Bradley Out

Yesterday, the US Soccer Federation fired Bob Bradley. For those that follow the team closely, this is a major shock. Not since 1988 has a coach been fired in the middle of a World Cup cycle. The USSF simply does not act rashly. Yet, this firing comes as a relief to many US fans, including yours truly.

I have nothing personally against Bob. I think he's a fine man and role model. He even accomplished some decent things as the coach of the US team. Under Bob's reign, the US won the hex for the first time ever. They beat Spain in the 2009 Confed Cup. And, in perhaps the most singular awesome moment in US Soccer history, they won their World Cup group on an injury time goal against Algeria.

Yet, the team failed the "eye test". In other words, Bob Bradley's team often got results, but they didn't look good doing so. The team hardly inspired confidence. They typically fell behind early and staged miraculous comebacks (Slovenia, every game in the Hex). Or they would gain an early 2-goal lead and then squander it (Brazil in Confed Cup, Mexico in Gold Cup).

Never during Bob's reign did the US have an identity. Bob came the closest during the Confed Cup, when he finally settled on Charlie Davies and the 4-4-2. With Davies and Altidore paired up top, the US had two complementary strikers and a decent midfield to provide service. That lineup destroyed Egypt, beat Spain, and narrowly lost to Brazil. That lineup also narrowly lost to Mexico in Mexico City in what was probably the US's best ever showing down there (save for perhaps a 0-0 draw in the 90s that never aired on TV). Then Davies had that horrific car crash in the Fall of '09. He's slowly working his way back to form, but his loss severely impacted Bob's plans. Without Davies, the US had no striker with the right combination of pace, skill, and tenacity. Bob tried out a slew of other strikers and eventually settled on nobody, instead opting for just one striker (Altidore) and five middies.

This dreadful formation only contributed to the team's lack of focus and ugly-looking play. Still, after the 2010 World Cup, Bob received an extension to take the team for another WC cycle. This is where most fans got up in arms. Bob seemingly brought the team as far as he could. And other coaches who were re-upped for a 2nd WC cycle typically crash-and-burned (Italy's Marcelo Lippi and Bruce Arena are prime examples). Bradley's results since the rehire further cemented that theory.

The US team lost to Brazil, then drew with Colombia, Poland, Chile, and Argentina. Then they lost to Paraguay and Spain, failing to score in either contest. I should also mention that every one of these games was played on US soil. Then came the Gold Cup where the US got a handful of decent results (Canada, Jamaica) partnered with embarrassing losses (Panama, Mexico).

It's likely that Mexico loss was the final nail in Bradley's coffin. The US was so outclassed and outmatched that Sunil Gulati, head of the USSF, could no longer ignore Bradley's shortcomings. The US was clearly surpassed by Mexico. The team was headed in the wrong direction.

While Bradley may be faulted for boring player formations, it's hard to say whether any other formation would work better. The US team may not have many options. Are there players out there who can provide a stable defense - something missing from this team since Eddie Pope retired? Are there strikers who can actually put the ball in the net? Is there a coach who can piece it all together to get the team actually moving in a positive direction again?

We'll soon find out. It may take a few games for players to settle in, but my guess is that the coaching change will light a fire for this team.

Update

They hired Klinsmann. That at least explains the odd timing. Sunil only moved because he had someone in place. Perhaps Joe Dumars should take note, and not hire somebody (Ben Gordon) until the other one (Rip) is fired.

Looking Up at the Team from the South

"They're as dynamic as any Mexican team I've played against."

- Landon Donovan, after Saturday's 4-2 loss

For the past decade, the US dominated Mexico on home soil. Despite Mexico's technical superiority, the yanks always found a way to win. During the last World Cup qualifying cycle, the Mexican team seemed in disarray. It was February 2009. The Swede Sven Goran Ericsson brought his Mexico squad to Columbus, Ohio, for the opening game in the World Cup Qualifying Hex.

There were definite rumblings that Ericsson was not a great fit for the Mexican team. He employed a more structured formation, and the Mexican players did their best to accommodate him. The results were dreadful. Despite a newfound dedication to defense and organization, the Mexican players seemed handcuffed. They lost 2-0.

Mexico next held serve on their home court with a 2-0 win over Costa Rica. But, a few days later, Honduras destroyed Mexico 3-1. Sven Goran Ericsson received his walking papers the next day. In the wake of the firing, the Mexican team opted for former manager Javier Aguirre. Aguirre knew the Mexican players flourished in a more flowing, attacking environment. He freed up the players. Yet, the team did not respond immediately. In the next qualifying game, El Salvador shocked the giants of CONCACAF with a 2-1 win. Mexico stood at the very bottom of the Hex with an unheard-of 1 win and 3 losses.

This was the lowest point for Mexican soccer in perhaps 50 years... more than the immediate aftermath of their 2-0 loss to the US in the 2002 World Cup knockout stage. That loss surely hurt to the core. But the Mexican team and fans at least knew the team was good enough to make it to the knockout stage in the grandest tournament in the world. Staring up at El Salvador and Costa Rica and... the US!... in the standings was a dagger to their pride.

So, on the heels of the loss to El Salvador, what did the Mexican team do? It was the Summer of '09. They jettisoned some of the older guard (Cuatemoc Blanco) and built the team around the burgeoning youth like Giovanni Dos Santos.

"Gio" was part of a new generation of Mexican players plying their trade overseas. For as long as I can remember, the Mexican team featured stars of the Mexican domestic league. Despite their stylish skill on the ball, few Mexican players ever ventured overseas. Jared Borgetti was the perfect example. Borgetti is Mexico's all-time leading scorer for the national team (an impressive 46 goals). An outright star in the Mexican domestic league, Borgetti signed with Bolton in 2005. In 19 appearances, Borgetti managed just 2 goals. He returned to Mexico in 2006.

But Rafael Marquez was the exception. At age 20, the strong Mexican defender signed with Monaco back in 1999. In a few years, he was the captain at Barcelona, where he stayed for eight seasons. With such a successful run in Spain, it's no surprise that European clubs, especially those in Spain, started viewing Mexican talent in a different light.

Gio landed a contract with Barcelona. Andres Gardado signed with Racing Santander. Hector Moreno went to play in the Netherlands. This past season, Javier Hernandez, aka "Chicharito," signed with Manchester United and scored a whopping 20 goals.

This is the new Mexico.

Now, let's go back to the Summer of '09. While the US made waves in the Confederation Cup by losing unceremoniously to Brazil and Italy, only to somehow destroy Egypt and shock Spain, the Mexican team blew through the Gold Cup. Few American fans really cared about that Gold Cup. Unlike this year, the Gold Cup winner in 2009 received no invite to the Confed Cup. The tournament was held just for exhibition purposes. Still, Mexico saw an opportunity. They trotted out more new blood, and the team steamrolled the competition, including a 5-0 thrashing of the US in the Gold Cup final. Mexico was back.

The good feelings continued as they rallied back in World Cup Qualifying. They beat the US 2-1 in Azteca. They won five straight games in qualifying, easily earning the trip to South America for World Cup 2010.

It wasn't a World Cup to remember, though. They finished second in their group, but drew Argentina in the knockout round. Argentina thrashed them 3-1. Still, the tourney provided valuable experience for kids like Chichirito, who scored two goals which obviously caught the attention of Man U. The Mexican players started to thrive overseas. Their American counterparts had less success. Only Clint Dempsey and Stuart Holden stood tall at their European clubs. American up-and-comers like Jozy Altidore shifted from club to club hoping to earn playing time. The same was true with Michael Bradley, Oguchi Onyewu, and especially Freddy Adu.

Now, I don't want it to sound like the world was aces for the Mexicans and Hell for the yanks. Gio Dos Santos experienced his share of disappointment too. He couldn't get any minutes at Barcelona, so he signed with Spurs. While he's a regular in the 18-man roster, he rarely starts. Still, there's absolutely no doubt that the top European club competition has proven beneficial to the Mexican national team. Donovan's quote up top says it all. The Mexican team shredded a rather decent US squad. As much as I want to criticize the Yanks, they're not horrible. I knew they were a step down from previous years, perhaps due to an emotional come-down following the draining 2010 World Cup run. But this team, despite fielding almost the same lineup, is not nearly as good as the team who finished atop their group in South Africa. That team had its own problems (conceding early goals), but they were significantly more energized, organized, and creative. Mexico's dominant 4-2 win last weekend should say more about the state of the Mexican team than the American's.

This miraculous rebound in glory came in a short two year span. Can the yanks do the same? I doubt it. Americans don't have the same passion or resources for soccer. It's the culture. That won't change. The American system may produce a Clint Dempsey or Jozy Altidore every now and then, but they need to produce TEN Jozy Altidores. TEN Donovans. TEN Tim Howards. That's how this team will improve.

Until then, we're stuck with this current incarnation. With Bob Bradley as coach. Yippee.

More of the same

While the US national soccer team provided the single most glorious moment in sports for 2010, their run to the Cup ended abruptly. The 2-1 loss in the 2nd round proved the US improved little from the '06 squad. Was the US's advancement into the knockout stage an actual improvement, or did they just benefit from a weaker group?

I would argue the latter. The '06 squad started the tournament in dreadful fashion, getting spanked 3-0 by the Czech's. Many fans in the US wrote the team off after that embarrassment. Yet, Bruce Arena's squad rallied the next game, drawing with Italy, despite playing with nine men the entire second half. They even had a game-winning goal nullified courtesy of a dubious off-sides call. In the 3rd game, Claudio Reyna coughed up the ball to grant Ghana their first goal, and later the ref granted Ghana a penalty kick on a phantom foul by Onyewu. Yet, Dempsey put the US on the board to make the game interesting at 2-1.

Both Ghana and Italy advanced to the next round, with Italy winning the whole thing. The US was the only team to draw with Italy. In hindsight, I see little difference between the '06 and '10 squads other than quality of their opponent. Both teams suffered dreadful calls from the referees, and both teams did their best to rally.

The bottom line is that the Bob Bradley incarnation differs very little from Bruce Arena's. In fact, I'd say the Bradley team may be a step back. Bruce Arena's resume included the high-point of US soccer -- the '02 World Cup where the US reached the final 8. While that team still displayed maddening inconsistency (3-1 loss to Poland?), they raised their game in the knockout stages. They beat a sound Mexico squad and earned the respect of the world in a dramatic loss to Germany. Despite that loss, the US team looked aggressive, confident, and poised to become a world power.

That never happened.

Arena, in his second World Cup cycle, could not replicate the '02 success. And Bradley's current incarnation looks also to be a step backward.

After the disappointing exit from last summer's World Cup, the US Soccer Federation opted to retain Bob Bradley. The only other serious candidate was Juergen Klinsmann, who apparently demanded too much coaching control. So, the USSF big Kahuna, Sunil Gulati, went with the safe choice. Let's take a look at the US team's results since that fateful decision:

Aug 10, 2010: Brazil 2 - US 0 (in NY)

Oct 9, 2010: Poland 2 - US 2 (in Chicago)

Oct 12, 2010: Colombia 0 - US 0 (in Chester, PA)

Nov 17, 2010: S. Africa 0 - US 1 (in S. Africa)

Jan 22, 2011: Chile 1 - US 1 (in LA)

Mar 26, 2011: Argentina 1 - US 1 (in NY)

Mar 29, 2011: Paraguay 1 - US 0 (in Tennessee)

Jun 4, 2011: Spain 4 - US 0 (in Boston)

Jun 7, 2011: Canada 0 - US 2 (in Detroit)

Jun 11, 2011: Panama 2 - US 1 (in Tampa)

Every game but one was a home match. The US's overall record in Bob's second tenure? 2 wins, 4 losses, 4 draws. Even more worrisome is that the US team scored just 8 goals over that 10 game span. Less than a goal per game. If that isn't an indictment on Bob's tactical acumen, I don't know what is.

It's not like these are high-pressure games when opponent's bunker down. Every match but two was a friendly. Teams tend to open up and experiment. The one time when Bob truly did experiment - when he introduced newcomers Teal Bunbery, Juan Agudelo, and Mixx Diskelrud in South Africa - the US actually won the match:

Granted, that 1-0 goal was a bit of a fluke, but at least Bob saw the benefit of trying new things. Ultimately, it only resulted in Juan Agudelo graduating to consistent starter status. Bunbery and Diskelrud lurk on the outside. Bob remains committed to his regular starters who look disinterested, burnt-out, or perhaps even overmatched.

It's difficult to know what to expect going forward. It's entirely possible this US squad will thump Guadeloupe and cruise all the way to the Gold Cup Final. But it's just as likely that the team will flame out early.

Bob Bradley's squads exhibit no defining characteristics. He's loaded with midfielders, though two of the most offensively-gifted - Stuart Holden and Bennie Feilhaber - are injured. Still, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, and Jermaine Jones are available. All three play at top European clubs, but I wonder... does that even matter any more? Against Panama, MLS defender Tim Ream and European-based defender Clarence Goodsen could not contain striker Luis Tejada. Where does Tejada ply his trade professionally? Well, he was apparently not good enough for MLS, earning just five appearance in '07. He's now in Peru (?!).

The US roster is littered with an impressive array of European club players, but the Panama loss proved club success means nothing in the International arena. Chemistry, determination, and creativity trump European club pedigree every time. Under Bob Bradley, the team may have fitness, and they occasionally have determination. But they desperately lack chemistry and creativity. Unless there's a massive change to Bob's coaching style and approach, I simply don't see any improvements on the horizon.

Expect more of the same.

Ho-Hum

Last night, the US disposed of Canada in the first round of the Gold Cup. The US national team rarely comes to Detroit, so it was a special treat to get to see the boys in blue in our home town. Mrs. Nofrownmotown and I sat with Sam's Army. While the game itself was relatively ho-hum, the atmosphere of Sam's Army made for a unique experience.

The young-ish fans draped in American flags led their fellow yanks in songs and general merrymaking throughout the entire match. Standing was required. Sitting was for half-time. The Sam's Army group did their best to replicate a European environment. It was cool.

Unfortunately, the product on the field left much to be desired. Sure, the US won in workmanlike fashion. Yet, apart from a few moments of brilliance from Dempsey and Howard, the US team was as boring as a Bob Bradley hair-cut.

The US began the match with most of their regular starters. Altidore and Juan Agudelo started at striker. Dempsey, Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and Donovan led the midfield. And Bocanegra, newcomer Tim Ream, Clarence Goodson, and Cherundolo were the back 4 in front of Tim Howard. The US pressured early, wanting that opening goal. It didn't take long.

Donovan did what he does best, sending a pin-point pass to Altidore in the box in the 17th minute. From a sharp angle, Altidore spun around and sent a low-hard shot near post. The goalie, perhaps surprised by the accuracy of the shot from such an acute angle, mishandled the ball. It slipped behind him for a 1-0 US lead. Altidore had a difficult season in Europe, and he celebrated this fine goal accordingly. When the ball hit the back of the net, Ford Field erupted. The stadium was not-quite half-full, but the decibel level, especially in our section, was deafening. This confirmed my belief that a goal in soccer is one of the truly special moments in sports, especially experienced in person.

The US then took their foot off the gas. Canada maintained the lionshare of possession for the rest of the 1st half and into the 2nd. They had several dangerous chances, including a blistering shot from distance by Dwayne DeRosario. Howard extended fully to his left but missed the ball. Luckily it curved inches outside the far post. Howard had a few choice words for his defense after that shot.

The second half started with more of the same - extended possession by Canada. The US went many minutes between shots. Donovan and Dempsey were silent.

Around the 60th minute, the US retook control of the match. Both Donovan and Dempsey suddenly became much more involved. The US had a number of chances inside the box, and it seemed only a matter of time before the US scored another. While Canada had some quality attacking players, their defense and, especially, goalie were lacking.

In the 62nd minute, Altidore sent a cross through the box that found Dempsey far post. From a sharp angle, Dempsey volleyed the shot into the back of the net. Unlike Altidore, Dempsey celebrated with less verve, likely due to his 12 goals in England. He had a stellar season in England and probably expected to score at least one against Canada.

Against weakish competition like Canada, players like Dempsey and Howard really stand out. They're the only European-based players to excel at their respective clubs. In the field, Dempsey has that innate ability to do something special at any moment. While Donovan may be the most polished field player for the nats, it's Dempsey who has become the most dangerous. Fulham did him wonders.

After the US's second goal, Canada ramped up their attack. Howard made a handful of world-class saves to prevent a last-minute nail-biter. After the match, the teams shook hands and exchanged jerseys. The US players then saluted the fans, with Dempsey leading the charge. He pointed to each section, Hulk Hogan-style. The fans loved it and gave the US players rock-star treatment.

While it's nice to beat up on Sidney Crosby's home country, this game did leave a bit to be desired. It came on the heels of a 4-0 drubbing by Spain. While that Spain match was a friendly, it did illustrate the disparity in skill between the two teams. With Bob Bradley at the helm, I expect the US to follow much the same path they did four years ago. They'll likely battle with Mexico for first place in the Hex. That will get them into the World Cup, where they will get bounced from their group, unless they get a favorable draw like in 2010.

The sad truth is that the US is not close to challenging for a World Cup title. They're not elite. Nor are they on the next tier. The US hovers with the vast sea of middling soccer countries. They have the ability to occasionally pull out a shocking upset but are usually bounced in the early rounds of the major tournaments.

During the 80s, when the US started producing players that could actually play the game professionally, we all thought "it's only a matter of time." It's clear now that the time frame we're looking at is decades or centuries. It's not just a case of producing great athletes. The elite countries possess a soccer culture that doesn't exist in the US. It may never exist. Most American kids don't dream of starring for the soccer team. The other sports are more popular. Yet, I never thought I'd see an American soccer player hold court over a stadium like Clint Dempsey did last night. I imagine that's the same in every stadium across this country. The US team has made strides in popularity. If they can slowly win a permanent role in the nation's sports consciousness, perhaps they'll draw the athletes to take them to the next tier.

Until then, we'll have to be content with 4-0 losses to Spain and 2-0 wins over Canada.

Checking in with the Nats

Cherundolo: Stellar season abroad
For most of the Americans playing abroad, the club season is over. The top players won't get much time off, as Bradley called in 16 foreign-based players for the upcoming Gold Cup. The US scheduled a Gold Cup tune-up against Spain on June 4th.

How did the top American players fare this past season?

Tim Howard (GK) - Howard started every key game for Everton this season - 42 games, with 9 shutouts. He performed well and helped push Everton to a 7th place finish. He's their main man for the foreseeable future.

Brad Guzan (GK) - Sat second-fiddle to Brad Friedel for most of the season at Aston Villa. In January, Villa loaned Guzan to Hull City in the Championship (2nd tier division). Guzan did very well, and Hull extended the loan. Guzan won't be back at Villa next season, but I imagine he'll have no difficulty finding a new club, perhaps back at Hull.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) - Began the season as the first-choice keeper for premiership side, Wolverhampton. After a 17 starts, he was benched. The move paid-off, sort of, as Wolverhampton avoided relegation (barely). Hahnemann may move to the MLS to finish his career.

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Another solid season for Bocanegra in Europe, as he helped St. Etienne finish in 8th place in France's top division. He started almost every match and scored 2 goals from set-pieces.

Steve Cherundolo (D) - Wonderful season for the Hannover captain. Cherundolo led Hannover to their best finish (4th), narrowly missing Champion's League honors. Other than missing time with yellow-card accumulation, Cherundolo started every match.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - A season to forget. Onyewu, despite offering to play for 0 dollars, could not crack the lineup at AC Milan. During the January transfer window, Onyewu was loaned to Twente in the Dutch league. Twente inserted Onyewu into the starting lineup where he eventually made 13 starts. By seasons end, though, Onyewu was back on the bench, and, to make matters worse, Twente ceded their 1st place crown on the final game of the season! Going forward, Onyewu has no future with AC Milan. With a decent run with Twente, he's better off seeking a long term loan in the Dutch league.

Eric Lichaj (D) - Yet another yank at Aston Villa. Thanks to injuries, the young defender saw some minutes early in the season and impressed enough to earn a call-up from US coach Bob Bradley. When the senior Villa players returned, Lichaj found himself back on the bench. He was loaned to Championship side Leeds United and fared very well. Leeds fought hard to gain promotion but ultimately fell short. I expect Lichaj to spend another season as a backup at Villa and likely earn another loan to a Championship squad needing right back help.

Jon Spector (D/M) - What a weird season for Spector at West Ham. He was coming off a dreadful 09/10 campaign and an injury that forced him to miss much of the World Cup. His drop in form was so stark that I feared his career was in jeopardy, despite his young age (27). At the beginning of the season, Spector wasn't even earning a spot on West Ham's gameday roster. He was a borderline reserve. Then a strange thing happened. One of the reserve coaches opted to try Spector at center midfield. The move worked wonders. While still not a regular starter, Spector shined as a center midfielder in West Ham's run through the Carling Cup. In regular league matches, Spector was back on the bench, earning regular minutes as a sub. Late in the season, they called on Spector once again to fill in as a starting defender. Spector's contract with West Ham is up this offseason. His versatility might help him earn another contract, but I expect it will be with a different club. West Ham got relegated and they might want to revamp their roster. Personally, I think Spector is better off playing in the Championship. He's not quite premiership quality yet.

Michael Bradley (M) - In his second season at Borussia Monchengladbach, Bradley fell out of favor. BM signed Bradley after a sterling season with Dutch outfit Heerenveen where he scored an incredible 16 goals. The top flight Bundesliga proved a difficult transition, and Bradley couldn't come close to matching that goal output for BM. Bradley got benched midseason and found himself loaned to Aston Villa. He hardly saw the pitch at Villa, while BM went on a late-season tear without Bradley. It's unfair to pin any of BM's previous failures entirely on Bradley, but it doesn't bode well for Bradley's return. For those of us that watch the US national team, we know Bradley's quality. Hopefully, he'll find a new club this summer and not open the season again at BM.

Clint Dempsey (M) - One of the great success stories this year. Fulham had a new manager who apparently didn't think highly of Dempsey. So he began the season, yet again, on the bench. It didn't last long, as Dempsey quickly proved himself to be the team's most dynamic scoring threat. He notched 39 starts and 13 goals, and Fulham finished an impressive 8th in the premiership. While many folks want to see Dempsey move to a bigger, Champion's League club, I'd prefer for him to stay at Fulham. He's got a good thing going there. Why mess with it? I wanted Bradley to stay at Heerenveen too, and look what happened to him when he left! Check out Dempsey's goals:

Jermaine Jones (M) - Like Bradley, he fell out of favor at his Bundesliga club (Schalke) and was loaned to a premiership side (Blackburn). Unlike Bradley, he started almost every game, and, in general, impressed the squad. Schalke definitely don't want him back, as Jones basically told-off the coach there, and Germans don't stand for that. A permanent move to Blackburn or a return to Germany, with a different club, is likely. Either way, I expect Jones to continue to earn playing time.

Freddy Adu (M) - He had all-but-fallen off the radar. Last September, nobody wanted him. He literally couldn't find a team. Benfica, who owned his contract, had no interest. And last year's team, Aris in Greece, didn't want him on a loan. Freddy practiced with a few squads around Europe, but nobody bit. Then came the January transfer window. A 2nd-tier Turkey side, Risapor, took a chance on Freddy. Freddy responded with 4 goals in 10 starts. His brief resurgence caught the notice of Bob Bradley who called Freddy up for the Gold Cup roster. This must be a massive confidence-boost for the kid who was so close to rock-bottom just seven months ago. While practicing with the US squad will help Freddy's career, he still needs to find a club for next season. A good showing this summer will make his hunt easier.

Damarcus Beasley (M) - Beasley signed with Hannover early in the season and played a bit part as a reserve. He started 11 games, mostly in the German Cup, not the League games. 1 goal. Strange to say, but it looks like his career in Europe is winding down.

Ricardo Clark (M) - Clark started the year with an injury that kept him sidelined most of 2010. He returned this Spring to start 9 games for Eintracht Frankfurt. Alas, EF was relegated, but I believe Clark remains part of their long-term plans.

Maurice Edu (M) - Edu was a key player for Rangers this year, helping them earn another Scottish League title. Edu also scored a goal in the Champions' League, becoming one of just a few Americans to earn that honor (others in that group include Beasley and Jovan Kirovski). Despite playing in the top-heavy Scottish League, competition at Rangers is fierce. Edu must fight for his minutes. So far, he's done just fine and may just be the US's best option at holding midfielder.

Jozy Altidore (F) - This young man needs a change of scenery. He wasn't earning regular minutes at Villareal in Spain, so they loaned him to Bursapor in Turkey during the January transfer window. The move gave Jozy minutes, but he only scored one goal in five starts. He's not in the long-term plans for Villareal or Bursapor, so another loan next season is likely. My hope is he moves to MLS just to earn some actual games. His career isn't progressing at the big club like Villareal. He'd be better off somewhere smaller.

Charlie Davies (F) - Quite an interesting few months for the former US striker. Most US fans held out hope last year that Davies would recover from his near-fatal injury in record time and somehow make the World Cup roster. When Bradley didn't select him, a lot of us lashed out, thinking Bradley was punishing Davies for breaking curfew. News later surfaced that it wasn't just Bradley's call. The US medical staff ran extensive tests on Davies and confirmed that he was nowhere near recovered. At the beginning of the 2010 season, Davies' club, French outfit Sochaux, confirmed that claim: "He is not at the level he was when he joined us." Those words must've been tough to hear after his grueling rehabilitation. But Davies is a fighter. He accepted his new role as reserve. He spent the entire first half of the season with the reserve squad, occasionally scoring, but not with any regularity you'd expect from an international-level striker (which was exactly what he was pre-injury). Finally, in December, he made the bench for the senior Sochaux squad. In the offseason, Sochaux loaded up on strikers, so Charlie's playing time would be limited at best. He was looking at more time with the reserves. But Sochaux are a good outfit, and they wanted what's best for Charlie. So they offered to loan him to DC United in MLS. DC set a league record last season with fewest ever goals scored. They desperately needed help. But head coach, Ben Olsen (yes, THAT Ben Olsen) wasn't sure Charlie was recovered enough to make the squad. MLS is a notch below the French League, but it's still competitive. Just as Beckham and Thierry Henry. Davies worked out for DC and, after two weeks, the good news came that Davies passed the fitness test. He made the squad and came off the bench in his first game and scored TWICE! To date, he's appeared in 9 games (six starts) and scored six goals (three from the penalty spot). Charlie isn't fully back to his pre-injury level, but to see him scoring again is a minor miracle.

USA 0 - Paraguay 1

Yuck. It never feels good to lose. Especially after outplaying the opposition. Yet, how much should the result truly matter?

If I'm going to poo-poo friendly wins (like, say, this 3-0 drubbing of Germany a few years prior to losing to them when it really mattered in the World Cup Quarterfinals), then I should also dismiss friendly losses. What matters more than the result is the quality of play on the field and the development of the players. In that light, the game was a moderate success. Coach Bradley successfully integrated newcomers Timothy Chandler, Juan Agudelo, and Tim Ream into the senior national side.

Chandler had the best game of the bunch, regularly beating his man down the right flank, displaying uncommon speed and touch. He was never caught out of position on defense. While he may not immediately supplant Steve Cherundolo at right fullback, he's a capable alternative.

Juan Agudelo also played very well earning his 4th cap and first as a starter. Despite his inexperience, Agudelo caused many more headaches for Paraguay than his strike partner, Jozy Altidore. Agudelo was active and tireless throughout the match. The one knock is that he never sniffed the goal, and scoring is his primary duty. Otherwise, a fine match.

In central defense, Tim Ream took the place of Oguchi Onyewu (who didn't dress) and displayed superior passing and poise. Unlike the Argentina game, the US was able to work the ball out of danger and maintain possession, instead of clearing it into the 34th row. What Ream does not possess is Onyewu's size, and this hurt him in his one crucial mistake. Ream was manhandled on an early corner kick, and he fell to the ground. Jay Demerit also somehow fell. With both central defenders helpless, Paraguay's Cordozo pounced on the loose ball and beat Marcus Hahnemann. Highlights here:

That's the plight of the defender. You can play fine the entire match, but, if you get caught out of position just once, that's what people remember. Ream had a fine night, but he'll have to keep his footing next time. These burly international strikers will do whatever it takes to create space.

A handful of veterans had fine nights as well, specifically Michael Bradley. He was the most active central midfielder, and he also had the best chance at net. He expertly set himself up for a long-range volley that was right on target. The Paraguayan keeper, their captain and no slouch, extended fully and blocked the blistering shot out of bounds. It was a first-rate save. Donovan also had a stellar chance from a sharp angle at close range, but he sent his shot just wide.

Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, and Agudelo did well maintaining possession for long stretches, which was probably the most encouraging part of the game. The least encouraging would be their lack of finishing. To the US's credit, Paraguay is no slouch. They made the World Cup quarterfinals, mostly on the strength of their defense. Talent-wise, they match up favorably against the US. With this game being on US soil, however, you would hope the US wouldn't get shut out.

The US team is off until late May when they return to camp in preparation for the Gold Cup. US Soccer recently announced a Gold Cup warmup friendly with Spain on June 4. Three days later, the US takes on Canada in Detroit - a game I'll be attending with Mrs. Nofrownmotown (and possibly Dr. Rochester). We'll be sitting with Sam's Army. Can't wait.

State of the Nats

Much has changed with the US National Soccer team since the World Cup last summer. And, yet, little of that change was evident based on the starting lineup last Saturday against Argentina. Coach Bob Bradley opted for the lone striker, 4-5-1 alignment. Ten of the eleven starters were holdovers from the World Cup. The only new face was Jermaine Jones.

Yet, in the past nine months, Coach Bradley introduced a slew of new players, highlighted by striker Juan Agudelo, who made an immediate impression by scoring in his first cap against South Africa late last year.

On Saturday, the US team appeared overmatched against Argentina. The 4-5-1 alignment was meant to clog the middle and stifle Argentina's passing. It backfired. Argentina possessed the ball almost the entire first half, easily stringing together passes and breaking down the United States.

The US rarely crossed into Argentina's end of the field. The fact that Argentina only scored one goal was a testament to incredible goalkeeping by Tim Howard and poor finishing by Argentina.

Like Mexico, the Argentinians get pass-happy and wait for the perfect opportunity. Most of the goals scored against the US during World Cup qualifying were long blasts from outside the 18. Argentina never once shot from distance, and it hurt them. In close quarters, Tim Howard was quick and aggressive enough to smother most attacks.

Despite Howard's heroics, it was hard to feel too great about the US team. It was sheer domination by Argentina. At the half, Bob Bradley opted to switch to the 4-4-2 alignment. He took out Jermaine Jones and inserted striker Juan Agudelo. Bradley also replaced right back Jon Spector with another newcomer, Timothy Chandler. The switch turned an embarrassing game into one that was more end-to-end action, albeit still heavily weighted in Argentina's favor. Regardless, Altidore struggled significantly less with a partner at forward. And Tim Chandler did an excellent job going forward from his fullback spot.

Michael Bradley also seemed more comfortable with only one partner in the middle (Maurice Edu) instead of two. The US equalized after a restart. Donovan sent a curling free kick into the box. Bocanegra won the header and placed it perfectly toward the corner of the goal. The goalie did well to block it, but Agudelo was on the doorstep and put the rebound into the net. No doubt this goal was against the run of play, but that's football.

Argentina had a handful of chances after the US scored, but so did the US to be fair. Edu and Dempsey both had great opportunities to score inside the box. The world's greatest player, Argentina's Lionel Messi, proved a handful the entire match, but he never found net. He repeatedly took on four or five players at once and somehow maintained possession. The skill level of Messi and the rest of Argentina was so significantly higher than the US that it's clear the US is still at least a generation away from truly challenging as a world power. The US has the smarts and technical ability to bunker down and limit damage. They also have the skill and speed to counter-attack and score against the top teams in the world. Yet, that strategy is only going to earn them wins against the minnows and a sporadic result against top competition. It's no path to long-term success. To truly challenge - and string 4-5 wins in a row against the best in the world - they'll have to learn to control the game.

These players just aren't there. But they're getting closer.

Let's take a look at a few of the new faces:

Juan Agudelo - An 18 year old striker for the New York Red Bulls. He's progressed rapidly as he wasn't even a starter for New York last season. Now he's getting capped by the senior national team... and scoring! He's got good pace and skill and a tenacity around the box. What's great about this kid is his fearless ambition. He's not intimidated by the world stage and has confidence to attack people. He partners well with Altidore, much the same way Charlie Davies did. MLS is a good league for Agudelo right now, and he scored his first MLS goal just last week. After overhyping Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson, US fans are hesitant to get too excited about Agudelo. It's tough to know what the future holds for an 18 year old, but it's clear his ceiling is high.

Timothy Chandler - A 21 year old defender for Nuremberg in the Bundesliga. Like Agudelo, Chandler was hardly on the US's radar a year ago. He was playing for the Nuremberg reserves and performed well enough to get called up to the senior team this season. Former US player Tony Sanneh knew of Chandler and inquired whether he'd be interested in playing for the US. Despite spending most of his life in Germany, Chandler had no qualms about representing the US and eagerly accepted Bob Bradley's first invite for this camp. As a player, I've rarely seen a US player integrate so seamlessly into the US's backline. Unlike his predecessor's at right defense, Chandler has the speed to cover top wingers. Like Agudelo, his ceiling is high, and the US is lucky to have him.

If you have Fox Soccer Channel, you can check out these new faces of the US team tomorrow night when the US takes on Paraguay. After that, it's back to the club teams.

The unbelievable rebirth of Jonathan Spector

I first saw Jon Spector during the halcyon days of Fox Sports World (now known as Fox Soccer Channel). I didn't actually have Fox Sports World, but my local Fox sports affiliate broadcast FSW games every Tuesday during lunch. It was always a Premiere League match. On this particular Tuesday in 2004, I was home sick and fortunate to see not one but two yanks in action.

At the time, I knew that Tim Howard was the regular starter for Manchester United. What I didn't know is that 18 year old American Jon Spector also would get the nod at left defense. Two American starters for the most decorated club in the world? It was impossible to fathom. I didn't know much about Spector at the time, other than he was either incredibly talented or incredibly lucky. The game itself was pretty exciting, with Howard in top form. Spector fared well too. He linked up confidently with old stalwarts Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. The young kid even had the audacity to make a few runs toward goal, with one shot narrowly curling over the crossbar. To see an 18 year old American shining for Manchester United was a rare, somewhat surreal, event... and it was short-lived.

Spector's time in the starting lineup was due to a rash of injuries. As the older players got healthy, Spector's minutes dropped. As an 18 year old, Man U manager Alex Ferguson rightfully thought he should be loaned to a lower-tier club. Spector found himself at Charlton Athletic. Surely, a kid who could man the pitch for Man U could crack the starting lineup at Charlton. It was not to be. Charlton didn't quite know what to make of Spector. He came through the youth ranks as a striker, but Man U used him exclusively as on defense. Charlton tried him in both spots, without much success.

It was during this time that Spector received his first call from the US national team in a friendly against Scotland. Based on his strong showing with Man U, I figured Spector would confidently take any position on defense he wanted, but, with the nats, he seemed nervous, unsure. It was strange... as if the real Spector was left in Manchester. It was an unfortunate sign of things to come.

In June 2006, Spector signed with West Ham. Initially, it was a good fit. West Ham used Spector often at any spot on defense. West Ham liked Spector and extended his contract. Over the subsequent seasons, Spector shifted regularly from the bench to the field, depending on injuries. He had a serviceable season in 08/09, faring well against lesser competition, but he always struggled against the elite strikers. That summer, Bob Bradley picked Spector to play in the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Spector started every match and was pivotal in the crucial wins against Egypt and Spain. It looked like the youngster finally arrived on the international scene.

Hopes were high when he returned that August to West Ham. For the 09/10 season, Spector earned 21 starts for West Ham. Yet, that's the end of the good news. While he did get minutes, his play suffered. Over the course of the year, Spector seemed to lose his technical ability, speed, and, ultimately, his confidence. The timing for this slump proved especially painful. Looming that summer was the World Cup - a chance to redeem himself in front of billions. He never made it off the bench. Bradley opted instead for Jonathan Bornstein. If Spector couldn't seize the position over Bornstein, did he have a future with the national team? Did he have a future with West Ham?

This past August, Spector received a few token starts with West Ham at defense, but he was quickly supplanted. He spent the past few months not even suiting up for games. It seemed clear he was not in West Ham's plans. With the January transfer window looming, Spector's future was cloudy.

That's when a minor miracle happened - a rebirth as unexpected and unlikely as pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel. In training, the West Ham coaches could see Spector was not working out as a defender. It's clear now that his prior success at that position - especially the success at Man U - was due to quality defensive teammates. Against superior competition, Spector was exposed. But he still had natural ability. You don't make swerving runs across the pitch as an 18 year old unless you have true soccer instincts and talent. At this point, I've got to give the West Ham staff credit. It would've been easy to write Spector off as a lost cause. Instead, they moved Spector to central midfield - the theory being that, at the top ranks, Spector doesn't have the pace to be a striker or outside defenseman, but at midfield he could rely on his natural instincts developed as a youth striker.

Apparently, the training went well, and West Ham surprised their fans (and the US supporters) by unveiling their lineup for the November 30th match against Man U - Jonathan Spector at center midfield. Against his old club, Spector shined. He scored not one but two goals in a 4-0 rout.

It was a special night.

West Ham gave Spector the nod again last weekend in a 1-0 league loss to Sunderland. No goals for Spector that time around, but he showed well enough to earn a 6.4 rating from the fans (2nd highest on the team in the losing effort). The position switch clearly opens up a world of possibility for Spector. He's just 24 and may still blossom into a Premier League talent and regular on the US Nats. Sure, the sampling size is incredibly small, but it's a rare night when an American scores twice, especially from the midfield spot.

I'm very happy for Jon Spector. He had a fortuitous youth, signing with Man U at such a young age. But since then, he's been saddled with injuries, bad timing, poor teammates, and lack of confidence. It's a great story of redemption but also a testament to the power of coaching. Coaches can't instill confidence - clearly Spector's main problem last season - but they can put a player in a position to succeed. They experimented, and, at least for this player, it's worked. On a local level, I see similar talent squandered on the Pistons and Lions. Both coaching staffs should be taken to task for not getting the most of their talent. Why is Calvin Johnson not on the field in red zone opportunities? Why is Austin Daye playing power forward? Why is Rip trying to post up?

But I won't get bogged down in the negative. The Spector story is proof that rebirth and redemption are possible - at least for one special night.

Woe is Bradley

The US Nats came out of mothballs this week to take on Poland and Colombia in two friendly matches. These were the first games since Bob Bradley was retained as coach.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I'm not a big fan of this decision. In the weeks since Bradley's official rehire, Jürgen Klinsmann chatted with the media about why he didn't take the job. He didn't get too specific, other than to say he wanted 100% control over the team. Apparently, Klinsmann's definition of 100% control differs from the USSF. What exactly caused the impasse? Neither Klinsmann nor the USSF offered any particulars, so we're left to speculate. Perhaps the USSF wants total control over the scheduling of matches? Perhaps the USSF wants to protect MLS players from too much national team duty? It's impossible to know for sure.

What we do know for sure is that the USSF President Sunil Gulati was very interested in Klinsmann. When the Klinsmann talks broke down, Bradley was the consolation prize.

Stone-faced Bradley was never a national team darling. He was installed as interim coach after the USSF fired Bruce Arena. He won a handful of games in what would become his trademark ugly style, and, apparently, Sunil Gulati could not ignore the results. Gulati hired him for the 4-year cycle.

While the team often employed negative tactics - crowding the midfield, zero possession, no flow - the US somehow managed to finish first not just in CONCACAF but also in their World Cup group. What's most surprising is that, despite the negative tactics, the US defense was shockingly porous. Yet, the team was resilient and showed no fear in frequently overcoming early deficits. The Bradley teams relied on set pieces, energy, and sheer force. It didn't look pretty, but, in the end, they got results.

It was a good four years for US soccer. Not great, but good. Bradley helped develop a few players - his son, Michael, Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore, Benny Feilhaber, and Stuart Holden. The problem is that it's hard to imagine Bradley leading the team to heights greater than he's already achieved. Not only is the team somewhat stagnant in its current form, but the key components (Dempsey and Donovan) may be past their prime by 2014. Bradley's not known as a master tactician nor a savvy uncoverer of talent. He's a hard worker. His teams reflect that. I just don't know if hard work is enough.

Against Poland, Bradley called in most of his regulars from the 2010 World Cup. He did "experiment" by starting Jermaine Jones - a naturalized midfielder from FC Schalke - next to his son Michael. Jones' impressed immediately. He lobbed a perfect ball over the defense to a streaking Jozy Altidore who calmly buried it for a 1-0 lead. But the US was exposed shortly after. Poland seized control of the match, dominating possession and chances. If not for some heroic saves by Tim Howard, Poland could've gone into halftime with a 3-1 lead. Instead, Poland had to settle for just one. The second half was no different. Poland dominated the flow of the game with their superior skill and tactics. The US spent much of the match defending and chasing, though, in typical Bradley-team fashion, they wisely took advantage of a restart. Off a corner kick, Onyewu buried a cross for a brief 2-1 lead. Poland again equalized, and the game ended 2-2.

Overall, the US suffered from relatively poor midfield play. Dempsey was the main distributor of the ball, but I'm not convinced that's his best role. Stuart Holden and Dempsey managed to stay dangerous most of the match, but the US definitely missed the flair and speed of Landon Donovan. Without Donovan, opposing defenses can push farther into the attack. The threat of a counter is minimal.

Bob Bradley's lack of tactics was even more apparent last night in a listless 0-0 draw to Colombia. Bradley did install new faces into the lineup - midfielder Brek Shea, Jermain Jones (again), and defender Eric Lichaz, but his formation was a total clusterf*ck. US fans used to cringe every time Bruce Arena would field two defensive midfielders. They knew that Arena was - in essence - throwing the white flag. The move said to the other team, "We know you're more skilled than us so we're going to clog the midfield and tackle and pester our way to a draw." Bradley, like Arena, had no fears of the two man midfield and used that formation the entirety of his first 4-year cycle. As US fans, we're now used to it. The one silver lining of Bradley's "empty bucket" (as fans dubbed the formation) is that the d-mids do at least have a passing interest in offense. Michael Bradley, in particular, has a nose for the goal. So, we tolerate the empty bucket.

But last night was just a joke. Bradley opted for not 2 but 3 defensive midfielders. He had the gall to call his lineup a 4-3-3, meaning he was starting three "strikers." Unfortunately, only of the strikers is actually a striker. The lineup quickly morphed into a 4-6-0. Stuart Holden and Brek Shea (both playing out of position at striker) spent the entire game following their midfield tendencies. The three d-mids, Edu, Jones, and Bradley, couldn't string two passes together and regularly turned it over. And the lone striker - Jozy Altidore - received such little service that he drifted back into the midfield too, just to get a better look at the action.

In all my life I've never seen a 4-3-3 lineup not register at least a shot on goal. The problem is that Bradley fell prey to the biggest coaching mistake. As I've said repeatedly on this blog, the coach's main job is to put his players in a position to succeed. Inserting Holden and Shea as strikers is no way to accomplish that. It was Shea's first game as a US Nat, fer chrissakes. Play him in his natural position. Utilize his skill-set. Don't put the square peg in the round hole. But it didn't stop there. Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, and Jermaine Jones were all playing the same role. They've got similar skill sets and, to the surprise of no one, spent much of the game running into each other. As trained d-mids, they've got the same instincts, tendencies, so of course their going to want to do the same things.

Bob Bradley can pat himself on the back for experimenting, but, dude, what a waste. He should be experimenting with players, tactics, and lineups that might help push the team forward. That 4-3-3 (aka 4-6-0) lineup was doomed to fail. Jim Rome, who's never watched a soccer game in his life, could've told him that. You don't run an offense with 3 Quarterbacks. *Sigh*

To Bob's credit, he did fix the formation dilemma at half time. He brought in Dempsey and Eddie Johnson. So, at least he could run a standard 4-4-2. The US had a little more flair and did at least manage a few shots on goal. They didn't score, but I chalk that more up to lack of skill. Dempsey, Altidore, and Bradley are good players, but they were simply off.

So with these two friendlies behind us, the US heads into the winter months with a losing record for 2010. The US hasn't had a losing record for a calendar year since 1997. Part of that is, of course, the stiffer competition, but the past three friendly matches were on home soil. Most countries win those matches. If the US hopes to progress to a world power, they should too.

Say It Aint So

Apparently, Klinsmann didn't want the job.

A mere two days after a story leaked about the US talking to Klinsmann, Sunil Gulati offered a four year extension to incumbent Bob Bradley. I suppose Gulati is content with more of the same. He likely thought a change in coach would simply be change-for-change's-sake. Often the change-for-change's-sake ends in disaster (see: Millen, Matt). Yet, it's occasionally necessary for a team to reach the next level (see: Brown, Larry).

The US team is in a precarious position. The core of the team - Donovan and Dempsey - will be in their early 30s for the next World Cup. The heart of the backline, Oguchi Onyewu, still has not recovered from his torn patellar tendon from a year ago, and the bright young striker, Charlie Davies, may never recover from his near-fatal car crash. Perhaps the best thing about the current US roster is Bob's son, Michael, who, at age 23, has shown signs of becoming a world-class central midfielder. The cupboard is relatively bare.

Jozy Altidore may fare well against Concacaf opposition but struggles mightily against the big boys of Europe. Tim Howard should be fine in net by 2014, but who will play in front of him? The US youth ranks suffered a major drop since the halcyon days of Freddy Adu. There's no Neymar waiting in the wings:

Now, I don't want to give the impression that the sky is falling. The US team does have its share of young talent entering their prime - Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, etc. The problem is that the team has no balance. They're a team of midfielders, without a single playmaker in the lot. The defense remains in shambles. And to make matters worse, teams that retain managers for a 2nd World Cup tend to fail miserably on their second trip (see France, Italy 2010 or USA 2006). There's no simple reason for this dip in form, except that teams may become complacent with the same manager. I expect Bob's team to suffer the same fate.

The US benefited from a great draw this time around. With an aging team, an unimaginative coach, and a likely more difficult draw, the US will be lucky to get a point in 2014. It'll be a repeat of 2006. It's entirely possible that Klinsmann would suffer the same fate, but I maintain he'd at least breath some new life into this roster. Perhaps he'd also teach the forwards a thing or two about scoring. Just a thought.

Bob, it's been real.

Last night, Brazil tore through the US as easily as a four year old through his Christmas presents. To make matters worse, the US fielded largely the same squad that started the World Cup, while Brazil picked players mostly from their U-21 side. The disparity in quality was so stark that many American fans in at the Meadowlands started cheering for Brazil!

If the US ever needed a barometer to see how far they truly are from contending on the world stage, this friendly was it. I will concede that the game was just that - a friendly. The American players who just returned from the World Cup obviously had little interest in this "come-down" game, while the Brazilians were anxious to impress their new coach. Even if the US had played with passion, the Brazilians just posed too much skill and savvy. This game was so thoroughly weighted toward Brazil that I can't imagine any scenario where the US even manages a draw.

The subplot throughout the night was whether this would be Bob Bradley's final game as coach of the US team. Bradley's contract with the USSF runs out in December, and he expressed interest in the Aston Villa vacancy. The man who decides Bradley's fate is Sunil Gulati. After the team's lame exit to Ghana in the World Cup, Gulati gave no ringing endorsement of either the team or Bradley, claiming the team was "capable of more." Most fans would agree, as this game was a perfect example of what Bradley's teams look like against top competition. The team was mentally unprepared, lacking imagination, a step slow, and, in general, way less skilled.

I've followed sports long enough to know these "Will he get fired or not?" situations are more complex then they seem. Unless your owner/president is prone to knee-jerk reactions (i.e. Steinbrenner in the 70s), the process will take much longer than you expect. The reason is simple - the president must take time to sift through potential replacements. If no suitable replacement surfaces, the coach will likely receive an extension. In Bradley's case, Gulati does have a suitable replacement in Jurgen Klinsmann:

Shortly after the World Cup, Donovan was asked about the coaching situation. Donovan, not surprisingly, fully supported his coach and said the Bradley team had excellent chemistry. When asked whether he'd prefer a foreign-based coach, Donovan expressed concern, implying that a foreign coach might have difficulty understanding the soccer culture in the US. My guess is that Donovan was thinking of the Sven Goran Ericsson/Mexico situation. Mexico hired Ericsson shortly after the '06 World Cup. After spending his entire career in Europe and likely having seen Mexico only a handful of times, Ericsson was thrust into the Mexican fire. He tried implementing his own defensive philosophies on a team and culture that was built around ball possession. The two styles clashed. Despite the wealth of Mexican talent, Ericsson did not get the results, and he was fired with Mexico on the brink not qualifying for the World Cup. His replacement, the Mexican Javier Aguirre, refashioned the team in the traditional Mexican mold, and Mexico qualified by winning four of the final five games.

Jurgen Klinsmann would be a different story. He's married to an American and has lived in the US over a decade. He's practiced with the LA Galaxy and has no doubt kept tabs on the US team since his flirtation with the coaching job in 2006. Would Klinsmann be an upgrade? My guess is yes. With his extensive experience as both a coach and player, Klinsmann would add an an air of class to the US nats. He worked wonders with the Germans in 2006 but fared less well with Bayern Munich in 2009. To be successful with the US team, Klinsmann would have to do something about the porous US defense. In the four years of Bradley's tenure, the defense regressed. He tried new faces but failed to uncover any defensive savior. The US also has a well-documented string of games without a striker scoring a goal. No doubt Klinsmann's goal-poaching acumen would help in that arena.

Yet, we all know the coach's main responsibility is much simpler. The coach must put the players in a position to succeed. Bradley failed miserably in this area by trotting out over-matched players like Ricardo Clark, even after they had been exposed. Perhaps it was Bradley's loyalty blinding him. That was certainly the issue with Bradley's predecessor, Bruce Arena, who inexplicably relied upon pedestrian Jeff Agoos throughout the 2002 World Cup run. The hallmark of Arena's reign, however, was a unique ability to uncover talent, which often made up for his blind loyalty. Arena got the absolute best out of marginal talents like Tony Sanneh, Chris Armas, and Pablo Mastroeni. In fact, those players were not on the national team radar until Arena took over. He successfully replaced the aged '94 Old Guard like John Harkes, which Steve Sampson (in the '98 campaign) could not. Arena also bravely included Landon Donovan and Damarcus Beasley in his starting lineup when the two were just 18 years old. Beasley's career, by the way, has been in constant decline since Arena's departure. Perhaps Arena's biggest accomplishment was harnessing the talent of mercurial Clint Mathis. He had a steep decline following the '02 World Cup, but for those four years leading up to that Cup, he was simply incredible. Here's proof:

Arena somehow got the absolute best from Mathis, turning him into a superstar. He equaled that club success on the national stage:

That's why it was maddening when Arena would often sit Mathis. Arena would regularly trot out these bizarre lineups that seemed doomed on paper. Claudio Reyna at right midfield. Carlos Llamosa at left back. But somehow that team got results, and that's why I called him "The Professa". He just seemed smarter than the rest of us.

As for Bob Bradley, he often got results, but they often seemed in spite of some dubious coaching decisions (like the draw against Slovenia). And the World Cup '10 squad was the worst mentally prepared team I've ever seen. I also have a hard time thinking of any player that he uncovered. I'd say Dempsey had his best days under Coach Bradley. Yet, I'd argue that Dempsey's improvement was largely due to his time at Fulham, and he performs more consistently for club than country. Michael Bradley did come into his own under Bob, but Michael actually got his first caps under Bruce Arena, as an 18 year old. Sifting through the entire player pool, there is one who's flourished under Bradley - Benny Feilhaber. Whether due to ego, talent, or bad luck, Feilhaber had a terrible time getting minutes for any club team. He was even kicked off the 2008 Olympic team due to an attitude problem. Yet, with Bob Bradley, Feilhaber was a revelation. So, I'll give Bob that. He also sorta ushered in the Charlie Davies era, but it sure took him long enough. Davies was clearly the best striker option for months before Bradley finally settled on him as the answer. And there's also Altidore, who fares well with Bradley.

So, after four years, Bradley can claim Feilhaber, Davies, and Altidore as true success stories. But I want more. Those three players were no-brainers. They all came up through the youth system and, in the case of Davies and Altidore, shone at the Olympics.

Bruce Arena was far superior with discovering and maximizing talent. Arena's teams were often maddening too, but Bradley simply has more tools and is getting the same old results. Arena brought the US from mediocrity to respectability. The next coach of the US needs to bring the team to the next level.

Player Pool

A bit of nostalgia before we delve into the future:

Where do we go from here? It's almost impossible to predict what will happen in four years, but that's never stopped us before.

Strikers

No doubt Jozy will return. He'll be 24 and entering his prime. For the past three years, Altidore steadily improved his touch and passing ability. The only lingering question is where he'll play his club ball. He's still under contract to Villareal, though they show little signs of actually wanting him for the senior side. My guess is he'll be loaned again to an EPL side that loses a striker in training.

Poor Buddle will be 33 and likely out of the mix. His great run of form, though, may keep him around for the infrequent friendly matches prior to qualifying. If he does well, his age won't matter. Just stay hot, and you'll stick around. As for Findley, he's currently 25, but I've frankly not seen much to get excited about. If he's still in the player pool in 2014, the US is in trouble. Then there's Herc. He's had an up-and-down career. I loved his tenacity on the field and nose-for-goal. He was a great option to bring off the bench for a late charge. I wouldn't be surprised if, at age 32, Herc remains a viable striker candidate. Yet, like Buddle, he'd have to remain scorching hot.

That's not terribly encouraging that only one striker is a safe bet to be around in four years. Charlie Davies is the wild card. He'd be a shoe-in if not for the dreadful car accident. Nobody knows how he'll perform once he steps on the field. My guess is that, with today's medical technology, Charlie's superb fitness level, and his drive to succeed, he'll eventually return to form. He'll be in the mix come 2014.

(2014 Roster: Altidore, Davies. Alternate: Gomez)

Midfielders

Dempsey and Donovan will be 31 and 32, respectively. Barring injury, both will remain the mainstays of the US offense. They can play all over the midfield and at striker, where the team is obviously weak. 2014 will be Donovan's fourth World Cup, an impressive feat for any player. Dempsey's club situation is somewhat settled at Fulham, but Donovan may move from MLS. He's currently fielding an offer from Man City, but my hope is he finds a way to return to Everton. He found a niche there, and, for an American, that's a rare, precious commodity.

Another player who impressed this tournament was Michael Bradley. At age 22, he's still improving. Bradley will be the cornerstone around which the midfield is built for the next eight years. Bradley currently plays for middling Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. He's fared somewhat well there, but my guess is he'll eventually move to either Italy or England.

Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden will be in their late 20s in 2014. Both possess that rare bit of skill so lacking in American players. Holden didn't get much run this time around, but I'm positive he'll be a player during the next cycle. He recently signed with Bolton. Feilhaber, meanwhile, made quite a splash as a sub. Whenever he entered the field, the US attack seemed to spring to life. He may be the first choice center midfielder (with Bradley) in 2014, but only if he settles at a club. He's bounced around more than the Gummi Bears. Right now, he's in Denmark and faring quite well. If he sticks at the Danish club, great. My guess, though, is that he'll try to move somewhere more prominent. Just don't screw it up, kid, and end up losing an entire season like you did at Derby County.

(To be continued...)

Aftermath

Entering the tournament, I figured advancement out of the group was the key goal. Anything past that would be gravy. Yet, I can't help but feel the US team did not meet expectations. True, they did win their group for the first time in the modern age. But they were presented with a golden opportunity to advance to the semi-final round without having to play a traditional power. Ghana and Uruguay clearly play top-tier soccer, but they're no Brazil. They're no Netherlands.

So, yeah, the Ghana loss still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

This US team provided extreme highs and lows. They strangely started every game a bit flat, and then finished with late-game heroics worthy of Roy Hobbs. The puzzling lethargic openings could ultimately be the undoing of Bob Bradley. The common thinking is that a coach is responsible for team preparation. I'm no Bradley fan, but I don't think that's completely fair. It's not Bob's fault the players started slow. It's the players' fault. But it IS Bob's fault for starting such a clear underperformers in Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley.

And, as for the Ghana game, it was more than just the Clark and Findley gaffe that resulted in the loss. Bocanegra, Demerit, and then Howard all had chances to stop that first Ghana goal. They all failed. Then the team proceeded to let Ghana dominate them for the remainder of the half. I guess I'm not terribly surprised. As a fan, I was hardly ready myself for the Ghana game. The emotional toll of the previous two games was substantial. These guys are professionals, but they're also humans. If the refs actually allowed the disallowed goals against Slovenia and Algeria, I firmly believe the US would've been in better mental shape. That's no guarantee they would've won, but perhaps they wouldn't have sleepwalked through the opening 45.

After the Ghana loss, I asked my brother John if he felt the US was better than in '06. That team had many the same players and crashed out of the Cup without a win. Yet, their group was significantly harder. They were demolished by a strong Czech team, and they lost 2-1 to a strong Ghana team. The middle game was a valiant 1-1 draw with Italy that easily could've been a 2-1 win if not for another disallowed US goal. The US was the only team to score against Italy other than France in the final game. That's rather notable. So is the '10 version stronger or just more fortunate to have an easier group?

My initial thinking was that there's not much difference, but John disagreed. He felt the '10 team showed more skill and class. Upon further review, I think he's right. And I also think they're better than the '02 team that advanced to the Quarters. I had the sinking feeling in '02 that the US team was living on borrowed time. Yet, I honestly felt this '10 version had a chance to really do some damage and surprise people like they did in the Confed Cup. Last year, this squad put two in against both Spain and Brazil, and that's no fluke. It's pretty clear to me now that the '10 team, despite the absence of Charlie Davies, can put the ball in the net better than any other US team, perhaps ever. Unfortunately, they're weaker defensively. Perhaps those two things go hand in hand. Or perhaps not. I look at Boca and Demerit and think neither are as good as the '02 Eddie Pope. Or the '06 Onyewu. Ricardo Clark is no defensive stopper like Pablo Mastroeni in '02 and '06.

So, in many ways, the Confed Cup was the coming out party for the US team. It ushered them into - hopefully - a higher tier of international football. They're certainly not on par with the top tier (Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, etc). But they're solidly tier 2 - with teams like Mexico, Czech, Sweden, and South Korea and Japan (two teams often overlooked like the US).

Next up... player evals.

It just sucks, man

- Landon Donovan

My sincere apologies for the late post. I was out of town, without interweb access, for the weekend. I did, thankfully, manage to catch the US/Ghana game whilst at the Mother-in-laws pad. It put me in a sour mood.

Despite the knowledge that Ghana is a strong team, I just felt the US would ultimately pull it out. Even when they went down a goal, I figured they'd recover. Then, perhaps just like the US players themselves, when Ghana scored - yet again - at the onset of overtime, I knew it was the final nail in the coffin. The players just didn't have the energy to rebound one last time.

I've seen that mindset before. As a Northwestern football, I'm used to bad defenses. As most of you Big Ten fans know, the NU offense is usually one of the highest scoring in the league. And it's mostly due to the porous defense. NU would put up highlight reel plays just to keep pace. I saw it with Zak Kustok and later with Brett Basanez. Just how many times would they have to cover for the defense's miscues?

Well, the US team is no offensive juggernaut, but they did, like NU, have a crappy defense. When the dust settles, and folks can objectively judge this team, I think those two injuries at the end of 2009 did play a massive role in the team's demise. First, Oguchi Onyewu. Where was the defense weakest? Shockingly, it wasn't on the wing where young, inexperienced Jonathan Bornstein was thrown to the fire. He played surprisingly well. And poised. It was right down the gut. Team captain Carlos Bocanegra and his partner Jay Demerit simply could not keep up with Ghana. Or most other team's strikers. They looked slow and out of sync. If Onyewu had not shattered his kneecap, I have no doubt the US would've fared better. He's the US's best option on defense. There's a reason he was signed by AC Milan. The dude would've helped. As he showed against England and Slovenia, he was not healthy. A step slow. Not in game shape. Poor touch. Just not ready.

Then there's Charlie Davies. The other weak link on the US starting lineup was the second striker. Bradley tried Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, and Herculez Gomez. Findley logged the most minutes, yet showed the least. He had an excellent opportunity in the 1st half - at an angle reminiscent of both of Ghana's goals. While Ghana scored on their chances, Findley sent his shot at the keeper. There's no other way to say it - weak. The US could not finish. They desperately needed Charlie Davies, who shattered most of his body in that car crash last September. The energetic young man miraculously worked himself back to health this year, but Bradley felt he was not quite fit for the team. Quite a shame because Davies scores. He's scored at the youth level, at the club level, and, in a short amount of time, at the senior international level. It's no coincidence that the US started winning games last year at the Confed Cup when Davies entered the lineup. They beat Egypt and then Spain. And then put two in against Brazil (but conceded 3).

Davies also put himself in rarified air by scoring against Mexico in Mexico city during last year's WC qualifyer. He's exactly the type of player the team cannot afford to lose. But lose him they did.

The team did valiantly win their group with the players at hand. They deserve credit for that. Yet, when the stakes were raised in the knockout round, their shortcomings were exposed.

Now, as for Ricardo Clark... he was the definite scapegoat for the game. Yet, I wouldn't list his position as a weak spot (like 2nd striker and central D). The US has plenty of capable defensive midfielders. Unfortunately, Clark is not one of them. He's a fine player but just not quite a top International. Not yet at least. It was clear to all of us that Edu was the superior option. The fact that Bradley chose Clark is something he'll no doubt regret for the rest of his days. Just a glaring, critical error.

Much, much more to come.

USA!

From bigsoccer.com:

"I'm crying like a little girl! I'm so proud of this team I can't even express it!"

-artesian

"I take back everything I've said."

-pathogen

"I remember following Bigsoccer pbp threads in the 2000 olympics waiting for Landon to come on and save the day...ten years later he's still the mothereffing man."

-miked9

"This team is gonna kill me."

-knave

"I literally have tears coming down my face right now. The amount of pride I have for those players in South Africa is overwhelming. They represent EVERY F**CKING THING I stand for as an American. I couldn't be happier."

-sempuukyaku

*************

Rarely in life is justice served. Today was the exception. Despite having two legitimate goals waived off during this World Cup, the US still dramatically finished atop their group to advance to the hallowed knockout stage.

For those of us that have followed the team for decades, this is a near-perfect moment. It might be strange for people to think that merely advancing to the final-16 should be such an accomplishment. That's the beauty of the World Cup. Teams spend two years just qualifying for it. Then you play just three games. Every pass, every touch has immense pressure. A goal in the World Cup practically guarantees a contract with a European club. Even a good showing (like Frankie Hejduk in '98) will get a player noticed. And, with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, Landon Donovan delivered.

He's only 28, but it seems like he's been around forever. He burst on the scene as a 16 year old, winning the Golden Ball at the U-17 World Cup in 1999. Then Bruce Arena adopted the youngster quickly into the senior side, and Landon was a key player in the '02 World Cup. His career took a detour after a string of poor performances for his German club, Bayer Leverkusen, eventually landing back in MLS.

With his demotion to MLS, the boo-birds were out in full force when the US crashed out of the '06 World Cup. Donovan did not play well, and he was the main target. Soccer fans thought he wasn't challenging himself by his decision to stay in MLS. Well, four years later, Donovan is still in MLS, but he's now carrying the national team to the knockout stage. The culmination of four years of self-doubt, tireless work, and determination.

A brief stint at Everton earlier this year showed flashes of Donovan's resurgence. He was calm and savvy with the ball. He fit in easily with the Premier League squad and helped fuel their rise of the table. Predictably, US fans were upset he couldn't find a way to stay at Everton, but no doubt all is forgiven now. Donovan stepped up when it mattered most. Now, he's an American hero:

But it almost didn't happen.

Within a few moments of the opening whistle, Jay Demerit mistimed a clearance, which allowed Algeria a free shot on net. It was a difficult half-volley, but the ball beat Tim Howard and rattled off the cross-bar. The US then quickly countered with newcomer Hercules Gomez. With the goalie sensing cross, Gomez surprised the goalie by shooting near-post from distance. With a little more height, the ball may have snuck in, instead of deflecting out for a corner.

While the US defense looked a tad suspect, the Algerians' best chance of the half remained that missed half-volley. But the US attack continued unabated. Minutes later, Donovan ripped an open shot way high. The controversial play of the day occurred in the 20th minute. After some brilliant work by Michael Bradley, the ball found Hercules about 10 yards out. He whipped the ball at the net, and it deflected to an open Dempsey near the goal-line who put it in the back of the net.

I leapt up for joy.

Then crashed down.

No goal. Offsides. Or was it? Of course not. Another legit US goal incorrectly waived off. While I suck into the couch, I was happy the players were unfazed. They continued to pressure. Later, Dempsey took a good through-ball from Donovan that was saved by the keeper. Then Donovan and Altidore got in each other's way on a sitter from six yards out. With the ball settling nicely, both Donovan and Altidore swung at it, and the ball sailed harmlessly off-mark. Unbelievable.

At halftime, Bob Bradley took out Hercules and moved Dempsey up top. Feilhaber took his spot in midfield. The move almost paid immediate dividends. In the 57th minute, a great pass from Altidore found Dempsey at the top of the box. Dempsey calmly placed the ball to the right of the keeper. It bounced off the post across the goal and found Dempsey again. But his left foot volley -- with an open goal staring him in the face -- sailed way wide!

The next 30 minutes were end-to-end action. Algeria looked dangerous on the counter, as the US pushed their midfield forward. After a slew of headers by Altidore and Edson Buddle (a late sub) went right at the Algerian keeper, it seemed fate was not favoring the US.

In stoppage time, Algeria had a five-on-four. Star midfielder Ziani sent a perfect cross to two completely unmarked Algerians waiting far post. Somehow, the headed shot went right to Howard. Howard then unleashed a perfect outlet to a sprinting Donovan. His first touch seemed too far ahead, but the Algerian defender opted not to tackle. That allowed Donovan to feed Altidor to the right of goal. Altidore sent a low pass to the onrushing Dempsey at the penalty marker. Dempsey narrowly beat the goalie to the ball, and his shot deflected off the goalie and settled perfectly for Donovan. As Donovan said, it was as if the world stopped - "I couldn't miss from there." He didn't. He perfectly placed the ball in the far corner for a 1-0 lead.

The players mobbed Donovan at the corner. Four years of frustration unleashed in a matter of moments.

As someone who follows this team through thick-and-thin, it was a moment of sublime joy. I actually got misty. Can't remember the last time that happened at a sporting event. Could be the first time. And for a player like Donovan, so unjustly reviled by the soccer elitists, it was unbridled jubilation.

The grades:

Everybody gets and A+. It's a team game, and they got the result under intense pressure.

I would like to single out a few players. Michael Bradley played great. His poise on the ball has improved dramatically the past year. He's grown from a defensive middie to a more traditional distributing middie. He always seems to find the open man, and he timed his defensive tackles perfectly. Dempsey and Altidore also played brilliantly. While neither finished, they created countless opportunities. On any other day, they'd each have a goal, if not two. And Jonathan Bornstein, who I was so nervous to see in the starting lineup, totally stepped up. He had little difficulty shutting down his man on the left side of defense.

It's all good, folks. The USA is through.