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.

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.

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.

Deuce's tat is almost as cool as Highlander's

A noble attempt Deuce, but Highlander wins this one

Long Summer Ahead

Hopefully we will see more posts this summer, as the Sons of Thomas Dooley have a full slate of games ahead, starting tonight with the second (maybe third) toughest match of the final round of qualifying.

Besides the cauldron that is Mexico City, playing in Saprissa stadium has caused the US Men's National team the most difficulty. Still without a win in 7 games played (0-6-1), the Sons look to break the golden goose egg tonight. Already the same old excuses are being trotted out: artificial turf, hostile crowd, boiling temperature, deadly smog, and elevated altitude. Okay, I threw in the last two just to make sure everyone was paying attention.

Forgive my ignorance, but when you dream of winning the World Cup, playing the 41st ranked team in the world shouldn't lead you to alter your game plan as drastically as the Sons do when they go on the road to La Rica. Sure, the Sons are a little delusional when it comes to Project 2010, but the point still stands. The Nats are the biggest baddest boys on the CONCACAF block, and they don't need to go conservative when they travel.

Here is the lineup I want to see: Howard; Wynne, Charlie Blackmouth, Gooch, Beasley; Torres, Bradley, Adu; Donovan, Deuce; Ching.

Here is the lineup we will see: Howard; Spector, Bocangra, Gooch, Beasley; Dempsey, Bradley, Mastroeni, Kljestan; Donovan; Ching.

Instead of an attacking lineup that can hold the ball, Bradley will opt to pack the midfield, hope to soak up the pressure and hit back when the chances arrive. I find this strategy strange because when you let the home team play with the ball, all it succeeds in doing is making sure the home fans stay in the game. I would much rather see Bradley come out with an offensive team, smack Costa Rica in the face, and see if they wobble. My guess is that they would topple over. Alas, with Bradley at the helm, we won't ever get the chance to know.