In my World Cup primer from a couple weeks ago, I had written the following regarding the expectations of the United States,
That said, the United States team EXPECTS to make it out of the group stage and move on to the Round of 16. If they don’t, this World Cup (and the buildup to it during these past 4 years) would be considered a MAJOR disappointment. But I think the team will be just “blah” if they make it out of the group stage. I truly believe they think they can make it at least to the quarterfinal round like they did in the 2002 World Cup, and deep down inside, they would be very disappointed if they dont.
First, off I am extremely proud of the team for what this team has accomplished this tournament, battling for 2 ties and a win in the group stage. They showed a lot of heart and determination in advancing, and they should be commended for winning their group for the first time ever.
At the same time, there is a sense of disappointment for not beating a very beatable team in Ghana and moving on to the quarterfinal round. US Soccer President Sunil Gulatti went so far to say that “the US failed to meet his expectations and that they were capable of so much more.”
On a side note, this is a good thing because this shows how far the US has come. Early at the end of the last decade, it was just an accomplishment to qualify for the World Cup. Early this decade, we just wanted to get out of the group stage. Now we have expectations for moving on farther in the tournament.
So what went “wrong” with this team? Two things. A poor offensive front line and a poor defensive back line.
In 4 games, our strikers (Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, and Hercules Gomez) accounted for a total of 0 goals. All 5 of our goals were scored by our midfield. Now even though Altidore didnt score a goal, he contributed tremendously to the offense, and given the circumstances that he didnt play with a legit strike partner, he did pretty well.
I cant say the same for Findley, Gomez, and Buddle. Coach Bob Bradley gave 3 starts to Findley and 1 start to Gomez. However, they were so ineffective in the first half of all games, that in 3/4 games, Bradley subbed them out and brought in Benny Feillhaber.
Coach Bradley was dealt a tough hand when Charlies Davies was injured in a life-threatening car accident last year, and couldnt recover in time to make the team. This is what Davies offers the team: speed, pace, skill, experience.
Findley, Buddle, and Gomez together could not compare to Charlie Davies. With Altidore playing with these 3 inexperienced players, the US attack just faltered.
The second thing that screwed over the US was a shaky defense. It’s defense was unacceptable. In 3/4 games, the US gave up a goal within the first 15 minutes: England (4′), Ghana (5′), and Slovenia (13′). The Algerians almost scored in the first 10 minutes as well had their shot not hit the crossbar. Even the goal scored by Ghana in the overtime period was scored early on and due to a lapse in the defense.
Yes a lot of things have been said about the US’s resolve, determination, and resilience, but they should have never been in the position of having an early deficit to begin with. Their defense was unacceptable.
Again, Coach Bradley was dealt an unfortunate hand when Oguchi Onyewu, one of the US’s best centerbacks, ruptured his patellar tendon in a game for AC Milan. In the US’s run to the finals at the Confederation Cup last year, Onyewu played such an amazing tournament against Egypt, Spain, and Brazil that AC Milan, one of the best teams in the world, decided to sign him to a 3 year contract right away. Unlike Davies, Onyewu was able to regain fitness in time to make the team, but you could clearly tell that he wasnt playing at 100%. He was beat many times, and finally Bradley benched him for the last couple games.
Looking Forward…
The biggest question mark moving forward is whether Gulatti will keep Bob Bradley or not. I think he has done an amazing job with this team, and has really taken this team to new heights. He was rather unlucky though in not having a healthy Davies and Onyewu on his team. However, I have constantly criticized his squad and team selections this past month. For the last time, I will reiterate my belief that Brian Ching would have been a much more effective strike partner to Jozy Altidore than Gomez, Buddle, or Findley were.
However, even with this team he has, you have to question his starting 11 selections for all games. Ive criticized him tremendously for the past two weeks for starting Findley and Gomez at top and subbing them out at halftime, while at the same time moving Dempsey at top and Feilhaber in the middle. Everyone could see that the 2nd half of ever game with this new formation was much, much better than the 1st half of the games. I believe things could have been much different.
In terms of the roster, the midfield and goal keeper situations are pretty much set.
Michael Bradley is only 22 years old and will only continue to get better. I truly believe that he can be one of the best center midfielders in the world in a couple of years. If Clint Dempsey (27) and Landon Donovan (28) avoid serious injuries, they will most likely be around in 2014. Stuart Holden (24), Jose Torres (22), Maurice Edu (24), and Benny Feilhaber (25) are all young and will be contributing mightly to the national team in the years to come. With the exception of Torres who’s playing in Mexico, all these players are playing in Europe and will only improve for the better.
Tim Howard (31) will mostly likely retire from the American team by the 2014 World Cup, but we have a more then capable replacement in Brad Guzman, who plays for Aston Villa in the English Premier League.
What the US needs to develop are quality strikers and defenders.
Jozy Altidore (20) and Charlies Davies (24) are both very young and will only continue to get better. Its scary to see how good these kids can be. But after these two players, the US dont have quality forwards. Gomez (28) and Buddle (29) probably are too old to be around for the next cycle. As much as I knock on Findley (24), he has the possibility to improve, but only if he gets out of the MLS and moves to Europe. I really cant think of anyone in the pipeline who has the possible talent to be the next great forward for the national team.
Our defense is even more problematic. Onyewu (28), Carlos Bocanegra (31), Steve Cherundolo (31), Jay Demerit (30), and Clarence Goodson (28) would all be over 30 by the 2014 World Cup. Jonathan Spector (24) and Jonathan Bornstein (25) arent getting any younger. Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce are both 25 and could factor in for the team in the future, but they have a long way to go to be a quality defender. While the soccer life of a defender might be longer than midfielders and forwards, the US cant rely on the “old guard” of Onyewu, Bocanegra, and Demerit to perform in 2014. Like our forward situation, I cant really think of and defenders in our pipeline that can make a difference on the national team anytime soon.
As a follower of the mens national team since 1994, Im extremely proud to see how far this team has come in 16 years. From fighting hard against Brazil in the 2nd round in 1994 to the debacle in France in 1998 where the US finished dead last among 32 teams to the 2002 run where they outplayed Germany in the quarterfinals and should have made it to the semifinals if not for some bad officiating to the 2006 tournament where they were unluckily drawn into the Group of Death to the 2010 team that captivated the heart of this nation, I can only hope for further success and improvements in the years to come.
Obsessedsportsnut's Blog 