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Rustenburg - USA vs. Ghana - June 26

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A few tactical errors by Bradley and some uninspired defense cost us. From my vantage point we were simply exhausted and that's what cost us in extra time when we needed energy the most. I think we are in good shape for 2014 if the younger players stay on track and we can get one last run out of Dempsey/Donovan. No matter what I'm proud of our guys and they inspired an entire nation that likely couldn't name one starter three weeks ago.
 
Tennessee Blue Mike said:
Step backward is the consensus here after a good Confederation Cup run. I had a house full for this one and you could see the tension at the start of the game. It shouldn't have been that way. If we do make it in four years Demerrit, Bocranegra & Cherunelo may be to old so a total makeover in the defense will be in order.

US needs a striker that can finish. Jozy is young but totally out of his element during this one. I hope we keep developing new talent we need someone with some bite.
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Next world cup we should be taking the whole of the Galaxy's backline except for the LB.

Sean Franklin - 25 years old. Rookie of the year in MLS two seasons ago. Prefers RB but he played his rookie year at CB and was fantastic.

Omar Gonzales - 21 years old. 6'5" and 210 lbs. Rookie of the year in MLS last year. He is a beast and shuts down everything around him. Center Back.

AJ Delagarza - 22 years old. Was a rookie last year aswell. He has a bit of speed to him and the heart of a lion. These make up for his height. He had a fantastic year and even held up Lionel Messi well when we had our friendly against Barcelona. Right Back.

This should be the future.
 
I actually had to sleep all afternoon as I got home from a 15hr shift at 10am. Proud of the team they gave it their all and disapointed with the result. Congrats to Ghana who by all appearances are ahead of schedule and could possibly be one of the favorites in 2014.

Besides the head scratching mistakes, which you just have to accept are going to happen at this point (you also expect Howard to bail you out on at least one of these too). I think the part of the match in which when the US goes back and watches where they'll be kicking themselves is the fact that again they went into "England/Chelsea mode" and tried to shove everything right up the middle. The US (as is any team) is always better when they get wide. Kingson isn't very consistent on crosses but we never really challenged him on the wing and kept everything in front of him. Donovan was trying to hard to get involved so he cut inside too much, Dempsey's game is cutting inside so we had sometimes 7 players packed right in the middle and it took something great to break through.

I couldn't count the number times that Bornstein was all alone on the wing waiting for someone to pass him the ball.

I also would have started Clark, I think he works best with Bradley so not too arsed with that decesion. To say that anyone knew that Edu/Torres would have been a better choise is fooling themselves. All 3 didn't play well this tourney. To be honest with you the player who partnered with Bradley was the main weakness in our squad and I thought we had outstanding depth at that position. Tx was right Clark was taken out because of the yellow card.

BB had balls starting Bornstein in 2 matches but he accounted for himself well. As I'd said before it would have been nice I'd like to see him on an attacking Championship side like say Forest where he could get forward alot. Wish someone tried to pass it to him though.

I didn't like the way Findley played, he should be glued to the tele and forced to watch endless films of AJ, which is the role he should be playing and that Davies does so well. If you aren't doing it and you are quick you have close defenders down quickly and try to force a bad pass and Ghana is apt to make boneheaded passes in the back at times.
 
TX Bill said:
A few observations:

1) We weren't unlucky. When you can't defend properly, you don't deserve to win. Both Ghana goals could and should have been easily cut out. We didn't and we paid the price.

2) Altidore has the touch of a brick wall. He better buck up his ideas in the next few years or he'll find himself on the outside looking it regarding the USMNT. He's supposed to be a scorer. If he can't score against England, Slovenia, Algeria, or Ghana, then time to look somewhere else for strikers.

3) Clark giving the ball up again and will be crucified for it but what the heck? Bradley gives him a ball when a Ghanaian is right next to him and then Howard should have done much much better on the angle.

4) Speaking of Howard. Love him. Love that he plays for Everton. That said, he didn't exactly inspire me this World Cup. I think a few of the goals he let in could have been stopped. They were just too easy.

5) Uruguay is gonna smash Ghana. And I mean smash them. 3-0, 4-0 kind of smash them.

6) We ran out of gas there at the end and our crossing suffered for it. We couldn't really get any dangerous balls into the box towards the end because of the tired legs.

Good luck, to the rest of the teams in the tournament and I guess I'll have to root for England and Uruguay now.
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1). True.

2) Altidore: Big Strikers peak late in their 20s. Right now he has only 1 world class move, which is turning a single defender for a open shot on goal. Has some work to do. He does good work at times, sort of like Yak and could use to lose 15lbs too like Yak. Did some things really well, looked lost in other situtations. So in other words he's like every other young prospect I've ever seen.

One other thing: When the US doesn't get players out wide, Altidore drifts out there. This should not be happening. If there one player who SHOULD NOT be going wide its Jozy.

3) Clark had a heavy touch but that was a total breakdown (Donovan had about 8-10 heavy touches). Love Bradley in this tourney but it was a bad pass and Bradley just stood around when it was turned over. Howard was caught about 5 yards too far upfield too.

4) Howard didn't play well yesterday but I think he's been one of the best keepers this tourney.

5) Urugray will not smash Ghana. Urugray were idiotic keeping 11 back against a SK team that scores in bunches and only a 1-0 lead so I can't see them doing anything different if they have a 1-0 lead against Ghana. All they had to do was keep Forlan and Suarez up a bit in the 2nd half and hoofed it them occasionally as SK's defense wasn't to different from the US a disaster waiting to happen. Plus Ghana was even more fit than we were, if Ghana gets into extra time they could easily win it.
SK could have easily won it if they only would have scored their 1st goal in the 85th minute instead of the 70th.

6) I said this team was the spitting image of the AUS 2006 team and like them they lost in ET in the round of 16. An exciting team nontheless. Congrats guys.
 

I wouldn't be too despondent with just losing out to by far the best African nation out there.
IMHO the Ghanian players' sheer physical strength have been the major factor in their success.
However, the teams with more tactical nous combined with more dense technical ability (like Brazil/Argentina/Holland/Spain) will have the African warrior like figures chasing shadows while opening them up like tins of sardines.
 

def gutted after the loss. Going down early in every game (and then in extra time) was just too much. I'm throwing my support behind Uruguay, not because they are playin Ghana, but they are just a fun team to watch.

well done stars and stripes, best of luck to our cousins across the pond.
 
Now I'll root for totaal voetbal and those pesky Chileans - impressed by their style.

To be far, the US might have had more chances but Ghana taught them a lesson in technical football yesterday. Time for the US to invade some country with a plethora of strikers and central defenders and repatriate the boss ones.
 
ChicagoToffee said:
Now I'll root for totaal voetbal and those pesky Chileans - impressed by their style.

To be far, the US might have had more chances but Ghana taught them a lesson in technical football yesterday. Time for the US to invade some country with a plethora of strikers and central defenders and repatriate the boss ones.
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I Heart Chile. Can't believe against Spain WITH 10 MEN they put everybody forward except the 2 CBs in the 2nd half even though its a fact that the Swiss can't score more than 1 goal in a competetive footie match. The only team in SA that plays crap football for 90min is Brasil.
 
I also would have started Clark, I think he works best with Bradley so not too arsed with that decesion.

Can't agree with you at all on that one. That cost us the game no doubt about that. I will agree on the stupid tackle that cost him a yellow that could have been a straight red and he had to sub him. Ricardo Clark is awful and cost us dearly this tournament. At 27 a great MLS player with the Dynamo but alas in the world stage sadly lacking skill & confidence. Bradley was in total conflict with his starting lineup and Donovan was pissed over it read or watch the video "wasted Opportunity" we should have won this game. It was devastating to this team you can't candy coat it. The nation was primed and we didn't get the follow through.

I'm not one of them but Bob Bradley is getting it on the internet over the team selection. I'm sorry I can't agree with you and TX on this one like I usually do but I've watched this game twice now before posting this thinking it was just me. But that doesn't seem the case by checking the media today.
 

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