Deuce needs on the scoresheet…
Will the US chug into the Hexagonal or will it fall over itself and clunk in. The LIVESTRONG field is a key advantage for the States, it’s size and well … it’s lighting, if you remember the US’s last game against Guatemala at Estadio Mateo Flores in June.
No fouls near the box this one and someone bring some Carlos Ruiz kryptonite, because the fishy flopper keeps getting on the score sheet. For the States, Clint Dempsey needs a goal celebration.
Starting line-ups shortly. Here for TSG’s Official Preview.
Will it be Grown Ass Man Gone Wild in KC today …. like it used to once be for the former Fulham man.
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The Shin Guardian 
Posted by amh on 2012/10/16 at 2:54 PM
Should be nice weather for the game, though a bit windy right now (though nothing like last Friday!).
Hope the US can keep a clean sheet as the +3 GD can disappear quickly if they don’t.
Posted by lms619linda@aol.com on 2012/10/16 at 2:56 PM
At least we can watch this one!!
Sent from my iPhone
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 3:02 PM
Oh, Canada, Canada.
Posted by ezbills7 on 2012/10/16 at 3:56 PM
Holy hell: Honduras 8, Canada 1!!!
http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=407509
Posted by Wallace on 2012/10/16 at 3:11 PM
Whens that line-up getting announced?
Posted by mbw on 2012/10/16 at 3:21 PM
Per Wahl: USA lineup: Howard; Cherundolo, Cameron, Bocanegra, Parkhurst; Zusi, Williams, Bradley, Johnson; Dempsey, Gomez
Posted by Matt on 2012/10/16 at 3:23 PM
@GrantWahl
USA lineup: Howard; Cherundolo, Cameron, Bocanegra, Parkhurst; Zusi, Williams, Bradley, Johnson; Dempsey, Gomez
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Posted by Shawn G on 2012/10/16 at 3:26 PM
Is this a 4-3-3 with Bradley on left, Zusi on Right?
Posted by matthewsf on 2012/10/16 at 3:42 PM
Will be just like in the preview with Gordo swapped out for Gomez.
Posted by Shawn G on 2012/10/16 at 3:59 PM
Thanks
Posted by Donum Dei on 2012/10/16 at 3:27 PM
Will this be available on replay later or do I have 30 minutes to cancel dinner plans?
Posted by scweeb on 2012/10/16 at 3:38 PM
I like what keller says. Tonight we just need results style and everything else is just out the window. I can’t agree more we make sure we move one and then we can worry about style.
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 4:13 PM
Klinsmann continues his long-held quest to give us all an aneurysm. Thank god Danny Williams is at destroyer (rather than RW).
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 4:18 PM
I’m getting increasingly tired of Gomez wandering off wherever while defensively pressing. Stay in your lane, my man.
Posted by Jared on 2012/10/16 at 4:21 PM
Well that didn’t take long. We aren’t qualifying even if we make the hex playing like this.
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/10/16 at 4:22 PM
Carlos Ruiz!
Undone by a simple ball over the top. Again.
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 4:25 PM
Okay, why don’t why all pull back and play for the draw now?
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 4:28 PM
Is there a large Guatemalan community in KC or environs? Seems like a lot of Guatemalan jerseys in the crowd.
Posted by mbw on 2012/10/16 at 4:34 PM
Man, what a brilliant ball from Cherundolo to start that sequence.
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 4:42 PM
This game so far is why Klinsmann has stuffed the side full of so many destroyers. The team is much more fluid and beautiful (though it always looks better when it’s playing a basketball game), but its defense looks like a paper shield.
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 5:06 PM
Parkhurst hasn’t looked great at left-back, I’m hoping getting Johnson back will shore-up any deficiencies. The defense under Klinsmann has generally been solid. Boca and Cameron don’t seem to be having their best games either.
Clint is firing on all cylinders. Playing all over the box, making all the right runs. I’m impressed with the skill of Eddie Johnson as well.
This offensive fluidity is what Klinsmann was hired to implement.
Posted by mbw on 2012/10/16 at 5:06 PM
Just for the record: do we now have confirmation that Carlos Ruiz will take a dive as part of his goal celebration?
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 5:08 PM
Also, full marks to the lad holding up the giant Clint troll face.
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/10/16 at 5:14 PM
Taylor Twellman is a useless commentator. Kasey Keller would be so much better. He makes the important points.
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 5:27 PM
Kasey Keller wouldn’t be bad; I think Brian Dunseth is actually pretty good (though a lot of people hate him).
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 5:29 PM
Seriously. He’s still complaining about an inconsequential missed handball call an hour later.
Posted by Andrew M. on 2012/10/16 at 5:34 PM
Who else noticed Danny Williams’ tramp stamp? 🙂
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/10/16 at 5:41 PM
Is it an assist when it is not intentional – ie when you’re clearly going for goal and it lands in the path of a teammate who scores?
Posted by Kevin S on 2012/10/16 at 6:12 PM
I would think no, but then again if you’re looking to cross and somehow find the back of the net, it’s not like the goal isn’t counted.
Posted by CJ on 2012/10/17 at 5:19 AM
Gotta count it, same as own goals. Clearly unintentional but, had the player not acted on the ball during that play the outcome would be different. Funny point, Bradley’s goal?
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/10/16 at 5:47 PM
That was a penalty. Maybe if Bradley wasn’t so theatrical, it would have been given?
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 5:59 PM
Carlos Ruiz needs to stop timewasting here.
Posted by dth on 2012/10/16 at 6:02 PM
I think Michael Bradley has a decent-ish chance to become the greatest American player ever.
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/10/16 at 6:10 PM
If he carries on improving his decision making, positional play and maturing, then why not?
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 6:09 PM
Needless yellow for Dempsey there. Terrible dive. Kudos to the ref for actually pulling out the card. The English FA should hire him to teach a seminar.
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 6:12 PM
Nothing to argue with in that performance beside the early hiccup.
Hex is going to be brutal. Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Jamaica and almost certainly Costa Rica. Sincerely hope Klinsmann is up to the task.
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 6:18 PM
To be honest, we really only need to be better than 2 teams over the course of the Hex. If this round has taught us anything, it’s to never take any of these qualifiers for granted. But even if we make it to 4th place, if we can’t beat New Zealand on aggregate, we won’t deserve to go to Brazil.
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 6:37 PM
Dunseth’s the worst of the lot to me. He says as many stupid things, and his voice tone and rhythm are beyond grating.
Martino’s really the only highish-profile American color commentator I can stand.
Posted by Ufficio on 2012/10/16 at 6:37 PM
Er, replied to the wrong comment, obviously.
Posted by john mosby on 2012/10/16 at 6:20 PM
the main reason that the two goal lead was so secure was because guatemala scored first, then usa answered three back, even though it was all in the first half. ej, on the left, ej on the right. nice hustle from herc, as usual, and zusi, reverse that and you got a famous frenchmens name. thats not bad company.
usa still has a lot to work out. go get on it field master general bradley.
Posted by twewlife on 2012/10/16 at 7:22 PM
Here’s some of my general thoughts / questions about the game:
1. Plaudits first: Bradley’s midfield distribution is getting better and better. His ability to move the ball in the space under pressure is getting better and better. Say word.
2. I don’t think Gomez is the answer for the #9 slot. He works hard, his service is decent, but I have never seen him beet a man on the dribble in a national team game. Case in point is the breakaway he had, and then gave up, in the 79th or so. He just doesn’t have the speed, touch, or aggression to attack his defenders. We need an answer here and I’m not sure who it is. Would love to here some thoughts about this from the board….
3. Both Zusi and Eddie looked good in their slots. I’ve been especially impressed with Zusi’s service into the box, as well as his off the ball movement. And Eddie’s just been going nuts. Given the last few games, who does Donovan replace?
4. Boca got torched tonight. Plain and simple. I love the guy, but he’s only getting slower. This is going to become a bigger problem as we face better opponents. I don’t know if he’s going to still be our guy by 2014, and I don’t know who’s going to be there to replace him.
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 8:01 PM
Good points. Concerning #2, I think Gomez tended to play more as a right-sided forward than he did a #9 tonight. Dempsey played the center forward role for the most part.
Posted by KickinNames... on 2012/10/17 at 6:00 AM
Agree that overall Mike once again put his stamp on the game but was very erratic in distribution in spells throughout. First goal was his weak turnover at midfield…now why that floated ball turned into a goal is a whole other sad story (see your #4 above)…
the more D Wills gets comfy I think we’ll see more Roma MIkey that resulted in 2 goals tonight. That chip to “Demps goal” was a goal scorers touch in tight…sweet…
Did anyone else notice him clearly telling Clint…”I don’t give f-ck about goals” when Clint apologized for touching it in….small moment but that’s a guy that’s ready to pick this squad up and carry it through Hex quals…the next Captain America rises as the former cap has an obvious sunset performance…(see #4 above)
Re 3-New improved EJ is the best relaunch of a product I’ve seen in a long time. He did EVERY little thing that makes us Jozycrazy last night from checking back to the circle to receive the ball and lay it off to actually threatening the left and right backs with faced up attacking. I’m looking up that sports psychologist that Dunseth credits with his revival this morning…watch out world!
Zusi looks like a solid alternative developing to Landon in the right
4- Boca does look like it may be time to stand down…hoping Gonzalez or others can take Cupcake by storm and Kllinsi allows a new pairing the time it takes to get comfy….that was an unmitigated defensive nightmare last night…every floated ball in you could almost see question marks in bold over every defenders head…ugly…
Just holding the breath as Stu starts his comeback….stay up Stuey!
Posted by JGD on 2012/10/16 at 8:26 PM
Can any avid MLS followers tell me how Omar Gonzalez has looked since coming back from injury?
Posted by mbw on 2012/10/17 at 2:45 PM
He’s been very good. It’s actually been kind of astonishing how quickly he’s gotten back to decent condition; I’m sure there’s still a bit of physical and psychological fallout, but remarkably little. Plus he somehow managed to improve his distribution game and general soccer smarts during the time he was out.
I was never a big Omar fan before the injury, but I’ve gotta say I’m pretty impressed by how he handled the whole situation. He had every excuse to let it get him down but manifestly he didn’t.
Posted by Brad on 2012/10/16 at 8:39 PM
Well, that was fun, and hard luck to the Canadians, El Salvadorans, and Guatemalans, but for those of us moving on… when do they announce the schedule for the Hex?