Confederations Cup Final: U.S.-Brazil
A spineless and listless performance against a team that only had to play 20 minutes to walk over and through the U.S.
Of course that was 20 minutes more than the likes of DaMarcus Beasley (mercifully removed at half time in what should be his final appearance in a U.S. shirt because if you can't concentrate in the attacking third against Brazil you have no business being on the field), Clint Dempsey (who holds the ball far, far too long every time he gets it) and Sacha Kljestan (discovering intelligence counts for something in international football) played.
The first legitimate U.S. chance didn't come until the 83rd minute when Jonathan Spector combined with Landon Donovan to set up Benny Feilhaber's crossbar-bound shot. And the fact the U.S. hit the bar twice is misleading and doesn't indicate just how dominant the Brazilians were.
Despite the three goals, the defense wasn't as much of a problem as the static midfield.
Positives: full backs Spector and Jonathan Bornstein looked fairly sound, with the Chivas USA player at least demonstrating the effort many of his teammates lacked even on the third Brazilian goal.
Feilhaber continues to look among the most imaginative and technically proficient American players.
Negatives: Um, how about reconstructing virtually the entire midfield with just a year until the World Cup begins and finding strikers who look interested.
And that's just to start.
If Italy ties or beats Egypt later this morning the U.S. is flying home early.
Your input is welcome.
Updated: Italy-Egypt reaction
The Americans are still technically alive in the tournament, but need to score a jillion goals or so to move on against Egypt.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
I think its time to bring in a foreign coach with international experience. I mean, these guys never look ready to go or like they should be on the field with half of the teams they play!
USA has zero trademarks in the sense of great players or some different style of play.
"somewhere in the USA, there is a boy kicking a ball and who will be ready to play against the big boys and lead our country to glory, I just hope he is born!"
A brutal tournament for them. They played a good first half against Italy and then fell apart after the silly Ricardo Clark red card. Hesitant, intimidated, distracted. Lashing out without purpose. Ball-watching.
I have tremendous respect for DaMarcus Beasley but it seems to be over for him. The speed and flair is gone, and it's unforgivable to pound the ground in frustration having lost the ball when the team needs you to chase after the man who took it from you. You were once fast enough to catch him and take it back.
Props to Donovan for working his butt off, mostly playing very well. Unlucky not to have three or more assists because of poor finishing by others.
Here's hoping they pull themselves together for Sunday against Egypt.
I agree with Javy. It is time to put an end to this Beasley experiment.
Hey Nick.-
I forgot to include the "Bradley experiment."
The lineup was a joke, the adjustments were a joke, and leaving an unused sub on the bench while down 3 goals and playing with 10 men is indefensible.
Seems like the tactics don't fit the personnel on this team. Is there even a way to get Adu, Torres, Feilhaber, Donovan, and Altidore on the field together without being too compromised defensively? I don't think sticking Adu or Torres wide left is the answer nor is putting Feilhaber on the right. The US likes to use wingers, but I don't see any, save for Beasley who has no business being on the field.
I'm back! Can't agree with you much on most things gaLAxy but we have a lot more in common re the MNT performance so far in Sod Africa. So I break my silence.
Add the less than convincing Tim Howard performance in the nets to the woeful play in other parts of the field.
Howard should have done more on the De Rossi, Robinho and Brazilian header inside his &*^%ing box. You're a sitting duck if you stay on your line with the ball inside the 6 yard box.
US does not have instinctive technical skills and game smartness of most soccer playing nations. We just don't have the soccer genes we need to reach a higher level. I've been waiting to see that develop in this country for 45 years and still haven't seen it. So, we must play gritty, tough, ugly and extremely well organized games to have any chance of competing. This team ain't got it. Feilhaber and Dempsey are so slow with their movements that even my mother can take the ball away from them. Adu and Torres should play NOW. Altidore showed nothing, Casey deserves more time, and do NOT even think Ching. Donovan's skills should be minimum requirements for any player on that team.
One big aspect not being mentioned at all is Peter Novak's absence from the bench. Bradley needs a lot more savvy people on the bench helping him than Mike Sober and Zak Abdel.
So, I say search all over the world and bring in any players eligible/willing to play for us/US.
Jermaine Jones do you want to play? Common down.
Edgar Castillo, we beg you bro, Common down.
Anyone else wants fast track to citizenship? Common down.
Where are the Dooleys, Prekis and the Stewarts when you need them?
Nick replies: Welcome back.
Pretty much sums it up here.
The talent is out there, here and abroad. It's the managment of Bob Bradley and his staff that has shown that he is not capable of bringing in players with smarts and talent. The fact that he used Beasly (who had limited play @ Rangers) as a left back, Sasha who is not at the Olympic level let alone the men's level speaks volumes! He's used Arena's bad habit of bringing in "loyal" players in day and day out! That being said, the national team needs players with character, where the jersey "no les pesa". Where making even one mistake is unacceptable in their mindset (after Beasly's &#%$up he looked as if it was normal). We need a coaching/manager that truly understands the world of football. Those that make the argument the we need an American coach are rubbish. Football is football!! We need a coach that understands a change of rhythm of play, that we don't need players that are 6 ft. plus, that can run all day but aren't intelligent enough to be on the field, and lack the most basic ball skills (in 2 games how many triangular passes was the U.S. able to do). We need a coach that can choose smart players, that can touch the ball, that they have "picardia". Either way to get to the next level Mr. Bradley should either resign (to save face) or Mr. Gualati must fire him. NOW! That gives a new coach about a year to give a true style of play of today's football.
Oscar, where are these players you're talking about? I want to believe you that "the talent is out there" but where?
I agree with you that Bradley is not the answer for the World Cup stage. He had an opportunity to be more imaginative with his selections at this meaningless Confederation Cup but he went conservative, choked and failed. So now he has a very vunerable "experienced" squad that has to be reconstructed drastically. I give him the Gold Cup to shape up or be shipped out.
i was just wondering if you had anything else to say now that the us scored the "bajillion" goals necessary against spain and the only two goals of the tournament against number one ranked spain? one of which was scored by that clint guy you said should never step on the field again...good thing you dont have the final say, eh? or any comments on the fact that we're now in the final? if you dont thats fine, i understand...
Nick replies: You might want to read the post after today's game. And I didn't say that about Dempsey, I said that about Beasley. And I'm guessing you meant Egypt, not Spain with your "bazillion" reference.
I don't know about anyone else but I'm starting to see some Claudio Reyna in Clint Dempsey's playing habits(meaning not good). I think it's time to shake it up a little bit in that midfield.