It was Timmy Terrific...uh-gain...against Canada
Update:
US Starting line-up:
G: Howard
DEF: Cherunolo, Ream, Goodson, Bocanegra
MID: Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey
FW: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore
United States vs. Panama, getting under way shortly here.
It’s Round II of the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. The winner here advances outright; the loser heads into Game 3 needing some points.
Panama is all about forward play, so eyes on Tim Ream and Clarence Goodson–both likely starters–as they will be tested by Blas Perez and Luis Tejada at least a few times in this one.
Starting line-ups shortly.
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The Shin Guardian 
Posted by Hercules on 2011/06/11 at 4:02 PM
Same 11/18 as v. Canada. Get this one and have fun vs. Guadalupe is likely the strategy. Though Canada is having problems v. Guadalupe.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:28 PM
Agudelo, Donovan, and Dempsey are doing a good job of pressing…Altidore not so much. It seems like he is always a little lax on challenging. Donnovan almost created a few pressure turnovers and Altidore did not hussle.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:30 PM
And Goodson didn’t step up for the trap. We will get that back.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:32 PM
Jones better watch out, he is letting the refs call get to him…Edu early in the second half?
Posted by Jared on 2011/06/11 at 5:33 PM
Good to see that Bob’s strategy is back. Gotta love giving up an early goal.
Posted by Ufficio on 2011/06/11 at 5:34 PM
That was awful. Doesn’t look like we’re going to get much of a fair shake from the ref this game, either.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:35 PM
Bet the ref has painted his house yellow…sure loves the color
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 5:44 PM
wow… looking pretty poor so far. Flat, slow, tired, sloppy, lazy. Bad.
Posted by Ufficio on 2011/06/11 at 5:46 PM
The fix is in on this one. What a joke.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:50 PM
Altidore looks lazy or disinterested. Wondo should come in if that keeps up in the second
Posted by MJ on 2011/06/11 at 5:56 PM
It’s games like this that make me reluctant to watch with loved ones, children, churchgoers. [Sigh]
Posted by Matthew on 2011/06/11 at 5:57 PM
Pit my kids to bed. Killing me.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 5:57 PM
Agudelo is begging for the ball… and making good runs
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 5:59 PM
Well, that was a disgraceful half. Let’s hope they can eke out the draw.
Hey TSG, time to get the fire bob bradley editorial ready!
Posted by MJ on 2011/06/11 at 6:12 PM
Time for another one of those oh-so-inspiring “speeches” at the half Bradley gives, vaguely emotional and generic observations of the “we’ve been here before” variety.
Posted by Byrdman on 2011/06/11 at 6:02 PM
just got to a computer. WHat happenned????
Posted by MJ on 2011/06/11 at 6:05 PM
Panama pressing and the US like it doesn’t seem to care gave up an early goal and then we surrendered a PK. To be fair, the ref is ridiculous.
On a personal note, I’m having a really hard time rationalizing Jozy being a starter when he doesn’t seem fight for it — because that’s exactly what I’m doing, rationalizing.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:08 PM
1 somewhat lucky goal on poor marking positioning by Goodson
1 penalty in the box on a poor decision to tackle by Ream (though queestionable call slightly as the player embellished and dove).
Otherwise we are in their end most of the time just poor in the final third. They are countering well. There are WIDE open spaces on the pitch as they are spreading to the end line frequently and sending balls in to the middle of the pitch.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:10 PM
Another excuse….God doesn’t like that TSG mistook the Suez canal for the Panama canal…and now the flood of bad referring calls is coming.
Ohh and Jones and Altidore now have B.S. yellow cards
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 6:13 PM
not sure you can say that we’re in their end most of the time. In fact, i think it’s plainly not true. Most of the ball has been kicked back and forth around the center circle between the CBs, MB, and JJ, only to get booted over the top out of frustration that there are no outlets in the middle to help move the ball up. Panama has outclassed the US in (almost?) every facet of the game.
In other words, those 2 Panama goals were definitely not against the run of play. I was sensing a Panama goal almost right from the start, and they should have had a couple more. They are destroying us.
Posted by john on 2011/06/11 at 6:09 PM
I’d say something about the defense again but Martin would get upset… so hey… Everything is just fine.
Posted by toasterstrube on 2011/06/11 at 6:11 PM
We look like we’re lacking ideas to break down the panama defense. Nobody on the US is running at defenders and forcing them to commit. As a result, Panama is able to stay organized and the US is reduced to taking long distance shots and simply passing around the midfield line.
Posted by Antonio H. on 2011/06/11 at 9:26 PM
The only CAM on the roster is Adu. This was my concern with the roster initially and is now the main problem and reason why we aren’t scoring goals
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 9:33 PM
Not quite true–Dempsey can and should play that role.
Unfortunately–chalk this up to one of the myriad number of mistakes Bradley has made–Bradley has rarely tried Dempsey in this role. During World Cup 2010 Bradley pushed Dempsey into the hole on two occasions and saw the team perform the better for it. Now, maybe those were just one-off things but Bradley has never even tried it again for any sustained period. Instead he wasted valuable time trying to shoehorn three defensive midfielders into one team (without even giving them the proper coaching to at least turn two of them into box-to-box players).
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 6:12 PM
Wait, so 2-0 down?
Bob Bradley might want to start deciding whether he’d rather work in Chicago or Vancouver. (SERIOUSLY.)
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:18 PM
That’s easy…..Vancouver hands down.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 6:19 PM
Chicago’s pretty excellent, it’d be a tough choice for me.
Posted by john on 2011/06/11 at 6:19 PM
Vancouver’s airport is rather nice….
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 6:20 PM
In all seriousness…there’s really no excuse for this one. Talent for the U.S. is better than ever before–really–and therefore any underachievement has to be blamed on the coach.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/11 at 7:54 PM
“Talent for the U.S. is better than ever before–really–and therefore any underachievement has to be blamed on the coach.”
Highly debateable statement.
The 2002 WC team:
Brad FRIEDEL (GK) Frankie HEJDUK Gregg BERHALTER Pablo MASTROENI John O BRIEN Eddie LEWIS Claudio REYNA Brian McBRIDE Landon DONOVAN Tony SANNEH Eddie POPE
Substitute(s)
Kasey KELLER (GK) Tony MEOLA (GK) David REGIS Earnie STEWART Joe Max MOORE Clint MATHIS Jeff AGOOS Cobi JONES Steve CHERUNDOLO Josh WOLFF Carlos LLAMOSA DaMarcus BEASLEY
Two very good proven strikers, some very good supporting, young, speedy attacking players,an excellent midfield ( Reyna was named to the All star team a first and only for the US) , a solid defense, a productive bench and arguably the best keeper in the tournament.
Contrast that with this team who have a shaky backline, a solid but unimaginative midfield,an offense consisting of two midfielders and a inconsistent goal keeper.
There are more talented US players around but that doesn’t mean they make up a better team. US talent is better but so is the opposition’s, Mexico for example have an excellent offense while we do not.
I wouldn’t get too worked up over this loss. Now if they lose the next game, then you will have something to scream about.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 8:07 PM
Well, let’s compare the 2002 team. You’ve got 9 guys in top 5 leagues, 3 guys in other Euro leagues, and the rest in MLS. This team features 10 guys in top 5 leagues, 6 guys in top other European leagues, 1 guy from Mexico, and 6 guys from MLS. In addition, MLS is far better than it was in 2002, and so the MLS guys play against better competition week in and week out and are pushed from within against better competition week in and week out. Additionally, some excellent talent was left home–Bruce Arena in 2002 couldn’t draw anything like the amount of talent left at home. This 2011 team is a more talented team; in addition, they’re a team in great form. Dempsey had his best ever season. Cherundolo had his best ever season. Howard had his best ever season. Michael Bradley has added things to his game. Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones just played significant Champions League games. Sacha Kljestan and Jozy Altidore just competed in Europa League games.
In other words: U.S. players are producing at their highest standards for coaches other than Bob Bradley. Again, there’s a very obvious inference to draw.
And, besides, shaky backline in 2011? Jeff Agoos is insulted and appalled that you aren’t referring to him.
And while “the opposition” generically may or may not have better talent, this loss is not one in which the excuse can be used. Panama’s talent isn’t good.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 8:10 PM
One final note: if you were a gambling man, and wanted to get Panama to win, you could get -1350 odds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those odds being offered by a casino. That’s how much better the professionals thought the U.S. was better than Panama, and there’s no reason to believe they’re wrong.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/13 at 5:15 PM
None of what you have said takes away from the facts:
The 2002 team played better together than this bunch. Is that because of the players or the manager? Endless debate on that. But I would take them over the 2011 team in a game that mattered. Their players had more heart than this occasionally gutless bunch.
The professionals can put out all the odds they want. Panama won 2-1. View it again after you’ve calmed down and you’ll see, yes they had some help from the ref but overall they were good value for their win. From my twisted perspective, actually winning the games matters more than all the pablum everyone writes about them.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/13 at 5:20 PM
Yeah, this group was sooooo gutless against Algeria, Slovenia, Ghana, etc.
The 2002 team gets better memories because they were lucky, but in truth there’s not some obvious heart factor difference.
Posted by Jason on 2011/06/11 at 6:14 PM
How does a mexican ref get any of our games??? That’s really a travesty. I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same but I doubt you would ever see a german ref an england national game.
Posted by TommyB on 2011/06/11 at 6:14 PM
Another classic example of Bradley soccer. If the powers that be insist on keeping Bradley at the helm I have serious concerns about our chances of making it to Brazil 2014. A managerial change MUST be made NOW!
Posted by collin on 2011/06/11 at 6:14 PM
i already predict this won, we will be down 2-0 in the 70th minute then bob bradley will put in the boring old chris wondolowski, kljestan and bedoya who will do absolutely nothing for us like always and then we will lose the game.
Posted by toasterstrube on 2011/06/11 at 6:16 PM
Not sure I agree that Altidore looks disinterested like a couple people have commented. I’ve seen him track back and he’s held up well and tried to run at people when possible. I just don’t think he’s gotten much service. Donovan and Cherundolo’s crosses have been horrible tonight.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 7:47 PM
When I commented about Altidore I didn’t mean that he doesn’t track or try to fulfill his role, more that he doesn’t have an urgency about him. Agudelo, Demps, Donovan, Dolo, etc. (usually) play with intensity. They attack to get the ball back and pressure hard to make mistakes. Altidore seems to get close but then lays off and settles when he should be busting his gut. He did use his size/strength ok to try to holdup though.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:16 PM
Another major problem that continues to plague us is poor service/crosses from Lando and Dolo. We are being given all day out on the wings and need to calmly take those crosses, everyone is hitting it to far and off target.
We also need that last pass, more. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind Demps, MB, whomever having a go every once and while but look for Agudelo sneaking behind the line…then bang we will be back in this. Should be a WIDE open game in the 2nd. I have faith (though I wish we had Bunbury or another semi-speed striker on the bench.)
Thought I would say this but bring on Kljestan at 60 min if Altidore doesn’t get fired up and actually run.
Posted by MJ on 2011/06/11 at 6:24 PM
We need to get it back soon though or Panama will close out the game early and start milking the clock for everything they’re worth at the 60thmin and the frustration will kill off whatever work ethic the team possesses.
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 6:23 PM
wow this game is getting even uglier. the ref is not controlling the game.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:24 PM
Goodson frustrated? He needs to keep his head
Posted by toasterstrube on 2011/06/11 at 6:27 PM
Anyone else think Jones looked furious coming off?
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 6:28 PM
Think it’s a mistake to sub out Agudelo over Altidore. Altidore hasn’t been bad, but has been invisible.
Posted by Steve Trittschuh on 2011/06/11 at 7:26 PM
I agree. I think Bradley was going for experience there. One has to wonder how fit either of them are seeing as how they don’t put in full 90 minute shifts for their respective clubs.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:32 PM
Yeah, that’s plausible.
The thing is that the team needed two things: one, the ability to complete basic passes crisply; two, the final pass. Altidore gives you neither (that nice cross that Wondolowski shanked notwithstanding); Agudelo gives you the first at least.
It really has been astounding, the past two games, our ability to complete passes but like a foot or two off. It doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet except as a void where there should be a statistic, but wow. Gives you an appreciation of the phrase “inch perfect.”
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/11 at 8:01 PM
“two, the final pass. Altidore gives you neither (that nice cross that Wondolowski shanked notwithstanding); Agudelo gives you the first at least. ”
How can that cross by Jozy be “notwithstanding”? Ever hear the expression “silver platter”? If Wondo had just stood there and done nothing that cross might have hit his stomach and bounced in. Agudelo looked good but got little done.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 6:33 PM
The lack of organization on offense is disgraceful. Against Panama.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:35 PM
And then you went and did that and TOTALLY REDEEMED YOURSELF (to: Goodson)
Posted by john on 2011/06/11 at 6:36 PM
This… is… madness
Posted by Andy on 2011/06/11 at 6:44 PM
Altidore is the tall guy you choose in pick up basketball so you can get some rebounds that ends up chillin out at the 3 point line the whole game. Probably should have left Agudelo in the game.
Posted by Jake on 2011/06/11 at 6:45 PM
Hmm…instead of putting Wondolowski in as a striker, why not just move Goodson up to striker? He was performing much better as a target man on set pieces/corners than he was as a CD anyways.
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 6:46 PM
WTF? Take out goodson? if you’re gonna take out a defender for Wondo, why not Ream? who’s getting burned and exposed left and right (primarily by balls over the top).
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 6:46 PM
and goodson can score on set pieces. I don’t get it. Was he injured? (I know he has a yellow. Seems irrelevant to me in this situation.)
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:49 PM
Ream can distribute. We are going to 3 defensivemen and we need to have guys that can make a pass out of the back
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 6:56 PM
to my eyes, distribution out of the back has been pretty poor. Goodson could have tapped it back and forth with boca for a minute well enough, i think.
this is terrible.
Posted by Jake on 2011/06/11 at 6:48 PM
Okay, Wondolowski doesn’t get to play for us anymore. It was fun while it lasted…
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:48 PM
WONDO NOOO!
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 6:53 PM
So we brought Wondo in to the team because he can finish, no?
Posted by sfshwebb on 2011/06/11 at 6:59 PM
Is Donovan tired or dis-interested?
Posted by Crow on 2011/06/11 at 7:06 PM
good question. He seems to be satisfied with his 2010 World Cup and coast through the rest of his career relaxing in LA.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:02 PM
I’d advise Bob Bradley to replay the 2009 Confederations Cup, except for a win in the final. Otherwise, it’s time to fire him. Unacceptable.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:10 PM
Some might claim this is a flukey result, and there were chances to be had at the end of the game. FAIR. But against Panama. At home, my god, no less–it’s shouldn’t come down to flukes.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/11 at 7:29 PM
Overeacting just a bit there aren’t we?
Panama had a good plan and played well.
Howard was the evil twin bad Timmy; he showed me why I have never really felt comfortable with him. I am always so worried will show up at a bad time. Ironically the shot on him was near the same place where Jozy placed his shot on Hirschfeld with nearly the same results.
That was one of the softer penalties I’ve ever seen given. And a foul on Bedoya for simulation, instead of a penalty???
Referee seemed clearly anti US but that is to be expected. And you should nop by now ther is never a home field advantage for the US. It was hot and humind and favored Panama in that regard and they had the ref and probably enough of the crowd. This was on the players. Bradley’s subs worked out but Wondo had the miss of a lifetime.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:35 PM
No, not overreacting at all. The U.S. is far more talented than Panama. Panama is the worst team we’ve played since, like, 2008 or something. We’re playing Panama at home. Given the form of guys like Donovan, Dempsey, Cherundolo, Howard, etc., this should be easy. It wasn’t. The talent for the U.S. is, as an approximation, the best it’s ever been. And yet the results post-World Cup are the worst they’ve been in a long while. There’s an obvious logical inference to draw.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/11 at 8:26 PM
Panama looked pretty good to me. If they play like this they can beat Canada easy,a result US fans should wish for.
If you don’t know by now teams with superior talent lose to teams with “lesser” talent all the time ( See Spain vs US 2009). That is why they play the games.
The US is the big blue meany, the great satan for all these teams. You are naive in extremis if you think teams like Panama don’t run a little faster, jump a little higher, shoot a little harder than they would for a game like Guadalupe or Grenada.
The US was flat, Panama planned well, had just enough to keep the US off balance, Howard was panicky, the ref was interesting and the weather was humid. These aren’t excuses, the US should have won anyway or at least tied but unlike you I happen to think every single player and coach should be shot or at least hang their heads in shame. I don’t play favorites, unlike you, they were all crap, the whole organization.
But the tournament isn’t over yet and if they were all shot we’d have to forfeit. I don’t think we can put together a replacement team fast enough. Since we have only 3 points we wouldn’t get out of the group.
The US can still win the Cup so I believe you are overreacting; it’s a sort of a “things aren’t going my way so I’m going to take my ball and go home” reaction.
I thought TSG fans were more knowledgable and mature than that.
Posted by Crow on 2011/06/11 at 8:38 PM
I am so knowledgeable and mature that I have learned to dissipate any emotion that I may feel. I have officially evolved into a vulcan. Due to the TSG community, I have learned to live by logic and reason alone with no interference from emotion.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 8:52 PM
I’m generally a reasonable kind of a guy. But, again, not in this instance. I’ve argued as recently as a week ago that Bob Bradley was good value for money.
But not any more. Let’s take your example–Spain vs. USA. That example is one that makes Bradley look even worse, for several reasons. The general trend for Spain leading up to the Confederations Cup was good: they’d been unbeaten for so many games, they’d won Euro 2008, etc. They could say it was an aberration. The U.S.? We’ve not done well since the beginning of 2010. (Gory details here: http://goo.gl/Bs4j1 ). The talent differential between Spain and the U.S. was not as large as the talent differential between the U.S. and Panama–Panama has zero players in top 5 leagues. Spain was befuddled by an excellent, almost novel set of tactics utilized by Bob Bradley. What novel tactics were used against the U.S.? None that I could see. Furthermore, despite the score, Spain created tons of chances and put the U.S. under siege. The U.S. created a few chances against Panama, to be sure, but generally played in a disorganized fashion on both sides of the ball. Spain-U.S. was played on a neutral site; U.S.-Panama was played at home in front of a boisterous pro-U.S. crowd. Comparing Spain-U.S. to U.S.-Panama only exaggerates how deficient Bradley’s effort was.
You can talk about the flukes of the match, and I agree, there were many flukes in the match that the U.S. could reasonably expect to go in another direction in another match. But given the talent differential, given the fact that the U.S. was playing at home, flukes should only be the difference between a narrow victory and a blowout. But it’s not this specific result that matters; it’s this result in the context of many results. They haven’t been good, in general, and they haven’t been good in repetitive ways. And yet U.S. players are playing better than ever before, in better leagues than ever before, and for better teams within those better leagues. They’re limited, and there aren’t any world-class players. But they are much better than this, and they’re much better than their forebears. Therefore the scrutiny has to fall on the coach. Of course, if you’d bothered to read the original post–in which I said Bradley should “replay the 2009 Confed. Cup”–you’d know that my attitude isn’t purely a “fire him RIGHT NOW” kind of a thing. But the hot seat is warm and should the U.S. not turn it around expeditiously, Bradley should be fired, immediately, and he should be replaced with someone who looks like he’d be a better coach.
Posted by toasterstrube on 2011/06/11 at 7:02 PM
I think Bradley knows he just lost his job.
Posted by TommyB on 2011/06/11 at 7:09 PM
One can only hope. However, the problem goes deeper than just Bradley, Sunil Gulati needs to also go. We have the talent to perform on the international stage but we need leadership that thruely understands the international game to get us to the next level.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/13 at 5:29 PM
Everything I’ve read prior to the Gold Cup made it clear to me that if Bradley did not win this Gold Cup or at the very least make the final and lose in a great game to Mexico, his position would become very tenuous.
Which is why I’m really not concerned about this result. If he gets to the final and wins it, and we can still do that, then fine. Otherwise, well….
As for Sunil, he doesn’t decide Bradley’s fate. He wanted Klinsmann but couldn’t get enough of the required votes, which I’m sure came as a surprise to him. The man is a figure head. If Bradley fails to get to the final, then maybe Sunil wil get enough of the other 14 votes ( Sunil counts only as one) to get a new guy in.
Posted by Jason on 2011/06/11 at 7:03 PM
I honestly think Bradley should be fired now. I know it’s just a group game but to lose in the group stages for the first time ever. To have supposedly our A team out there and lose to Panama is really unforgivable. He shouldn’t have been resigned and now were paying for it.
Posted by 51NC3P0NG on 2011/06/11 at 7:04 PM
Looks like Panama could only afford to buy the refs for the first half. Tim Ream’s head on a pike please.
Posted by TommyB on 2011/06/11 at 7:13 PM
Although the officiating was, at times, questionable responsibility for this loss rests soley with the U.S. side. No excuses for this outcome.
Posted by 51NC3P0NG on 2011/06/12 at 2:15 AM
Not going to debate that, as I wasn’t attempting to make excuses for the US Team. I was making a statement. USA 1:2 Panama is a disgraceful result. Ream’s rash challenge (resulting in penalty) in the corner of the USA box along with missed chances from Dempsey, Wondolowski etc. were the major differences in this match.
If by “Although the officiating was, at times, questionable…” you mean the referee missed a blatant penalty when Bedoya was fouled, American players were getting knocked to the turf with no call the whole game, Panamanian players were richly rewarded for play acting and time wasting, USA free kicks largely from 50+ yards from goal – Panama free kicks generally far nearer to goal, and the USA seemed to get called for a foul or booked whenever they farted. Then yes, we agree.
Posted by Crow on 2011/06/11 at 7:05 PM
Why the H did I buy a Gold Cup final ticket? This is the most disgusting performance from the USMNT since the 98 World Cup. Bullied by Panama! Wow
Posted by JD on 2011/06/11 at 7:06 PM
Disgraceful, but this sort of thing can happen to any team.
So my opinion is not about one game — it’s about the development of the team. For this, we need a better coach than Coach Sweats.
Also bringing Robbie Rogers and Sasha Kljestan into this team ahead of Jose Francisco Torres — that’s laughable really.
Posted by John Henry on 2011/06/11 at 7:15 PM
can’t say I’ve seen Torres play much, but Kljestan was pretty darn good since he came on in this game. Brought more to the attack than Jones and (sad to say) Bradley.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:19 PM
Torres would’ve been terrible in a game like this. Torres doesn’t play well in a speed of play faster than “snail’s crawl.” Not a personnel question. It’s a Bob Bradley question.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 7:14 PM
Question:
Is this not the game that proves a Brad Davis type LM would have been better than bringing in Rogers?
Another question: If you have Rogers why don’t you play him? Yes BB brought Rogers in to “tutelage/train” him in camp. But the Gold Cup isn’t the time for BB to challenge his inner Yoda. If you don’t use Rogers in this match then WHY IS HE ON THE TEAM.
We kept bringing the ball down the left until we had no one to cross it in and then swinging back to Cherundolo on the right to bail us out.
Also maybe another stirker would have been helpful off the bench, no? Altidore looked beat, could have used the man from the great white north tonight. Or maybe Gyau?
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:18 PM
Gyau has never played a professional match before. He’s barely even played reserves. Get practical.
What happened in this match isn’t a personnel question. The personnel was there. Canada is a better team than Panama. We lost. Totally on the coaching.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 7:32 PM
I agree. I was joking about Gyau, but some of the selections were poorly made. I still believe Bunbury would have helped a ton (would have taken him in addition to who is there). Also though Brad Davis is older, he could play against middle of the road concacaf teams and really help. We need more balance on the field, badly.
As far as coaching goes, I will not forgive BB for taking out Agudelo before Altidore. That may have cost us a goal. Agudelo and Demps should be playing 90 every time out. They both press, pass, make opportunities out of nothing and play mature. I can not believe how well Agudelo handled the cheap fouls and tactics tonight. BB did not make the tactical changes necessary but he tied his hands behind his back (somewhat) with the Adu and Rogers callups.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 7:38 PM
Yeah, those Adu and Rogers call-ups are totally bizarre. That should have been an early warning sign that something very strange was going on in the mind of Bob Bradley. What happened to his decision-making? The thing about Bradley in the past is that even when his decision-making was wrong, it at least made sense. Well now his decision-making is wrong and it doesn’t make sense.
Posted by Martin on 2011/06/11 at 8:31 PM
Adu and Rogers weren’t dressed for the game, so what do they have to do with this game?
As I recall most people said if you were going to need a winger why bring Rogers over Bedoya. Well Bedoya was there.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 8:46 PM
I agree with your sentiment above about the world not falling. But as far as the Rogers and Adu callups they do matter. If there was a better LM would can provide service then Rogers (just threw out Davis’ name but maybe someone else) they could have been on today’s roster instead of perhaps Bedoya. Then in another match Bedoya would be used. Having the best 23 guys to complete the team for each scenario is helpful. It doesn’t always have to be the same guys who do not make the bench. Just thought this was a match where having another option would have helped.
Posted by dth on 2011/06/11 at 8:55 PM
They don’t have anything directly to do with it. Nevertheless, they’re part of a pattern of odd decision-making that’s culminated in this awful display. As I’ve said several times throughout this comment thread, it’s not a personnel issue. The personnel present are more than sufficient for the job. Despite Bradley’s erroneous selections, they are the most talented American assemblage ever. Therefore I think it’s reasonable for the U.S. not to lose to Panama, which is an awful team, and live up to the example of their much less talented forebears who had never before lost in the group stage.
Posted by Uncle Dude on 2011/06/11 at 7:15 PM
Start. Dempsey. Up. Top.
Posted by BryJD11 on 2011/06/11 at 7:22 PM
Does anybody else have a sick feeling in their stomach? I can’t believe this, but I am feeling sick right now and shaking a little. What happened? Why? So many many many many many opportunities, and they can’t finish them.
I don’t really know what to think right now. That first half was attrocious.
Posted by chris on 2011/06/11 at 7:37 PM
donovan is no longer taking many crosses domestically and it shows.
Posted by chris on 2011/06/11 at 7:38 PM
if the attack is so much better with dempsey up top, then why does it never happen until the last 20 minutes?
Posted by Uncle Dude on 2011/06/11 at 7:42 PM
This.
We start slow…this has been a problem for years. Start Dempsey up top and PRESS.
And taking off Juan instead of Jozy was terrible.
Posted by Pancho on 2011/06/12 at 7:46 AM
I thought the same thing at the time, but to give credit to Jozy he did serve Wondo on a platter after that switch. Still, I thought Juan’s runs were way more intellegent than Jozy’s if poorly timed.
And I liked Bedoya off the bench, (for those of you criticizing him), I think he gets a start in the next game with Dempsey moving To the middle and Edu behind him. Yup, you head it here first.
Unreal, a must win game against Guadelope.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 8:11 PM
One hope coming out of this. Bob Bradley gets mad, and by extension the team gets angry at this result. Demps, Jones, Howard, Dolo and Donovan are already frustrated. But if the coach does not show a smidge of disgust and says one more time, “there were many things that could improve. Do we like this result? No. Some stuff was bad, but there were some positives,” BB may start losing some of the team.
It’s motivational speech time. He needs to be blatantly frank and face up to the real deficits in his strategy. He needs to have a sit down with the veteran players, openly communicate about what they are seeing and hash things out. This isn’t Hollywood, so unfortunately there is no evil protagonist to fight against. A card board cut-out of Sepp Blatter or Chuck Blazer in the locker room (ala. Major League) won’t cut it in this one.
Posted by Eric on 2011/06/11 at 8:40 PM
Players now with 1 yellow card:
Jozy Altidore, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Clarence Goodson, Carlos Bocanegra
Posted by Crotalus on 2011/06/11 at 9:16 PM
What’s the Gold Cup rule for slate-wiping? If those guys can make it through Guadeloupe without a card, do they get to start over at zero for the knockout stage, or do they carry over?
Posted by Ufficio on 2011/06/11 at 9:26 PM
And three of those were absolutely absurd. Well, unless Jozy called the Panamanian that hacked him down “pinche pendejo” or something within earshot of the ref.
Posted by Sam on 2011/06/11 at 9:19 PM
It was bad… But I don’t think the sky is falling. Sometimes team’s have off nights, and the US clearly had one tonight. Combine that with a good game from Panama (who were really flying around, I thought they played very well) and you get what we got, a disappointing 2-1 loss.
But we’ll still make the knockouts and we’ll hopefully make the final. The US will have another day in this tournament.
That said, there are quite a few things to work on. As has been mentioned, we need someone to actually occupy the left wing, Donovan and Dolo need to cross better, Jones needs to distribute better and Ream and Goodson can’t make mental errors.
As was mentioned above, I think a good deal of our attacking issues get solved if Dempsey starts up top. I think Bob needs to put him there, Jozy and Juan simply aren’t good enough. The ideas and quick thinking we need in the attack aren’t there with them. Add Bedoya in on the left, get a little more balance and things might open up a little bit more in the middle for guys like MB, Landon, Dempsey, etc. That’s the key for me against Guadeloupe. If Dempsey isn’t up there for Jozy at the start, then I’ll start to get mad at Bob.
But I’m not gonna lose my head tonight. Yeah, we have to beat Panama. But bad games happen; we just have to respond on Tuesday.
Posted by David B on 2011/06/11 at 9:25 PM
I’d love to run an experiment: Have Bob Bradley come out in a suit & tie instead of sweats, then wait to see if the team he leads starts flat again. We’re just too casual.
Posted by Soccernst on 2011/06/11 at 9:48 PM
Mr Chandler paging Mr Chandler. Mr Holden please pick up a white courtesy telephone.
Posted by MitchH on 2011/06/11 at 10:44 PM
Seeing as it looks like the US will get out of the group (only way it doesn’t happen is if they lose to Guadeloupe by more than three or if they lose and Canada beats Panama), it looks like the way the bracket will set out is that if the US can beat the winner of Jamaica/Honduras, they’ll likely get another shot at Panama, which would be nice to see.
Posted by MitchH on 2011/06/11 at 10:45 PM
That is, unless they get third in the group, through some heavily contrived means.
Posted by notwondo on 2011/06/12 at 6:08 AM
i know all is not lost.
however:
– this is not comparable to USA vs. Spain 2009. We should be far, far more embarrassed.
– i don’t trust our backline.
– i don’t believe in our attack.
– i don’t believe in our leadership.
i (unfortunately) was at the game last night. i (unfortunately) went with my dad and some friends. i don’t enjoy cursing in front of my father. i don’t enjoy paying money, devoting myself, caring about this team just to watch some professional american athletes jog around, miss a simple tap-in from literally ten feet in front of a giant gaping goal, waste my time.
sincerely,
a fan with a broken heart.