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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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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Fire Finally Earn 3 points Over Visiting Rapids

Chicago Fire Setup:

        Frank Klopas’ side continued to show how much they have upgraded in this dominating victory over the Defending MLS Champion Colorado Rapids. The speed in the partnership of Oduro and Nyarko up top was too much for the Colorado back line to handle. Without Marvel Wynne’s speed to cover for the rest of the 3 defenders, Colorado would have conceded quite a few more goals. Nyarko would often drift deep and especially wide to the left to receive the ball and immediately look for Oduro to make a run in behind the defense. Oduro would use his speed to beat the Colorado center back Marshall mostly to get in for a goal scoring chance, or look to pass back to Nyarko for a chance at goal.

     Pause lacked width and did not get forward enough, as it could be seen he is more comfortable in a holding role, but that position has been taken up by Pavel Pardo, who had a quite night before being replace at halftime. Pappa played wide right and Grazzini played in the center behind the two strikers, and both looked comfortable with possession and helped the fire to control the ball and linked up well together and with their two strikers.

Colorado Setup

     The Rapids set up in their usual 4-4-2 with recent USA call-up Larentowicz partnering with Mastroeni as the two holding midfielders. Thompson played wide left and played much too far into the center of the field and hurt Colorado’s width in their attack. Mullan played out to the right, and Folan and Nyassi were up top together. Cummings started out on the bench and played briefly in the second half, and his presence was missed. Nyassi was the lone bright spot in the Rapids attack as he was very active in moving around the pitch looking for the ball and when he did have it, he looked to take on defenders and create. Unfortunately for him his teammates looked tired and fatigued from their Champions League match and lacked movement and energy in the final third which was the main cause for Chicago keeping a clean sheet.

Tactical Observations:

• In the 17’ minute, Pavel Pardo played an excellent long ball down the right wing to a streaking Oduro who easily outran the Colorado defender Marshall and slotted one past Perkins to give Chicago 1-0 lead. It was a sign of a long night for Marshall, as he had trouble dealing with Oduro’s speed all night. It was also an excellent ball by Pardo all the way from his holding midfield position.
• Colorado, minus Nyassi, looked content to only look to score from set pieces. They drew many fouls about 30-40 yards in front of their goal that they used like corner kicks from straight on, and they would try and create as many chances for corners as they could.
• Nyarko was often found wide to the left, where he could isolate the Colorado Left Back Kimura 1-on-1. Nyarko owned this matchup and by the end of the match Kimura looked like he had had enough.
• In the 35’minute Grazzini and Pardo worked a nice give and go on the left wing after a long throw was cleared out, and Pardo was able to play in a perfect cross that Gibbs headed in to give the Fire a 2-0 lead they would never see seriously threatened.
• It is obvious that Colorado needs more playmakers, with Casey out for the season and Cummings playing just the last 30 minutes or so, they had no one minus Nyassi who could create a chance for themself or a teammate. Their two wings, Thompson and Mullan, are fine players but neither is dynamic in any facet of the game and did not contribute at all to any major Colorado attacks.

Conclusion:

     For a fan who may not be a close follower of MLS, after watching Saturday nights game, if they had been asked which team was the defending MLS champs, they would have said the Fire for sure. They were much more lively, determined, and dangerous than the Rapids. The Rapids may have been tired from their Champions League game midweek, but with the absence of Casey for the season, it seems unlikely that they have enough firepower to repeat as champions.

 

 

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Chivas USA v Real Salt Lake (0-1) - RSL Execute to Perfection with Ten Men and Secure Road Win

The Setup after the Red Card to Borchers

Salt Lake welcomed Jamison Olave back into their defense after returning from an injury in the all-star match. Chivas USA was coming off a tough midweek loss in Portland and needed to take the home three points to push towards a playoff spot.

Two Early Defensive Errors

     In the 11th minute, Jazic played a chipped, blind back pass that was intended for Junior Lopes. The ball ended up being directly between the two Chivas center backs and it seemed Lopes was not at full speed trying to recover the ball. Conversely, Saborio’s goal scoring instincts took over and the Costa Rican put Lopes under pressure causing him to misplay a last ditch clearance attempt. Then, Saborio collected the ball and rounded an on rushing Dan Kennedy and passed the ball into the back of the net.

     Chivas USA quickly responded to being a goal down. Two minutes later, Flores tucked inside and forced Rimando to save. Then, in the 18^th minute, Angel controlled a cross off his chest and ripped a left footed side volley off the cross bar. A minute later, Flores took a shot instead of playing Angel through to his left, and the veteran striker was furious at not being given the glorious chance.

     Six minutes later, it was Real who committed the defensive error. Borchers failed to control a Beckerman back pass and LaBrocca quickly seized on the mistake and headed towards goal. Just outside the area, Borchers brought down LaBrocca and was shown a red card by Kevin Stott. There was little merit to the visitor’s argument that Borchers was not the last man and the red card was justified.

Chivas Strategy as a Man Up

     A man up, Robin Fraser kept the diamond 4-4-2 shape. The strategy was to push the full backs up and use the overlap to swing in crosses. Jazic was more involved on the right than Umana, which is why Fraser brought in Trujillo at half time to try and create a threat on both wings. Instead of tucking inside like they did early in the match, Gavin and Flores stayed wide to link up with the full backs. However, the midfielders never tried to take on Salt Lake’s full backs to get inside the box, or play the ball early into the middle. The crosses were dealt with well by the towering center backs Olave and Schuler and the goalkeeper Rimando. As a result, Chivas swung in 26 unsuccessful crosses and only 6 successful (according to opta stats).  

     Chivas also failed to get Nick LaBrocca involved in the match. He has been operating and flourishing this season in the playmaker role. His play earned him a spot on the all-star squad, but on Saturday night he was a non-factor. The midfielder logged a full 90 minutes but only attempted 16 passes. Considering the Goats had 65% possession, this paltry number of passes explains why they had no creativity. LaBrocca has the inventiveness and the skill to unlock defenses, but Chivas never even tried to probe the ball into the middle which made defending easy for Salt Lake.

     Another failure in the Goats attack was the slow ball movement and the nonexistent player movement. It seemed like they were out of ideas and did not understand how to play with an extra man.

     Chivas had a couple of half chances in the remainder of the game but only heavily tested Rimando once. In the 78^th minute, the ball was played across the top of the 18 and LaBrocca’s dummy left Angel with room to shoot. His shot dipped in front of the keeper but Rimando reacted well to push the effort wide.

Real Playing With Ten

     Jason Kreis’ side played as well as they could have with 10 men. They dictated how the game would be played, which made it easy for them to defend. The strategy was to clog up the middle and force Chivas to play out wide. Schuler and Olave are huge, physical center backs and were easily able to deal with the aerial balls.

     Real clogged the middle with a couple of slight adjustments. Kreis maintained his diamond midfield shape, with Espindola playing behind Beckerman and Johnson and Gil playing on the wings. Espindola did a good job of getting in front of Chivas’ holding player Elliott and forcing him to play the ball wide instead of to LaBrocca. Additionally, the value of Beckerman to RSL was on display Saturday night as he patrolled and controlled the middle of the pitch, totally eliminating the impact of LaBrocca. Furthermore, when the ball went wide, the opposite wide midfielder (Gil or Johnson) would tuck inside to help Beckerman. This left the switch open for Chivas, but Real was able to recover because Chivas passed the ball around too slow. As a result, Real kept a perfect defensive shape and was never stretched.

     Going forward on the rare occasion, Real was able to create as many chances as Chivas. The counter attack would begin with a long ball to Saborio, who either took up a position in the left or right channel. One v one with a center back, he was usually able to win the aerial battle. RSL expertly used the wide space that was vacated by the advanced Chivas full backs. The lone striker would then look to Espindola for support. The Argentine would run to the same area as Saborio. Upon giving up the ball, Saborio would run centrally towards goal looking to latch onto a cross from Espindola. The work rate of essentially the only two RSL attacking players was fantastic and they came up with a few chances. They failed to add a second goal but Chivas had to respect their threat.

Conclusions

     To borrow a term from commentator Mark Rogondino, Chivas USA’s ‘anti-speed’ attack and their overall old age has me worried for their playoff chances. The combination of Moreno and Angel brings experience and awareness, but the strikers now have too similar qualities to form a lethal partnership. Neither man has the ability to run behind the defense or dribble by defenders. Thus, defenses can mark them closely.

     Also of note, Heath Pearce was subbed off with a right hamstring injury. This is a blow to Pearce because he will most likely miss the upcoming friendlies for the US national squad. If serious, this could further weaken a defense that has already lost Jimmy Conrad to retirement due to concussion problems and Zarek Valentin to a quad injury.

     Real will be ecstatic with these three points. They still have a few games in hand on the West teams in front of them and have further separated themselves from fellow playoff aspirer Chivas. Jason Kreis should possibly consider using Schuler more often in place of Borchers. Borchers has not been as formidable as he was last season and his confidence seems to be low. Alternatively, maybe letting him play through his struggles will be more beneficial in the long run.

     Finally, the play of Luis Gil looks better and better each week. In 25 minutes in the playmaker role, the youngster looked more comfortable and even tried a few bits of bold skill in tight spaces. Also, he displayed tactical awareness moving out to the wing to help secure the three points. It is great to see a young American player getting his chance and thriving in a position (#10) where foreigners have tended to dominate (I have no problems with foreigners but like to see Americans getting a chance to play a position where we have not produced many quality players in). 

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