The USMNT played on the road for the first time in the qualifying season for World Cup 2014 tonight, drawing 1-1 with Guatemala. The match featured a first-half goal from Clint Dempsey for the US, a second-half goal for the stars and stripes nullified by a poorly timed whistle, a late goal for the hosts off a very well-taken free kick, and some stellar saves from Tim Howard to preserve the draw for the Americans.
Here are my three positives from tonight's match:
1. Clint Dempsey continues to lead the offense with stellar play
On a night where Herculez Gomez was unimpressive and Jozy Altidore's limited minutes will be remembered by a missed opportunity off a great feed from Michael Bradley, Dempsey's effort was a big key to earning a point tonight. Not only did he score his goal off a brilliant sidestep move, but he created two other golden chances by drawing fouls just outside the box. The "most dangerous player" torch has officially been passed from Landon Donovan to Dempsey and Deuce isn't likely to let it go anytime soon.
2. Tim Howard saved the day
There is no more stable position in world soccer right now than that of the netminder for the USMNT. Howard has been a rock for years now, so his efforts are sometimes underappreciated. For those of you who were unable to watch tonight's match, I cannot stress to you enough how important Mr. Reliable was to gaining the point. He made some spectacular saves and cannot be blamed for the Guatemalan goal because the free kick went right over the wall and didn't seem enter Howard's line of sight until it was too late to stop it from hitting the back of the net.
3. The US sits atop Group A at four points
Through two qualifying matches, the US and Jamaica both have four points, but the US leads the group based on goal differential. Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda each now have one point. The next round of qualifying begins in September, when Jamaica hosts the US and then plays the return match in Columbus, while Guatemala hosts A&B and then plays there. As a reminder, the top two teams in this group will advance to the final round of World Cup 2014 qualifying. The US and Jamaica were considered the top two teams in this group coming into this semifinal round of qualifying, so these upcoming matches should be very entertaining.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
USMNT Wins World Cup Qualification Opener
The USMNT defeated Antigua and Barbuda by a 3-1 score earlier this evening to begin the semifinal round of World Cup Qualifying. Along with the US and A&B, Jamaica and Guatemala make up Group A. The top two teams in each of three groups will qualify for the final round of WCQ. Teams will each play each other twice, once on the road and once at home, and the two teams with the most points (three for a win, one for a draw) will advance.
Despite the victory, tonight's match did not leave me with a great taste in my mouth. The US started off well, with a Carlos Bocanegra header putting them on the board early. A late first-half penalty kick by Clint Dempsey gave the boys a 2-0 lead and things looked fairly comfortable. A&B kept it recently close despite giving up more than a dozen corner kicks and they capitalized on a poor play by substitute centerback Oguchi Onyewu to make it a game. Herculez Gomez closed out the scoring with what can only be called an "effort goal," as he and Michael Bradley fought through the packed in defense to get the ball in a spot for Gomez to tap the ball into the open net.
My three positive takes from tonight:
1. Herculez Gomez impressed once again
Gomez not only scored the third goal of the night for the US, but he also came very close to tallying goals on two other occasions in the second half. His header was expertly saved by the A&B keeper and his rocket off a nice feed from Landon Donovan smacked the crossbar. Gomez also came back to the midfield area and contributed solid defense throughout the night. He is certainly pushing Jozy Altidore for playing time and will not give up his starting spot easily.
2. Carlos Bocanegra and Clarence Goodson gave solid performances
Goodson was the man of the match in the draw at Canada and Bocanegra was my man of the match tonight. Not only did Bocanegra score the first goal, but he came very close to assisting on a second-half goal and solidified the backfield both as a centerback and then at left back after an ankle injury forced Jose Torres to leave the match. With injuries to Fabian Johnson and Edgar Castillo, it looks like Bocanegra will have to play left back in Tuesday's qualifier, which will put more pressure on Goodson to hold down the fort in the middle of the defense. Hopefully we have seen the last of Onyewu, as he looks slow and has made some very poor decisions. Look for Geoff Cameron to be paired with Goodson in front of Tim Howard on Tuesday.
3. Terrence Boyd is cap tied
Boyd is a talented 21-year old forward who currently plays for a second division club in Germany and holds dual citizenship in Germany and the US, so coming into tonight's match he was still eligible to play for either country. After tonight's appearance in an official international competition, Boyd can only play for the US - what is known by FIFA rules as "cap tied." Boyd's development will be closely watched, as he should be paired up front with Altidore after the Dempsey/Donovan era ends (which will likely happen after the 2014 World Cup).
Qualifying resumes on Tuesday night, as the US travels to Guatemala in what should be a rather hostile environment.
Despite the victory, tonight's match did not leave me with a great taste in my mouth. The US started off well, with a Carlos Bocanegra header putting them on the board early. A late first-half penalty kick by Clint Dempsey gave the boys a 2-0 lead and things looked fairly comfortable. A&B kept it recently close despite giving up more than a dozen corner kicks and they capitalized on a poor play by substitute centerback Oguchi Onyewu to make it a game. Herculez Gomez closed out the scoring with what can only be called an "effort goal," as he and Michael Bradley fought through the packed in defense to get the ball in a spot for Gomez to tap the ball into the open net.
My three positive takes from tonight:
1. Herculez Gomez impressed once again
Gomez not only scored the third goal of the night for the US, but he also came very close to tallying goals on two other occasions in the second half. His header was expertly saved by the A&B keeper and his rocket off a nice feed from Landon Donovan smacked the crossbar. Gomez also came back to the midfield area and contributed solid defense throughout the night. He is certainly pushing Jozy Altidore for playing time and will not give up his starting spot easily.
2. Carlos Bocanegra and Clarence Goodson gave solid performances
Goodson was the man of the match in the draw at Canada and Bocanegra was my man of the match tonight. Not only did Bocanegra score the first goal, but he came very close to assisting on a second-half goal and solidified the backfield both as a centerback and then at left back after an ankle injury forced Jose Torres to leave the match. With injuries to Fabian Johnson and Edgar Castillo, it looks like Bocanegra will have to play left back in Tuesday's qualifier, which will put more pressure on Goodson to hold down the fort in the middle of the defense. Hopefully we have seen the last of Onyewu, as he looks slow and has made some very poor decisions. Look for Geoff Cameron to be paired with Goodson in front of Tim Howard on Tuesday.
3. Terrence Boyd is cap tied
Boyd is a talented 21-year old forward who currently plays for a second division club in Germany and holds dual citizenship in Germany and the US, so coming into tonight's match he was still eligible to play for either country. After tonight's appearance in an official international competition, Boyd can only play for the US - what is known by FIFA rules as "cap tied." Boyd's development will be closely watched, as he should be paired up front with Altidore after the Dempsey/Donovan era ends (which will likely happen after the 2014 World Cup).
Qualifying resumes on Tuesday night, as the US travels to Guatemala in what should be a rather hostile environment.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Euro 2012 Preview and Predictions
We are less than 24 hours from the start of the year's most exciting and entertaining soccer tournament, Euro 2012. 16 of Europe's best national teams will play for a title that is contested every four years. ESPN's family of networks will carry every match of this year's tournament, which is being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
Below are my previews and predictions for each group in the order I see them finishing, and my predictions all the way to the final. Each country's FIFA World Ranking is in parentheses.
Group A - Russia (13), Czech Republic (27), Poland (62), Greece (15)
Russia is the class of this group and is coming off an impressive 3-0 thumping of Italy in a recent tuneup friendly. Czech Republic is widely seen as being on the down swing, but its veteran squad might be up for one last run. Poland and Greece kickoff the tournament Friday, and Poland will likely ride the home crowd support to an early victory to put Greece in trouble from the get go...but much like South Africa in the 2010 World Cup that wave of emotion will not last long enough.
Group B - Germany (3), Netherlands (4), Portugal (10), Denmark (9)
Undoubtedly the best group in this competition. Germany has a very young and talented squad with some of the finest players in this tournament and one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world. Netherlands fields a strong and balanced squad, but they will be challenged by Portugal and Denmark. Don't look for many blowouts in this group. If Cristiano Ronaldo can get into some open space in the Netherlands-Portugal match, they can pull off an upset and throw the entire tournament for a loop. In the end, I think this group will mostly go as the rankings dictate.
Group C - Spain (1), Italy (12), Croatia (8), Ireland (18)
Defending champion Spain is the class of the tournament and none of its groupmates compete with their firepower on paper. Italy is dealing with another match-fixing scandal, but they rallied together and overcame similar off-field issues to win the 2006 World Cup. There is no doubt they will try to leverage a similar "Us against the World" mantra. Croatia could be the cinderella story of the tournament if they can beat a tough Ireland squad in the first match.
Group D - England (6), France (14), Ukraine (52), Sweden (17)
England and France both have undergone heavy turnover since the last World Cup, changing coaches and operating philosophies. The top spot will be heavily contested; England has looked good since Roy Hodgson took over the reins and the French are out for some vindication after an embarrassing 2010 World Cup. Co-host Ukraine could make life miserable for its groupmates, but I don't think have enough to advance past the group stage, and Sweden does not have enough starpower to keep up with the rest.
Quarterfinals
Netherlands over Russia - Russia will play a pack it in and counterattack style against the high-caliber offense of the Dutch, but that won't work over 90 minutes.
Spain over France - France will give Spain a good match in the first half, but the second half will be too much for Les Blues to stop.
Germany over Czech Republic - The easiest draw of the quarterfinalists, Germany will have no trouble dismantling its opponent here.
Italy over England - What should be the closest match of the quarterfinals, though likely not the most entertaining given Italy's defensive-minded approach, will likely be won on penalty kicks.
Semifinals
Spain over Netherlands - This could be the most entertaining match of the tournament, as both squads love to run up and down the pitch and move the ball around with impressive speed and motion. We could easily see a 4-3, back and forth match, but in the end the best midfield in the world will win out.
Germany over Italy - These traditional rivals once again will play in a heated affair, but Italy does not have the offensive threats possessed by Germany and will not be able to keep up its defense-first mentality once Germany gets on the scoreboard.
Finals
Spain over Germany - You can't ask for much more than the first and third ranked teams in the world playing in this final (especially since the #2 team, Uruguay, is not in Europe!) so this would be a great way to decide the Euro 2012 champion. Both teams have great talent at forward, feature the two best midfields in the world, and have some holes in their defense which could lead to a high scoring final. If it comes down to which team is hungrier, that has to be Germany given their close calls to winning many international tournaments in recent years. But Spain's core has been through this before and that will carry the best team in the world to a repeat championship.
Please comment and share your predictions...and enjoy some great soccer over the next month!
Below are my previews and predictions for each group in the order I see them finishing, and my predictions all the way to the final. Each country's FIFA World Ranking is in parentheses.
Group A - Russia (13), Czech Republic (27), Poland (62), Greece (15)
Russia is the class of this group and is coming off an impressive 3-0 thumping of Italy in a recent tuneup friendly. Czech Republic is widely seen as being on the down swing, but its veteran squad might be up for one last run. Poland and Greece kickoff the tournament Friday, and Poland will likely ride the home crowd support to an early victory to put Greece in trouble from the get go...but much like South Africa in the 2010 World Cup that wave of emotion will not last long enough.
Group B - Germany (3), Netherlands (4), Portugal (10), Denmark (9)
Undoubtedly the best group in this competition. Germany has a very young and talented squad with some of the finest players in this tournament and one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world. Netherlands fields a strong and balanced squad, but they will be challenged by Portugal and Denmark. Don't look for many blowouts in this group. If Cristiano Ronaldo can get into some open space in the Netherlands-Portugal match, they can pull off an upset and throw the entire tournament for a loop. In the end, I think this group will mostly go as the rankings dictate.
Group C - Spain (1), Italy (12), Croatia (8), Ireland (18)
Defending champion Spain is the class of the tournament and none of its groupmates compete with their firepower on paper. Italy is dealing with another match-fixing scandal, but they rallied together and overcame similar off-field issues to win the 2006 World Cup. There is no doubt they will try to leverage a similar "Us against the World" mantra. Croatia could be the cinderella story of the tournament if they can beat a tough Ireland squad in the first match.
Group D - England (6), France (14), Ukraine (52), Sweden (17)
England and France both have undergone heavy turnover since the last World Cup, changing coaches and operating philosophies. The top spot will be heavily contested; England has looked good since Roy Hodgson took over the reins and the French are out for some vindication after an embarrassing 2010 World Cup. Co-host Ukraine could make life miserable for its groupmates, but I don't think have enough to advance past the group stage, and Sweden does not have enough starpower to keep up with the rest.
Quarterfinals
Netherlands over Russia - Russia will play a pack it in and counterattack style against the high-caliber offense of the Dutch, but that won't work over 90 minutes.
Spain over France - France will give Spain a good match in the first half, but the second half will be too much for Les Blues to stop.
Germany over Czech Republic - The easiest draw of the quarterfinalists, Germany will have no trouble dismantling its opponent here.
Italy over England - What should be the closest match of the quarterfinals, though likely not the most entertaining given Italy's defensive-minded approach, will likely be won on penalty kicks.
Semifinals
Spain over Netherlands - This could be the most entertaining match of the tournament, as both squads love to run up and down the pitch and move the ball around with impressive speed and motion. We could easily see a 4-3, back and forth match, but in the end the best midfield in the world will win out.
Germany over Italy - These traditional rivals once again will play in a heated affair, but Italy does not have the offensive threats possessed by Germany and will not be able to keep up its defense-first mentality once Germany gets on the scoreboard.
Finals
Spain over Germany - You can't ask for much more than the first and third ranked teams in the world playing in this final (especially since the #2 team, Uruguay, is not in Europe!) so this would be a great way to decide the Euro 2012 champion. Both teams have great talent at forward, feature the two best midfields in the world, and have some holes in their defense which could lead to a high scoring final. If it comes down to which team is hungrier, that has to be Germany given their close calls to winning many international tournaments in recent years. But Spain's core has been through this before and that will carry the best team in the world to a repeat championship.
Please comment and share your predictions...and enjoy some great soccer over the next month!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
USMNT Draws with Canada in Final Tuneup Before World Cup Qualifying
The USMNT played a scoreless draw against Canada this evening in its final tuneup before World Cup Qualifying begins later this week. The match didn't feature nearly the excitement of the last two friendlies - a blowout win over Scotland and an entertaining defeat at the hands of Brazil where the US could not capitalize on many opportunities. The US mostly looked like an uninspired group tonight, likely due to fatigue as a result of this being their third match in nine days.
Here are my three positives from tonight's match:
1. Clarence Goodson solidified his place in the starting lineup with a stellar performance
There is no doubt who the man of the match was tonight. Clarence Goodson watched as Geoff Cameron and Oguchi Onyewu struggled at centerback alongside captain Carlos Bocanegra in the past two games. Goodson shined in the US victory against Italy in February, but had not seen much action on the national team since. Tonight, Goodson showed poise in the backfield and came closest to scoring, as his header in stoppage time forced the save of the night from Canada's goalkeeper. Klinsmann should partner Goodson with Bocanegra at centerback for the upcoming qualifiers.
2. Jozy Altidore finally got onto the pitchThe drama surrounding Jozy Altidore's release from his Dutch club team to suit up for the USMNT is finally over, as he joined the squad for training a few days ago. He came on as a substitute in the second half tonight and looked active with a few touches and releases down the pitch despite a lack of significant ball movement from the midfield. It will be interesting to see the starting lineup Klinsmann uses in the qualifiers, as Altidore could start or be used as a substitute forward to spell Herculez Gomez.
3. The friendlies are over and World Cup Qualifying begins Friday
Even the most committed fans of the USMNT have to admit that they are over these international friendlies and ready for real, compeitive matches that truly mean something. You got the sense Klinsmann felt that way tonight when he substituted out Landon Donovan in the second half. No way does Klinsmann take out one of his top players in a scoreless match when it counts. We should see a different level of passion and commitment from this team on Friday when they take on Antigua and Barbuda in the first qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup.
Here are my three positives from tonight's match:
1. Clarence Goodson solidified his place in the starting lineup with a stellar performance
There is no doubt who the man of the match was tonight. Clarence Goodson watched as Geoff Cameron and Oguchi Onyewu struggled at centerback alongside captain Carlos Bocanegra in the past two games. Goodson shined in the US victory against Italy in February, but had not seen much action on the national team since. Tonight, Goodson showed poise in the backfield and came closest to scoring, as his header in stoppage time forced the save of the night from Canada's goalkeeper. Klinsmann should partner Goodson with Bocanegra at centerback for the upcoming qualifiers.
2. Jozy Altidore finally got onto the pitchThe drama surrounding Jozy Altidore's release from his Dutch club team to suit up for the USMNT is finally over, as he joined the squad for training a few days ago. He came on as a substitute in the second half tonight and looked active with a few touches and releases down the pitch despite a lack of significant ball movement from the midfield. It will be interesting to see the starting lineup Klinsmann uses in the qualifiers, as Altidore could start or be used as a substitute forward to spell Herculez Gomez.
3. The friendlies are over and World Cup Qualifying begins Friday
Even the most committed fans of the USMNT have to admit that they are over these international friendlies and ready for real, compeitive matches that truly mean something. You got the sense Klinsmann felt that way tonight when he substituted out Landon Donovan in the second half. No way does Klinsmann take out one of his top players in a scoreless match when it counts. We should see a different level of passion and commitment from this team on Friday when they take on Antigua and Barbuda in the first qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)