Saturday, August 13, 2011
Ein - Ein
The Klinsman Era Begins....looking more or less like the Bradley era.
Obviously, this first result won't be how Jurgen is remembered, except for the odd pub quiz. And yet, the Sons couldn't help but feel the need to travel to see the beginning of the German experiment.
How did the Sons feel about the initial display?
1) Mexico is good.
This is deeply upsetting for the Sons. We all much preferred the "2-0" days of the last 15 years or so. But from a rivalry perspective, I guess it is helpful that Mexico isn't an easy win any more.
2) The US lacks class.
When you watch a game in person, you can really see the gulf in class. LD was the only player in red with anything approaching world class skill. This doesn't mean that the US can't compete and win at the top level through physical fitness, team spirit, and heart (not to mention set pieces). But it does suggest that the USA's current FIFA ranking, while flawed, contains meaningful information.
This lack of class is also somewhat temporary. With Deuce and Holden on the pitch along with LD, there is world class skill available to the Yanks - just not much depth.
3) Two roads diverged in a yellow wood....
The choice that faces US soccer right now couldn't be more obvious. One path leads south, to the flair and stature of the Mexican game. The other path leads East towards the efficiency and drive of the German game. Which way will the US go?
My sincerest hope is that the US takes the second path. Xenophobia aside, the US expression of itself will always depend on athleticism, drive, and determination. Over time, we expect to add some technical skill. But our physical attributes will always be our comparative (nay, absolute) advantage.
The roster Jurgen sent out Wednesday night was the smallest lineup I can ever remember from a Nat squad. I fear that this Mexican influence will nullify our emphasis on strength and set pieces. I don't believe the Nats will ever pass through a quality opponent, but I do believe they will be able to jump over them. The Yanks are a physical squad, and they should always be a physical squad. Introducing a Torres or Castillo here or there can have benefits - introducing 5 Castillos will represent a step-backwards.
4) Speaking of Castillo...
A couple players out there have no business being in the team at the highest level. Castillo was awful. He is young and a left-sided player, but he is nowhere near good enough at the moment.
I like Beckerman, not least because he played with one of the Sons 20 years ago, but it is telling what that position is missing when Beckerman plays. Kyle gets stuck in, gets rough, breaks up plays. All of which are extremely valuable. But the Destroyer position is mislabeled, because what separates top class destroyers are the ability to link forward after their destruction. Beckerman is simply awful at this aspect of the position. The US is going to be a counter-attacking team for the foreseeable future, and if it can't counter-punch swiftly, it would knock anyway out. I'm happy to have Beckerman play on occasion, but for the big games, we desperately need a player in that position who can pass forward swiftly.
Augedelo is a young Brian McBride. Ah, if only that were true. But what Augedelo brings at the moment, is a legit target threat. The US needs an release value when the pressure gets extreme. Our lack of passing means we can't control possession that way. Instead, we need a target man who can relieve some of the pressure. Juan did a great job of just this in the last thirty minutes of the game against Mexico. He made it painfully obvious what we missed with Buddle in the first half.
There will be much more to learn and observe over the next cycle. The Sons wholly approve of putting Jurgen in charge, and we look forward to a bright future.
We are all donuts now....
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Cha-Ching?
No room on the plane for everyone's favorite Hawaiian? bb has definitely sprung a surprise with his final 23 man roster. Two surprises actually, with the omission of EJ as well. Not that either of these guys absolutely deserved a ticket to South Africa.
The surprise is that bob went with relative inexperience up front. Even if he never stepped foot on the field, Ching seems like the kind of guy you want on your team - great teammate, positive personality, previous experience. I would expected bob to play the team card, rather than reach for a "burner" with no history of impact at elite levels.
Of the four strikers taken, the Sons desperately hope that no more than two see the field. And really only one generates any confidence. Findlay and Buddle may have had good MLS seasons this year, but there aren't going to threaten the likes of Rio and Terry. I'm not sure either can score at the international level. Bob, could you please wrap Josimer in bubblewrap for the next couple weeks? Without Altidore up top, this might be the weakest group of strikers to ever represent the USA in the World Cup.
Bornstein snuck on the plane. I told security to watch out for this guy. Maybe he hid in the baggage holding? Regardless, JB will definitely see the field at some point. Currently, the over/under on goals directly responsible for is 2, with the over/under on indirect responsibility being 1.5. Please Gooch, Demerit, and Boca, get healthy! Our WC fate depends upon it.
Well, this is the team we live and die with this summer. More technical skill at key positions than we have ever had, but woefully lacking in depth, particularly in the back. A rash challenge or two could spell doom this summer (Michael, son, I am talking to you).
We're Baaaaaaaaaacccccccckkkkk!
Yes, it has only been 11 months and 20 days since the last post, but after last night's warm up game, it's time for Sons to get back to work (and I don't mean on the dissertation). This blog has technically been building for the Summer of Joy (2010 Version) for the last two years, but in truth, we have been on a mission ever since Sunil dared to speak love's name.
Recap of last night's exhibition exercise and analysis of the final 23 man roster on the docket for today. In the meantime, here are Sons picks to be cut:
Marshall, Pearce, Bedoya, Klejstan, Buddle, Findlay, and Rogers
Here is who Sons would like to be cut:
Bornstein, Bornstein, Bornstein, Bornstein, Pearce, Pearce, Pearce
Thursday, June 4, 2009
My Bad
Okay Coach, when the pink slip arrives, I'll hire you as a correspondent for Project 2010ish. You really shouldn't have listened to me. What do I know about football?
Let's get serious. What went wrong last night? everything. In order of blame: turf, wingbacks, 4-3-3, and motivation.
Turf: Don't listen to the talking heads who say that you can't blame the pitch since both teams had to play on it. There is no way this pitch should be allowed to host a FIFA-sanctioned event. It was an absolute disgrace. The way the ball bounced, the difficulty of getting stuck in on a tackle, and the inability to pass along the ground changed the entire complexion of the game.
Costa Rica had a lot more experience playing on this pitch, and it showed. Most of the Ticos play their club ball on this pitch, and it's clearly a surface you need time to adjust to. The US players started off tentatively because of the pitch. The first goal was a combination of bad play by Beas, bad tackling by Torres and Pablo, and a top drawer finish. The first two factors wouldn't have happened on a regulation pitch.
One minute into the game and everything changed because of the pitch.
Wingbacks: I was wrong about this, and so was coach. Some positives to take out of this though. The Beas Experiment is officially over. He doesn't have the size or technical ability to play wingback at the highest level. Unless he is playing regularly at this position for some club team, I never want to see Beas anywhere but left midfield. We got a definitive answer last night. full stop.
Oh, Marvell Wynne. As my colleague at Project 2010ish likes to say, a cool first name will only take you so far. I have to agree. Marvell, you are not ready for prime time. The experience was good for him, and I loved seeing him pushing forward even after being beaten for the second goal and, truth be told, exposed another time for what should have been a goal. He kept attacking, which was great to see since so many others out there rolled over after 2-0. He has a place with the Sons, but not until he moves to Europe. He needs much more seasoning.
4-3-3: There was some discussion before the game as to whether this was a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1, but in either case, it was a bad tactical formation. The midfield looked absolutely gassed last night. The combination of heat and space to cover was deadly to the midfield. I've never seen Pablo look so bad. Sacha was exhausted about 20 minutes after coming on. The wingers contributed nothing. Beas and Torres kept getting into each other's way. Wynne and Dempsey left the back exposed. All told, this was a disaster of tactics and personnel.
Motivation: This is my biggest concern. Forget players, formations, and environment for one moment. The last two away games have been defined most clearly by the lack of commitment and mental strength on the part of the players. But wait you say, the Sons fought back from 2-0 down in El Salvador. That's true, but the only player I remember playing with intensity and heart from that game was Frankie. It was definitely not a team effort. Frankie was so possessed he literally threw Altidore out of the way to score a goal. That kind of passion was missing in the rest of the team that night, and it was completely absent last night.
Bob, when the axe comes (and it won't come during this qualifying circuit), the most damning aspect will be the failure to bring the best out of your players. The U.S. has not been ready to deal with the mental challenges of playing on the road against tough competition. They are not prepared to play - that is on you coach. This group is the weakest collection of Sons I've been witness to. I'll take my obligatory shot at Golden B*tch at this point. The team seems to follow Donovan's personality when it comes to backing down from challenges. And no, a successful penalty in the 90th minute of a 3-1 butt-kicking does not deserve praise, no matter what the TV booth says.
Today, I'm embarrassed to be a supporter of the Sons.
Let's get serious. What went wrong last night? everything. In order of blame: turf, wingbacks, 4-3-3, and motivation.
Turf: Don't listen to the talking heads who say that you can't blame the pitch since both teams had to play on it. There is no way this pitch should be allowed to host a FIFA-sanctioned event. It was an absolute disgrace. The way the ball bounced, the difficulty of getting stuck in on a tackle, and the inability to pass along the ground changed the entire complexion of the game.
Costa Rica had a lot more experience playing on this pitch, and it showed. Most of the Ticos play their club ball on this pitch, and it's clearly a surface you need time to adjust to. The US players started off tentatively because of the pitch. The first goal was a combination of bad play by Beas, bad tackling by Torres and Pablo, and a top drawer finish. The first two factors wouldn't have happened on a regulation pitch.
One minute into the game and everything changed because of the pitch.
Wingbacks: I was wrong about this, and so was coach. Some positives to take out of this though. The Beas Experiment is officially over. He doesn't have the size or technical ability to play wingback at the highest level. Unless he is playing regularly at this position for some club team, I never want to see Beas anywhere but left midfield. We got a definitive answer last night. full stop.
Oh, Marvell Wynne. As my colleague at Project 2010ish likes to say, a cool first name will only take you so far. I have to agree. Marvell, you are not ready for prime time. The experience was good for him, and I loved seeing him pushing forward even after being beaten for the second goal and, truth be told, exposed another time for what should have been a goal. He kept attacking, which was great to see since so many others out there rolled over after 2-0. He has a place with the Sons, but not until he moves to Europe. He needs much more seasoning.
4-3-3: There was some discussion before the game as to whether this was a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1, but in either case, it was a bad tactical formation. The midfield looked absolutely gassed last night. The combination of heat and space to cover was deadly to the midfield. I've never seen Pablo look so bad. Sacha was exhausted about 20 minutes after coming on. The wingers contributed nothing. Beas and Torres kept getting into each other's way. Wynne and Dempsey left the back exposed. All told, this was a disaster of tactics and personnel.
Motivation: This is my biggest concern. Forget players, formations, and environment for one moment. The last two away games have been defined most clearly by the lack of commitment and mental strength on the part of the players. But wait you say, the Sons fought back from 2-0 down in El Salvador. That's true, but the only player I remember playing with intensity and heart from that game was Frankie. It was definitely not a team effort. Frankie was so possessed he literally threw Altidore out of the way to score a goal. That kind of passion was missing in the rest of the team that night, and it was completely absent last night.
Bob, when the axe comes (and it won't come during this qualifying circuit), the most damning aspect will be the failure to bring the best out of your players. The U.S. has not been ready to deal with the mental challenges of playing on the road against tough competition. They are not prepared to play - that is on you coach. This group is the weakest collection of Sons I've been witness to. I'll take my obligatory shot at Golden B*tch at this point. The team seems to follow Donovan's personality when it comes to backing down from challenges. And no, a successful penalty in the 90th minute of a 3-1 butt-kicking does not deserve praise, no matter what the TV booth says.
Today, I'm embarrassed to be a supporter of the Sons.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Coach, I misunderestimated you
Tonight's lineup:
Howard; Wynne, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Beasley; Mastroeni, Bradley, Torres; Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore
I'm lovin' this lineup. It's basically the lineup I pleaded for this afternoon, with mastroeni instead of adu being a much better choice (to be fair to me, I was exaggerating for effect). Altidore is a little bit of a risk for 90, but since Ching is injured, its the best we can do.
Please no Charlie Davis. Please.
Howard; Wynne, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Beasley; Mastroeni, Bradley, Torres; Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore
I'm lovin' this lineup. It's basically the lineup I pleaded for this afternoon, with mastroeni instead of adu being a much better choice (to be fair to me, I was exaggerating for effect). Altidore is a little bit of a risk for 90, but since Ching is injured, its the best we can do.
Please no Charlie Davis. Please.
Gooch makes international news
Not with his stellar Belgian play, but with an aggressive stance against racism. I don't expect cowards like Platini and Blatter to do anything about this in Europe, but I'm happy to see Gooch making a stand.
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