USMNT vs Honduras

I know there was a thread for both the Costa Rica/Honduras matches, but in an attempt to turn the page (for my own health mainly) thought this match deserved it's own.

It cannot be understated how important this one has become. Everyone involved better show up at Soldier field with a single thought...pride. Simple things like being first to the ball, connecting passes, communicating, etc.. have to apparent or we can put ourselves in dangerous waters.

My friends who I talk soccer with out here all are El Tri supporters and they are pulling for the US to pull the head out. A Honduras result makes things sticky for the Big 3 of Concacaf. Let's face it, 4th place and a playoff with a quality side from South America doesn't seem too appetizing.

Our road form is so poor, that 3 points is mandatory (how many points does everyone think we are going to get from our remaining 3 road matches?) Anything less than a team playing with desperation and an attitude and a change may be in order, because a loss here and there is NO guarantee of a trip to South Africa next year.

 

Line ups anyone? Here is my try

Howard

Spector . . .. . Gooch. . . . Boca. . . . . Pearce

Dempsey . . . Sasha . . . Torres or Adu. . . . . Beasley

Donovan . . . . . . . . . . Altidore

I will miss not having Bradley, Edu, or Ching - feeling very very nervous. Unlike the rest of you, I would be fine with Wynne on the right, but I do want to see Spector play and think he deserves a chance (especially after Wednesday).

Let's hope Altidore is a beast on Saturday.

 

I hate to say this but I'm not convinced.

This may be the game where Bradley's boyz may not be able to pull a good result out'a their asses.

If he does start, it definitely could be Mastroeni's swan song. Way past 'sell-by'..

I think the US defense depends strongly on how Altidore plays.. if he can get the ball.

 

Cleve-Mo,
Sacha is suspended for yellow accumulation.

Timmy
DeMerit Gooch Boca Spector
Lando Mastro Adu Deuce
Jozy Davies

 

I'd like to see:

Howard
Spector (or Wynne)--Gooch--Boca--Bornstein (or Pearce)
Donovan--Torres--Beasley
Dempsey
Jozy--Casey

But I doubt we'll see a 4-3-1-2.

Ideally you'd have Dolo or Hejduk on the right, Bradley in for Torres and Ching in for Casey. I like Davies better coming off the bench. As for the left, we've got to sort something out, so might as well keep rotating Beas, Bornstein and Pearce and hope at least one of them improves.

 

It says that Sacha is just carrying a yellow, so I guess I misunderstood. I swear it said that he was carrying one prior to the match with Costa Rica.

 

Lineups: Tim Howard; Jonathan Spector, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein; Clint Dempsey, Ricardo Clark, Pablo Mastroeni, Landon Donovan; Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey

Subs: Marvell Wynne, DaMarcus Beasley, Benny Feilhaber , Jay DeMerit, Charlie Davies, Sacha Kljestan, Brad Guzan GK

No Adu or Torres, but Pablo and Casey?

Hmm -- Bradley may get canned earlier than we think, or pull off a miracle!

 

Interesting lineup, nice to see white hot Conor in there.

US 2 Hon 0 (Altidore 21', Casey 49')

 

Unlike Don, after watching (highlights, mind you), I am going to say that was FLUCKING LUCKY! BIG TIME.

The good doctor was just told to take the elevator, instead of flying the stairs. Make no mistake, this is still VERY much touch and go.

 

I had to switch back and forth between two games. 'My Teams' won both. I was uninspired and in just a grouchy mood after as before.
On Altidore..wtf! Bush league lazy play almost all night. When you know a cross is coming and you got pretty much open goal.. you get around your marker TOWARD the ball. Dont let your marker intercept it.. idiot! You'd HAVE to say altidore played better against CR, wouldnt you?

Casey: workmanlike, not impressed. Spector did alright. Better than Wynne, but of course he'd seen how Wynne performed and only had to do what he knew he could do.
.. Oh well, maybe I'm just spoiled cause in mid-week I saw at least ONE team play brilliantly; the Ticos.

The GOOD thing in retrospect: While the US is not impressing neither are the Crew, even though they're winning. So if Bradley's looking around he aint likely gonna raid the Crew roster.
- - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - -
Sidenote On Adu and Beasley... when are our phenom investments coming in? Both in different paths used to show flashes of brilliance and we thought those would become the norm.
Beasley contrary to most opinion was pretty much a flash player and he could be 'OWNED' by any competent draft player who had good 'twitch' reflexes: eg Chris Wingert on the night PSV had their scout in the Crew Stadium box. Made Beasley look like crap and PSV took him anyway.
I think Wingert worked on the premise that he wasnt afraid Golden Boy would break if he knocked him over.

Adu.. much made of unassisted goal when he chipped the ball overhead to himself and ran around first of 4 MetroStar human roadcones. Still probably his 'highlight video'.

Time to be MEN, BoyZ!

 

Welcome back Benny is right.

 

Good review Hat.

You know - I was really worried about Benny... Not so much with the way he would perform on the ball because I know the kid can play, but with his attitude. I was waiting for him to lose his head or cause some other kind of problem that would erase all of the good things he was doing as our creative midfielder.

I also watched him very carefully in his post-match interview, but he seemed ok.

Is it possible that the kid has matured enough that we can trust him with our hopes and dreams?

 

I was happy that Bob gave Benny a hug too. That is a long way from the criticism in an interview a while back telling him to grow up.

 

Good analysis, Dont feel the need to add anything other than Torres to your question of the night. Also agree completely with your thoughts on Demps. I wonder if he is not over confident when playing against CONCACAF competition. He makes mistakes and tries flashy crap that he doesnt do in the EPL. You could see the Honduran goal got him mad and as soon as stopped flopping, he really got down to business. Thank God.

Ooooooohhhhhhh UUSSAA - USA USA USA

 

When Deuce made plays that stunk last night, I thought he was going to have a worse game than I possibly had seen him have in a Fulham shirt since I don't know when. Then he keeps the ball alive to score the last goal. I guess that's the heart of a lion for you.

I never need to see Mastroeni in a US team shirt again, sad to say the old guy can;t do it at that level anymore. And Don was right, our midfield was so much betyter in the second half. I gotta say, hats of to Feilhaber -- I didn't think he wanted it anymore.

Seeing Boca knock in that goal was such a treat, it took me a minute to process that it was BOCA that did it, and oh yeah, he used to play for FULHAM. What a goal that was -- he put his head where a lot of people wouldn't put their enemies' feet.

 

Howard: Stud

Spector: Good performance. I still like Frankie ahead of him, but with his versatility, maybe he is the answer for LB.

Gooch: Big Tuffy

Boca: Poacher in the box. Love him! Also hope the Hammy is ok.

Bornstein: Best I've seen him w/ the Natties but can he do it consistently? Still needs to improve his one on one defending.

Demps: I'll give him a pass.

Clark: Best performance at the International level. Here is a nice spot for you on the bench and should anything happen to Bradley, your in.

Mastroeni: thanks for your service. goodbye

Donovan: Let's have him play withdrawn off Altidore

Altidore: Maybe I can see the Xerez coach's point. Still, we know he's better and just needs some match time.

Casey: considering the late call up and lack of time with the team, a good performance.

Subs

Feilhaber: finally over his injuries? Maybe our partner for MB in the CC

Beasley: Didn't even really notice him out there.

Demerit: let's just let him and Califf duke it out for the right to be 3rd choice. I do love the cheesehead though.


The lineup I want to see for the CC

---------Howard
Spector-Gooch-Boca-Bornstein
----MB------Clark----Benny
------Donovan--Demps
--------------Altidore

What I think we'l see

---------Howard
Spector-Gooch-Boca-Bornstein
Demps--Sasha---MB---Beasley
--------Donovan
----------------Altidore

 

On my prev comment on him, I been struggling for an analogy from a different sport and I think I got it. He should be practicing football 'cut drills'.
But if he already is, it looks like he thinks he's a wide receiver playing against a cornerback.

Instead he ought'a be doing em for tight end against free safety.

 

I agree with Don's analysis for the most part. Thought Bornstein was a bit better than he was given credit for. And he did shut down a couple guys one v one. We're still a ways from good at LB, but that performance was an improvement from what we've seen lately.

I think you'd have probably seen Jozy yanked for Davies if we didn't have to burn two subs in getting Pablo off and then Boca due to the injury.

Speaking of the former, I wonder what in the heck Bob was thinking starting Pablo and Clark in the central midfield. Both of them played hot potato with the ball and showed no ability to hold it up or control the center. That move effectively cut the width of space Honduras had to defend in half. They cheated the wings and put token pressure on the middle. And I rather doubt it came as a surprise to anyone that that was the result.

Some of these decisions coupled with the appearance (and some rumors) of a "country club" atmosphere for those players who have cemented their positions has me rethinking Bradley as USMNT coach.