Post Mortem Rant
I have a few points I need to make and a few complaints to lodge after the USMNT was bounced from Germany.
Arena takes the lion's share of the blame for the general lack of offense. The last major mistake he made in my book was the last USA-Mexico game at Atzeca. It was Onyewu's first big game and he trotted out a 4-5-1 formation. McBride alone at the top and it seemed like they were playing for the tie. What happened? USA goes down 2-0 and it's game over. Then they switch up, add a forward and score a goal. That goal placed them first in CONCACAF as USA won the tiebreaker because of it. The USA is too talented to go out in a defensive 4-5-1 formation. If USA only has one striker that Arena trusts to put on the field, fine. Let's all admit here and now that Donovan is not a forward. Period. Play a 4-1-2-2-1 with the attacking midfielders way forward. But the time is over when we absorb the other team's attack and try to counter. All three games Arena started with one striker. Maybe once you could defend. But today against Ghana we needed goals. Boatloads of goals. And they took it to us. Again. And if the USA has only produced one striker in the last decade, that's on Arena, too. Why bring four strikers if you didn't plan to use more than one. Wouldn't Twellmann have been a nice sub off the bench in the spots Ching and Wolf were sitting in?
Additional blame goes to Lewis, Bocanegra, and Keller. Lewis seemed unable to get back and fulfill his defensive duties. The first goal against the Czechs was a direct result of his not being in position and it happened several times against Ghana, though no goals resulted. Bocanegra's boneheaded popup which resulted in the penalty called on Gooch because he had already moved forward and thus was on the wrong side of the player he was called to have fouled. And I'm sorry, but that isn't a penalty. When a player doesn't use his hands, and simply leans into the opposition, you don't award a penalty kick. It's too harsh. Keller should have come off his line on the first goal by Ghana. I have no idea what he was waiting for.
The refereeing has been universally bad with cards flying like they are velcroed to their hands. I shouldn't need to check who is assigned to the game. The guy who was on the field today was inconsistent.
Rule change that needs to be implemented immediately. If play stops because a player is on the ground, that player should be barred from returning to the field for five minutes. They should report to the fourth official who will bring them in like a sub after the five minutes have expired. Enough of this delaying by the team that is ahead. It starts in the 60th minute now.
Thanks to Reyna for a wonderful USMNT career. However, I don't see a worthy successor on the roster not named John O'Brien, and we all know how fragile he is. I don't see how the USA even maintains their current position, nevermind improve between now and South Africa. Who is going to score the goals? Anyone?
3 comments:
I don't think the US has a world class striker, and Arena playing only McBride up top reflects that. US strikers need perfect service and even then they might not score. None can create a shot on their own.
I think the only player on this team who might - might - turn into a world class scorer is Dempsey, and only if he keeps his act together (which means getting better for Ningland, dammit). Who else on the squad as it's currently constituted is or will be world class dangerous?
That's part of my point. If we don't have that player, we have to be more creative to put outselves in position to score. Build through the middle, counter attack. Our mode still seems to be cross from the deep corners to the box. Why are we doing that if we can't finish? And isn't 7 and a half years enough time to identify and/or develop a few quality strikers?
As for Dempsey playing for Ningland, remember that one good goal landed Mathis a European contract. I wouldn't be surprised if Clint gets a good long look from German and English squads.
Going to Reading certainly helped Convey - at least until Germany. Didn't I read that Dempsey did some offseason training with some English side? In any case, yes, you're right: if Dempsey continues to progress he'll end up in Europe.
The strikers are mediocre, but it's the midfield that let the US down today. Donovan especially.
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