1. Let’s kick it off with your immediate thoughts to the U.S. vs. Netherlands game. I would say this was C effort overall, not much attack until late when both team’s subs were in.
The game against Holland was not a good showing. Holland toyed with the US for most of the game. The 2-1 score line is misleading. The game showed again that there is a big difference between the US and the rest of the soccer playing world. We just don’t know the “subtleties of the game”.
· Too many square balls
· The timing of the runs was bad
· We could not possess. The Dutch possessed, when we won the ball we had two touches and lost it.
· Poor communication i.e. two men chasing the ball
· Body position not ready to receive the ball
· Receiving the ball properly????
I am convinced that there is bad coaching in US soccer. We are not teaching our kids what is necessary to compete at the highest level. Holland has 16 million people. California has 33 million!!! We are still behind. The game showed it!
2. For me the best part of the U.S game was the strength we showed in our defense yet again. Bocanegra was terrific and Jay DeMerit was even better. Howard was very good and brought his as per usual A-game, neither goal he could’ve done anything about. Jonathon Spector was ok on defense, but not good coming forward. Bornstein really had a bad adventure back there, but I think that area with Onyewu potentially coming back and Steve Cherundolo available soon is the place we have the most depth.
Can you talk about that area of the team considering this is where we were able to frustrate Spain a year ago, seemed to frustrate Brazil for a half, and really for all intents and purposes frustrated the Netherlands as well.
The one problem I see with this defense is that they don’t have the ability to come forward and provide extra numbers on the attack. The great countries like Brazil, England, Spain, Germany, etc can do that – but I haven’t seen that from the U.S. really ever with the exception of perhaps Frankie Hejduk and Cherundolo. What your’s take?
It will be hard for our defenders to come forward at the WC because we will be under pressure. If we cannot hold the ball better, then the defenders have to stay home. The great soccer countries can hold the ball and build an attack. When you hold the ball and build from the back there is TIME for defenders to come forward. With our style of play – counter attack – there is little time for defenders to get forward.
For example, the goal Donovan scored against Brazil was a great/classic counterattack goal. There was NO time for the backs to get forward. When we hold the ball for two or three touches, it is important that the backs do not get pulled out of position. The ball will be coming back soon.
I do believe we have decent defenders. Bob Bradley has the back line and the holding midfielder well organized – and patient, it takes a lot to “pull the backs” out of our team shape. A well-organized defense is difficult to breakdown. There were times when I thought the Dutch could have gone forward quicker – counterattack. They decided to hold the ball and make the US chase the ball.
3. What did you think of Stuart Holden’s game, in the short period of time he has been in there?
Owen Coyle his coach for Bolton has been raving about him lately. I don’t know a lot about the guy, but he seems to be one of the front-runners to take up a flank position at the World Cup if Dempsey or Donovan get pushed forward. Certainly once again that broken fibula is going to be a problem.
Stuart Holden brings some energy and a “new look” to the US team. He was a bit of a late starter, but scored a goal in his US debut – and that will catch a coach’s eye! He is a different type of player for the US up front and he is very good hitting the set piece. He is quiet and hard working. His enthusiasm and energy are needed when the US gets bogged down against the very good teams. His broken leg is a problem. But, if healthy he will help. I don’t see him as a starter but as an important sub.
4. Got to talk about that attack. The problem I saw at the start of the last World Cup was that they had Claudio Reyna and Pablo Mastroeni playing large periods of time together when they are essentially the same player and Reyna was getting old.
I bring up this point because although I love Michael Bradley, he showed his weaknesses early on with having a tough time linking up with the forwards and also pushing forward. He seems like a defensive midfielder when we need him to attack more often.
The other guys that will play along side him whether its Ricardo Clark (the front-runner at this point), Jose Torres, Maurice Edu, or someone else are defensive midfielders.
Do you foresee this as a problem? What are your thoughts? Who do you think might pair up with Bradley? And can you talk about Torres and Edu – I thought Torres was OK, but Edu was better although he did play the second half?
The US misses the playmaking ability of Reyna, or a player like him. The US misses a true playmaker in the midfield. One of the criticism’s the international soccer community has about the US is that we don’t have a true #10 – a playmaker . And we don’t!
I don ‘t think Michael Bradley is the answer. He is a very good player, but not a playmaker. I think he is the holding midfielder at M’Gladbach. We talked last time about the changing role for playmakers. They are moving outside away from the congestion in midfield. Does that mean Donovan should take over the role?
It is a problem for the US. The great teams have a player they know will “put the ball into a dangerous place” when attacking. So, when the playmaker in Spain gets the ball, the attacking players run – they know that they will get it. We don’t have that player. That means our attacking is reactive and not creative. That is one reason we are a counterattacking team. A counterattacking team does not need a playmaker.
5. Guys that at least intrigued me with their performance that I haven’t mentioned – Alejandro Bedoya, DeMarcus Beasley (Great to see his resurgence, don’t know what to make of it though), Edu, and I thought Jozy Altidore played well although we see what happens when he doesn’t get support he gets fouled a lot.
Guys that I thought either played themselves out of a starting spot or off the roster: Robbie Findley really failed to impress. If you were hoping for a Charlie Davies clone, which I was but didn’t expect, he failed miserably showing a lack of strength on the ball and bad decision making. Bornstein was really bad too.
Who impressed you and who would you say is going to be worried after that game?
I agree with your assessment of Bornstein and Findley. They are out. Bedoya, Beasley, Edu and Altidore etc. are at the mercy of what Bob Bradley thinks the team needs to be successful. What style? Who is injured? Who is not? Like any team, there is a core of players the coach knows and wants and will select. The real problem for Bradley will be the last 6-8 players. In this case the circumstances will dictate who is selected as much as the way some of these guys played.
6. Let’s touch yet again on our weekly conversation about the single-entity form and the MLS contract talks.
What are you hearing about MLS right now? They passed the date with no strike and appear to be willing to play with the past collective bargaining agreement for the time being, but what can we expect from the future?
Also in the past week and a half – Portsmouth showed us why like you said the English Premier League is in trouble going into administration with massive debt and needing to find new owners to take over the team. I would find it tough to believe though still that the EPL players or major rich owners like the Big 4 (Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea, maybe not Arsenal) would ever want to get rich of the system they have in place because that would leave them at an inherent disadvantage with the rest of Europe, but can you talk about that in more depth?
I talked to a few of the Crew players. It seems the union is leaning toward a strike. Remember a strike is player initiated and a lockout is owner initiated. The owners put it to the players two weeks ago and said there will not be a lock out – that put the “blame” squarely on the players. The issue is more free agency than money. The players are “owned” by the league. The owners believe that free agency will increase salaries. An increase in salaries means more loss. The league is on the brink of breaking even and the owners are resolved that it will reach that point.
The EPL is in more debt than all of the teams in all of the leagues in Europe combined! Man U is over $1 billion in debt; Liverpool is over $1 million in debt. The only team that “is making it” is Arsenal – they made $34+ million in 2009! But all other teams are in trouble.
I am not an Economist, but the salaries are driving teams into the ground. Is the single entity the answer? I don’t know, but something has to give. The NBA and NFL are going through this right now. But how can you roll back the salaries? The NBA wants a 40% rollback! How will that work? The EPL is in the same boat.
Why is the rest of Europe solvent? Why is the rest of Europe competitive for these trophies and at the same time balance the books? A solid business plan, no doubt.
But the EPL is out of hand. I am not sure that they would lose a competitive advantage, but that is the argument of the managers and coaching staff. But as long as Man U and Chelsea and Arsenal make it to the Champions League semi final, they will justify the expenditure…buy more players and spend more money.
It’s complicated.
7. With the John Terry and Wayne Bridge thing finally playing out with England’s first friendly this past week. We were wondering how you might potentially deal with a bust up with a couple of players that you might be coaching at a major level? Do you think Capello handled the situation the right way?
Players at all levels do not understand the dynamics of how off the field behavior influences play on the field. Players in all countries and in all culture don’t get it. What happens off the field impacts what happens on the field! That is how it is! I wish players would understand.
Look at Chelsea since this started – they are struggling. The focus is Terry and not the game. Players cannot help this. It is only human. Whether it is the captain at Ohio Wesleyan getting “picked up” for an open container or the captain of Chelsea having an affair, it affects the play on the field. I can’t even explain how many screw ups at OWU cost us games and championships!!!
The Dutch were the first in soccer to understand this. They knew that off field impacts on field. When they picked players for their youth teams, off field behavior was very important. I am not suggesting that all Dutch players are clean – Patrick Klievert??? But, they get it. Few other sports, teams or players get it.
8. Any other thoughts from the international friendlies this week? Spain seemed to reassert itself, not sure what to make of Germany’s loss, Ivory Coast bad loss to South Korea but getting Gus Hiddink could fix that.
I don’t think there were any surprises in the other friendlies with the exception of Argentina at Germany in Munich. Argentina has struggled to even make the tournament. To come into Germany and win (albeit an awful keeper error) is a big boost for Maradonna and his team.
Most of the games were simply an opportunity for the coach to check out the question marks. Winning was not a big deal. I agree Spain played well and must be considered a favorite in SA. (As an aside; the US game v Spain will be an important motivator for the Spanish team!!!!) But other than that, it was just show and tell.
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