the match, but once again I think Jozy Altidore performed well in the starting role despite going goal-less. His lack of production was more a result of being unlucky and of pressing too much. It was obvious that he desperately wanted to score to for his friend Charlie (the #9 on his T-shirt under his jersey, revealed after Jonathan Bornstein’s goal made that clear). But Bradley still needs to find a consistent partner for Jozy up front, which demonstrates the poor job he’s done in developing depth on this team.

The fact that we have finished qualifying and one injury can have such an enormous impact speaks volumes. Bradley has about eight months to find a suitable replacement for Davies. It’s not Casey. And Clint Dempsey isn’t a consistent enough scorer to move into that spot. Ching? Cooper? Arnaud? (Wow, that’s a pretty sad list) What about resurrecting Freddy Adu? It might have to be Donovan, but I hate to move him out of the role of orchestrator. Perhaps the U.S. can play a 4-5-1, but they need to make sure that the wings and attacking mid (LD) get involved in the attack.

Davies seriously injured in car crash

Charlie Davies was seriously injured in a single-car accident today. After surgery, he was in serious but stable condition. Another passenger was killed. Here's the latest from ussoccer.com.

U.S. wins on The Road

Another close call, saved by Ricardo Clark's swerve. Bob Bradley is the luckiest motherf-er on the planet. Too disgusted to blog. Or write in complete sentences. Anymore. Stilted language. Reminds me of Cormac McCarthy. His writing is just as depressing as the U.S.'s performance. But a win is a win, I guess. Two more left. The prospect of a play-in match against Argentina wakes me up in a cold sweat.

CONCACAF refs suspect in U.S. win

The U.S.national team defeated El Salvador 2-1 in a match that ended up a bit of a nail biter, thanks to yet another display of ineptitude by the CONCACAF referees.

After conceding a goal in the 32nd after a poor clearance by Jonathan Bornstein and than weak marking in the box, the U.S. scored in the 41st and 47th minute (first-half injury time) on goals by Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore. Both goals were set up by Landon Donovan who had a terrific night orchestrating the U.S. attack.

The Honduran referee Jose Pineda and his crew correctly called on side the U.S. first goal, as Dempsey began his run closer to midfield, but El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos and a few players surrounded the refs at halftime to complain. There were a number of U.S. players who were in an offside position on the play but none took an active role in the goal and therefore culd be ruled to be passively offside. It was the right call. But instead of sticking to their guns, Pineda and his assistants buckled like belts to the pressure, calling it tight when El Salvador attacked and swallowing their whistles on the other end.

The most blatant example was in the 58th minute when Altidore scored his second goal of the night but it was inexplicable waved off. It wasn't offside. DThere wasn't a foul on Dempsey's assist. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Yet, a flag went up and Jozy was denied his seventh goal in qualifying. Honduras, by the way, now leads qualifying thanks to goal differential

Qualifying resumes next Wednesday, as the U.S. travels to Trinidad & Tobago.

Still no surprises in U.S. roster

Bob Bradley has named the roster for the September 5 clash with El Salvador in Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City. It is a decent lineup, but the question is, will he field the best 11 or continue to trot out Brian Ching.

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton).
Why is Guzan the number 2? I don't get it. Timmy, please stay healthy.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
Bradley needs to recognize the poor flank play by both Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundola against Mexico and to adjust by utilizing Jonathan Spector on the right and pushing Bocanegra centrally (or to the bench) and starting Jonathan Bornstein at left back. And keep Marshall and Goodson on the bench, please.

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Moenchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Houston), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca) .
I'm sick of Kyle Beckerman and his stinky, white-guy dreds. With so much talent, why does Bradley keep getting it wrong? I'd like to see Holden or Torres get a start. We need to stop being so conservative and throw some of these talented kids out there.

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Sochaux), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake).
Really, with Donovan in the midfield, who else would you put out there if you weren't blinded by your love of thick, clumsy "holding" forwards. It's got to be the Charlie 'n' Jozy show. Doesn't it?

Ya gotta know when to Holden

Here's the roster for next Wednesday's qualifier in Mexico:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.

No real surprises here, but I really think there are more capable No. 2s than Brad Guzan. I'm not a fan. He has allowed some soft goals and he's not as athletic as he needs to be for his size.

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Chad Marshall.

Not a bad group, but some assembly is required. Although I am a fan, I think Bradley needs to sit Gooch for this one or perhaps bring him off the bench. His tendancy toward the stupid foul/booking/red card could land us in real trouble, and he's looked pretty terrible playing for his new club (AC Milan) recently. Of course, he's still fitting in, but I think you go with the hot hand and not the hot head for this one and play DeMerit. So, I'd like to see Bornstein-Bocanegra-DeMerit-Spector.

Midfielders: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Jose Francisco Torres.

Wow! No DMB. It's the right move (for both the team and Beasley who needs time off to figure out where his talent went). I like this group a lot. Donovan is actually officially listed as a forward, but I put him in the midfield because that's where he should play. I love the Holden pick, but it was a no brainer after his performance in the Gold Cup.

Forwards: Brian Ching, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey.

Time for the Chuck 'n' Jozy Show! I hope.

USA roster for next qualifiers

U.S. nats coach Bob Bradley announces his line up for the matches against El Salvador (March 28) and Trinidad & Tobago (April 1)
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann

Good to see Hahnemann back on the sideline, but barring injury, it's Timmy's gig for the duration of qualification and in 2010. But with Howard out due to suspension against, El Salvador, Guzan will probably get the nod, having played more games recently than Marcus.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra, Danny Califf, Jay DeMerit, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Jonathan Spector

Danny Califf must be sleeping with the right people, and Frankie Hejduk reminds me of that old guy at the gym, you know grandma muscles who runs marathons and squat thrusts Mini Coopers. It's tough to add new names in the middle of qualification, which is why Bradley stinks for failing to try out new blood during meaningless friendlies. Still, one or two new faces would be OK against El Salvador and T&T.

MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, José Francisco Torres

Nice lineup. Really. No complaints. Yah got this one right, Sadley.

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore, Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson

Altidore should pull a Cooper and say no thank you unless he can get assurances that he will play before the 80th minute. Eddie Johnson just won't leave this party. Go home, EdJo. I still think there are better choice than Ching. Picks like this is why we have to rely on our midfielders to score.

The Mike Bradley Show

Deported! U.S. 2, Mexico 0

Michael Bradley, once again, showed that there isn't any neptotism behind his selection to the U.S. national team, as his brace led the U.S. to a 2-0 thumping of CONCACAF rivals Mexico in the first match of the final round of World Cup qualification at Crew Stadium on Wednesday.

Bradley smacked home an rebound in the 43rd minute and then added another from distance in injury time to drive the stake through Mexico's heart. The first goal was set up by a corner kick that was headed to the six by Landon Donovan and then put on frame by Oguchi Onyewu. Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez made the initial save but Bradley was on the doorstep to put it away. Mexico went down a man in the 65th minute after captain Rafael Marquez challenged U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard in the air, making no attempt to play the ball and cleating Howard in the thigh. Although noticeably limping, Howard stayed in the match.

The next qualifier for the U.S. will be March 28 in El Salvador.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Michael Bradley

MATCH REPORT

TEAM	1st half	2nd half	Final
USA	1	1	2
MEX	0	0	0

Scoring:
USA - Bradley 43.
USA - Bradley (Donovan) 92+.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 2-Frankie Hejduk, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 15-Heath Pearce; 8-Clint Dempsey, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan (13-Ricardo Clark, 86), 7-DaMarcus Beasley; 10-Landon Donovan, 11-Brian Ching (9-Jozy Altidore, 83)

MEX: 1-Oswaldo Sanchez; 2-Aaron Galindo, 3-Carlos Salcido, 4-Rafael Marquez (capt.), 5-Ricardo Osorio; 6-Leandro Augusto, 12-Alberto Medina (15-Antonio Naelson, 60), 8-Pavel Pardo; 11-Carlos Ochoa, 10-Nery Castillo (14-Israel Martinez, 34), 17-Giovani dos Santos (9-Omar Bravo, 72)

Misconduct Summary:
MEX – Marquez (ejection) 65.
USA – Howard (caution) 67.

STATS	USA	MEX
Shots	10	9
Shots OG	5	3
Saves	3	3
Corners	5	1
Fouls	26	16
Offside	4	3