United States National Team

[BlueCrew LA]

This thread is for American Yiddos to talk about our national side, and non-americans also, everyone is welcome. I've been on a couple of USMNT sites and they seem to be packed with Arsenal or Liverpool fans, and they tend to talk about their own club a lot. So post all your USMNT updates here.

[BlueCrew LA]

Something I posted on another board yesterday.

USA 0-0 Colombia

Positves: Man of the Match IMO is Jermaine Jones. He was days away from being called up to Germany. Half German and Half American his dad was soldier over there in Germany. He looks like he could be a solid pickup. Eric Lichaj was much better then I expected, he didn't have a bad play on a ball all match.


Negatives: The central midfield needs to be addressed too many times two or more CM's were right next to each other. When you play 3 CMs you need to get spacing or else it can get congested rather quickly. Most of these players are used to playing in the midfield with only one other player and it showed.

Also Jozy had a poor match IMO, I don't know if it's a fitness thing or what. If he would do things just a step faster then he normally does he would get more goals, his work rate is the one suspect part of his game. I wish he would force a transfer to a French or German club, I think that would be the perfect place for him to develop into a target striker.

[rudi]

Yer man Charlie Davies seems to be making a lot of bad choices, I'd say............

[BlueCrew LA]

Yer man Charlie Davies seems to be making a lot of bad choices, I'd say............

I honestly couldn't believe it when I read that story, unf-ckingbelievable.

[BlueCrew LA]

Article for the Colombia match.

U.S., Colombia play to 0-0 draw

CHESTER, Pa. -- With the United States experimenting again with a new formation, the Americans finished the home portion of their 2010 schedule with a dull 0-0 draw against Colombia on Tuesday night that extended their three-year winless streak against South American opponents to nine matches.

Eric Lichaj and Brek Shea made their national team debuts, among the only highlights on a night U.S. coach Bob Bradley changed five starters from Saturday's 2-2 tie against Poland in Chicago.

The U.S. is 4-5-4 this year, in danger of its first losing record in a year since going 5-6-7 in 1997. The Americans complete 2010 play on Nov. 17, when they return to South Africa for an exhibition against Bafana Bafana in Cape Town.

Since a 3-1 exhibition win over Ecuador in March 2007, the Americans are 0-7-2 against South American nations.

With second-half subs, both sides showed more life in the second half, with Lichaj and midfielder Jermaine Jones having notably strong games.

Michael Bradley put the ball in the net in the 73rd minute after Benny Feilhaber, who entered in the 59th minute, passed to Jozy Altidore on a free kick. The goal was disallowed because Bradley and Altidore both were offside.

Altidore's header off a cross from Lichaj was saved in the 86th minute by 39-year-old goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon.

After trying out a 4-2-3-1 formation during Saturday's 2-2 draw against Poland, Bob Bradley experimented with a 4-3-3 formation in the first half that turned into more of a 4-5-1, with son Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and Jones all in defensive roles. The Americans wound up playing deep and narrow, with Shea failing to get forward in a pairing with Stuart Holden on the outside.

Jones, a Schalke regular, played three exhibition games for Germany before switching nationalities and making his U.S. debut Saturday.

Without Landon Donovan, who stayed with the Los Angeles Galaxy this week, and Clint Dempsey, who began the night on the bench, the U.S. had no attack in the first half.

Dempsey and Eddie Johnson were among four changes at the start of the second half, entering with Lichaj and fellow defender Michael Parkhurst.

Lichaj, a 21-year-old with Aston Villa, and Shea, a 20-year-old midfielder with FC Dallas, made their national team debuts. Parkhurst, a defender for Nordsjaelland in Denmark, made his first appearance since July 2009 against Haiti in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Oguchi Onyewu was the U.S. captain for the first time until Parkhurst replaced him at the start of the second half and Dempsey took over the arm band. Still recovering from knee surgery last October, Onyewu went 90 minutes Saturday in his first game action since being benched after the first-round match against Slovenia at the World Cup.

Onyewu hasn't even dressed for AC Milan this season. Another little-used Rossoneri defender, 34-year-old Mario Yepes, was Colombia's captain.

Aston Villa's Brad Guzan started in goal, while Everton's Tim Howard, the regular No. 1, was on the bench.

Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez gave 39-year-old goalkeeper Mondragon his first appearance for the national team since the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama.

NOTES
The U.S. was without regular captain Carlos Bocanegra and right back Steve Cherundolo. Both returned to Europe after the Poland match. ... It was the first 0-0 tie for the U.S. since an exhibition against Argentina in June 2008.

[jamiendg]

tell you what if canada had tied columbia 0 0 wed be dancing in the streets.
but then again ..... we are not the best / aka 80th in the world.

[BlueCrew LA]

tell you what if canada had tied columbia 0 0 wed be dancing in the streets.
but then again ..... we are not the best / aka 80th in the world.

You guys are pretty passionate though.

As for us, we should have won that match. The striker situation is a real concern, I'm starting to doubt that Jozy will develop into the player that we need.

[spursman18]

The striker situation is a real concern, I'm starting to doubt that Jozy will develop into the player that we need.

thought he was a shite last night, overrated is what I'd say. Seems like up front is the only place you're lacking a threat, as Bradley tends to play Dempsey and Donovan mostly in midfield

[BlueCrew LA]

thought he was a shite last night, overrated is what I'd say. Seems like up front is the only place you're lacking a threat, as Bradley tends to play Dempsey and Donovan mostly in midfield

We have other strikers that I think Bradley should start to give a look to like Omar Salgado or Danny Mwanga. Mwanga is tricky though he's from the Congo and he's made it clear that he doesn't want to play for the Congo, he wants to play for the US but he may have issues with citizenship. His family have lived in the US for sometime, they had to flee the Congo after his father was killed in the civil war. Mwanga could only reunite with them in 2006 when he came to the US. He went on to play football at Oregon State and get drafted #1 in the MLS Draft. I think he'll get citizenship but it may take some time.

[USpur]

I still dislike Bob as manager.

[orlandospursfan]

We do need some more depth in Defenders and Strikers. I remember watching the world cup and noticing our lack of quality defenders and forwards. I hope Salgado and Mwanga get their citizenship in time for the next world cup, we can use their help.

[BlueCrew LA]

We do need some more depth in Defenders and Strikers. I remember watching the world cup and noticing our lack of quality defenders and forwards. I hope Salgado and Mwanga get their citizenship in time for the next world cup, we can use their help.

Witness the future, Gale Agbossoumonde. By the next world cup I fully expect him to be playing in Europe he has a lot of potential. He's on loan right now to Braga, I don't think he's seen any playing time yet though.

.:: Yanks Abroad - European Soccer, Made in America ::.

[orlandospursfan]

with the number of mids we have, I can see us do a 4-3-3 with Donovan and Dempsey on the wings with our best striker up alone. I can see Holden, Bradley and Edu in the middle (with Jermaine Jones as a option).

[BlueCrew LA]

with the number of mids we have, I can see us do a 4-3-3 with Donovan and Dempsey on the wings with our best striker up alone. I can see Holden, Bradley and Edu in the middle (with Jermaine Jones as a option).

I've been a long advocate of the national team using the 4-3-3. My central midfield would look slightly different though Bradley (Attacking), Edu (Defending) and Torres (Supporting). That was the main issue yesterday the midfielders didn't seem to understand their role. I like Jermaine Jones and Holden they will be great for depth but Torres will claim that spot soon.

[steelktm]

so what has happened with Davies of late? i must have missed something. didn't get a chance to catch the last 2 US games since being in Canada however i am worried with gold cup coming up soon.