There are plenty of recaps of the USA v. Mexico World Cup Qualifying game today (see worldcupblog.com for a good one). So I won't bore you with more of that. Here are my personal comments regarding each USMNT player today.
Goalkeeper
Tim Howard: For a goalkeeper with Tourrette Syndrome he doesn't cuss out his defenders as much as I would expect.
Defenders
Frankie Hedjuk: I can't believe that we haven't produced a better right back in the last decade. Marvell Wynne where are you?
Carlos Bocanegra: The only US player with Spanish good enough to understand what Marquez was telling Landon to do with himself and where he should be doing it.
Oguchi Onyewu: Why am I not more excited about the "Gooch"? Basically earned our first goal so I should be happy.
Heath Pearce: Go Oregon! Heath played at University of Portland from 2003-2005.
Midfield
DaMarcus Beasley: Was so exciting at nineteen. I don't recall seeing him sprint the entire game.
Sacha Kljestan: Beat his charging defender with a first touch chip in the second half that was awesome.
Clint Dempsey: A nice shot on goal or two. Otherwise not as flashy as he can be.
Ricardo Clark (entered 86' for Dempsey): Hedjuk is limping around wondering why the hell Dempsey is getting a break.
Michael Bradley: Coaches son. Two goals. Good work rate. Man of the Match.
Forwards
Landon Donovan: The voodoo dolls didn't work. Nothing brilliant but he did do well to win a header leading to the first goal.
Brian Ching: He was on the field?
Jose Altidore (entered 83′ for Ching): Forget Adu. Altidore is our future. Wish he played more.
Tell us what you thought of the game? How did the players do? Who had the best performance?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Posted by Loyan |
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Depending on one's disposition, the game was either workmanlike or boring. Or both.
Defense: I thought Hedjuk did OK - what makes you think he's not that good? I like the fact that he's a suppressed winger stuck in the back, especially since I don't recall Pearce getting forward that much.
Midfield: Ditto on the Clark/Dempsey/Hedjuk thing. Also, I did see Beasley sprint. Once, I think in the first five minutes. Bradley gets Man of the Match probably even without the goals - he was solid. And I say that hating it when the coach's kids is on the team.
Forwards: Ching who? He got some camera time, but I didn't see him DO anything, as it was mostly when the ball was not in play. Donovan was steady, plus the header.
Overall: Shaky. The mids and forwards didn't look like they knew what they wanted to do with the ball half the time. That defense was lucky not to have been broken - and against a better team, it probably would have been.
Nice summary Dennis! I don't think Hedjuk is that bad...Im dissapointed that the US talent pool cannot displace a 34 year old. Lets be honest...he's not Maldini.
I had no idea Hedjuk was that old. That does change things.
Im thinking about the World Cup in 2010. Are we going to use Hedjuk in Africa? If not then lets start getting Marvell Wynn prepared.
On the other hand, there are plenty of games left and the US always really wants to win vs. Mexico... but even if both of those are true, why wasn't Hedjuk pulled around the 70th minute? Or even after he started limping?
Though I have to say I have a pro-Hedjuk bias. He's too much like a skater on a soccer field for me not to like him.
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