The first half was relatively tame, with the US and Mexico each looking comparable in their inability to take control or capitalize on any (few as they were) chances. The best chance for the US was a shot by Holden from about 25 out (somewhat similar to the Haiti game, but without the intended results).
Where to start? How about the line-up:
- GK: Perkins - Could have done better on a couple, but realistically he was asked to take a long walk off a short pier.
- LD: Pearce - Ah yes, this is the Heath Pearce we remember. He was like bizarro Superman as his crosses are not capable of leaping a tall building much less the first defender in its path. (Except for the crosses that go 25-75 yards past the target.) Bocanegra may well solidify the left back position (I have been advocating this for sometime in the spirit of getting as many of your best players on the field at the same time) by simply not playing and let others play themselves out of contention.
- CD: Goodson - Not a complete bozo. If he's getting minutes in a meaningful game in the near future it's probably not a good sign.
- CD: Marshall - See Goodson.
- RD: Heaps - If there is one inalienable truth to playing in CONCACAF it is that marginal players can be made to look adequate playing against inferior competition. As I have said on this blog before, Heaps was getting his first cap with the US this tournament at the spry age of 32 (an age I am quite familiar with myself). What exactly is the point? Are we looking to bring an undersized nonathletic aging defender into the MNT camp for some reason? As long as the decision is not him or Wade "Peg" Barrett for one of the outside back spots.
- LM: Rogers - If someone can tell me what the big deal is I would love to hear it. Much of what has been said about Heaps applies to Rogers. Looks good against low level competition and like a small child playing his dad against a quality team. (I personally thought Sal Zisso looked better at outside midfield during the 2007 FIFA U-20 WC... where's that guy? Trying his hand and failing so far in Europe. Get it together Sal.) I have no doubt that Rogers could use his stutter move to go flying by cones in practice (although his crosses would still likely go out of bounds, behind the goal or probably get batted down by the top of the cone), but 1 move will not consistently work against a quality team. Please learn a counter move. Yes, that means you will likely have to learn to use your right foot. Amazingly international class defenders are able to defend a player who goes to one side all the time. Hope is not lost, he's young and for him I hope this experience has been beneficial and will be something he can build on.
- CM: Pause - He was on the field? Really? You mean the sidelines or as the 4th referee? Really, on the field and playing? Certainly don't remember.
- CM: Bekerman - Well hello Pablo jr. Not capable of being the "guy" in the center of the park and providing the outlet player the US was desperately needing to rely on as Mexico was gaining momentum.
- RM: Holden - Just a disappointment. Finally starting to garner some respect, and he through it away. I'm more optimistic with Holden than Rogers as Holden does not rely on a single trait to be successful offensively. He seems to have better awareness on the field and moves the ball quickly. That said, he, like much of the US, needs to learn to be more careful with the ball. It's one thing to lose the ball while being aggressive on offense; it's a very different thing to seem to lose the ball due to carelessness.
- F: Ching - As always, a good effort. Not much in the way of results. I really believe that Ching will be just as successful at any level that he plays at. His game on the ground is a non-factor. His game in the air is very good. I truly believe he could play in HFA on my old team or in La Liga (ok maybe not) and achieve the same results as he does with the US MNT and Dynamo. He would be bound to score a few goals off set plays. The biggest difference would be the qualify of balls he might be the recipient of.
- F: Arnaud - Like Heaps, what's the point? He's not young (he doesn't look like he is anyway). I don't think Bradley can honestly try to convince anyone that he's looking at Arnaud to fill a meaningful role in the WC 2010 campaign. Is Eddie Johnson alive? When both were at KC, Johnson was the clear winner. That should be a starting point right there. Johnson is not in the MNT plans right now.
- Sub1: Cooper - He's better than Conor Casey. I would like to see him become a better target player. They guy's a beast, but seems to only want to play a finesse game. If he had Ching's personality he would be a force.
- Sub2: Quaranta - A freaking pendulum. Terrible, fantastic, terrible, fantastic, ...
- Sub3: Cronin - Incomplete.
- Onyewu - Didn't play with the US, but did play for Milan against Inter. I hope he does get some playing time over there. He has looked very shaky in his few games so far. Maybe he just had the stink of the US MNT on him. Either way, what the US cannot afford is another key player going to a team in Europe and not seeing regular playing time. That said, I think this will be a good experience for him and hopefully increase his on the ball defending against world class players.
That's it for now. It's late. I need to get back to working. Maybe a Part II later, a look back at the whole tournament (there were some positives and bright spots for everyone, although I'm having trouble recalling what they were right now), or a forward looking discussion to the rematch on Aug. 12th. Maybe a discussion about who wasn't there, the new candidates for the US team due to FIFA's rules (hi there Jermaine Jones, hi there), why Bob Bradley hates Torres (please explain then), etc.
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