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Morocco: Positives & Negatives
Comments(28)Friendlies are all about what you take from them, even 1-0 home defeats to Morocco. So, here are some positives and negatives to take from tonights game.
+ John O’Brien’s evening unaffected by injury
- Claudio Reyna’s evening very much affected by injury
+ Pope, O’Brien, Mastroeni, Convey and Beasley’s form
- Gibbs, Cherundolo, Wolff, and Johnson’s form
+ Landon Donovan’s workrate
- Landon Donovan’s shooting. Real strikers don’t chip.
+ Despite the loss, we had a lot of possession…
- …but didn’t do much with it
+ The Group E teams won’t be as frustratingly defensive as Morocco
- So why did we play them?
+ The players must have worked hard in Cary…
- …because they looked exhausted tonight
+ Cherundolo learned that mistakes don’t go unpunished
- He probably knew that anyway
+ We did create some chances
- We just couldn’t finish.
Feel free to add your own.
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 28 comments.
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What did you guys think of Gooch? I thought his workrate wasnt quite up there.
In all earnest teams improve A LOT after their first match together. I’ve played in college and the team playing its second match was always better by order of magnitude than it was in the first. So inspite of this loss, I think USA was okay.
Posted from 
United States
“…because they looked exhausted tonight”
Spot on. McBride really looked his age. Gibbs required 5 touches to settle before passing …
Negatives: Anything assocaited with DeMarcus Beasley. His touch was the worst I’ve seen outside of Red Bull New York.
Negatives: Donovan always looking to set up others to score. He has to be more selfish.
Positives: 26k in Nashville on a Tuesday night. Other than that, I thought that Convey, Mastro, and Onyewu played okay. Everybody else just went thru the motions.
Posted from United States
It appeared that offensively, most of the communication and decision making was a split second behind. There were some good ideas but the timing wasn’t there yet.
So I’m a little worried about the central midfield “General” position. What difference would a healthy Reyna make on the squad’s playmaking ability? We may never know. O’Brien showed some very positive signs; he has the creativity and the instinct for this role but he will simply not be fit to shoulder the burden alone.
If the burden of offensive creativity then falls heavily on the wings, I trust Convey and Dempsy over any other two players right now. Find a way to keep them on the field, Bruce.
I agree that Donovan had a decent game. If a couple of those through passes of his had made it to their runners, I’d be calling him the “playmaker”. But like the US passing overall, his timing wasn’t quite good enough.
Posted from United States
Italy is as “frustratingly defensive” as anyone.
Posted from United States
It’s been said over and over, but I will restate it because it helps the healing (believe me, I hurt). Dononvan and others looked to set others up much more than shoot.
+O’Brien’s plays in the first half. His vision was amazing.
-The plays were contagious and infected everyone on the pitch (wearing White). They all attemted to drop the perfect pass to set up a teamate and then instead of shooting that teammate would attempt to return the favor. I was begging for someone to finish. The only person who had the stones to rip it was Convey.
I understand that it got pretty congested as Morocco did a decent job of defending the middle. Wouldn’t that type of defense call for spreading the field latterally and attempting more and longer crosses? I have nowhere near the amount of soccer knowledge as some of you so I may be crazy. It just seemed that they played into the Moroccan defense by attemting to play small ball.
Was that “shot” by Donavan actually an attempt to score, or was he looking to set up someone on the far post with a “no look” and as it turned out “no recipient” pass?
+Gooch manhandling and nearly crushing Morocan fwds.
-Gooch not manning up on a few well placed crosses and corners. Including one that should have gone in.
I was disapointed. I think that our team needed to shoot more. It did seem like everyone was trying to be the playmaker. Especially Donovan. He has always made great passes but he should take more shots. He would almost help out the team more by shooting because it would keep the other teams defense on their toes.
Posted from United States
[...] Results this week: South Korea 1 Senegal 1 Croatia 4 Austria 1 Morocco 1 United States 0 [...]
Posted from United States
+ Reyna’s MRI came back negative
I agree with JT-
long “golazo” shots are key to (a) getting scrappy rebounds, and (b) getting defenders to respect you more. It’s like the three point shot in basketball, if you can’t make it/don’t even try, then defenders can just sit back in a zone and collapse when you get close.
we also need better service from the wings. There were no decent crosses at all in the game.
Posted from United States
Some of you don’t see the dread here but I most certainly do. I’m looking forward the WC 06 as much as or more than any American fan. I realize it was friendly but….it reminded me eerily of WC 98 vs. Iran. We couldn’t get it together any way shape or form and got countered twice by Iran, once in a similar fashion as the Morocco goal, losing the ball in our own end and getting scored on. That game was an absolute disgrace, a humiliating embarrasment and any of you that don’t think so aren’t really seeing this correctly. If we are a top 10 club we should have simply annihilated the Moroccans. But they looked faster, fitter, more technical, better defensively and on and on. I scheduled a vacation day for our first match with CR but I’m wondering what for, it’s looking and feeling like 1998, 3 and out. I might remind you all that Ghana is BETTER than Morocco by all accounts so, if we play like that we will lose every single match in Germany. Salvation is simple-absolutely destroy the two opponents in tune up and got to Germany full of confidence and fire-if not, go over with low expectations and come home early.
Posted from United States
Ok Im gonna be hard but this is the truth, first what is US team Doing still in America the should be playing or concentrated already in europe.
Second, what is it with all the adds in the news and all that flare this team has. OK your the USA but let me remind you we have won nothing ever, our leage is a joke, compared ofcourse with others like premier italian lets not even say spanish or german. so all of the sudden we are strong contenders and our players like landon donovan come up saying silly thing on tv, on how eddie jones can be the best goal scorer in the world cup, nike is so interested in making money that it has blown out of proporcion our #5 position in the computerized fifa standings. so fans players and all americans focus please,
WE HAVE LOST A MATCH IN NASHVILLE TENESSE (TALK OF OUR BACK YARD) TO A C TEAM LIKE MORROCO WHO IS NOT AS FAST AS GHANA WHO IS NOT AS DEFENSIVE AND HAS WON A WORLD CUP LIKE ITALY AND WHO IS NO AS STRONG AS CZEC REPUBLIC, WHICH BY THE WAY ARE GOING TO PLAY IN GERMANY EUROPE THERI BACK YARE.
SO LETS STOP FEELLING WE HAVE WON OR EARND ANYBODYS RESPECT BECAUSE WE HAVENT AND INSTEAD OF TALKING CRAP TO HELP SELL NIKE CLOTHS GUYS PLAY WITH YOUR HEART AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
Posted from United States
Hello sport lovers.. Good match from both sides.. i think the US team more in the back then the front side.. But it’s always a pleasure to play against USA .. fair match good luck in the World Cup guys.. Salam Shalom Peace on you.. Moroccan friend
Posted from 
Denmark
By the way Solano Cesar. I think you underestimate the moroccan team don’t forget we where in the final of CAF and we are one of the best team in Africa.. Maybe that’s the problem why USA lost. You have always to respect your advers team and always see strong to try to be stronger not the opposit. And we are stronger then USA in football ..just take a look to our football history..;-) once again Good luck USA and all teams.
Posted from Denmark
Guys,
Just a reminder. Morocco is not a C team. They have consistently represented Africa at the world cup, consistently reached the last four in the Africa nations cup etc.
I agree with the statement that the US might be over-hyped. But like many of you are saying, this is a friendly, and expect the US to bounce back. Nevertheless, the bottom line is: y’all better respect African teams!
Posted from United States
[...] Results this week: South Korea 1 Senegal 1 Croatia 4 Austria 1 Morocco 1 United States 0 Ecuador 1 Colombia 1 Australia 1 Greece 0 [...]
Posted from United States
THe US takes what I call the Stanford Men’s Basketball approach to competition. Under former Coach Mike Montgomery, Stanford would play a patsy preseason schedule of some 10+ games and no tough tournaments before heading into the Pac-10 schedule. When Stanford was mediocre at best, this approach helped build confidence. So what if Stanford never made it to the NCAA tournament! The “success” embodied in a good record helped recruit better and better players.
Then came the 1990s when Stanford started getting decent. Yet there it still was, the patsy-ass schedule, with a few tough games sprinkled in. Although Stanford was one Final Four and one OT loss vs. Kentucky in the Regional final, Stanford had an atrocious record in the NCAAs–often losing to obscure unseeded teams of athletes in early rounds.
You see, Stanford never learned to play the top teams and against the top players (with a couple noted exceptions mentioned above) because it avoided them by design.
OK, fast forward to USA football, and I see Team USA as I did Stanford basketball. Team USA beating up on the CONCACAF is like Stanford beating Cal State Hayward. It is to be expected. The funny thing is that the CONCACAF is no easy task for USA Soccer. Trinidad, Jamaica, and Costa Rica beating the uS is always on the horizon. THe US and Mexico are evenly matched, as the US cannot win in Mexico and the US wins more than it loses in the US. Bottom Line: Team USA is right about where it deserves to be–amongst the leaders of the CONCACAF.
But as Stanford found repeatedly in playing with the big boys, Team USA has learned that playing the elite of Europe and South America is a daunting task both on a team and individual level.
As individuals, TEAM USA has not a single world class player. Not one. Most of our top players wither ride the pine in the top leagues,. play for second tier teams, or play in the second divisions. Of those that do get regular PT, not a single one can be considered among the top 100 players in the world…maybe not even in the top 200. Individual players will NEVER break into the world’s elite unless they play against the best. This mantra is the consensus American view on just about everything. Why should football be any different?
As a team, Team USA plays the Stanford Hoop schedule (Men’s that is). We schedule friendlies aginst third tier opponents. If they are quick or athletic or big, we run into trouble, as we did versus Morrocco. When we play against top teams, we clearly demonstrate how ridiculous the FIFA ranking are.
Believe it or nto, I am optimistic about the growth of football in the US. We are a country that loves sports and football is a great sport. However, we will never make much ground unless we regularly mix it up against the big boys, both on an individual or team level.
Having lived overseas for a long stretch, I am amazed how far behind USA football remains. We are decades away from being perennial contenders. The Montgomery’s and Arena’s of the world did great things to bring their teams into decent level. But to succeed on the highest stage more, much more is needed.
So no surprise: weak league + inexperienced players (at the world level) + weak schedules = a future of 3 games and out for a very, very long time.
Posted from 
Singapore
Sibho.. I agree.. Nice sport spirit man.. Peace brother
Posted from Denmark
[...] Results this week: South Korea 1 Senegal 1 Croatia 4 Austria 1 Morocco 1 United States 0 Paraguay 2 Norway 2 Ecuador 1 Colombia 1 Australia 1 Greece 0 Sweden 0 Finland 0 Fancy a flutter? Free £25 Bet on World Cup 2006 Category: World Cup 2006, Friendlies Tags: South Korea, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Czech Repblic, Ghana, Turkey, United States, Venezuela, Friendlies, Tim Howard, Tag Index « Daily Dose 05.26 | Home | If you found “South Korea Defeats Bosnia in First of Four Friendlies Today” useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at the following sites: .wp-notable img {border: none;margin-left:5px;} Leave a Reply [...]
Posted from United States
[...] Results this week: South Korea 1 Senegal 1 Croatia 4 Austria 1 Morocco 1 United States 0 Paraguay 2 Norway 2 Ecuador 1 Colombia 1 Australia 1 Greece 0 Sweden 0 Finland 0 South Korea 2 Bosnia 0 Fancy a flutter? Free £25 Bet on World Cup 2006 Category: World Cup 2006, Friendlies Tags: Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, friendlies, milan baros, marek jankulovski, Tag Index « Sheva Likely to join Chelsea’s World Cup Team | Home | If you found “Czech Republic Defeat Saudi Arabia in World Cup Tune Up” useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at the following sites: .wp-notable img {border: none;margin-left:5px;} Leave a Reply [...]
Posted from United States
[...] Results this week: South Korea 1 Senegal 1 Croatia 4 Austria 1 Morocco 1 United States 0 Paraguay 2 Norway 2 Ecuador 1 Colombia 1 Australia 1 Greece 0 Sweden 0 Finland 0 South Korea 2 Bosnia 0 Ghana 1 Turkey 1 Czech Republic 2 Saudi Arabia 0 Fancy a flutter? Free £25 Bet on World Cup 2006 Category: World Cup 2006, Group E, Friendlies Tags: Unites States, Venezuela, Brina Ching, Clint Dempsey, Tag Index « Winners and Losers of the World Cup Week | Home | If you found “United States Defeat Venezuela” useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at the following sites: .wp-notable img {border: none;margin-left:5px;} Leave a Reply [...]
Posted from United States
US just get fucked by Czech and Ghana LOL US trash talking end.
US BIG LOSERS no World Cup for usa.
Posted from United States
July has, however, lost but I find that July has done well partition the other one July 4-1 of us had lost but July they in the wk we by we do not have to that tunis go point still 1 haha no longer normal
Posted from 
Netherlands
we have win against burkia or this way ieds 2 scooter morocco VS malawi must play July also still?
Posted from Netherlands
jeyh morocco 2-0 Malawi
Posted from Netherlands
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