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.