Usmnt Recap

Kjbert

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Apr 24, 2014
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Interested in everyone else's thoughts.

Thought Besler and Cameron looked strong and confident paired together. Gonzales looks hurt. Wish he took Goodson.

Liked what I saw of Fabian Johnson. A lot. Chandler gets an incomplete. Yelling is fast wow. He also looks like he has no clue what he is doing out there.

Jones seems to still be searching for how to pair with Bradley. I can't help but feel Bradley pairs better with Beckerman. Thought Jones had a solid second half. I know this is blasphemous but Bradley played poorly in my eyes. Maybe wasn't able to get forward as much.

Liked what Zusi brought. Not as convinced as the announcers on Evans. I don't get what people see in Bedoya. I really don't. Unimpressed by him.

Mix makes things happen. Played smartly and confidently. Johannssen pressed some but played OK.

Wondo played well in the first half. He just busts it. Jozy? I don't know where to start so I won't.

Liked the first touches by Mix and Zusi and Bradley tonight. Confident. Thought there were some poor first touches - especially by Jozy.

Is it possible we have 3 strong back line defenders but questions up front?

Landon Donovan doesn't bring more than Ale Bedoya or Brad Evans?
 
I liked Chandler better than you do. Basically he did everything DMB did plus get involved offensively. He showed a lot of speed and strength, The other 3 starting defenders were solid. Yedlin is a rocket!

The whole midfield will have to play a lot better in the WC. They were OK but there is room for improvement.

Jozy had some good hold up play but than he would have horrible first touches. He just needs to score a goal ASAP.

Mix is our super sub... I wouldn't start him but I like him a lot. Someone sign him to NYC FC contract.

Fun fact: only Portugal has scored more than 2 goals vs Azerbaijan in the last 3 years. They bunker down, making it hard to generate offense. Who plays for a tie in a friendly?
 
Interested in everyone else's thoughts.

Thought Besler and Cameron looked strong and confident paired together. Gonzales looks hurt. Wish he took Goodson.

Liked what I saw of Fabian Johnson. A lot. Chandler gets an incomplete. Yelling is fast wow. He also looks like he has no clue what he is doing out there.

Jones seems to still be searching for how to pair with Bradley. I can't help but feel Bradley pairs better with Beckerman. Thought Jones had a solid second half. I know this is blasphemous but Bradley played poorly in my eyes. Maybe wasn't able to get forward as much.

Liked what Zusi brought. Not as convinced as the announcers on Evans. I don't get what people see in Bedoya. I really don't. Unimpressed by him.

Mix makes things happen. Played smartly and confidently. Johannssen pressed some but played OK.

Wondo played well in the first half. He just busts it. Jozy? I don't know where to start so I won't.

Liked the first touches by Mix and Zusi and Bradley tonight. Confident. Thought there were some poor first touches - especially by Jozy.

Is it possible we have 3 strong back line defenders but questions up front?

Landon Donovan doesn't bring more than Ale Bedoya or Brad Evans?

I think you mean Brad Davis? And he had two great balls that led to both goals so I think his performance off the bench was great
 
I think the back line of, Johnson, Cameron, Besler, and Chandler is our best bet. Beasley just looked, well, old. Bedoya played out of position in the first half but looked better on the right in the second. Jozy is just a battering ram, his purpose is not to score goals anymore, its to bully defenders and allow the more tricky creative players to get the goals.

That formation has a lot of problems. The single holding midfielder looks lost, even though against Mexico Beckerman was solid, but he faltered towards the end. I think a 4-4-2 or the 4-3-2-1 would work to the teams strengths a bit better.

I thought as they have shown before, Johannson and Mix really showed why they are in the squad and why they are the future of the team, and why I think they should start.

Over all, I thought the performance was very poor. Maybe its the team getting used to each other, but if they go to Brazil with that kind of a performance we wont even get a point in Brazil.

C- in my opinion.
 
Meant Brad Davis. Long night. Wow.

I agree Beasley looked old.

Does anyone else agree that they now see what Klinsmann is trying to do? It looks like he's trying to build a compact middle of the field, play through Bradley and Dempsey and get his RB and LB up the field. I'm in on Johnson. Chandler - jury still out. But I get it.

Yedlin is fast. I just think he had terrible touches and looked out of place.
 
Meant Brad Davis. Long night. Wow.

I agree Beasley looked old.

Does anyone else agree that they now see what Klinsmann is trying to do? It looks like he's trying to build a compact middle of the field, play through Bradley and Dempsey and get his RB and LB up the field. I'm in on Johnson. Chandler - jury still out. But I get it.

Yedlin is fast. I just think he had terrible touches and looked out of place.

Exactly on Yedlin. Lots of skill but has no clue how to use it. He must have thought he was a 49er the way he trucked that one player (for which no foul was called, but I'm not going to start harping on refs in a friendly). I'm not sure that's what you want coming with you for a World Cup, but whatever.
 
Hahaha I forgot about that. He laid that guy out.

He could play Free Safety in the NFL Yedlin.

Think we see Yedlin again? I say no, but who knows anymore. I'm sure you will see Green and Brooks get run on Sunday.
 
I think the back line of, Johnson, Cameron, Besler, and Chandler is our best bet. Beasley just looked, well, old. Bedoya played out of position in the first half but looked better on the right in the second. Jozy is just a battering ram, his purpose is not to score goals anymore, its to bully defenders and allow the more tricky creative players to get the goals.

That formation has a lot of problems. The single holding midfielder looks lost, even though against Mexico Beckerman was solid, but he faltered towards the end. I think a 4-4-2 or the 4-3-2-1 would work to the teams strengths a bit better.

I thought as they have shown before, Johannson and Mix really showed why they are in the squad and why they are the future of the team, and why I think they should start.

Over all, I thought the performance was very poor. Maybe its the team getting used to each other, but if they go to Brazil with that kind of a performance we wont even get a point in Brazil.

C- in my opinion.

Beckerman didn't play last night. It was Jermaine Jones. I think Bradley in front of Becks is a better combo for us because he doesn't have a problem holding back in front of the defense. Jones seems like he wants to play side by side with Bradley and I don't think that works well for us because it doesn't allow Bradley to push up as much as he'd like to
 
Honestly the first half was horrible the game was so long and boring! I fell asleep! What I did see was a few good crosses from Zusi. Wondo making contact but not looking before heading for location. Sloppy D with a few balls given away. Alitdore only had 1 good play I seen with the hold and pass I still feel he should be benched and let Johansson take his place. Bedoya did fine but I would like to see a change up in the line up for Sundays game. I would love to see Johnson,Gonzales,Brooks,Chandler at D, Beckerman CDM- Bradley CDM- Davis LM Mix CM Zusi RM and Johansson ST (4-2-3-1)
 
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I think Sundays roster is going to look like this. Playing a 4-4-2 diamond formation
 
Hard to get a read on a game like this. Poor opponent, first game out the blocks, players not wanting to get injured, and very windy. All things considered, I thought they played decent.

A few observations...

Wondo has never been a clinical finisher. Point blank, unmarked chances have to be finished. See Aron Johannsson's 2nd half finish.

Chandler should be our RB and Johnson should be on the left. Beasley just doesn't look the part.

Bradley and Jones should keep the same tactical responsibilities, but it should come from a 4-2-3-1. The diamond won't fly in our group.
 
Right now, based on what I saw my choice XI would be:

-------------AJ
----Mix-Dempsey-Zusi
-------Jones-Bradley
Chandler-Besler-Cameron-FJ

I think 4-2-3-1 is better suited to the highly talented midfield of the team we will face, rather than 4-4-2 diamond.
 
Right now, based on what I saw my choice XI would be:

-------------AJ
----Mix-Dempsey-Zusi
-------Jones-Bradley
Chandler-Besler-Cameron-FJ

I think 4-2-3-1 is better suited to the highly talented midfield of the team we will face, rather than 4-4-2 diamond.


Im a huge Johannson fan, but he cant play alone up top. Either Wondo or Jozy to play along side to out muscle the Centerbacks, so he can find space. Im still not 100% sold on Chandler.