2011 USMNT report cards, part 2

By Jared Launius

Well hello.

If you missed part one of my silly attempt to recap the year for the USMNT, there's a link at the bottom of the page (That, friends, is what we call a tease. Journalism schooling at work!). Here's a quick recap – I'm giving a grade, A-F, to all 47 players to earn a cap for the U.S. men's senior team this year. Taken into account is both their club play as well as how they performed in their time wearing a U.S. shirt. For simplicity's sake, I'm going in alphabetical order. Last week, I did A-C (a surprisingly high 16 players' last name start with one of those three letters), so we'll start with D and roll on to L today.

Is this particularly sophisticated? No. Is it fun? For me, at least, yes. So yeah, onward, ho!

Jay DeMerit: C: – two caps, two starts – It's hard, I think, to really grade someone who spent a sizable chunk of the year injured. But, well, you can only grade on what you have in front of you, and there isn't a ton. His best outing in a U.S. shirt was a typical DeMerit 90 against Argentina, center backing like a linebacker against Messi and co. He missed 13 games for his new club, Vancouver, and was too banged up leading into Gold Cup to Merit (see what I did there?) a selection to Bob Bradley's roster. Based on what I saw of his games with Vancouver, he seemed to spend much of the season hampered by nagging injuries. I watched him in person against Kansas City in June and he looked a step slow all night – particularly when his slide tackle of Omar Bravo gave the KC winger a penalty. DeMerit, in the past, has had fantastic timing on last-ditch tackles, so that, to me, was an indication maybe he wasn't 100%. His days in a U.S. shirt are probably over, but I'm certainly glad to have the gregarious center back in MLS where his personality can be a big part of the league – and hopefully transition into a professional position when he retires.

Clint Dempsey: A – 14 caps, 13 starts – It feels good to give a pure, unbridled A. Because, well, that's what Deuce's game was this year. The Fulham attacker began his 2011 by capping a 12-goal EPL campaign (the highest-scoring of any U.S. player in that league's history) and helping the Cottagers into Europa League qualifying through the Fair Play slot. His form has yet to dip either, as he followed that up with an (I thought) incredibly influential Gold Cup, where he bagged three goals and was the U.S.'s most dangerous attacker. He's begun his 2011 EPL campaign where he left off in May – four goals (two more in Europa) and three assists through 14 matches, and his 55 shots are good for third in the league. He bagged five times for the Yanks this year, my favorite being his dance around Donovan Ricketts to put away Jamaica in the Gold Cup quarters.

Mikkel Diskerud: B- – one cap, one start – It was, far as I could tell, a tough year for the 21-year old attacker. I say "far as I could tell" because I had little (re: zilch) access to Stabaek matches this year and thus have only statistics, occasional highlights and scarce news stories. Here's what I do know, thanks to Greg Seltzer: to pay off a deal on a new stadium, Stabaek sold off it's most expensive players before this season, leaving Mix behind to run the show. I can't put a ton of stock, then, into Stabaek's paltry offensive output (1.2 goals a game) or a modest three-goal, three-assist season for the attacking midfielder, especially given that I couldn't watch his games. We'll call his club season a wash. His lone appearance with the national team was an industrious – though not particularly influential – 90-minute shift against Chile in January.

Landon Donovan: C+ – ten caps, eight starts – By his own standards – and following what was probably his best two-year run in a national team shirt – 2010 2011 was a down year for the U.S.'s all-time goals and assists leader. His one-goal output for the national team was his lowest since becoming a regular in 2002 (even though it was a beautiful build up and finish) and many will remember his benching during the Gold Cup knockout rounds. Donovan took his usual spot in the MLS Best XI, but I don't think much of anyone would call his a vintage Donovan season. David Moyes has made it clear he'll try to bring Donovan back on loan this winter, which begs the question: does he need rest or a challenge?

Maurice Edu: B- – 12 caps, 10 starts– I should probably start with a disclaimer: I've never really been a huge fan of Edu's game. I think he's often harried on the ball, imprecise with his passing and reckless in tackle. Truthfully, I didn't catch many Rangers matches in 2011, though it's certainly impressive Edu was an every-week starter on a title-winning team – only one other Yank abroad can say that (high five to whoever names him in the comments). When featuring for country, I found Edu to be pretty unsophisticated and unspectacular – particularly in his auditions to be Klinsmann's #8.

Sean Franklin: B+ – one cap, one start – It was a good year for Franklin – manning right back for a historically stingy LA Galaxy defense and all that – but when you're behind two Bundesliga starters and Aston Villa's right back of the future, it takes more than good to steal your way up the depth chart. Like Diskerud, Franklin was only given one shot to impress the U.S. managers this year and, also like Diskerud, left something to be desired.

Omar Gonzalez: B+ – one cap, one start – Heard of him? Tall guy? Spiky hair? Maybe it will help if I put his name in context:

[U.S. roster released] "WHERE IS OMAR GONZALEZ?!?!"

That help? Thought so. Bad joke aside, the constant complaints surrounding Gonzalez's omissions from recent U.S. rosters is perfectly representative of his game and his season: some bad (the omissions) mixed with good (the fact SO many people seem to rate him). The MLS's defender of the year was certainly sturdy in the tackle this year – he led MLS in duel conversion rate according to Opta – but what continues to hold him back is his play once he wins the ball. Regardless of his still-subpar distribution, it was a it was a strong year for Gonzalez, despite only 45 quiet minutes to prove himself in a national team shirt.

Clarence Goodson: B – ten caps, nine starts– It's hard to blame the Brøndby captain for his side's current position one place above the drop zone – his defense, despite a lot of turnover this year, is still in the better half of the league in goals conceded. He started his year there by helping his team qualify for the Europa League, captaining the second-stingiest defense in the Danish Superliga – not a terrible year for the bearded giant. His national team appearances were up and down, struggling at different times to cope with both speedy (Chicharito) and strong (Loic Remy) forwards. Not that he's the first (nor the last!) to be bested by those two.

Marcus Hahnemann: C- – one cap, one start – Yes, he lost his starting spot with Wolves and made only one not-exactly-sure-handed appearance with the U.S., but, well, I see no point in discussing the struggles of a player who clearly is just on his way out. So, instead, let's talk about this: assuming this was his last year with the national team, Marcus Hahnemann's national team career, though only nine-caps deep, spanned 17 years. 17! I find that remarkable. Always the loyal backup, always an interesting dude, I'm going to miss having the Soul Patch around. Cheers to you, sir.

Tim Howard: A – 15 caps, 15 starts – What can you say? The Everton netminder – in my humble and probably biased opinion – is one of the best ten shot-stoppers in the world, and he did nothing to diminish that for me this year. He'll pop up every now and then with a gaffe – like coming out too early on Giovani Dos Santos' dagger in the Gold Cup final – but they're far fewer and farther between than they were earlier in his career, and he'll always make up for them. Remember his remarkable triple save vs. Canada?

Fabian Johnson: B – two caps, one start – It's hard to classify the first two-thirds of Johnson's 2011 as successful, given that he spent it as a rarely-used reserve for Wolfsburg and, well, he was German for most of the year. He's made two moves since that seemed to have been pretty big boosts: first, a transfer to Hoffenheim this summer where he's become a starter and, second, a one-time FIFA switch to the United States, where he figures to vie for minutes on both the offensive and defensive wings in coming years. Not a bad ending to a middling start.

Sean Johnson: B- – one cap – Much like Teal Bunbury, it was a very up and down – though brimming with promise – year for the 22-year old Chicago goalkeeper. Moments of pure brilliance (just look at this save against FC Dallas' Jackson) were consistently met with complete lapses, like his spill (around 3:02 in this video) of a Davy Arnaud cross against Kansas City in April that led to a Sporting goal. Only 23, there's little reason to be concerned about his inconsistency, it's just worth noting he's not near his ceiling yet. His 45-minute audition for Bob Bradley in January was uneventful save a Chilean goal he had no shot at.

Jermaine Jones: C – 12 caps, nine starts – It was a forgettable first full year as a Yank for the German-American, whose solid play at Blackburn in the spring couldn't be converted into a purchase away from Schalke, where he had fallen out of favor. Jones finally won back his spot at Schalke under new coach Huub Stevens in October, under whom he's won six league and two Europa starts. In perhaps the perfect summary of Jermaine Jones, The Player, he's already missed a game for yellow card accumulation despite only appearing in eight (eight!) league matches*. His U.S. appearances have been underwhelming, save a nice game against Jamaica in the Gold Cup quarterfinals in which he had a goal and drew a red card to narrow Jamaica down to 10 men.

*Just. Wow.

Sacha Kljestan: B+ – nine caps, four starts – It's hard not to feel good about Kljestan after he vaulted into the starting XI for – and played a crucial role with – Belgium's best side in 2011. The Anderlecht midfielder's improvement abroad has been evident in his national team shifts – particularly his work against Jamaica in the Gold Cup. Bonus points for winning the Larry Johnson Award for a player who unambiguously calls out his coach via Twitter. But seriously, given the qualities Kljestan offers – and how seamlessly they ought fit in with what Klinsmann is trying to do – it's fair to wonder whether the U.S. manager has been paying attention to Kljestan's stellar form with the Eruopa League's best side so far.

Jeff Larentowicz: B – two caps, one start – Certainly no disrespect meant here – Jeff Larentowicz is a fantastic player and seems to be a very enjoyable human – but I'm not sure how much you all really care to read about Jeff Larentowicz. If I'm wrong, let me know in the comments and I'll type a hundred or so more words. But, yeah, another solid MLS year, but the Ginger Ninja isn't international caliber and he's not a prospect. So, yeah, moving on.

Eric Lichaj: B+ – six caps, five starts – Given that Lichaj has been sidelined since early September, it can be easy to forget the notable campaign he waged for the first eight or so months of 2011. After playing effectively as both a right and left back (not at the same time, of course) for Leeds in the spring, Lichaj filled in capably at left back for the U.S. in Gold Cup, with the Yanks conceding zero goals in the three-plus matches he played on the left defensive flank (remember he moved to right back against Mexico when Steve Cherundolo left injured). His injury came at a bad time, too, as he was aiming for Aston Villa's starting right back spot with Luke Young off to QPR. Doesn't diminish what was an otherwise encouraging year, though, for the recently-turned 23-year old.

Zach Loyd: B- – one cap, one start – The year started with some optimism for the FC Dallas man, as his shift at left back for the U.S. in January was encouraging. I wouldn't call Loyd's 2011 with the Hoops a negative – I was pretty impressed by each game of his I watched – it's just that it wasn't the step forward necessary to merit real national team consideration. As a right back, he was – at best – the third best American in MLS this season behind Chance Myers and Sean Franklin and as a wrong-footed left back, he can't possibly be ahead of either Tim Chandler and Eric Lichaj, each of whom have shown a measure of promise there in several national team starts apiece this year. Not a bad 2011 for Loyd, just not enough.

* * *

So there's that. As promised, here's a link to my grades for A-C from last week. Keep them eyes open for McCarty through Yelldell next week sometime – probably later (much later) due to, you know, college finals and stuff.

As always, please feel free to share thoughts and opinions in the comments. I shall be around.

US vs. Panama retrospective: A dissenting opinion

By Jared Launius

Recently, my roommate tracked down a few of his old burnt DVDs full of international soccer matches (is it legal for me to say that?), which included each United States match from the 2009 Confederations Cup. Feeling nostalgic – and nursing a strong desire to relive the Charlie Davies glory days – we spent one afternoon re-watching the tournament semifinal against Spain.

As you undoubtedly know, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey scored goals on each side of halftime as the US pulled off one of the more surprising international cup upsets of the last five years.

Re-watching the match nearly two years later gave me an interesting perspective, as, for one, I already knew what the outcome would be and, for another, I was divorced from the emotion I rode through the match when watching it live. Indeed, after finishing the game, my roommate and I took the same outlook – the United States stole that result.

That's not a slight to the Yanks, of course, as both goals were opportunistic – if not a touch fortuitous – and the defense, particularly Jay DeMerit, came up with crucial tackle upon crucial tackle. Plus, Tim Howard went all Tim Howard on La Furia Roja.

But, still, while the Yank fan in me was instilled with a bit of the old pride, the analytical soccer fan in me couldn't help but feel Spain failed to earn a fair result. They dominated possession – and it wasn't really close. They created the better of the opportunities – and that wasn't particularly close either. More than anything else, I chalk that match up to the better team unluckily failing to convert an average percent of its chances as much as anything else. It happens.



Yes, the US deserves credit for it's unrelenting effort and for staying focused enough to put away the few chances it had, but, in most instances, the team with six shots on goal – as Spain had – will (and should) defeat the team with two, as the US had.

This can all, of course, primarily be attributed up to the randomness of sport and – more specifically – this wonderful game, as the slightest tip of fortune can make any team (within reason, of course) a champion. In instances like the US-Spain game, you don't fault Spain – they played their game, they executed and, unluckily for them, they ran into a plucky defense, a hot keeper and a touch of bad luck. You congratulate the US, sure, but you don't make any sort of grand assumptions based on it. It was just, as we say, one of those days. The US will certainly take it, as it was a landmark day for the side.

After re-watching and reviewing the US's surprising loss Saturday night to Panama, I couldn't escape the same notion – except the US was on the other side this time. I'd invite you to do the same and let us know if you agree.

First, of course, it bears noting all respect is due to Panama, as the small Central American nation put forth the requisite effort to put itself in position for such a result.

But, well, Panama scored one of its goals in the ruckus following a blocked set piece, and it came against the run of play. It's second goal came on a penalty kick following – to put it politely – an unintelligible, botched tackle by Tim Ream on a player with no support running away from goal at the corner of the 18-yard box. Again – it's not like either goal came on an impressive build up or perfectly-executed counterattack.

Just like the US scored two goals against Spain by pouncing on broken plays against the run of play (the ball that put Altidore through took a lucky bounce on the first goal and Ramos took an uncharacteristically bad touch in the six-yard box on Dempsey's goal), Panama scored on two chances of similar ilk Saturday, I think. Like the US was able to a few years ago, Panama still created a few more decent chances, but nothing with great menace beyond the goals.

Meanwhile, the US – like Spain before it – created plenty of chances to score – Dempsey's volley that just missed the near post, Agudelo's run at goal, Dempsey's dipping shot from 25 yards, Dempsey's first unmarked header, Donovan's volley, Goodon's goal, Wondolowski's sitter, Dempsey's second unmarked header, Bradley's chance near the penalty spot and Donovan's volley, to be specific – and, perhaps a touch unluckily, only capitalized on one.

It's frustrating, to be sure, but how often do those chances go begging? – particularly Dempsey's, Wondolowski's and Bradley's? More often than not, all three are put away.

Trust me when I say I shared the popular sentiment for quite some time following the Panama match. I watched the game at Johnny's Tavern – Kansas City's soccer bar – and, with the help of a few Boulevard IPAs, joined the fray in blasting the Yank performance post-match.

The re-watch just made me feel somewhat differently.

None of this is to try to make excuses for the US. Bradley and Dempsey are Premier League players and Chris Wondolowski is the best finisher in Major League Soccer. They usually put those chances away. But they're also humans, and thus prone to the occasional mistake.

Nor is this to take anything away from Panama – again, they were opportunistic, unrelenting and Felipe Baloy was excellent in the Jay DeMerit role, gumming up many US attacks.

This is all to say these types of days happen – we have years and years of proof at every level that tells us as much. It's also to say this isn't reason to fire Bob or scrap the entire player pool as some of the fan reaction would have you think. More than anything else, it should serve as a reminder to the Yanks that sometimes simply being the better team isn't enough, that fortune can show up as a 12th man for your opponent's side on any given day and, thus, it may take more than your usual effort to earn a result.

Sometimes it favors you, as it did against Spain two years ago, and sometimes it defeats you, as it did Saturday. If it took this loss for the US to remember as much – and if that aids the Yanks going forward (as it should), it may all prove to be worth it.

Why the USMNT Need Canada to Become a Regional Superpower

By Evan Ream

1. USA – 308 million
2. Mexico – 112 million
3. Honduras – 8 million
4. Costa Rica – 4 million
5. Jamaica – 2.8 million
6. Trinidad and Tobago – 1.3 million

Ever since the World Cup switched to its modern format (32 teams, generally with 3.5 berths for CONCACAF) these are the teams from CONACACAF that have qualified for the World Cup. As you can see, none of these countries outside the top two have a significant population that will allow them to consistently turn out quality players, making quality competition in the region not always a given. Canada has 34 million people.

Last night, Canada were dominated by the USMNT for most of the game and ended up losing 2-0 in what was a fair result. Though their current side is nothing to get excited about, the possibility of what we could see in the future is exciting.

Let me start off by saying that though they have 34 million people, I’m not expecting Canada to turn into Argentina or Spain (countries with similar populations) overnight. What I am expecting, or at least hoping, is for the emergence of MLS in Canada and the growing popularity of the sport to push Canada into being a legitimate third rival to Mexico and USA. It is my belief that before the USMNT will win the World Cup, Canada will need to qualify for one.

The last hexagonal (final round of World Cup qualifying) looked like this:

USA (qualified)

Mexico (qualified)

Honduras (qualified)

Costa Rica (Lost in playoff to Uruguay)

El Salvador (won just 2 games)

Trinidad and Tobago (won just 1 game)

This left USA with about 4 quality challenges (home and away to Mexico, away to Honduras, away to Costa Rica). I know USA tied El Salvador away and Costa Rica at home, but neither of those games should have been as hard as they were. My point (I promise I’ll get to one) is that, imagine if you took out Trinidad and Tobago and added Australia. Why Australia? Consider their similarities in population (22 million and 34 million), Per Capita GDP ($39,699 and $39,057) and the place where soccer rates as their countries favorite sport (3^rd and 2^nd); we have ourselves a direct comparison!

So, imagine if Australia was in the hexagonal. USA would be given two extra competitive games per cycle as well as create a natural rivalry. They would be pushed by two different teams instead of just one and all three powers would improve as a result. I think Canada can become Australia in terms their ability to play soccer. If USA then had legitimate competition more often, it could push them over the top, or at least to the top. Don’t believe me? Consider this: Mexico has never won the World Cup. They have 112 million people, soccer is their favorite sport, and they have great youth development systems (they won the U-17 World Cup in 2005). So why have they never won the World Cup? A lack of competition. Canada will give us competition, and that is all we are asking it to do.

Evan Ream is a contributor to Yanks Abroad Video Highlights. He also writes a weekly column for The SACK Lunch Blog. Evan welcomes your comments and questions, he can be reached at reame@sou.edu. You can follow him on twitter @EvanReam

YA Videos' US-Canada Preview

By Jared Launius

The final tally was 3-2, and the United States, as we all know, was on the losing end. After stealing two first half goals against world soccer terror Brazil, the red, white and blue-clad side conceded three second-half tallies to an in-form Kaka and company, bringing a dissatisfying end to what had been the side's most monumental month since the 2002 World Cup.

On the pitch, on that day, right after the end of the Confederations Cup final, it was a disappointment to be sure. 45 minutes from winning their first-ever FIFA tournament, the Yanks defense broke down three times (well, really four, as replays showed a Thiago Silva header appeared to go all the way across the line) and an historic opportunity was lost.

Well, maybe only partially.

Because while, yes, a win against Brazil would have been a tangible marker of the US's standing in world soccer and a gargantuan step toward legitimacy stateside, merely being so close brought many of the same effects.

For a few days, US soccer was the story nationally. It dominated the 24-hour sports news cycle. It was a chief topic on talk radio. National columnists picked it up and ran with it. Here, our national team, the one that was on life support 20 years ago, had just beaten the world's number one team in Spain and stood toe-to-toe with Brazil – all in meaningful cup competition. The US rode that positive momentum into the following summer's World Cup, which drew record numbers of American viewers.

The United States' near miss at Confederation's Cup gold in 2009 – and the subsequent fanfare – didn't start, though, when a perfectly executed two-man counter attack by Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan produced the US's second first-half goal against Brazil. Nor did it start when Clint Dempsey thighed a deep Jonathan Spector cross into goal during the 10th minute to open up scoring in the final.

It didn't start when Dempsey sealed victory over Spain with an alert slide at the feet of Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, ramming the ball into Iker Cassillas' net and giving the Yanks a 2-0 lead late in the second half, and it didn't start when a shocking 3-0 win over Egypt gave the Yanks second life in the tournament, advancing them out of group play.

It didn't start that month. It didn't start that year, even.



It started in 2007, down on the makeshift soccer pitch in Chicago's Soldier field, and it started squarely on the laces of Benny Feilhaber's right boot. It was from that boot that one of the most celestial volleys in US soccer history dipped off Feilhaber's boot from the top of the 18-yard box over the tips of Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez's gloves and into the far left corner, putting the Americans up 2-1 and clinching Gold Cup gold.

Were it not for Benny's strike, the US would have never gotten its shot to demolish Egypt to sneak out of group play, Clint Dempsey would have never beaten Ramos and Landon Donovan would have never deked Ramires and tucked that left-footed shot into goal to give his nation momentary hope. The Yanks would have never qualified at all.

Now, there is no guarantee that a trip to the 2013 Confederations Cup would bring the immense haul of experience and exposure the 2009 version did for the US. Maybe they would drop out of group play as they probably should have in 2009. Maybe they would get out of group play and fall quietly to a world power in the semifinals. There is no telling, really.

But the fact remains a victory in this month's Gold Cup is requisite to even get there and find out. That road starts tonight as the US opens Gold Cup 2011 group play against Canada.

There's no grand analysis, I don't think, required for the Canada match. I don't say that out of arrogance – the United States has far more assets than the Canadian national team, and they have the advantage of playing at home. Canada is on the up-and-up and, yes, Canada is probably out for revenge after a questionable offside call in the 2007 semifinal against the United States kept them from advancing. But the Yanks are on a level now that nothing but domination of CONCACAF Teams Not Called Mexico ought be predicted. A win is expected, a draw would be a letdown and a loss would be considered a disappointment. That's not to say it couldn't happen – given the US's recent form, I actually wouldn't be surprised if Canada nabbed a point – but it shouldn't.

That said, here's the no-nonsense lineup I expect Bradley to trot out tonight:

Howard

Cherundolo – Goodson – Onyewu – Bocanegra

Dempsey – Jones – Bradley – Donovan

Wondolowski – Altidore

The only surprise most of you will find here, I think, is Wondolowski's inclusion in the XI. This is very much just a stab in the dark, but Wondo's work off the ball against Spain was solid and Agudelo's best work with the national team – and with New York, for that matter – has been off the bench. I could see Bradley starting Wondolowski and bringing Agudelo (who reaaaaaally needs a nickname, by the way) on in the second half to run at tired Canadian defenders.

This game will also be a nice opportunity for Jermaine Jones, who has struggled in most of his appearances with the Yanks, to build some chemistry with Michael Bradley while not having to chase the likes of Messi or David Silva around the pitch. Dwayne DeRosario is a handful to be sure, but the Bundesliga and EPL veteran should be up to the task. If Jones can man the holding role, Bradley can play a more advanced, linking role – one I think he's best suited for.

This isn't a backline – beside Cherundolo – that offers much going forward, but it's a battle-tested one – and we know that's what Bradley favors. I'd be surprised if this isn't the back four we see.

In the end, this is a game the United States should win. Canada will surely be up for the match, and don't be surprised if there are some very tense moments. My guess is, the US will nab the first goal, Canada will keep it interesting, and the Yanks will grab another one late while Canada is committing more forward. I've got the United States winning 2-0.

What's your take?

USMNT vs. Spain player ratings

By Jared Launius

It's okay, everyone, you can come back now. The beating is over.

After La Furia Roja's sporting destruction of the stars and bars yesterday, it's important to keep a few things in mind. First, Spain is the world's preeminent soccer nation right now, and the US isn't the first side to have been completely dictated by them – and they certainly won't be the last. Remember that much more manageable foes are on the way. Second, the US's captain and – in my opinion – best four field players (Bocanegra, Donovan, Dempsey, Cherundolo and Bradley) were on the bench during the unsettling first half. Once the latter three found their way on the field after the first 45 minutes, the Jedi-mind-control level of domination was greatly suppressed and the US had a few dangerous forays forward.

That said, here are player ratings from the 0-4 thrashing.

Starters:
Tim Howard, Goalkeeper: 5 – Though he can't be blamed for any of the four balls that found the back of his net, I thought he was a little slow off his line on a few occasions – particularly the Torres goal.

Jonathan Spector, right back/midfielder: 3 – The first and third goal came down his side and he offered nothing going forward – though he had little support from Kljestan on the right flank. He looked more comfortable after moving into the midfield.

Oguchi Onyewu, center back: 3 – It was easier to overlook Gooch's poor distribution when he used to gobble everything up in the box, but that hasn't been the case for over a year now.

Tim Ream, center back: 4.5 – Ream was beat over the top on a few occasions, but his distribution still made him a useful-enough cog.

Eric Lichaj, left back: 5.5 – Lichaj showed enough both in attack and defending to warrant another look at left back.

Sacha Kljestan, midfielder: 3 – Kljestan looked more comfortable after moving to the center of the midfield in the second half, but he was still too indecisive when the ball was at his feet.



Maurice Edu, midfielder: 3 – What little he offered in the attack was nullified by twice losing his mark on goals.

Jermaine Jones, midfielder: 3 – After a sparkling debut for the US against Poland in October, Jones has struggled each time he's donned the red, white and blue – this might have been his worst showing yet.

Robbie Rogers, midfielder: 2.5 – Poor work ethic, poor touch, poor set-piece service – I don't know what else to say beyond this: Robbie Rogers, in no uncertain terms, cannot play at the international level.

Jozy Altidore, forward: 4 – Jozy actually did well at holding the ball up when he got the chance, but his work rate and off-the-ball movement offered little.

Juan Agudelo, forward: 4.5 – Agudelo got caught in possession far too often, but the 18-year old displayed the work rate necessary to make up for such mistakes.

Substitutes:
Clint Dempsey, midfield/forward: 7 – Dempsey was the most dangerous attacking player on the field for the US – he easily could have had a goal and an assist (from Kljestan and to Bedoya, respectively) and made a strong case he should be the starting forward against Canada.

Michael Bradley, midfield: 6.5 – If, after watching Bradley put his superb work rate and decisive passing on exhibit, you still think the US is better without Junior on the field, I don't know what to do for you.

Clarence Goodson, center back: 5 – Was steady pairing with Ream and more composed than the struggling Onyewu.

Steve Cherundolo, right back: 5 – Cherundolo was beat by world-class passing and movement for the fourth goal, but still did plenty to remind US fans why he's not relinquished his spot as the best-choice right back.

Chris Wondolowski, forward: 5 – Wondolowski's touch wasn't top-class, but he did a solid job at making his way into dangerous positions.

Alejandro Bedoya, midfield: 4 – Bedoya made a brilliant run – and subsequent bad first touch – to create one of the the US's most dangerous opportunities, but offered little else.


Keep your eyes on the site throughout Gold Cup – we'll have plenty of analysis and commentary on what will hopefully be a successful run for the Yanks.

5 Questions For USA-Spain

By Jared Launius

I probably don't need to tell you the US hosts Spain today at Gilette Field in Foxborough, Mass (4:30 EST! ESPN!). Here are three things to chew on going into the match.

What tactics and approach will Bob Bradley employ?
For me, this match has one purpose: to go live with the preparations you've been practicing the last week for Gold Cup. Bob will surely have an approach for the tournament – tactics and a style of play that will match up best against CONCACAF opponents. This is a chance to put them to work against an actual opponent in an actual game with actual refs and an actual clock and actual scores. Securing a result should be considered secondary to doing what you need to do to be ready for the Gold Cup opener Tuesday against Canada: practicing tactics, working lots of guys in and, perhaps most importantly, not letting them get hurt.

And that would all be fine and good if the opponent was someone like, say, Australia, the US's last gear-up opponent for the World Cup last year.

But this is Spain. You know, the reigning World Cup champion. The reigning Euro champion. The world's number one team. Yeah, those guys. This presents two rather difficult roadblocks to that plan.

First, there's the fact tactics that work against CONCACAF competition for the US, to put it lightly, won't work against Spain. There is no "taking it to Spain" the way you'd expect the US to do against the nations it will face in Gold Cup. No one "takes it to Spain." They hold the ball. You defend and counter-attack. This makes things rather difficult.

Second, you don't get very many chances to measure yourself against the world's best team. We know how much Bob enjoys seeing exactly how his side stacks up. You'd have to think he's at least a little enticed to throw his best players out there for 90 minutes in search of a draw or win. This also flies in the face of what this type of friendly should be used for.

So, what does Bob do? Run out the tactics, formation and lineup he's been preparing for Gold Cup or throw that out the window in search of a result against the world's premier footballing nation?

Given the vibe I've gotten from player interviews this week (the one's posted on US soccer's Web site – don't let me trick you into thinking I've done actual reporting), the guys seem to think it will be used for the former. We'll see if Bob feels the same.

Who will Bradley feature in the XI?
We have a bit of a clue here given that US Soccer has already tweeted the 18 players in the roster. Among the non-selected are Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Freddy Adu and Nick Rimando. Adu and Rimando's absences are not all that shocking as they're perceived fringy guys anyway, but the same can't be said for the former three.

Donovan and Bocanegra are semi-explainable given that Donovan has a reported illness and Bocanegra was among the last players to arrive in camp. Bornstein's non-inclusion, though, is rather telling about what Bradley will do in the Gold Cup. I'll have more thoughts on that when I preview the GC next week (that's a teaser, folks!).

All that said, here's what I expect to see trotted out today:

Howard

Cherundolo – Onyewu – Ream – Lichaj

Jones – Bradley

Dempsey – Edu – Kljestan

Altidore

Licha, I think, will get the nod at left back because he played there during his loan spell for Leeds this spring and Bob has talked about as much to the media. He's also mentioned that he likes the way Spector has featured in midfield for West Ham, so I doubt we'll see Johnny tossed out on the left flank.

Ream will get a chance to start, I think, as Bradley seems to be keen on him. His presence on the ball will be tested greatly by Spain's stable of mercurial attackers.

With Donovan out, I think we'll see Kljestan out on the wing. That's where Bob played him against Paraguay in March. That said, I wouldn't be particularly surprised if Robbie Rogers or Alejandro Bedoya was featured out there instead, nor does it really matter that much either, as Donovan will likely play every meaningful minute of the Gold Cup out there anyway. This will just be a temporary fix.

For reasons really only known to him, Bob seems to fancy playing Edu, Bradley and Jones together. I've mentioned this before, but for someone that spends so much time thinking about and engaging in the game, sometimes Bob really seems to not know so much about soccer. I think that's a fabulously ignorant idea, but Bob does what Bob wants.

What will the result be?
Donovan's absence will certainly be felt, and a result was in doubt before one of the team's key attacking cogs was omitted. Couple that with the fact Bradley (hopefully) won't be terribly result-focused, and a loss seems to be in the cards for the US. This is fine, as there are more important matches coming, and, come on, it's Spain.

I'm more interested in seeing how a few key areas play out. In no particular order: how Lichaj/Spector performs at LB, what Bob does with his forwards, who subs in and where they sub in at, how Tim Ream features against a true world power (remember, his three previous starts with the US came against South Africa, Chile and Paraguay), where guys without defined positions (i.e. Kljestan, Wondolowski, Agudelo, Dempsey and Spector) are filled in, what the US can accomplish in the middle of the field, how much Jozy has benefited from regular playing time in Turkey and if Michael Bradley was able to stay sharp despite scarce playing time at Aston Villa.

Prediction: Spain 2-0 United States

Why USA NEED to Win the Gold Cup

By Evan Ream

England

USA

Slovenia

Algeria

This was probably the easiest group USA could have gotten at the 2010 World Cup. England (or possibly Italy) was probably the worst seed other than South Africa; Slovenia was definitely not one of the better non-seeded European teams; and Algeria was probably the worst African team. USA won that group; their first group win since 1930. USA will not always be so lucky to get this kind of group, but it is possible for them to do it, or even get an easier group. It should not be a goal for USA to qualify for the World Cup anymore; that is a given. USA’s goal should be to get a seed. With a seed USA has a better chance of getting an easier group, and thus a better chance of winning their group and playing a winnable game in the Round of 16 (all games are winnable, but some games are more winnable than others).

In the last World Cup, the top seven teams in the FIFA World Rankings as well as the host Country were granted seeds. The FIFA World Rankings are a convoluted process that few completely understand. Currently Croatia, Norway, Greece, Slovenia, Russia, and Australia are ahead of USA in the rankings despite FIFA’s “emphasis” on recent results. Here is what I understand about the rankings:

· You get three points for a win, two points for a penalty kick win, one point for a draw, and one point for a penalty kick loss.

· Each of these points are multiplied by a certain number depending on the competition as well as the strength of the opponent.

· The multipliers are: 1x for a friendly game, 2.5x for a World Cup or Continental Cup (Euro, Gold Cup, etc...) game, 3x for Continental or Confederations Cup, and 4x for a World Cup.

· That number is then multiplied by the 200 minus the opponent’s current world ranking divided by 100. For example if USA were to beat the Netherlands who are number two in the world, their win would be multiplied by (200-2)/100 or 1.98

As you can see, if you understand my abbreviated version of the FIFA World Rankings formula (I’m not sure if I even did) it is better to beat better teams and beat them in a higher competition. This formula allows for teams like Norway, that haven’t qualified for a major competition since 2000, to achieve the number 11 ranking in the World. The best way for USA to improve their ranking is to qualify for the Confederations Cup.

USA doesn’t get very many games with high multipliers against high level competition due to the lack of quality teams in the area. After Mexico, the CONCACAF team with the highest ranking is Honduras at 48 (who have an aging squad and are unlikely to maintain this high of a ranking) and Jamaica at 55. CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers just won’t get it done if USA wants a seed. If USA (currently ranked 22^nd, 197 points behind the coveted eighth ranking) want to make up 14 spots in three years, it will have to do something like this:

2011: Beat Canada (76), Panama (67), and Guadeloupe (not a FIFA member) in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage, Beat Guatemala (124) or El Salvador (87) in the Quarterfinals, Beat Honduras (48), Jamaica (55), or Canada (76) in the Semifinals, and Beat Mexico (28) in the Final. Advance to the 2013 Confederations Cup.

2012: Finish first in their qualifying group.

2013. Finish first in their qualifying group, win the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and do as well as possible in the 2013 Confederations Cup

Mexico got a seed in the 2006 World Cup and ended up with this group:

Mexico

Portugal

Iran

Angola

Assuming USA gets a seed for 2014 their group could end up, at the best, like this:

USA

Random second tier European team (Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Greece, etc…)

Random bad Asian team or New Zealand* (Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea)

Random bad African team (Angola, Algeria, whichever random African team qualifies)

*CONCACAF and Asian teams have been traditionally in the same pot, so if USA were to get a seed this would happen for sure.

At the very worst their group could look like this:

USA

1^st tier European team that slipped in the rankings (Portugal, Italy, etc…)

Good Asian team (Japan, South Korea, Australia)

Good African team (Ivory Coast, Ghana)

The second scenario is much less likely than the first.

The best chance for USA to make a deep run in the World Cup would be if they were a seeded team. In order to be a seeded team, they need a high FIFA ranking. In order to get a high FIFA Ranking, they need to play at the Confederations Cup so they can play teams like Spain (1), Brazil (3), Japan (14), (and just a guess at the four other teams that will make it), Argentina (5), Netherlands (2), Ghana (15), and New Zealand (60) and boost their FIFA Ranking.

Of course FIFA could just decide to change the way the seeds are handed out for no reason (this has happened before) making all this for naught, but USA can’t worry about that. USA should do all that is in their power to get a seed. The start to doing this is winning THIS CONCACAF Gold Cup. Good luck, boys.

Evan Ream is a contributor to Yanks Abroad Video Highlights. He also writes a weekly column for The SACK Lunch Blog. Evan welcomes your comments and questions, he can be reached at reame@sou.edu. You can follow him on twitter @EvanReam

Gold Cup Roster Ruminations

By Jared Launius

Bob Bradley announced his Gold Cup roster today and, like most Bob Bradley rosters, it was 90 percent predictable and 10 percent "What the hell?!" For transparency's sake, I'll provide a link to the roster I predicted a week ago so you can see exactly how many bad guesses I made.

And here's Bob's roster, followed by my own pithy commentary:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Jonathan Bornstein (West Ham), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Clarence Goodson (Brønby), Tim Ream (New York Red Bull), Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Tigres)
Medfielders: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Freddy Adu (Rizespor), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bull), Jozy Altidore (Villareal), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Freddy Adu and Robbie Rogers?! FREDDY ADU AND ROBBIE ROGERS?! Yes, Freddy Adu and Robbie Rogers. FREDDY. ADU. AND. ROBBIE. ROGERS.

(I thought it was best I just get that out of the way before I try to offer any real analysis beyond capital letters and incredulous rhetorical questions.)

Bradley's choice in goalkeeping corps offered little surprise. Many believed Guzan would be unavailable because of that whole getting married thing, and they believed correctly. It's a little surprising, I think, that Rimando was named the number three keeper instead of a European-based player, mainly because this means Bob is pulling the MLS's best keeper away from his club for three weeks to cheer really hard beside him on the bench (CORRECTION: Looks like Rimando will actually be spending most of the Gold Cup with RSL, not traveling with the US). But let's not waste our time worrying about the third goalkeeper slot.



I don't think it should come as any sort of shock Bradley is bringing in Bornstein for what will be his fourth-consecutive meaningful US cup (GC '07, CC '09, WC '10 and now GC '11). That doesn't mean you can't be semi-offended by it's sheer disregard of logic. I see no reason to pile on Bornstein, other than to say, c'mon, Bob, time to find a new love.

The only other surprise in defense, I think, is Eric Lichaj's inclusion and, ergo, Timmy Chandler's exclusion. Apparently there are club concerns, which makes sense as Bradley has done nothing but praise Chandler since his March call-up. I don't think there's much to separate Lichaj and Chandler, so I'm not sure this will really have any sort of impact anyway.

Goodson's inclusion doesn't come as a huge surprise – not to me at least – as Jay DeMerit hasn't been healthy most of the season. And, well, J-Specs is J-Specs. He's not going anywhere, and we all know it.

The midfield is where Bob went all, well, Bob, on us. Most of the usual suspects are there, but I think Bob might have been eating crayons when he filled in the last few spots.

For fun, let's play a little game – below, I list two players – two wing midfielders, to be specific – and his statistics from the first part of his club season:

Player A: 10 games played, 2 goals, 1 assist
Player B: 10 games played, 4 goals, 2 assists

That tells you a bit before I mention that Player B plays in a tougher league and that Player A doesn't bring much to the table beyond a lot of speed and a terrible first touch. Or before I mention that Player A has been given twice as many national team caps than Player B and has failed to impress, well, ever. Sure he has more experience, but it's really just more experience at being really ineffective.

Player A, of course, is Robbie Rogers, who is on the roster, and Player B is Alejandro Bedoya, who isn't. Yeah, I'm puzzled as you.

The other – well, surprise isn't a strong enough word – shocking inclusion is that of Freddy Adu. Freddy, as you may know, has been delivering at the club level, but, well, it's been in the Turkish second division. And it's been for half a season.

Now look, I'm not here to beat up on Freddy. Assuming he really is the age he says he is (and it's been seven years now without proof to the contrary), I think there might still be a national team future for him. But that's, like, the future. You know, like, down the road? At another time and place? After some time has passed? Past the present? After Freddy's done more than tear up the Turkish second division for three months after floundering in Europe for three years?

Meanwhile, Jose Francisco Torres, who has done nothing – to my knowledge, at least – to fall out of favor with Bob, twiddles his thumbs in Mexico and continues to start for Pachuca while Dax McCarty Mixx Diskerud wonder if all those nice things said about them were meaningless.

I was so blown away by the inclusion of Rogers and Adu that seeing Wondolowski's name on the forward list was more greeted with a "well of course he is" than anything else. I don't personally think Wondolowski is an international-caliber forward and I'm not exactly sure what he adds to the roster. He's not a real forward, per se, more just a right midfielder that makes good back post runs. And, well, if you're familiar with the US national team, you might already know of a few guys that are penned in at the starting wing spots. You know, only the US's best two field players. At least Teal Bunbury and Herculez Gomez can hold the ball up. I like Wondo. I think he's great for the MLS. Just not the USMNT and especially not a USMNT roster that doesn't include one real center forward.

* * *

Having said all that, of course, it's fair to point out that not one of Bob's controversial roster inclusions/exclusions will likely make a great difference. Sure I'd like to see what I consider his best 23 players in there, but no more than 15 guys, max 16, will play meaningful minutes in a game that matters. He has his best players in camp, I just think he filled it out awkwardly (read "dimly") and made his bench far less effective than it could have been.

It's silly that Bornstein is on the roster, sure, but he's (hopefully) only going to see the field if Bocanegra gets hurt or red carded. Adu and Rogers' being there is unintelligible, but they'll only (hopefully again) play if the US is blowing someone out or if its already wrapped up its group before the Guadaloupe match.

Just suffice it to say the US needs to avoid a repeat of the red card bonanza it garnered in the 2009 Confederations Cup.

As for the people that will actually see the field (fingers crossed), my big takeaway from Bradley's roster is that we might still see a 4-5-1 formation. Bob only brought three "forwards", and I put forwards in quotes because Wondolowski isn't even really a forward.

Are we going to see the three-destroyer midfield of Mike, Jones and Edu trotted back out there? Could I even stomach that again? Or will Feilhaber get a chance to start as the point man in the five-man midfield? Maybe Kljestan? Maybe (gulp) Adu?

(It is worth noting that I might rather see Freddy Adu start than ever half to watch a midfield that features all three defensive midfielders. Woof. That first half against Argentina was vomit-inducing ugly.)

This is an interesting roster, one that could go several ways. I was actually a pretty big fan of the 4-4-2 against Paraguay because Agudelo naturally plays a withdrawn role, which really compliments Altidore's natural tendency to not really do anything. At least we would know one forward will be checking back for the ball.

As far as the lineup goes, here is my thought: the XI Bob trotted out against Argentina was, I think, what he thought his best XI was. That was a result-driven roster, and we all know it. I think we'll see something very similar June 7 against Canada:

Howard

Cherundolo – Onyewu – Goodson – Bocanegra

Donovan – Bradley – Jones – Edu – Dempsey

Altidore

I'll mention three rather large problems – first, no one on the back line beside Cherundolo can distribute the ball, second, Bradley, Jones and Edu can't function on the field at the same time and, third, Altidore can't play on an island. Other than that, this lineup would be perfect.

I'll have more on the Gold Cup as it approaches and moves along, and I'd expect my mood to be a bit more cheery once I move past some of the bizarre roster decisions. So there's that to look forward to, I guess.

And, yes, FREDDY ADU AND ROBBIE ROGERS.