USA vs. T&T: Running diary of destruction

Good point Eric. Where is the professionalism. I dress better than he does on a day to day basis, and I’m in college!

why are we talking about what he wears? he can wear borat’s swimsuit if he stops with the inexplicable personnel choices and the awful tactics.

barring injury or an act of god, brian ching is going to play in a world cup. that is just mind-blowing to me. it seems to me what he’s wearing is way down on the list of problems.

people its qualifying will you relax. In the long run all that matters is the 3 points and we got them. When the real matches arrive and we dont play well then you can blame bradley but lets just remember that without him then the USA would not have rebuilt their broken reputation after 2006. Two consecutive gold cup finals one of which we won, one confederations cup final, one victory by a 2 goal margin over the number 1 team in the world, and a lot of wins over mexico!!!!!! We have beaten mexico twice in 2007, tied with em in 2008, and beat em in 09 and lost to them twice. But Im not counting the gold cup final because that was our reserve team while mexico fielded a team of regulars. And hell they only beat us by a goal the second time and one of their goals was a long distant shot and for the most part they didnt really get behind our defense too much and as I recall davies had a golden opportunity to head the ball into the net when it was still 1-1 but missed his header. And lets not forget that they have azteca. But they havent beaten us on US soil and when i say that i dont mean a virtual azteca of 80,000 mexico fans in giants stadium. I mean places like crew stadium.

Holden should start

It gives me something to joke about rather than focusing on the more important issues that seem to remain important issues: Taking a striker with 30 minutes to play with a one goal lead, playing Brian Ching, leaving Dempsey on about 30 minutes longer than need be, wondering where this team would be without Howard, etc. I guess the important thing is we are top of the table…for at least the next month.

Posted from  United States

*Note: Taking a striker (off) with 30 minutes to play…Sorry, I’m the worst.

Posted from  United States

One word: AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now who were the people a few blogs ago who were defending Bob “Barely” Bradley? Barely wins against awful teams.

I wanted to lose last night. I WANTED TO LOSE!!! … b.c it might eventually get into Barely’s mind that putting in some of these idiots doesn’t work and only allows you to win, barely. I know I’m asking a lot of Bob Barely b.c he has the head of balsa wood…there is no grey matter. It would also force US Soccer to revamp its mentality…We must play a more controled game.

Ricardo Clark scored but was awful for 99.9 % of the game. Donovan I used to hate, he has completely won me over as being the only player who can get it done now. He is much more comfortable on the ball and showing off his technical skill now…its about FINGGGGG time. Take Clark off…

I was disgusted watching that game at the bar last night. Disgusted. I must’ve said awful 40 to 50 times. After the first 5 min I thought this is terrible.

Players who should not play anymore (this might be harsh for some):
Bornstein, Ricardo Clark and, drum roll please, Bob Barely’s son, Michael Barely. I want Feilhaber. The goal was scored without Feilhaber in and T&T looked like they were going to score. Feilhaber came in immediately and essentially took over directing the USA and was able to calm our offensive play down. WHO IS BOB BARELY? HOW DO YOU NOT START FEILHABER?

Holden should get some time also. Maurice Edu and Ricardo Clark with the addition of Germaine Jones should become obsolete AND REMEMBER, Germaine Jones was a defensive middy in a world class system, so I expect he will have the calm ability to transition better with the attacking middy and also tell the fing backline to push out if they play bunker like against Brazil, Spain and Mexico. Edgar Castillo hopefully will be a welcome addition and will solidify the back 4.

So Ching, Bornstein, Ricardo Clark, Beckerman, lil Barely is almost on my cht list and a few others should never wear the jersey again.

I would like to see:
Strikers: Jozy – Davies
Midfielders: Donovan – (Feilhaber/Holden/Adu/Torres)-(JermainJones/Torres/Feilhaber/Bradley(ridepine) – Dempsey/Holden/Torres
Defenders: Edgar Castillo – Demerit/Spector – Gooch – Bocanegra/Spector

That is what I want to see. The midfield play of Adu, Feilhaber, or Torres in the middle will absolutely generate more compusure on the ball in the midfield and will = more possession. Guaranteed.

If something isn’t done we are going to get embarrased badly in 2010.

GLTTMNT

Posted from  United States

Some of you guys are not only super cynical, but also idiots. Firing a coach this close to the WC?! Seriously?! My only complaint with our coach is his subsitition methods…well, that and Brain Ching.

The Mike Bradley bashing has to stop. Mikey needs to be the holding mid, he has a defensive presents, player IQ, and a great passing ability that all holding-mids need. He’s been in a bit of a slump but I can assure you he will bounce back during our October fixtures.

Our other midfield option should be an audition between Bennny/Torres/Jones/Adu/Deuce. Clint has been playin like ass, for his club team and for his country. I’m a huge fan of his, but Bob either needs pair him up front with Jozy and bring Charlie off the bench, play 3 forwards, or leave his ass on the bench. Period.

As for our back line, all know the only reason JB played the last 2 games is b/c Jay is hurt. HE WILL NOT BE ON THE BACK LINE IN SA. So STOP freaking out.
Castillo, Gooch, Carlos, Spector (Demerit) is our back line – this should not change.
Personally, I think we play to the level of our competition, which is a baaaad habit. But i’m confident that we have enough skill, passion, and leadership to at least make it out of our WC group. Some of you guys sound like we’re the worst team in CONCACAF. Child please.

Posted from  United States

And yes, we looked HORRIBLE last night. No doubt about it. But 3pts is 3pts.

Posted from  United States

Truly an awful performance. That Clark goal took the wind out of T&T’s sails, but oh! if T&T would have gotten that chip. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. But the US got the 3 points. Against T&T. Pat yourself on the back Bobby, the kids have a future… too bad it won’t be at the world cup. Playing like that will not get you far in the world cup. I ask all US fans to stop using the Spain win as a measure of the team’s quality. It was a fluke in the Bradley system. The two losses vs Brazil, the loss vs Italy, the two defeats against Mexico, these performances are the harbingers of how the World Cup looks to play out.
Take a look at Mickey’s post. That is the measuring stick that the delusional fan uses to assess the team’s progress (as I am sure Bradley does too). TWO consecutive gold cup finals. Come on. Its the Gold Cup. Played on US soil. The US passed the group stage in the Confed Cup thanks to a christmas in South Africa miracle. And everyone could see the Spanish win coming. If you would have checked Marca, As, Sport, etc, and seen the comments prior to the game from Spain fans, they were all saying “Spain-Brazil final”, “Nothing more than a stepping stone to the final” and “The US will be a kick-about”, it was in the cards. True the US played with grit and set out a great game plan, but the same was said in the game against Italy in ‘06. And we all know how that turned out. Two wins out of five matches does not make the Confed Cup a success. Especially since they gambled on a 3-0 Italy loss to Brazil. When the chips were down and the time came to man up truly, the US is 1-4 (or 5 if you count the Gold Cup final, which, needless to say, is a FINAL and b or c team vs b or c team, you need to bring your A-game). These aren’t good numbers. Throw in the Copa America against tough opposition (even if it was a B team) and you have a pretty uninspired coaching tenure by the Barely. And the last few games have looked pretty shaky. El Salvador had it. And you would never have thought that the US was playing at home. They were running around without knowing which way was up. Thankfully in soccer you have set plays. T&T easily could have been different, the midfield never could dictate play. And Honduras will be a tough nut to crack. Even for those who say that at Azteca things could have been different (Davies’ missed header), the same holds true: the US’s mid could not hold the ball. The story repeats itself. Something is awry.

Why not take Mexico as an example. They lost their way during Hugo’s time on the bench. Something happened. The team lost its grit and its will. They held on to their style, but nothing came of it after the Copa America. Suddenly they found themselves in a freefall. The 5-0 served to signal the turning of a new leaf for Mexico. They realized something was amiss. The old stalwarts (with the exception of Blanco) were not cutting it. Something was broken and needed fixing. The coaching staff quite rightly used the Copa America as the opportunity for the new team to start taking shape. A coach was brought on who reinstilled a fighting spirit and confidence into the team; he refocused on the basic qualities that define Mexican soccer, what with its speed, possession and technical flourishes, and got them working as a unit again. You might disregard the 5-0, but I see it as a turning point for the US’s archrival. You can see the change that has taken place ever since the GC Final. Mexico dominated possession of the ball. In Azteca I don’t think a single US player can tell you what color the ball was they saw so little of it. It was all about kicking the sucker down the field. Even going down 1-0, Mexico got back to work, kept to its style and turned the game around. Costa Rica was demolished. In Saprissa stadium! Honduras could only get near the ball when they resorted to tackling the Mexican players. Mexico is showing that they are going to take their a-game wherever it is that they play, no matter who is in front of them. On this token, I predict a loss at Crew stadium to be coming a lot sooner than you’d think if Mexico continue on this path. Throw into the mix a healthy and more experienced Vela and a Xavi-like Jonathan Dos Santos, and well, get ready for some fireworks.
Also, I agree with Unbelievable. Bradley should start Holden and Torres. Not sure about Adu. His play during his next loan is going to have a huge impact on him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way back to MLS.
Don’t bank on Castillo. He’s got attacking skills, but won’t hold the fort when needed. Which is why he does better with a 5 back system, with the two wide working as wing-backs (him being one of them).
Can’t wait to see what the U-17’s and U-20’s have in store for the US. Keep your fingers crossed for 2014, cause under Bradley, ‘10 ain’t looking too promising.

Sorry, I mistakenly wrote down “used the Copa America as the opportunity for the new team to start taking shape”… I meant Gold Cup.

@Ryan, what happens if/when Germain Jones is in the lineup? Sorry, I’ll take a player who has a handful of caps with the GERMAN NATIONAL TEAM over Mike Barely. I like Mike but it is a sport of what have you done for me lately. He doesn’t have some unbelievable skill that requires him to be on the field.

Sorry, there are a bunch of attacking mid-fielders who are better than Mike. If Mike steps up ok, but give others a try now…He has had his 3 or 4 games and he is declining…

Rule #1 in investing – Don’t fall in love with the company.

Same rule applies for soccer. Do not fall in love with a player…lol

GLTTMNT

Posted from  United States

@Mike Castillo will certainly be much, much better at left back than any other MLS player. The kid was called up for friendlies with Mexico. I’ve watched him. He doesn’t get burned often b.c of the quickness and speed and he doesn’t look lost. He will rival anyone in the back of the US with technical skill, probably will have the best of everyone. So don’t rip the guy until he gets some US caps under his belt.

If Adu comes back to the MLS he lost a huge opportunity. He needs to be a little stronger, but the kid is phenomanal and I think in time he will be the center of what the US does. He still looks like a child. Maybe he will fillout a little as he gets older. Keeping my fingers crossed.

GLTTMNT

Posted from  United States

If the USMNT maintains its current form, it’s very possible for USA to end up in *fourth place* with the following scenario:

Mexico (wins next two) = 21 pts
Honduras (wins next two) = 19 pts
Costa Rica (wins next two) = 18 pts
USA (loses next two) = 16 pts

A loss at Honduras is very possible, and you know that Costa Rica is going to give 110% at RFK to claim the last automatic spot.

Donovan’s comment that the game versus Mexico was “more important for them than it was for us” will bite him in the arse.

Posted from  United States

You seem to be forgetting that Costa Rica has lost 3 in a row and has been outscored 8-0 in those games. Also, I don’t think we’ll sit back in a home game with qualification on the line.

Nice try though.

Posted from  United States

You can’t overlook Costa Rica losing its past 3 qualifiers by a score of 8-0. I also don’t buy the fact that Costa Rica will put forth more of an effort than the US — especially in DC.

Nice try though.

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There was a problem with posting last night, hence the duplicates.

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MEX5-USA0: you going to be holding onto that gold cup win for the rest of your life? What a schmoe…anyways if you really believe the US will lose to Costa Rica at RFK you have solidified yourself as a hater. Nobody that knows anything about 2010 WQC in CONCACAF this year would ever make that assertion. It’s hilarious how pathetic Mexican fans have made themselves look in the past couple months. Nothing more than a bunch of losers.

I am discussing this on the Mexican board of their latest posts. Had to break out the dusty spanish to respond:

http://mexico.worldcupblog.org/review/mexico-1-honduras-0-a-un-paso.html

GLTTMNT

How about replacing Bradley with Luciano Spaletti? He needs a job now…plus he’s about as far away from BB philosophically as you can get. Pure fantasy, but one can dream…god, how I hate Bradley.

Posted from  United States

@Unbelievable and @GS:
Let me get something straight… on this same post you trash talk all of the USMNT players and coach, using adjectives such as “barely, awful, uninspired, disgusted, etc” to describe the team’s current form and latest performances.

But as soon as I make a *prediction* that the USMNT will drop the next two games, I am labeled as “cocky”?? OK.

Don’t attempt to read too much into it, it was simply a prediction like many other predictions on this board. Take it or leave it.

MEX5: I didn’t say any of those things but thank you for the generalization…you are simply a troll.

Posted from  United States

I do have a question and hope someone can answer it. Do the US players carrying yellow cards go into the Hondruas match still cautioned, or are they now on a clean slate?
The reason I ask this is to draw attention to the possible complications that might arise for the US if they were to lose valuable players due to an acumulation of yellow cards for the final game against Costa Rica. San Pedro Sula is no cake walk and the US players will need to keep their composure since we have all witnessed how much the Honduran team can get away with at home. But if they were to lose this game, as well as key players due to yellows, the last game will be anything but a sure thing.
This WCQ keeps getting tougher and tougher to predict. A real roller coaster.

Speaking of the Honduras match (taken from another blog):

“The Honduran federation sold the U.S. TV rights for the Oct. 10 game in San Pedro Sula to MediaPro, a Spanish-based firm that serves as a middle man for coverage that often appears on … pay-per-view and closed circuit.

So there is a very good chance that this vital game will not appear on any of the ESPN outlets or Telemundo. Not even the cuddly mun2.”

Terrific.

Posted from  United States

More news on the USA – Honduras viewing:

“USA-Honduras World Cup qualifier will be shown live on closed circuit only: The company that owns the rights is in the process of lining up bars and restaurants to show the match for a cover charge. Initially, the focus was on establishments geared toward Latin American fans, but now a broader collection of sites is being pursued.”

Posted from  United States