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. 

Seattle v Colorado (2-1) – Sounders Break Winless Streak

 Rapid’s comeback falls short in Steve Zakuani’s return to the pitch after being injured against Colorado 15 months ago.

Sounder’s Setup

     Sigi Schmid decided to place Freddie Montero on the bench and start Eddie Johnson as a lone striker. This resulted in a very fluid midfield five behind Johnson. Osvaldo Alonso was the holding midfielder and Andy Rose played as a box to box shuttling player working hard in the center of the pitch. Alex Caskey started on the right with Alvaro Fernandez on the left and Mauro Rosales as the playmaker between the Rapids lines.

Rapid’s Setup

     Oscar Pareja countered with a 4-1-4-1. Without Pablo Mastroeni, Jeff Larentowicz operated as the lone holding player with Jaime Castrillon as a midfielder in front of him. Brian Mullan and Jamie Smith played on the flanks with Martin Rivero tucked in behind Conor Casey up front.

                  Seattle Starts Fast

    The Sounders midfield five combined well and had a fluid style of play from the outset of the match. Fernandez and Rosales were getting forward to feed the ball to Johnson who was working the right side of the pitch and finding space between Moor and Zapata. Rose was effective in helping Alonso recover the ball and also spring attacks, mostly by distributing the ball out wide.

Rose Interceptions & Distribution

  

       For the opening half hour, Colorado had a broken formation consisting of an attacking five and a defensive five. Larentowicz was the only midfielder helping protect the back four while the fullbacks struggled to get up the pitch to provide crosses for Casey. Smith and Mullan struggled out wide taking on defenders and supplying crosses to Casey. This lack of penetration from the flanks allowed the Sounders to squeeze the space in the middle to nullify Rivero and Castrillon. Pareja adjusted his formation by moving Castrillon deeper to play more as a box to box player which helped, but he was less effective than Rose at recovering the ball.

Castrillon Drops Deep to Help but Not as Effective Defending

    

      Martin Rivero operated as the playmaker but he could not find a way to influence the game. Alonso cut off his supply line. When he managed to find the ball most of his passes forward were intercepted and resorted to playing the ball wide or backwards.

Rivero Not Creating Enough Chances

     While dominating the run of play, Seattle was unable to take the lead in the opening half. Fernandez had a chance saved from Pickens after Eddie Johnson played a cross field ball from the right touchline and later Johnson put a volley wide after Birch played an inch perfect early cross. The crowd was growing a bit restless and Seattle panicked a little and lost patience in the final third. Instead of trying to pass their way through the defense, they opted for earlier balls in behind which were ineffective. Colorado almost took the lead after a misplaced Alonso was taken by Casey who found Rivero who hit the side netting.

Second Half Goals Open up the Match

     Seattle finally broke through in the 51st minute from a set piece. Rosales sent in a swinging near post corner kick which was headed in by unmarked Fernandez. The DP has taken heat recently, and was even challenged by his head coach and responded with a goal. Three minutes later Johnson sent Fernandez through on goal and the Uruguayan sent his chip over Pickens but wide of the target. The Sounders were bursting with confidence after the opening goal and nearly won a penalty after Eddie Johnson skipped between two defenders and was taken down in the area, but the official ruled Zapata took the ball fairly. Finally, Seattle added a second after Rosales planted a perfect cross into the back post which was headed back across goal by Eddie Johnson from six yards out.

     Down two goals and looking defeated, Pareja brought on Omar Cummings and Edu for Conor Casey and Jamie Smith. The change ignited the Rapids. Adding to this was the lack of initiative by the Sounders after earning a two goal lead. Instead of maintaining their style of play, the home side dropped deeper, deemphasized possession and allowed the Rapids to find a way back into the game. We often see teams take a lead and employ this strategy and it often comes back to hurt them. Well, the Sounders almost threw away the lead after Zapata swung in a perfect cross to the back post and Cummings lost Ianni and finished past Meredith. Cummings actually added a second via a lovely back heel, but was ruled offside. Rivero had a 90^th minute chance to equalize but put his effort over the bar after a nice layoff by Edu.

Conclusions

     Obviously, the introduction of Steve Zakuani back onto the pitch is the story of the week. It was fitting he returned against the Rapids after being injured in Colorado 15 months ago. He traded shirts with Brian Mullan afterwards marking a nice moment of closure and hopefully Zakuani can return to his old dynamic form.

     It will be interesting to see if Sigi continues to play with one striker. Eddie Johnson put in a fantastic performance and linked up well with the midfield. The starting XI looked comfortable playing with each other and everyone maintained proper spacing and movement.

     The Rapids will have to reconsider their approach. Oscar Pareja should be looking to add a flying winger to his lineup to offer a second approach to attacking. Colorado struggled to find to link up and pass through the Sounders defense.

     A final thought is on artificial turf and soccer. Playing on turf hinders the ability to play through balls over the top or on the ground past a high defensive line. The ball picks up speed allowing the keeper to play as a sweeper. I know turf will continue to be present in several MLS stadiums, but the Sounders could have scored a couple of more if they were playing on grass.

Seattle Through Balls Negated by the Turf

    

 Thoughts on the match or on the All Star selections? Or opinions on turf? 
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Real Salt Lake v LA Galaxy (2-3) – Galaxy Rally from Two Down with the Help of RSL Mistakes

For the first time in club history, Salt Lake lost a home match when they had a two goal lead.

Los Angeles Setup

     With Edson Buddle out injured and Robbie Keane returning from the European Championship, Bruce Arena elected to start Landon Donovan as a lone striker. The Galaxy played a 4-5-1 and looked to attack on the counter. The move would typically start with David Beckham or Juninho hitting a long ball to Donovan or Mike Magee, who played on the left wing.

     The visitors from California had an unusual shape to their 4-5-1. Juninho played as the lone holding midfielder and Beckham played slightly in front of him and to the right. Sarvas played in the middle and struggled to get on the ball or close enough to Donovan to provide attacking support. On the wings, Bryan Jordan played more defensively on the right and Mike Magee was used as the secondary threat towards goal down the left side. Interestingly, the fullbacks Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant only combined for one cross. Usually, the fullbacks are relied upon to get forward when a team operates with one striker and two deep lying midfielders.

Salt Lake Setup

     Jason Kreis is known for setting his side out in a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. Kyle Beckerman protected the back four. Will Johnson played on the left and Ned Grabavoy and Johnny Steele interchanged between a narrow right position and a central attacking position. Without a right sided player giving the side width, Fabian Espindola drifted out to the right flank which provided a one v one matchup with Todd Dunivant that produced the opening two goals.

Real Start Fast

     The matched started with the Galaxy willing to sit back and concede possession and Real looking to control the tempo and get the fullbacks forward. Nine minutes in, Chris Wingert switched the ball from the left to the right side to Espindola. Espindola was given space by Dunivant to reach the endline and play a low ball across the six yard box to Kyle Beckerman who made a clever near post run and slotted home the opening goal.

     Opting to play in a defensive and counter attacking style, going behind in the first ten minutes was not the end of the match for Los Angeles. Salt Lake continued to pour forward and push for a second which opened up space to counter.

     The Galaxy responded when Donovan got in behind the defense but Nick Rimando collected quickly off his line. Then the Galaxy threatened from the set piece on two occasions but failed to test the keeper. Although the Galaxy retorted well, they would find themselves two goals behind in the 29^th minute. Johnny Steele laid the ball off to Espindola who had room to cross from the right side. His ball was directed toward Alvaro Saborio whose (intentional/fortuitous) touch directed the ball into the far corner.

How Each Side Attacked

     Salt Lake were at their best when they pressed the Galaxy back four and forced long kicks up field. Applying pressure for 90 minutes is too taxing, so the home side pressured in spurts. Also, the understanding between the Saborio and Espindola troubled the Galaxy defense. Espindola’s runs out wide started to draw the attention of one of the center backs which allowed Saborio a one on one matchup the produced chances but not goals.

     The Galaxy were dangerous when Donovan had the ball running at the back four with an option to pass or shoot. He was able to setup Magee and Sarvas at the end of the half but the finishing was poor. Hopefully when Keane returns, Arena will use this formation and play Donovan in Sarvas’ central role where he would have the ball at his feet more and be the creator for Los Angeles.

A Two Goal Lead is the Most Dangerous in Soccer

     Trailing by two goals, the Galaxy looked bereft of comeback ideas. However, the home side gifted a lifeline to Los Angeles five minutes after taking a two goal lead. Tony Beltran played a lackadaisical back pass towards Rimando which was picked off by Landon Donovan who rounded Rimando and put his team on the board.

     Just after halftime, Olave was carelessly caught in possession by Mike Magee who had space on the left side and finished with his left foot into the far post. The Galaxy were now level after two Salt Lake gaffes. With Real pushing to try and retake the lead, the Galaxy almost scored on the counter. Beckham hit a beautiful ball to the left to Donovan whose first time volley went wide.

     Jason Kreis made two changes around the hour mark to try and win the match. Javier Morales came on for Johnny Steele in a like for like swap and Luis Gil replaced Jamison Olave. Will Johnson moved to left back and Chris Wingert to central defense. Bringing on two attacking and creative midfielders made sense but Salt Lake struggled to craft any chances in the last half hour. Since Gil played in the Morales role last season, the two players occupied similar areas on the pitch which made the side easier to defend.

     Bruce Arena made a key change bringing off Sarvas for Michael Stephens and moving Mike Magee into the middle. This switch setup the winning goal five minutes later. The Galaxy setup the counter attack after with Magee making a run to the left touchline opening up space down the middle for Donovan to run past Nat Borchers, who was caught to high upfield. Donovan received the pass from Magee and Rimando was unable to tackle the ball away allowing Donovan to score his brace with a simple pass into the net. After the goal, Real struggled to create for an equalizer and LA hung on to steal the three points.

Conclusions

     Suddenly, the Galaxy are showing life after taking six points from the last two matches. Although the result was great, LA were the poorer side during the 90 minutes and were economical in taking advantage of two horrible Salt Lake defensive errors. Real will be furious at throwing away a two goal lead at home in front of a sold out crowd but Jason Kreis will use the poor result as motivation in future matches.

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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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Portland Timbers v Philadelphia Union (3-1): Second Half Comeback Earns Timbers a Deserved Three Points

Team News & Setup
     Similar to last season, manager John Spencer played his 4-4-2. Portland brought in Kris Boyd as a designated player to pair better with the style of Spencer than Kenny Cooper, who preferred to drift wide and play on the ground. Boyd arrives as the SPL’s all-time leading scorer. Diego Chara and Jack Jewsbury are the two engines in the center. In defense, the rookie from Uconn Andrew Jean-Baptiste started in the center alongside Brunner. Futty Danso, a 2011 mainstay and new signing Hanyer Mosquera were out with injury and a lack of a transfer certificate respectively. Palmer and Wallace, both attack minded fullbacks rounded out the back four.
     After coming over from a trade from Dallas, Eric Alexander started in left midfield and Alhassan started on the right. Up top Boyd started alongside Perlaza, a small quick forward who had decent success in 2011.
     Philadelphia was one of the surprises of 2011, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, they lost two experienced players Veljko Paunovic and Faryd Mondragon back to their home countries. Also, they shipped out their best attacking threat in Sebastian LeToux. According to ESPN, the Union only have four players over the age of 27. To fill in for LeToux, Freddy Adu and Danny Mwanga will have to up their level of play. Goalkeeper Zac MacMath is a budding young star. The Union were able to sign 26 year old Costa Rican left back Porfirio Lopez to pair alongside reliable defenders Califf, Valdes and Williams. In midfield, Phily started veteran Brian Caroll alongside newcomer Garbiel Gomez in the center, with Freddy Adu and Michael Farfan out wide. Gomez is 27 and played for Panama at the 2011 Gold Cup and came from the second division in Mexico.
     The Union paired two newcomers up top. Lionard Pajoy, a 30 year old from the Colombian league and 21 year old Josué Martinez from Saprissa and also a Costa Rican international. Pajoy scored 13 goals in 27 games last season. Union head scout Diego Gutierrez said “He’s a very physical player. He’s a guy that’s 6-1, a wide body, and a guy that’s got a lot of speed. He’s not your typical target player, though he does play with his back to the goal quite well. He also has a lot of skill on the ball, so he’s able to do a lot of things” (philadelphiaunion.com). Kenneth Hernández, soccer writer for Costa Rican daily Al Día, describes Martinez, “He’s a fast player. His main problem area is that he makes mistakes in converting. He misses chances and the [Saprissa] fans have not been so kind with him. It has cost him to establish himself as a consistent player” (mlssoccer.com).

First Half
     The opening minutes were cagey and defensive in the wet and noisy Jeld-Wen Field. In the ninth minute, Eric Alexander cut in from the left onto his right foot and had a curling shot blocked by MacMath that almost slid into the bottom corner. One minute later, Perlaza had a penalty shout after being brought down by Califf and then Perlaza had space on a counter down the left but misplaced his squared pass to Alhassan.
     Twenty one minutes in, Boyd nearly opened his account after a dummy and a return header from Perlaza but MacMath was off his line quickly. The Union countered down the right with Adu and Martinez but Adu’s chipped ball could not be found by Pajoy.
     Portland controlled possession early. The home field advantage provided by the Timbers Army and also by the Union being unaccustomed to playing on the smallest MLS pitch. Philadelphia struggled to control possession; often misplacing passes or playing long balls that skipped away on the slick turf. Adu was most involved when he tucked inside from the right and Martinez drifted wide.
     The Timbers were most effective when they switched play from touchline to touchline and allowed Wallace and Palmer to get forward and overlap. The strikers for both side, Pajoy, Martinez and Boyd were starved for service.

Second Half
     The match came to life after an offensively challenged first half. Portland came out with ambition. Alexander played a dangerous cross that was met by Alhassan but was headed off the line by Valdes. The Union struck first from a free kick in the 51st minute. Gomez drove the ball into the back post that was touched by Jean-Baptiste and landed in the corner.
     The Timbers rallied immediately after going behind. MacMath did well to punch away a cross but in the 54th minute he fumbled a Jean-Baptiste header from a free kick into the back of the net. Three minutes later, Wallace got forward and played a ground cross that was saved by MacMath as well as the rebound by Perlaza. Portland slightly adjusted tactics and resorted to playing long balls to the head of Boyd and did a better job of finding the fullbacks to get crosses in. Jewsbury was the engine that got the ball out wide early, when they had the most space.
     Sixty-five minutes in, Jewsbury sprayed a pass wide right to Alhassan. He cut back to his left and swung the ball into the near post for Boyd to flick onto the back post. Califf was a half-step slow to react to Boyd’s run and he paid for it. Timbers supporters hope that Kris Boyd will be a lethal finisher inside the box, an element missing from their side last season. Eight minutes later, Boyd got free off a corner kick and forced Adu to clear his header off the line.
     In the seventy sixth minute, Jewsbury played a set piece short to Alhassan who beat two Union defenders on the right side and chipped a cross into the back post that landed in the backside corner to seal the three points.
     Of the substitutes, Mwanga engaged in physical battles with Jean-Baptiste and the rookie did well to hold his ground. Other than that, Mwanga was hardly involved. Darlington Nagbe came on for Alexander and was aggressively pushing for a fourth goal, which looked more likely than a Union second.
Conclusion
     It was no surprise that the Timbers scored from a set piece. Last season Jewsbury was one of the best in the MLS at providing dangerous free kicks and corners. Boyd will continue to flourish if Portland maintains its style of getting the ball wide to cross. However, Perlaza was lost at times and would prefer a ball behind the defense to use his pace. It is early days, but the partnership looks promising.
     The Union have new players in key areas; central midfield, goalkeeper and striker and will have to gel quickly if they are to make the playoffs this season. The away side seemed to rattle after Portland was able to equalize quickly.

     The match was entertaining but not tactically fascinating. However, join the discussion by tweeting us @kpngacleansheet or on Facebook at Keeping a Clean Sheet. Also, feel free to leave a comment. We will be writing about MLS all season.

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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