Wednesday's first half was the first complete effort I've seen from them in a long, long time. They kept the ball on the ground, let Bradley be the maestro (which should be his role in every game) and let Donovan create. In my opinion, the biggest thing to come out of this tournament is Onyewu's progress. He effectively can't be beaten in the air. It is so critical to have a guy like that back there to clean up all the mess. He is finally finding his form. I love having Demerit back there as well. I've also always been a fan of Spector, who continues to play solid. I also like Charlie Davies up top. He lost some pace in the later part of the game, but definitely created chances and wasn't afraid to run. The most disconcerting thing about the first two games of the tournament was our team's seeming lack of desire to chase balls, get back on D, etc. Clint Dempsey may be the most guilty of this. At times, he looks as though he's completely immobile defensively (after the 65th minute in each game). Personally, I was surprised he wasn't substituted on Wednesday, but the plan obviously worked. Here are a few other observations:
- Clark - I'm still not sold on his composure. He is a warrior defender, but he is making Midfielding 101 mistakes (e.g., turning to the middle without checking a shoulder, tricky passes in the defensive 1/3, etc.). However, I love the enforcer/maestro midfielder combination so I hope he can step up his game so we can keep that dynamic.
- Feilhaber - He is good. It's bizarre to say that one of our most skilled, composed players struggled to make the now relegated Derby bench, but he did. He's Bradley #2, in my view. He really created the 2nd goal.
- Donovan - He is finally everywhere on the field. Like it or not, he has to do this every game to stir things up.
- Casey - Yes, he is brought in to keep the ball, but he doesn't play with any purpose. He is on for 10 minutes a game and I've yet to see him sprint. Under no circumstances should he be our #1 target guy. I saw him play when he was on the u-18 national side, and he was very impressive (partially because he was built like a 25 year old). Despite his solid MLS season, I'm not sold on him. More importantly, does Casey drink Guiness on the sidelines?
Torres/Adu - I want to see more of these guys in the Gold Cup - hopefully starting. I actually think that Adu could serve a solid purpose in the midfield. He plays like Bradley with more speed. Torres has great touch, but is a wuss of a defender.
Davies - I want to see more. He could be a good Rooney/Tevez wannabee.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Guest Blogger - Mike Phillips
Before Sunday's US - Brazil game, here's my brother's reaction to the US - Spain game:
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Agreed on all counts. I'm still uncomfortable starting guys that don't get playing time for their club teams, but you can't argue with Jozy and Benny's performances thus far. Apparently, Benny got demoted by Bradley for getting too cocky after the 07 Gold Cup. Whatever the cause was, it doesn't matter now. Benny's presence tomorrow keeps Donovan in an attacking role (which is where he should be - every game).
ReplyDeleteAnd this from a pretty good ESPN article *http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=657704&sec=us&&cc=5901)
"Others learned secondhand or from cheers of "U.S.A. U.S.A" rising from restaurant bars, as South Africans rallied around the incredible showing from the scrappy upstart "terriers," as some have taken to calling the American team."
"Terriers." A bit odd, but I like the connotations. An identity (even taken from a nickname such as "terriers") can create excitement - for players and fans. I hate to say it, but The Terriers sounds like something that casual fans could get behind. Americans love the underdog (e.g. the Miracle on Ice team that's been talked about - incorrectly - as an analogy for the US soccer team), and our soccer team is certainly a bunch of underdogs. Jay Demerit is the best example: went undrafted by MLS, got signed to a NINTH division team in England, and worked his way up. Contrast that to guys like Pato, Kaka, Dani Alves, etc. who have been targeted for stardom since their early teens.
The point is: until the US can match the world in skill (which is probably a long way off), our identity has to be as a blue-collar team.
Wow, first Dave Phillips with a blog... and now Michael Phillips with a blog entry on the interweb?!?!? I never thought I'd see the day.
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