USA v Jamaica (1-2) (1-0) – The Difference was Simply Home & Away?

After worrying Yank’s supporters with a poor showing and a loss in Kingston, the squad rebounded in Columbus, playing a fluid passing style in their Tuesday night victory.

     Each section of the article will focus on a tactical point and compare how the teams played in the two matches.

The Lineups

     On Friday, the US played a 4-3-1-2, which resulted in a very narrow approach. They struggled to connect passes and build attacks. In response, Klinsmann benched Michael Parkhurst, Clarence Goodson, Kyle Beckerman, Jozy Altidore and Maurice Edu and brought in Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Jose Torres, Graham Zusi and Danny Williams. He reverted to a 4-4-1-1, Dempsey played in behind the lone striker Gomez. Williams played as the holding midfielder and Jermaine Jones had a license to get forward with Torres and Zusi out wide. In the back four, Fabian Johnson and Geoff Cameron played the full 180 minutes, putting in two good performances and cementing permanent roles in the team.

Controlling the Run of Play

     In Friday’s match, the US struggled to keep the ball when they managed to wrestle it off a Jamaican attacker. The center of the midfield (Edu, Jones & Beckerman) did a poor job distributing to start up a counter attack. Thus, the midfield three and forward three (Altidore, Dempsey & Gomez) became two separated units instead of a fluid one.

     Tuesday night, the Yanks dominated possession from the opening whistle. Part of the reason was the deep lying defense of Jamaica. Manager Theodore Whitmore clearly set up his team in a defense style to try and earn a road point.

     However, the true test for the Klinsmann regime will be to play proactively on the road and in the 2014 World Cup. It is easy for the team to keep the ball with short passes and move it from side to side against a side that are sits deep and concedes possession. The Klinsmann impact will be seen if we can play in this manner against a team that also wants the ball and is willing to pressure to win it back. If the US then resorts to long balls up field then not much has changed from the Bob Bradley days. 

USA Width

     It is not a very bold statement to say the US formation in “The Office” was illogical. He played three central midfield players, an attacking midfielder and two strikers. This forced Altidore and Gomez to operate as wide strikers to maintain any sort of width. Playing wide negated the best qualities of each player. Altidore can play with his back to goal and also link up centrally with Dempsey. For Gomez, he likes to operate off the shoulder of the central defense and get through balls in behind.

     On Tuesday, the formation was balanced. Graham Zusi and Jose Torres, although not true wingers, did an excellent job at maintaining the shape. Williams and Jones won the midfield battle and distributed the ball effectively to the players further forward.

USA Fullbacks Getting Forward

     The change in style of play from Friday to Tuesday was greatly seen in the play of the fullbacks. Michael Parkhurst is more of a steady right back who can get forward at times but wants to sure up his defensive duties. Steve Cherundolo plays with more speed down the right side and is aggressive in taking chances at getting forward. With Cherundolo and Fabian Johnson, the US has two forward thinking fullbacks who have pace to pin back opposition wingers.

     Also, the Yanks were able to keep the ball on Tuesday long enough to enable the fullbacks to push forward. In Kingston, Johnson and Parkhurst were constantly pinned in their own half because the midfield kept giving the ball away. But, in Columbus, Johnson and Cherundolo could bomb forward because the US controlled the balance of possession. 

 Notice in the two pictures below, that Jermaine Jones and Danny Williams would play deeper roles to provide cover for the two fullbacks. Klinsmann used the two central players to stamp out counter attacks, which allowed the fullbacks more freedom.

 Jamaica Getting Numbers Forward

     Roughly, Jamaica played the same formation in both games. The drastic change in their style of play cannot be analyzed by their setup, but by their aggressiveness. Coach Whitmore wanted his team to pressure the US and frustrate them in Kingston. Once they picked up the three points at home, he set his side out to defend deep and try and get a nil-nil. It was surprising Whitmore did not play a third central midfielder; he opted to defend with one holding player and one box to box midfielder. If he played a midfield three, he could have clogged up middle and shut down the American’s central distribution.

     This ultra defensive approach should be questioned. Coach Whitmore should have at least tried to hit the Yanks out on the counter attack. He could have given a start to Dane Richards to form a three man attack with Luton Shelton and Omar Cummings. These three players have great speed and could quickly steal a goal on the road. Instead, the defense and midfield were quick to just clear the ball away long and try and give Ryan Johnson a chance to win the ball in the air.

     On Friday, Jamaica controlled the run of play, but struggled to create chances from open play. Their two goals came from set pieces. The crossing into the box was very poor and their shots from distance were off target. Coach Whitmore should be concerned about this lack of prowess from open play.

Conclusions

     For all the dominance that Jamaica had on Friday and the US had on Tuesday, only one goal was scored from open play in the two matches. The Yanks created a barrel load of chances in the first half but were unable to find the back of the net. On the other side, Jamaica struggled to create chances and test Tim Howard, a problem that could plague them in upcoming qualifiers.

     The performance is very encouraging for Klinsmann and the fans. He needs to instill this style of play in every match his side will play, instead of in home matches. The Stars and Stripes have to perform with more consistency in matches against proactive teams; if this happens the team will be poised to qualify and play well in the 2014 World Cup.

Side Note - I attended the match last night. It was the first time I have been to a US match and it was amazing. The Nordecke & American Outlaws were rowdy. The rest of the stadium was lively and creating a lot of noise. The pictures in the article were taken by me, it is great to see the entire pitch and all the movement off the ball. 

Will this proactive style of play continue for the Yanks?

- Have your say on our Facebook Page & also Twitter @kpngacleansheet

Mexico v USA (0-1) - Unlikely Goal Scorer Gives US an Unprecedented Win in Azteca

     Juergen Klinsmann's side achieved their first ever victory in Azteca Stadium after a 1-0 win over Mexico on Wednesday. Although only a friendly, the historic victory was celebrated by Americans as a landmark moment against our eternal rivals, particularly considering the experimental lineup employed by the Yanks.

USA Lineup

     In front of Tim Howard, Klinsmann placed Fabian Johnson, Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron and Edgar Castillo. With such an inexperienced quartet, and Edu being played out of his normal central midfield position, the manager deployed two holding midfielders (Kyle Beckerman and Jermaine Jones) to help protect his defense. Herculez Gomez started as the lone striker with Jose Torres, Danny Williams and Landon Donovan as the three supporting players behind him rounding out a defensive 4-5-1 setup. 

Mexico Lineup

     Similar to the system manager José Manuel de la Torre used in the 2011 Gold Cup Final (link), Mexico lined up in a 4-2-3-1, but was focused on playing down the flanks, especially in the first half. Pablo Barrera and Andres Guardado were the wide men and central playmaker Angel Reyna was keen to overload the wide zones to try and dominate the flanks. Considering his small size, Javier Hernandez is very good in the air, but Cameron and Edu were effective at neutralizing the crosses. Furthermore, Reyna was nowhere near as effective as Giovanni Dos Santos was at overloading the wide areas in that 2011 match and creating chances. The first 55 minutes of the match went by without either side testing the opposing keeper.

Friendly Pace

     The match began and continued at a friendly canter for the opening hour of the match. Even the Azteca seemed about 60% full which was surprising. The Americans focused on maintaining the status quo by holding a deep defensive line and usher the ball out wide. Beckerman and Jones sat very deep and rarely ventured forward in the first half. This six man block frustrated Mexico, who controlled the ball and the possession advantage but could not threaten. ESPN broadcaster John Sutcliffe mentioned  de la Torre  was upset with the play of Barrera on the right side, who put in several poor crosses and was unable to take on Edgar Castillo and dribble past him. 

     Going forward, the US offered nothing. This was largely due to the wide players not actually being effective on the wings. On the right side, Danny Williams showed why he normally plays as a central midfielder; he was hesitant to take on players one v one and never broke forward with pace. On the left, Torres and Donovan took turns while one of the two played centrally. The Yanks did not threaten on the counter because they broke too slowly and were never able to string enough passes together to have a numbers advantage. 

Changes for the Second Half

      José Manuel de la Torre made two straight swaps, bringing on Elias Hernandez and Lugo for Barrera and Viniegra. Elias had a strong showing, providing two exceptional crosses to Chicharito; one header was missed and the other cross was thwarted by Cameron at the last second. Lugo had a poor match in midfield, considering his job was to distribute and his service was errant far too often. In the final 45 minutes Mexico varied their style by playing through balls to Hernandez more often, but he was either offside or the pass was not weighted perfectly.

     Klinsmann decided to switch to a 4-2-2-2 similar to former manager Bob Bradley's system, bringing on Terrance Boyd and Demarcus Beasley for Donovan and Torres. While the changes were positive in theory, the second half played out in a similar fashion to the first. The only exception was the US began to tire and Mexico started to create chances once gaps in the defense were more effectively exploited. 

     Ten minutes into the half, Lugo had an unmarked header but missed the target, which was followed up by an excellent header by Cameron and a few minutes later a last ditch clearance by Fabian Johnson saved the Yanks after Chicharito and Reyna combined to slip through the middle. 

     Four minutes before the only goal of the night, Chicharito missed the target on an open header after a perfect cross from Elias. Klinsmann went to the bench to bring on Brek Shea to see if his fresh legs could provide a much needed spark. The struggling FC Dallas winger did just that after receiving a pass from Beckerman and skipping by his mark and sliding a cross to Boyd who back heeled the ball to Mexican League defender Michael Orozco Fical who slid his effort into the corner of the net. The lead was undeserved but well earned after the Americans were able to defend well for the opening eighty minutes. 

     Mexico pushed hard for the equalizer but Tim Howard earned his man of the match award by keeping Chicharito out twice; once from a deflected volley in which Howard had to change directions quickly and once from a point blank header that the Everton keeper palmed away with his left hand. The veteran presence in net proved his value for the US with not only  two great saves but also for guiding a young defense through a difficult away match.

Conclusions

     While the landmark result should be celebrated by all US supporters, the performance should not lead to conclusions that we are ahead of Mexico. Rather, we should focus on the belief showed by the players and the belief that Klinsmann has instilled in his side (also seen in the victory in Italy) that the US can compete with anyone in the world. With that being said, the team will have to show more going forward in next month's qualifiers. It is also worth mentioning that we should have more attacking options available, like Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore.

5 things we learned from the match

1. Brek Shea is a vital talent for the US and needs to swing his poor Dallas form, especially considering our lack of wide options.

2. Edgar Castillo looked comfortable playing against familiar Mexican composition, now we need to see it versus other teams.

3. Danny Williams is not an effective wing player and should not play out wide.

4. Kyle Beckerman can compete at the international level, even though many knock him for only playing in MLS.

5. Mo Edu and Geoff Cameron might play as defensive midfielders at club level this season, but the US needs them at center back and maybe they can perform for country at this position. 

We love hearing from fellow American soccer fans. 

What did you all learn from the match? Be sure to get involved on our social sites; twitter @kpngacleansheet and also here is the link to our Facebook page. 

US v Antigua & Barbuda (3-1) v Guatemala (1-1)

The Yanks make a solid start with four points from their first two World Cup Qualifying matches.

US v Antigua & Barbuda

     The USMNT began a two year road to Brazil 2014 with a Friday night affair against Antigua & Barbuda. The tiny island side was clearly over matched but had continuity with most of the side playing for the Antigua Barracudas who are coached by the national team manager.

     Thus, the away side played a very organized and disciplined match for the first 43 minutes. They pressed early on but then dropped off after ten minutes. The Yanks controlled the ball early even though the conditions were wet. Carlos Bocanegra got the US off to a great start in the seventh minute after bundling home a rebound at the back post after Herculez Gomez’s header was saved from a corner kick.

     The American were at their best when Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey were close enough to link up with each other. They were able to combine and use pace to setup chances as seen in the 15^th minute which led to a shot that was blocked. Also, Michael Bradley was instrumental at starting the Yanks attacks from deep in midfield after winning possession. Antigua & Barbuda were playing long balls in behind which were dealt with well by Bocanegra and Goodson and quickly played forward to Bradley who would propel the US forward.

     Herculez Gomez played the lone striker role well in Klinsmann’s 4-3-3 system. He made clever runs in behind all night. His movement caused confusion for the back four which opened up pockets of space for Dempsey and Donovan. Two minutes before halftime, Bradley won the ball back and quickly played a pass up to Donovan. Down the left channel, Donovan and Dempsey combined opening up Donovan in behind the defense. He was taken down from behind with the referee awarding a penalty which was converted by Clint Dempsey. The positioning of Gomez on the right side was instrumental in occupying a defender which opened up the pitch for Dempsey and Donovan.

     With a two goal advantage, the Yanks continued to create chances in the second half but the intensity winning the ball back allowed Antigua & Barbuda more space. After Jose Torres went off injured, Bocanegra and Donovan combined excellently down the left wing to set up Gomez to rattle the cross bar.

     With the islanders losing their defensive shape as the match wore on, the US was creating chances through balls over the top or pockets between the fullbacks and center backs. Yet, the Americans failed to add a third and were pegged back in the 65^th minute. Cherundolo was slow to get back and allowed Ledgerwood in behind. He played Byers in who skipped past an unnecessary Onyewu lunge and was through on goal and finished over Tim Howard. The hulking central defender was off the pace of the game but he is still returning from injury and had just come onto the pitch.

     The goal from the islanders woke up the American attack up with Dempsey, Bradley and Gomez testing the keeper. Finally, the Yanks added a third when Gomez pounced off a fortuitous deflection and finished into an empty net. In the end, three points was the goal but the Yanks were far from emphatic in their performance.

US v Guatemala

     A much stiffer test was awaiting the USMNT in Guatemala City. The home side was keen on disrupting the flow of the match and making the game ugly. Constantly, the match was stopped due to consistent fouling and from the ball going out of play. Guatemala attacked by launching long balls to the two forwards, Carlos Ruiz and Mario Rodriguez. This strategy was as effective as trying to get rich through winning the lottery as Goodson and Bocanegra were solid in the air.

     The Yanks were very disappointing going forward. Since I refused to shell out $30 to line the pockets of the greedy Traffic Sports executives, I watched the match on a dodgy internet stream. Thus it was hard to make out the Guatemalan formation.

     Regardless of the defense, the Americans passing and movement in midfield was poor. They often lost patience and resorted to hopeful long balls which were not effective. It was almost as if they adopted Guatemala’s tactics themselves, like in youth soccer when one team keeps kicking long and the other team gets frustrated and does the same.

     Guatemala nearly opened the scoring before halftime with a through ball down the right. Fabian Johnson got turned around and Guatemala was free but the shot came from a narrow angle and was saved by Howard instead of squaring the ball to Mario Rodriguez who was all alone. One minute later, Fabian Johnson stormed down the left and cut inside and found Dempsey at the top of the box. Dempsey who skipped past two defenders (leaving one on his backside) and shot with his right foot into the left corner.

     The halftime lead forced Guatemala coach Hugo Almeida into making three changes. He went out to  attack with Marco Pappa, Manuel Leon and Dwight Pezzarossi to try and level the match. Wisely, Klinsmann did not allow a possible incompetent CONCACAF refereeing decision reduce his side to ten and he brought on Geoff Cameron for Clarence Goodson, who was carrying a yellow card.

     Guatemala was much improved in the second half. Pappa was drifting into wide areas to create an overload and get crosses into the two strikers. However, the Yanks continued to defend well and after Carlos Ruiz blasted a rebound over the bar, it looked like they could pick up three points. But, Marco Pappa leveled the match with seven minutes to go by expertly bending a free kick over the wall. The US failed to kill the match off by adding a second goal and controlling possession (the ref did not play advantage when Altidore had a clear chance called back for a Guatemala foul).

Three Points to Contemplate as We Move Towards the Summer of 2014.        

1. The talent pool is deeper than ever and more players will emerge as they stand out for their respective clubs. After looking up the team sheets from 2010 World Cup qualifying, various players were selected 1.5 to 2 years before the tournament that did not make the trip to South Africa. Players like Davy Arnaud, Conor Casey, Brian Ching, Pablo Mastroeni, Kenny Cooper, John Thorrington, Danny Califf, Heath Pearce and Marvell Wynne helped the US qualify but were not even considered to be in the World Cup squad.

          This summer’s squad should look much different than the squad in two years. Injuries, aging and rising young players will change the landscape of the team. Hopefully Klinsmann will have a hard time picking a 23 man squad because of how much player pool depth there is.  

2. The US needs to pick XI players to fit in a cohesive formation and setup instead of just picking the best XI players available. I think Jose Torres and Jermaine Jones are excellent players. However, it is hard to fit so many central midfield players into one team. Playing a 4-3-3 with two narrow wide players congests the field too much and the US needs to develop at least one winger to open up the center of the pitch for Dempsey, Bradley and Donovan to make runs. Dempsey is at his best when he plays in the center which allows him to best link up with Donovan. Whether that true winger is Josh Gatt, Joe Corona, Brek Shea or some else remains to be seen.

3. Even after five matches, most of the positions are wide open. At striker, Herculez Gomez impressed with his movement and energy. At times he was physically out matched and his finishing was average. Jozy Altidore had a great season in Holland but after suffering a late season injury, he did not see much time in any of the matches. Terrance Boyd’s move to Rapid Vienna should help his development as he looks raw but talented. With these three not cementing places in the squad, the position remains open for players like Teal Bunbury or CJ Sapong to make their way into the team in the future.

     In defense, the US needs some more young depth. Geoff Cameron played well and should continue to improve after moving to the position later in his career. However, there is a lack of quality center backs in the pool. Fabian Johnson has seemed to lock down a spot at left back after great performances. At right back, the position should be wide open. Steve Cherundolo is aging and looked vulnerable against Brazil and did not get forward as much as he did in South Africa. His place in the starting XI looks fairly secure since Eric Lichaj has barely played at Aston Villa and Michael Parkhurst looking more suitable as a central defender.

Which young players will emerge? Do the older players need to be phased out? What formation and system should Klinsmann play?

I would love to hear your thoughts either in the comments, via twitter @kpngacleansheet or on the KaCSFacebook page.

Also, I am live tweeting the Euro matches and posting short thoughts on each Euro match on Facebook so get involved!

Analyzing the Three US Summer Friendlies

     - The Yanks wowed with a dominant display vs Scotland and then struggled in subsequent matches vs Brazil and Canada. We compare and contrast the three performances based on four important factors.

Playing from the Back

     The most promising difference between the regimes of Jurgen Klinsmann and Bob Bradley has been the insistence on keeping the ball on the floor. This philosophy was on display in a beautiful manner against Scotland. It must be noted that the Scots dropped deep and applied little pressure to the Yanks back four which made it easy for the defense to find Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones to advance the ball up the pitch. This ball retention philosophy allowed the US to dominate the run of play and also pin Scotland back and make them unable to counter attack because they could only recover the ball deep inside their half.

     However, the Brazil match was a different story. The Samba Boys applied higher pressure to the US back four and the American defense was rushed and uncomfortable. This resulted in long balls into Herculez Gomez through the center or out wide to Donovan or Torres. These low percentage punts upfield allowed Brazil to easily win the ball back.

     In the first half against Canada, the US followed a similar course. With Canada dropping all eleven players to midfield or deeper, the Yanks became frustrated. As a result, they sent long balls towards the front three which played into the Canadian’s strategy. As the game went on, Clint Dempsey became more frustrated and started to drop deeper to look for the ball which was good and bad. The good is that it gave the US a central numbers advantage and helped them move the ball towards goal. The bad was that Dempsey was often too far from goal to create chances in the final third. If the Klinsmann stylistic revolution is going to have a lasting impact, the US will have to play a more patient game in defense to try and break down opponents via player and ball movement like we saw against Scotland.

Midfield Shape & Setup

     In the three matches, we saw three different midfield setups and two different formations. This experimentation is what friendlies are for. However, only one of the setups was effective. Against Scotland, the Yanks played Edu as the holding midfielder with Jones and Bradley as box to box players. This setup allowed Jones and Bradley to spring forward using their pace and support the front three.

     Also, this shape allowed Michael Bradley to shine. Since moving to Chievo, he has developed from a player who relied on athleticism and effort to a player who still possess those attributes but also has tactical awareness and creative skill to craft scoring chances. For example, he slipped in Donovan for a second half goal against Scotland.

     However, Bradley and Edu swapped roles against Brazil. @BrianStraus of the Sporting News explained the move on twitter, “JK said MB deep v Brazil b/c of pressure, needed someone who could make good passes to feet. Canada yielding MF, so why not push MB higher?”

     Logically, playing Bradley deeper in the Brazil match made sense but the move neutralized the best attributes of Edu and Bradley. Edu’s best position is the holding role because he is not great as a distributor or a creator. He excels on stopping attacks through the middle which protects the back four. Bradley could have provided more of an attacking spark playing closer to goal. Also, Bradley at times struggles in his tactical positioning as seen in the goal by Marcelo. Brazil attacked from the middle to the left and Marcelo’s run into the box was not tracked by Bradley resulting in an easy goal.

     Against Canada, the US went with a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-4-2 look. Jones and Bradley partnered without a designated holding player. Often times they were fulfilling the same duties which made their roles redundant. They frequently dropped deep in tandem to collect the ball from defense which left a gap in the center.

Creating Chances

     After creating chances in multiple ways against Scotland, the US suffered from not having a plan b in the other two matches. The main difference was the lack of high pressure from the front men. The first goal in the Scotland match was a result of Torres winning the ball deep in Scotland’s half and striking on the counter. In the other two matches, Gomez was eager to work to win the ball back, but as a unit the front six did not press aggressively. This allowed the Brazil fullbacks, Marcelo and Danilo, time to gallop forward. Canada was allowed time to relieve pressure by simply playing the ball across the back four.

     The other issue was playing with two narrow wide players. Torres and Donovan are not natural wide players so they instinctively cut in to receive the ball. While this allowed the fullbacks to overlap to provide width, the fullbacks were isolated. This meant their only option was to cross. This tactic was fairly effective but too predictable. When the US scored v Brazil, Fabian Johnson was able to interchange and play a one-two to get in the box and cross from a better position. The lack of interplay or cutting inside from the flanks made the fullbacks role easy to combat.

     Finally, the US never tested the Canada defense by moving the ball from one side to the other. By switching the point of attack, the defense has to completely shift and the possibility of a rotational breakdown elevates. The only time the Yanks did the against Canada was in the second half when Dempsey started it on the left and it swung to Donovan on the right who crossed to Jones at the back post but his header was clear. This horizontal movement enabled a better crossing angle for Donovan.

Defensive Performance

     Since Klinsmann has taken charge, the US defense has been pretty reliable. However, the Brazil match exposed some flaws. Three of the four defenders, Cherundolo, Bocanegra and Onyewu, lack pace. This was troublesome especially against Neymar and Hulk.

     Furthermore, the three friendlies did not address whether Bocanegra and Cherundolo are in the World Cup 2014 plans. Being in the starting eleven suggests that Klinsmann is high on them, but the pair will be 35 in 2014. Marcelo and Neymar marauded down the left flank all night, making Cherundolo look like a traffic cone. They are two excellent players but the US needs to at least experiment with other options. I wish Klinsmann would have tinkered with a Goodson/Parkhurst or Goodson/Cameron pairing just to see what it could bring to the side.           

     At right back, Cherundolo is holding his  place due to a lack of competiton. With Timmy Chandler failing to fully commit to playing for the US and Eric Lichaj not playing often for Aston Villa, there are no viable replacements. Hopefully Lichaj can accumulate more starts next season for Villa or another club because he has the potential to be an attacking threat down the right. In limited minutes we can tell that Michael Parkhurst is not a right back. He was too timid to take on the Canadian defense in one v one situations and was exposed in the buildup to Simeon Jackson’s late chance in the match. The good news is Fabian Johnson has played very well and looks to be the right back of the future for the US.

     Overall, we have learned a lot about the squad from the past two weeks and that Klinsmann is still experimenting on how to incorporate Dempsey into the lineup. While a few question marks remain, the upcoming match against Antigua & Barbuda should allow the team more time to figure out the minor issues.

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Italy 0 – USMNT 1: Resilient Yanks Earn Unexpected Win

     The United States earned their first ever win over Italy in Genoa with an early second half goal from in-form Clint Dempsey.

USMNT’s Setup

     Jurgen Klinsmann selected to his seemingly favorite 4-2-3-1 formation. With the absences of Landon Donovan, Tim Chandler, Oguchi Onyewu, Jose Torres and Jermaine Jones, the Yank’s squad depth was tested. Hoffenheim German-American Fabian Johnson earned the start at left back and had an impressive showing, most likely earning another start at the hard to fill position. The rest of the back four were experienced; Cherundolo, Bocanegra and Goodson are three players who know how battle and earn a tough result.

     The two critical players for the Yanks were Maurice Edu and Michael Bradley. Edu has been criticized in the past for offering little else than combativeness and athleticism. However, tonight he was tactically aware and did a decent job of winning the ball back but more importantly finding a pass to retain possession. Michael Bradley arguably had a man of the match performance. After the match, Klinsmann mentioned that Bradley made a huge step in his career by coming to Italy. This could be seen through his savvy performance; Bradley seemed to be more defensively conscious and refrained from making over aggressive moves to win the ball or ambitious runs into the box. Instead, he anchored the center of the pitch alongside Edu and was also impressive in link up play going forward. Bradley and Edu had only 11 missed placed passes combined while recovering the ball 16 times.

     Danny Williams and Brek Shea operated as the wide men. Shea possesses the technical ability but struggles mentally with the international game. He was easily nudged off the ball and seemed hesitant; in the first half he could have run at Barzagli through the center but elected to square the ball to Dempsey which was easily spotted and picked off by Pirlo. Also, too often he allowed Maggio, the right back, to get behind him and get in a cross. Williams typically plays as a central midfielder for Hoffenheim and looked uncomfortable as a winger. He did well in providing the simple pass but was not a threat going forward. However, after the goal he did an excellent job defending the wide areas when Italy were pressing for a goal.

     The key to the US in attack was the linkup between Altidore and Dempsey. Many people on twitter complained upon seeing the lineups because Altidore was paired alone up top. But, Jozy can operate as a single striker if he gets support from the midfield. Dempsey provided the perfect linkup man; a veteran who could instruct the young striker where to move and make the game easier for him. We saw the talent on display by Altidore in providing the assist; he held off a strong challenge by Barzagli, killed the cross with a deft first touch and laid the ball off perfectly for Dempsey to fire home the winner. Before the match, Klinsmann called Altidore out to the media, telling them that he needed to be more professional at AZ Alkmaar to earn more playing time and I hope he respects the manager to take these words to heart and reach his potential. If he can replicate his second half performance more often, there is no doubt Jozy can become an excellent striker.

Italy’s Setup

Italy's Tactical Adjustment Caused Problems

     Prandelli used this friendly to prepare for this summer’s European Championships. He aligned the home side into a 4-4-2, with a diamond midfield. Pirlo, the veteran world cup winner, operated as a deep lying playmaker. The Italians made an astute adjustment in their midfield; frequently Nocerino or Marchisio would tuck inside and allow the fullbacks (Criscito and Maggio) to overlap. This outnumbered the Yanks 3 v 2 in central midfield and allowed Pirlo tons of time and space on the ball (as seen in the picture). Also, Shea was slow to cover Maggio and Dempsey did not get tight enough to Pirlo. Klinsmann mentioned in his pre match press conference about the importance of shutting down Pirlo’s space but the execution on the field was poor and should have cost the Yanks. 

     Pirlo was the classiest player on the park. He completed 91 passes, by far the most of any player. However, the Azzurri were caught offside nine times in the match; thus negating the impact of his excellent through balls behind a vulnerable American central defense. He looked as if he was playing in a Sunday rec league match given how comfortable he was. He didn’t even have a hair out of place making a tackle because the US did not make him work hard defensively.

     In front of Pirlo was Thiago Motta, who struggled to make an impact with his passing; he only attempted two through balls, both of which were intercepted. He did, however, have two good chances but his shots were straight at Tim Howard. Giovinco and Matri were paired up top, with Giovinco allowed the freedom to scour the pitch looking to find his way past the Yank’s defense.

     The Azzurri struggled to capitalize on the brilliant balls over the top from Pirlo because they lacked a quality striker. Giovinco provided clever movement but was too often caught offside and gave the ball away trying to take on players one v one. Matri seemed off the pace, he only has a handful of caps in his career. Perhaps the infamous Mario Balotelli, who was not picked because of his unreliability, could have flourished from the brilliance of Pirlo.

     Italy only conceded two goals during Euro qualifiers and it was easy to see why, even though they started Ogbonna in place of Chiellini. The 23 year old made his second appearance but was comfortable and strong in defense.

The Match

     Italy played the match at the pace of a friendly, which explained the post-match quote by Buffon claiming that the Azzurri had trouble getting up for friendly matches. They have lost four friendlies under Prandelli. The Italians allowed the US to have the ball until they reached the final third.

     In the fourth minute, Maggio got behind Shea, as he did numerous times for Napoli in the Champions League v Chelsea and got the ball to Thiago Motta who lost his marker, Michael Bradley and forced an excellent kick save by Tim Howard.

     In the first half, much of the US success going forward came out wide. Ten minutes in Dempsey and Williams worked down the touchline and Dempsey cut the ball back to Cherundolo who should have shot it but passed to Bradley and wasted a chance.  

     In the 18th minute in, the US worked the left side of the pitch with Shea and Johnson. Johnson’s square ball found Shea in space after Dempsey played a clever dummy but Shea’s strike from 20 yards went wide. In the 26^th minute, Edu won the ball after pressing aggressively in midfield and slipped in Shea behind the defense but the winger’s touch sent the ball too far in front.

     Italy had a decent chance from Motta a minute before half time but for most of the match they struggled to test Tim Howard because they were caught offside repeatedly.

Second Half

     Surprisingly, Klinsmann made zero changes at halftime. Italy brought on Chiellini and Montolivo for Nocerino and Criscito. Ogbonna moved to left back with Chiellini in the center and Montolivo in the center of midfield.

     Altidore provided excellent movement and was able to find space to receive passes all night. At one point, the audio picked up Klinsmann praising his movement. However, when he received the pass, he was often knocked off the ball or gave it away through an errant pass. In the second half he was much sharper.

     After receiving the ball on the left wing from Bradley, Johnson was able to cross into the box. Altidore out muscled Barzagli for the ball, killed it with his first touch and teed up Clint Dempsey to fire a first time shot to the right of Buffon. The keeper had no chances as Dempsey has been in blistering form for Fulham.

Italy Dominate Possession Searching for a Goal

     Just after the goal, Prandelli sent on Pazzini as a straight swap for Matri and put Borini out wide right for Motta, moving Montolivo inside.

     Ten minutes later the Italians double switch again but kept their 4-3-3 structure. De Rossi and Abate directly replaced Marchisio and Maggio. Borini was the most likely threat to score as he played as a right forward which allowed Abate to overlap on the right. However, last ditch defending and some crucial blocks prevented an equalizer.
     In the final twenty minutes, the US went into a shell to try and maintain the result. They used two banks of four and sat deep and narrow. Spector came on for Fabian Johnson for the final 15 minutes and provided the performance of a veteran; he blocked several shots from Borini. Kljestan played in the unfamiliar wide left when he came on for Shea and struggled defensively. He allowed Abate to get in behind him and was fortunate Bocanegra was able to clear the dangerous cross he provided.

     Terrance Boyd, the Borussia Dortmund reserve product came on for the final ten minutes and looked expectedly raw. He struggled with his touch and holding up the ball and made a few immature fouls. He is clearly not ready for the international stage but Klinsmann said he wanted the youngster to familiarize himself with the US setup.

Conclusions

     It was only a friendly, but it was a great confidence building win. Klinsmann went with a conservative and defensive approach, similar to a Bob Bradley performance. However, the Klinsmann twist of trying to play out from the back instead of clearing the lines ultimately made it more exciting to watch. The most dangerous attacks originated from the wings. Going forward, the US needs to continue playing this style except in the future having more than 39% possession, which Dempsey said in the post-match interview. 

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USA v Belgium (0-1) – Yanks Fail to Score v a more Polished Belgium

Each Sides' Setup
     Juergen Klinsmann made three changes from the side that lost to Costa Rica on Friday. Steve Cherundolo slotted in at right back and Timmy Chandler auditioned at the problem position of left back. Clint Dempsey came in for Landon Donovan in attacking midfield and Clarence Goodson came in centrally to replace Michael Orozco Fiscal.

     The US and Belgium had very similar tactical shapes. They each played a 4-3-3 variation. The only difference was Torres played deeper than his counterpart in midfield, Fellaini. Also, Witsel played as a second striker at times instead of a true attacking midfielder, whilst Dempsey often dropped deep to try and get involved in the run of play.

First Half Notes & Observations
     Fellaini, Witsel and De Camargo harassed USA back line when in possession. This pressure really frustrated and hampered the US going forward. Maurice Edu needed to be more available for the short pass when Bocanegra or Goodson had the ball.
  - Torres’ defensive work was ever present. He won the ball back even in his own box.
- De Camargo operated as the lone striker and was supported centrally by Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini. Belgium has a number of impressive names in their squad but struggled to create chances early on in the match. Belgium gives a lot of freedom to Hazard and Mertens out wide to cut inside or link up with the midfield which put the US full backs under pressure.
     Belguim had a flurry of chances around the half hour mark. In the 26th minute the ball came out and Simons rips a shot well saved by Howard. A minute later Mertens cuts inside on Cherundolo and lashed a shot just wide. Hazard had a tricky move on an overlap and Kompany had a header go just wide on a corner. In the 34^th, Mertens’ cross to Fellaini all alone and volleyed straight at Howard.
 - Torres sometimes gets the ball in tight areas but does well to at least win a free kick and not give the ball away.
 - USA needs a slower buildup when the counter attack is not on. This would allow Chandler and Cherundolo to get forward and create width, since Shea likes to cut inside. Chandler should not be the answer to the left back vacancy.

  - Altidore was shut down by Kompany, which was expected given he was matched up against a world class defender.
  - Belgium midfield of Felaini and Witsel doing a great job of putting Edu and Torres under pressure making them play with their backs turned away from goal.
 - Shea and Rogers were ineffective out wide, struggling to get into the match and also did not receive support when they had possession.
 - Other than a couple of set pieces, Mignolet was not tested in the first half. (side note - hopefully Torres takes over from Donavan as the set piece taker as Landon's service has never been effective).

2nd Half Notes & Observations
     Klinsmann brought in Juan Agudelo in place of Altidore to start the second half. Rob Stone said Jozy looked knackered and fatigued coming off the pitch. Maybe the travel from Los Angeles and his lack of full fitness coming off a hamstring affected him. His movement was not as existent when compared to the Costa Rica match. Also, Klinsmann brought on Beckerman for Rogers to try and sure up the midfield, which pushed Dempsey wide right. USA played a 4-2-3-1. This allowed Torres to play higher up the pitch as more of a playmaker.

 - Simons bossed the match from his defensive midfield position.
 - USA did a solid job of last ditch defending around the box, with help defense after the primary defender got beat.
  - 55th minute Nicolas Lombaerts picks up the ball after a poor half clearance off of a long throw (not sure who it was). The shot was laced and skipped off the wet grass coming through a lot of bodies which made it tough for Howard to see.
- 62nd triple substitution for Belgium. Hazard, Felaini and Demacargo came off and Lukaku, Ogunjimi and Hubert came on. Belgium did nothing going forward after this.
- Agudelo doing a good job off dropping deep away from Kompany to try pick up the ball. Kompany is just mauling Agudelo out there when they go head to head. Agudelo shows flashes of what the 18 year old can bring for the future but still looks overmatched.
- Shea needs to learn how to pink up and use the left back to his advantage. He seemed to just run inside, away from Chandler which led to Chandler being isolated.
- 76th - Torres off for Larentowicz. Weird decision to play Edu, Beckerman and Larentowicz at the same time.

- Most of the talk today will be about the inept offensive performance but give credit to Belgium. There defensive performance was very industrious. They pressured relentlessly, torturing the Yanks and winning the ball back well.
- Up next two home games in October, Honduras and an unnamed opponent.
- The disallowed goal from Edu (and the argument of whether it was justified) does not really matter in the long run. We know the USA is capable of scoring from the set piece.
- The final ten minutes were encouraging as the US showed the will to fight for the equalizer to the end.

John Harkes can say the US showed good character until he is blue in the face, but character alone does not mask the Yanks inability to create chances from open play.

Conclusions on US going Forward

     The Yanks failed to score in the past two matches, which alone says that the attack needs some adjusting. Furthermore, they only registered one shot in the first half, and that was from a free kick

     On twitter, many writers and US supporter’s proposed that the US needs to revert back to a two striker formation to try and help the attack. In theory this makes sense, but why start two strikers when the US has a plethora of quality midfielders and a dearth in quality strikers.

     Instead of playing two strikers, we need to look across the pitch to how Belgium set up their team. The US has the players to duplicate the roles that Fellaini and Witsel played for Belgium on Tuesday night. They provided supporting runs into the box to try and put home a cross and also linked up with de Camargo when the striker was holding up play. At the same time, they had the defensive duties to harass Edu and Torres. This made the defensive midfielder Simons’ job easier to control the middle of the pitch.

     In the Fellaini role, Stuart Holden or Michael Bradley could provide the same qualities for the Yanks in the future. They both are known for their combativeness in the center of the park and also have the knack to get forward and score a goal. With a box to box midfielder in front of him, Torres could create play from deeper in midfield while still having a defensive midfielder (Beckerman or Edu) behind him.

     Out wide, Dempsey and Donovan should be utilized. They are more tactically experienced and would have helped Chandler and Cherundolo deal with Mertens and Hazard.

     If the US had to play a competitive match, I would use Shea and Aguedlo as impact substitutes instead of starting players. It is good that they are getting the experience in these friendlies and at times show flashes of what they will bring in the future. But, too often they out of their depth and are caught in possession and just look a little over matched.

     Another problem for the US attack was a lack of width. The full backs did not get forward as often as they did under Bob Bradley. Chalk this up to the Yanks inability to build up play. Instead, they were attacking quickly, which did not give the full backs time to advance up the pitch after defending the tricky Belgian wingers. Contrary to what many believe, Shea is not a winger. He likes to play as a withdrawn forward on the left. With FC Dallas, Shea has this freedom to cut inside and crash into the box, a freedom that he has not had with the US. Also, Shea needs to learn how to link up with a fullback. Chandler hardly got forward, but when he did Shea opted to just run inside and abandon the left back instead of linking up with him and using the overlap to his advantage.

Conclusions on the US Defense

     Conceding three goals in three matches under Klinsmann is not a terrible record, and the performances were more encouraging than this goal scoring record. Torres and Edu did yeoman’s work tracking back and providing a lot of last ditch defending when Hazard or Mertens beat their primary defender one v one. The central partnership of Bocanegra and Goodson dealt with all the aerial threats and neutralized de Camargo’s impact on the match. Under Klinsmann, the US has proven that they do not need to play with two holding midfield players because Torres can provide assistance defensively and the lone holding player (Edu or Beckerman) can shield the back four well on their own.

     On the contrary, the full back position remains unsolved. It would be wishful thinking to rely on a 35 year old Steve Cherundolo to play right back in 2014. However, Klinsmann faces quite a dilemma because Cherundolo deserves a place in the squad and is still putting in solid performances. Hazard and Mertens did show that Cherundolo has lost a half step, beating him one v one a few times. Klinsmann must decide if it is time to install Timmy Chandler as the starting right back and imbed him for the future or stick with the veteran leadership of Cherundolo.

     The left back job remains to be a black hole for the USMNT. Castillo got crushed by the media for his shaky performance v Costa Rica and Chandler looked out of place and ineffective v Belgium. He was not able to get forward and swing in crosses because he always had to cut back to his right foot which made the crossing angle more difficult. Eric Lichaj should be brought back in to the side, but Yanks Abroad just posted he will be out four months with a labral tear, so hopefully he can work his way back and we could see him in the summer. Maybe Jonathan Spector will be trialed here, but he played zero minutes in these two friendlies which might say something. Right now, the only solution is to keep the faith with Castillo because quite frankly, we have no other options.

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USA Loses 1st Ever match to Costa Rica at Home

USA Setup:

     Jurgen Klinsmann set up the USA in a 4-3-3. Castillo was back at left back, and Timmy Chandler was in at right back, making his second appearance for the USA. Orozco and Bocanegra partnered in the center. Castillo looked better than the Mexico match for sure, but his slight build continues to show a cause for concern, as he was troubled with the bigger and stronger Costa Rica players. However he impressed and figures to continue to be in the plans at left back. Chandler impressed once again, making a lot of runs that cause the Costa Ricans concerns. It did appear that he was very fatigued, and maybe he has not gotten to full fitness this early in the season yet. Bocanegra and Orozco were ok, but when Costa Rica did apply pressure on them they too easily lost possession for the USA, as they did not look completely comfortable.

     Maurice Edu played the holding midfield spot, and sat fairly deep. He was too deep at times as the Costa Rica midfielders had too much space to work, but overall he played well and he Jones, Bradley, and Beckerman will most likely continue to battle for that spot. Torres and Donovan played in front of him and were more central than wide. Torres was a little deeper than Donovan and Donovan drifted inside for the majority of the game, often times playing directly behind Altidore, who started up top for the first time under Klinsmann. Torres played well but at least for me, he did not see enough of the ball. Maybe he needs to be more assertive, and that will come with time and more experience playing with his teammates. The most impressive part of Torres’ performance Friday night was his aggressiveness in winning the ball back when he lost it. One of the knocks on him was his lack of aggressiveness but it was not evident Friday. Donovan played very centrally, and did not look in top form. Besides the goal that he usually scores his touches were a little off on several occasions and so was his delivery on set pieces. He played much better against Mexico but the position he was playing is a good one for him and it will be interesting to see if it changes at all when he and Dempsey get to play together for the first time under Klinsmann.

     Rogers played out wide right and Shea played out wide left. They both lacked width at times, but were responsible for many of the dangerous attacks that the USA created. Rogers played a good game, but he held onto the ball too long at times when he looked to link up with Altidore, causing him to be offside. They were excellent runs by Altidore, and good thoughts from Rogers but his hesitation proved costly. Altidore played very well, looking much better than he did at the Gold Cup. It was impressive to see him play as well as he did with his back to goal. Brek Shea looked off his game as well. He is no doubt still very much in the future plans for the USA going forward, but he likes to cut inside often for FC Dallas, and he tried to do the same Friday night but because he doesn’t have the same rapport with his teammates yet no one covered for him when he did so, and it led to the middle of the field being too congested. His crossing was hit or miss and he was unable to get open for his trademark thunderbolt strikes at goal, but he overall he was ok.

     Tim Howard went the full 90 minutes in goal. Agudelo and Klejstan came in for the last 30 minutes or so in replace of Altidore and Rogers respectively. Klejstan played very central and was too close to Donovan and hurt the width of the side. Agudelo doesn’t hold the ball up as well as Altidore but is much more dangerous in taking on defenders with his dribbling, and his movement and energy were good as well.

Costa Rica Setup:

     Costa Rica set up in a 4-4-2 with Johnson at right back and Miller from the New York Red Bulls at left back. Umana of Chivas USA and Acosta partnered at center defense. Barrantes and Azofeifa played in the center of midfield with Barrantes playing deeper than Azofeifa. Martinez played out wide right and Sanchez played wide to the left. Brenes partnered with Saborio up top, and the RSL player was the best player on the pitch for Costa Rica, and created their only goal.  Rodney Wallace of the Portland Timbers came on in the second half and looked bright, scoring the only goal of the match.

1^st Half:

     The USA opened the first 6 minutes or so with a ton of energy and confidence, creating a few scoring chances, most notably one that Donovan should have scored. It began with Torres playing a pass out wide to the left to Shea, who then found Altidore, who had run down the left sideline. Altidore then worked a give and go with Shea after Shea began a run down the center of the field. Shea had excellent patience as he took the ball all the way to the top of the box, and waited for Rogers to make a clearing run in front of him. Donovan then came from behind Rogers completely unmarked, Shea laid off a perfect pass across the box from left to right, and Donovan missed his shot wide to the right. It was a play that Donovan has finished numerous times in his career, and if he had buried that opportunity perhaps the match would have gone much differently, whic Klinsmann noted in his post match interview.

     The USA looked unlike they had at any time under Bradley in the first 30 minutes of the match. They were confident on the ball and with possession, they worked the ball from one side of the field to the other, and they worked well in combination with each other. It was the style of play the Klinsmann had promised he would get them to play when he was hired and it looked like his message had begun to take hold. The fact that Costa Rica was very content to sit back and defend in their own half while applying little pressure definitely aided this, but it was still a promising spell of play for the USA.

     The end of the first half saw the USA get a little impatient, as they had all of the possession but nothing to show for it, so they began to force passes that led to Costa Rica getting back into the game. Costa Rica was looking to get Saborio in behind the USA defense for most of the match, but forced it too much in the first half and were unable to do so.

2nd Half:

     The USA did not look as strong in the second half. They did not put as much pressure on the ball when they lost it as they did in the first half, and this led to Costa Rica claiming more of the possession. In the 65’ minute, Costa Rica scored the only goal of the match. Agudelo failed to hold the ball up and Costa Rica gained possession. Shea was caught too far inside and up field and was unable to track back to help in defense. Edu was sitting too deep and gave too much space for Costa Rica to make the pass in behind the defense to Saborio, who made an excellent off ball run. Orozco looked to try and pass Saborio off to Bocanegra, but Bocanegra didn’t see him and that miscommunication led to Saborio getting behind them both. Both Bocanegra and Orozco chased Saborio down, and neither looked for anyone trailing behind them. Saborio crossed the ball to the top of the box, and Chandler was unable to get back in time to break up the pass. Howard saved the first shot, but Wallace headed in the rebound to give Costa Rica the lead. It was a miscommunication in the back, and as the two center backs grow more comfortable plays like these will hopefully cease to work against them.

     Costa Rica packed it in for the rest of the half and the USA began to get frustrated and settled for too many long shots. They also tried to play cross into the box, but Agudelo did not have enough size to trouble the Costa Rica defense in that area. The USA was unable to trouble Costa Rica anymore and had to settle for a 1-0 loss at home.

Conclusion:

     It was an encouraging performance overall for the USA as they continue to work on the more possession based Latin style of play the Klinsmann is implementing. They failed to score but controlled the game for the majority of it and if Donovan had scored their early chance, which he usually scores the majority of the time, and then it would have no doubt been a different outcome. This will continue to be a process with growing pains as Klinsmann calls in different players and tries to implement his system, and it will be interesting to see the lineup that Klinsmann starts Tuesday against Belguim.

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USA Ties Mexico 1-1 With A Strong 2nd Half:

USA Setup:

     USA Coach Jurgen Klinnsman set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Michael Bradley as the #10 behind lone striker Edson Buddle. Bradley was not close enough to Buddle, and therefore Edson was isolated up top. He did however hold up the ball well when given the opportunity, it was just that his opportunities were few and far between. Donovan was wide right and Torres wide left. Donovan was the best player on the field Wednesday night for either team, and Torres made a strong claim to be a regular in the squad. Both players were more effective in the second half when they moved into the middle, especially Torres. He is the central midfield player that can create and set up his teammates that the US side had been lacking under Bradley. He had a brief stint in the 2010 World Cup but it was clear that he was uncomfortable in Bradley’s system, which was much more rigid than the one we saw Wednesday night from Klinnsman.

     Beckerman and Jones were the two holding midfielders in front of Bocanegra and Orozco. Beckerman played a wonderful match, doing well to support the back four as well as being aggressive in pressuring the Mexican midfielder to try and win the ball back. Jones was disappointing and it seemed as though his fitness was not up to par with what it should be considering Schalke have already played a Bundesliga match. Cherundolo was steady as usual at right back, while the newcomer Castillo looked nervous at times, hurrying passes when pressured that resulted in turnovers. He did look to attack at times but it would seem as though it is too early to judge him after just one match.

Mexico Setup:

Mexico played their usual 4-4-2. This is the same formation we saw them play at the Gold Cup. Castro and Torrado played as holding midfield players. The strategy was built to attack on the flanks. Barrera and Guardado were the wide players and always supported by the fullbacks, Juarez and Salcido. However, Mexico’s strikers were not Chicharito and Dos Santos who were more involved in the passing game. Dos Santos would often drift to the wing to link up with the wide player. Instead, Zinha and Peralta stayed higher and the US was able to close them off. As a result, Mexico controlled the game with passing but did not create many chances.

First Half:

 In center midfield, Jones was found to be charging out at the ball and trying to destroy while Beckerman sat deeper behind him. In the 5^th Minute Donovan won the ball, passed to Bradley who then passed back to Donovan who played in a cross that almost found a sliding Jermaine Jones. This shows that the USA was playing for the counter attack. Mexico was really targeting Barrera down the right testing Castillo. ESPN Commentator Jorge Ramos said that Castillo is a player who always attacks and sometimes forgets to defend for Club America. But, Wednesday night, he looked up to the very difficult challenge and defended a Barrera well.

     In the 17^th minute, short corner for Mexico and Beckerman was too slow to help Castillo defend the two players. As a result, Guardado had room and fired in a cross that Peralta got a touch in ahead of his marker Michael Bradley and delicately flicked the ball into the corner past Tim Howard. It was an excellent finish that gave Mexico a 1-0 lead.

     The USA was much too passive in the first half and did not apply enough pressure on Mexico when they were passing the ball around. That allowed Mexico to dominate possession and left the US playing on the counter-attack. It was also clear that they were adjusting to a new system, as they looked unsure of where to play their next pass when they did have the ball.

USA Subs Shea and Agudelo and Rodgers Inject Life Into the USA Attack:

     Shea and Agudelo were subbed on in the 60’ minute for Buddle and Jones. The US attack began to take shape as Torres moved into the center. Then in the 72’ minute Rodgers came on for Bradley. This left Donovan and Torres in the middle with Rodgers on the right. With only one holding midfielder on the pitch the US started to take over the game (See Diagram Below)

 The breakthrough finally came in the 73’ minute when Agudelo received a throw-in deep towards the end line. He then played a ball back to Shea who showed off his size and strength to hold off two Mexico defenders and played a ball across goal to an unmarked Rodgers who tied the match 1-1. With Donovan and Torres in the middle creating chances for the two speedy players wide of them and one in front of them, the US drew two penalties that were not called and then Rodgers had a breakaway on an excellent ball by Agudelo on the counter attack that led to a yellow (should’ve been red) and a free kick. In Klinsmann’s system Torres and Donovan had freedom to roam around to either side of the field and move up the field as far as they needed to in order to create offense. It was refreshing to see the US have a bulk of possession even if it was only for the last 20 minutes or so.

Conclusion:

It will be interesting to see who is called in for the two September friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium, as the European based players will be available. It is clear that the US going forward is going to have much more energy and enthusiasm and will look to play a game where they control possession. With that being said, they will need to call in the players that have the technical skills to play that type of game. 

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Gold Cup Final Mexico v US (4-2) – El Tri Rally Down the Right Wing to Win Gold Cup

US’s Strategy
    Once again in the tournament, Bob Bradley made surprising lineup and formation changes. Landon Donovan and Freddy Adu replaced Sasha Kljestan and Juan Agudelo. Donovan and Adu played as left and right striker respectively as Bradley reverted to a 4-4-2. Throughout the match, Dempsey and Donovan swapped places.  
Mexico's Strategy
    Jose Manuel de la Torre chose the same lineup that defeated Honduras in the semifinals. His side played the familiar 4-4-1-1, giving Gio Dos Santos a free role.
    Mexico's defensive pressure gave the Americans fits all night. They were able to quickly get the ball back and therefore dominated possession.
Yanks Take Early 2-0 Lead Against the Run of Play
    Mexico came flying out of the gates dominating possession and looking a threat to score. However, the Yanks capitalized on their first opportunity to score in the 8^th minute. The Americans won a corner after Adu and Cherundolo combined down the right but a cross was blocked out of play by Salcido. Adu swung in the corner perfectly and found Michael Bradley's bald head. He flicked it on and beat Talavera. Bradley made a nice near post run beating Israel Castro, whose marking was slack. Talavera could have done better to save but the sun possibly played a factor in the keeper's vision.
    The match took a similar trajectory even after the 1-nil US lead. The Mexicans continued to dominate play. The Yanks struck again though in the 23^rd minute. Jermaine Jones won back possession at midfield and started a six pass move down the right side. The final pass went from Dempsey to Donovan who made a diagonal run to the left. He received the ball, took a touch with his left and finished with his left past Talavera. The US was in dream land and the pro-Mexican crowd was stunned.
Mexico Exploits US Defense after Cherundolo Injury
    Steve Cherundolo was forced to exit with an ankle injury in the 11^th minute. Bradley elected to bring on Jonathan Bornstein to play left back and move Eric Lichaj to the right. Even though the Yanks scored their second after the substitution, El Tri was always going to score once they kept their composure in front of goal.

     Just 6 minutes later, Pablo Barrera halved the Americans lead. Jonathan Bornstein was caught napping and Chicharito played a beautiful through ball to Barrera down the right channel. Barrera finished with aplomb to the left of Tim Howard who had no chance.

     In the 36^th minute, El Tri was able to level the match. Donovan had his shot blocked and Castro launched a counter by springing Dos Santos free down the right side. Bornstein was slow getting back and Dos Santos was able to cut inside. He unleashed a left footed shot that should have been cleared by Lichaj. However, his inexperience at right back showed and Guardado pounced on the poor clearance and toe poked it past Howard.

     El Tri took the lead for good four minutes after halftime. Carlos Bocanegra attempted a clearing header but he sent it straight to a charging Guardado who found Barrera just inside of the right edge of the 18. Barrera curled a ball first time with the outside of his right foot past a diving Tim Howard. Barrera found space where Bornstein failed to track back to and Bocanegra was not close enough to Pablo.

     Providing cushion to the one goal lead, Dos Santos added a fabulous fourth in the 76^th minute. Chicharito held the ball up in the right corner defended by Bocanegra. Bocanegra won the ball but made an awful clearance directly to Torrado. Torrado played a through ball to Dos Santos which forced Tim Howard off his line. Dos Santos dribbled away from Howard and curled a left footed shot into the top left corner over the head of Eric Lichaj.

     The Americans attempted a rally and had a few chances, from Dempsey off the crossbar and Bradley from 25 yards on an open net. But after Mexico took the 3-2 lead, they were always going to hoist the Gold Cup.
Coaching Factor

     Not only was the US outplayed, but they were also out coached.
     Bradley must have reverted to the 4-4-2 to make sure Dempsey and Bedoya provided help in defending the wings. But by doing that, he surrendered the Americans ability to dominate the center of the pitch. This change combining with the sluggish play of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones, the Yanks were overrun in the center. Jones and Bradley were unable to get the ball and distribute and they also failed to provide protection for the back four. All in all, a possible strength for the Americans coming into the match turned out to be a weakness.

     Also, not only was Bornstein shocking at left back, but Lichaj was uncomfortable on the right. He kept players onside several times. For example, in the 46th minute Lichaj was 5 yards behind the offside trap which kept Dos Santos onside. He was then through on goal but missed the target.

     One side note, credit to Bradley for his willingness to change tactics and insert new faces into the US lineup. Bradley went to the 4-2-3-1 after the US struggled in the group stages. He then inserted Adu in the final, who was the best American player on the pitch. It is easy to acknowledge his faults and turn a blind eye to his successes.

     Jose Manuel de la Torre deserves credit for his in game tactical changes. After halftime, he deployed Gio Dos Santos almost exclusively down the right side. ‘Chepo’ as he is called, knew Bornstein was the weak point of his opposition and used Dos Santos and Barrera to abuse him. As a result, either of these two Mexican players could have been named man of the match as they were the two best players on the pitch.
Conclusion
    The almost 94,000 at the Rose Bowl were treated to a fabulous final full of attacking football. Both sides left themselves open after wanting to attack.
    There is no doubt Mexico deserved the win. El Tri dominated the match and created tons of chances. However, the US will have a sour taste in their mouths after taking a 2-nil lead and conceding 4 consecutive goals.

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