Disappointment. Frustration. Anger. All of these things come standard with a loss to Mexico. Those feelings are magnified when that loss comes after being up 2-0 before a vastly pro-Mexican crowd on U.S. soil. (Speaking of anger, I wanted to throw a bottle through the t.v. when they showed an airplane flying a Fox Soccer Channel banner while the ball was in play. I know it's CONCACAF's feed, but are you kidding? Why were there so many shots of the crowd or the sidelines during play? If I want to people watch, I'll go to the beach. Just show me the game. I digress.)
Remember when the USMNT's defense was the most solid part of the team and we moaned about the offense? Now, we get to moan about both. Hurray. Many will point to the loss of Cherundolo as the reason for last night's outcome, but it cannot be an excuse. Mexico lost a defender, too, but did not miss a step -- or give up a goal -- after Marquez left. Bob Bradley is going to be flamed today for some of his choices, I am sure, but you can't just scream he needs to go. If you are in that crowd, you need to propose a legitimate replacement. For me, it comes down simply to what Carlos Bocanegra said, "we weren't good enough tonight." That's a tough pill to swallow, but it is true. The US needs to objectively evaluate how it gets better from here.
Did I mention disappointment? Frustration? Anger? These are difficult times to be objective, but we will do our best. We are using a 1-10 rating scale, with 1 being the worst rating and 10 being the best. Do you agree with our ratings or not? Do you just want to vent? Let us know in the comment section below. (mwc) CONTINUE READING AFTER THE JUMP.
HOWARD
4: He picked the wrong time to put on his worst performance of the tournament - point blank, coming out on Dos Santos is one of the bigger errors I've seen him make with club or country. (Jared)
5: We needed him to come up with one of those impossible saves that we have come to expect from him, but he could not come up with one this time. The Dos Santos goal can be criticized in hindsight, but I think that one just comes down to a moment of individual brilliance. (mwc)
CHERUNDOLO (injury 11')
---: Boy did we miss you, Stevie, and boy are we going to miss you if this was your last game in a US shirt. (Jared)
---: Not enough time for a rating. His loss exposed the US' lack of depth and experience in the back. (mwc)
GOODSON
4: He struggled all night to cope with Dos Santos and Hernandez's movement, skill and pace. (Jared)
4: Had some poor distribution tonight. His inexperience showed, but I am not sure it is reasonable to have expected more from him at this stage in his development. (mwc)
LICHAJ
4: Didn't see a ton of action after moving to the right, as Mexico's eyes lit up when Bornstein checked in, but he gave the ball away and got caught up too often.
4: For a young guy whose opponents at Leeds last season didn't look anything like Mexico's attackers, he did a lot of things right. Unfortunately, he just had to do better on the second goal. (mwc)
BOCANEGRA
4.5: Struggled like Goodson, but did captain a good offsides trap all night. (Jared)
5: Bocanegra continued his propensity to clear balls back into the middle, once leading to a goal. On the other hand, if he had not gotten to so many balls, it would have been 6-2. (mwc)
BEDOYA
4 - Largely ineffective and sometimes reckless, Bedoya reminded us tonight why he still needs time before being entrenched in the XI. (Jared)
4: Alejandro was supposed to be on the roster for his offensive capabilities, but, again, his contributons were mainly made on defense. I have yet to see what all the hype is about. (mwc)
DEMPSEY
4.5: This was Dempsey's best cup as a US player, but he's got to put a bigger imprint on the final. That said, he was unlucky not to equalize when he struck the crossbar. (Jared)
6: Had a great assist on Donovan's goal and his shot off the cross bar missed by inches. Once he saw the that the referee was not blowing the whistle, I would like to have seen him stronger on the ball. (mwc)
BRADLEY
5.5: He did all the usual Michael Bradley things and even netted the opener, but his touch betrayed him on several occasions and he got caught in possession an unusual number of times. (Jared)
5: Scored an important goal that was overshadowed by the game's outcome. He got caught in possession a couple times in problem areas. I know it is tough to hit a volley, but Bradley had an open goal in front of him late that I think he is capable of making. (mwc)
DONOVAN
6: The run and subsequent finish on the US' second goal was pure class, and, along with Adu, Donovan was the side's most dangerous attacker. (Jared)
6: His goal was excellent as he continued his run and showed composure with his off-foot to finish. Sent in a couple of good free kicks -- an important dimension he adds to the game which is another reason he's still a 90' player for me. (mwc)
JONES
5.5: Like Bradley, Jones was solid, but not enough. (Jared)
4: Jones was largely anonymous for the first 70 minutes. I think the US desperately needed a physical presence in the midfield, especially after the first Mexican goal, but Jones failed to step up. Wasn't that what he was supposed to bring? (mwc)
ADU (subbed off 86')
6: The biggest (only?) positive takeaway from this match was the way Adu stayed plugged in, played smart and still found multiple opportunities to show off his exceptional skill in a starting role. I might have more to say about Freddy in another post. Teaser! (Jared)
7: The surprise starter did well. He got an assist and was involved in the build-up to the second goal. He had a lot of positive touches tonight, was strong in his hold-up play, and looked confident on the ball despite the magnitude of the moment. Did you know he was involved in the last three goals the US scored in the Gold Cup? (mwc)
BORNSTEIN (subbed on 11')
2: It does me no good to discuss all the shortcomings and errors, because, the fact of the matter is, he shouldn't even be on the roster. This one is on Bradley. (Jared)
3: Bornstein has primarily played defensive midfield with Tigres since his transfer from MLS, and it showed. He was beaten twice on long balls leading to Mexico's first two goals. I know this won't be popular, but I understand why Bradley brought in Bornstein -- Spector or Ream would not have had the speed to to keep up with Mexico and a three man backline would have been abused. I'm not saying it worked, I'm just saying I understand why Bradley brought him in. Bob gambled and lost. The only positive for many USMNT fans is that this may be the last time they see Johnny B. on the team. (mwc)
AGUDELO (subbed in 63')
4 - Was ineffective when he came in. (Jared)
4: Juan did not have an impact tonight. The learning process continues for him. (mwc)
KLJESTAN (subbed in 86')
---: Did well to almost set up a goal, but didn't have enough time to make a stamp. (Jared)
---: Sacha did not have enough time to get a rating, but he had a nice touch that nearly resulted in a goal. (mwc)
