US victory vs. Egypt and Spain match

Alright, let's not get too riled up about our victory against an Egypt team that came out extremely flat. Yes, we played better than we have in a good while, and there were quite a few promising performances by certain players, but in no way shape or form does this victory mean that we are moving forward into higher levels of world soccer.

First, let's point out some of the good performances from the game. Jonathan Spector has been a revelation throughout this tourney. While he doesn't possess an overabundance of pace at the right back spot, he positions himself well, gets forward when needed, and as shown with Dempsey's goal, he can provide a great ball into the area. His training at West Ham reveals a quality that the US does not have at right back and that is good delivery into the box. I believe his spot as a starter has been solidified.

Brad Guzan also had a solid day in goal. He handled all shots pretty easily, distributed the ball well and was pretty calm throughout. He does need to be more decisive on crosses and corners, but his uncertainty on balls in the area can be attributed to his lack of match play. All in all it was a good performance.

Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, and Oguchi Onyewu showed in this game that they are the pick of the litter for the US. Bradley was all over the place. He tackled well (minus one harsh challenge), broke up play in midfield, his passing was crisp, and he made timely runs forward and was rewarded with a goal. Donovan showed why he should be the full time captain for this team. While he may not be the vocal leader that Bocanegra is, players should be inspired by his tireless effort throughout the game. The dude must have ran 20 miles. He burst forward whenever given the opportunity and he would track back to defend if the ball was given away. He also got an assist when he teed Bradley up for his goal (it was a beautiful sequence by the two). My only criticism is that he should have been more aggressive in and around the area. He should have had one goal and probably 3-4 shots on goal, he tries to set his teammates up too much. Finally, we come to Onyewu. He seems to have a better understanding of the game now than he used to and he and Demerit communicate very well together. Gooch was an absolute monster in the air and he stepped in to intercept passes very frequently. He looks primed to improve on his first stint in the premier league.

Now we get to the odd situation of Clint Dempsey. One minute the man looks like the only player on the field with an attacking flair (there is no denying that he's capable of be quite creative) and the next he looks like a 4 yr. old in a waiting room at the doctor's office, just bored out of his mind. In the first half he showed glimpses of brilliance before he made a dumb pass or dribbled himself into the entire defense. After he gave the ball away he was always to slow to track back. The second half is another story. Bradley brought in Feilhaber and moved Dempsey up front with Charlie Davies. This proved to be a wise decision. Dempsey didn't have to start play from midfield, rather he could get the ball closer to the box where his abilities are better suited. Another positive fro this move is that he didn't have as much running to do in order to properly defend. Dempsey has shown on the club level that he can defend, I don't know if he lacks proper motivation with the National Team or if he is just tired from the long season in England. Regardless, he should play up top against Spain. I believe Altidore and Dempsey can play well off of each other and Dempsey requires tight defense outside of the box because he can shoot from distance. It also creates mismatch problems as both players are more than capable in the air.

OK, on to the problem areas. First is central midfield. Clark had a decent game, but I don't think he is the answer. He provides nothing going forward. When Jermaine Jones come into the squad in August I think he should start right away. Until then Feilhaber should play along side Bradley. I know he isn't a holding midfielder, but he has an undeniable ability to distribute the ball and he certainly has a flair for the dramatic. Putting him in the middle means a right or left sided midfield option should be open. Who should play opposite of Donovan? It has to be Adu or Torres, as Beasley's career seems to be done now. I prefer Adu. Let the kid get some run.

The worst problem area in the team has to be left back. Bornstein is terrible, so is Beasley, and so is Pearce. This spot has been at fault for quite a few of the last 20 goals given up against the US. My recommendation is this: If Bocanegra is healthy put him at left back, Demerit and Onyewu stay in center with Spector at right. Bocanegra has played left back for his club. While he provide much going forward, the idea is to provide better cover on the left side. And it's not like Bornstein and Beasley have been whipping in awesome crosses lately. I honestly think he could give better service than those two and he would definitely look 10 times better in defense. This has to be the move, Demerit and Onyewu are playing very well together and Spector might end this year as our best player in the back line.

Some may argue that Charlie Davies deserves another start. I prefer the setup mentioned above, but Davies did impress against Egypt. He needs to do a little better when he gets the ball in his feet outside the area (he doesn't pass out of pressure well), but he is a work horse and he has tons of pace. So, I can't argue too much against including him, but Dempsey has to be up top. I hope Bradley goes with something similar to the lineup that I threw out there.

An open letter to US coach Bob Bradley

Dear Mr. Bradley,

After watching the last two performances by the United States National Team it is clear that some major adjustments need to be made in the team's starting lineup. While some pundits point to the goals we conceded against Italy and Brazil and they say that are defense was torrid on these particular plays, I don't believe that this is the problem. What is more disheartening is our inability to compete on the offensive side of the ball, in particular, our lack of creativity and technique. Benny Feilhaber has shown that his technical ability is better than any of the other players competing for the second CM spot and he has to be on the field against Egypt. Another change I would make is removing Beasley and putting in Freddy Adu or Fransisco Torres.

I would prefer Adu get the nod. He has more attacking flair than any other player on the roster. At some point in time you have to put him out there. Yes you are going to take some bumps with his poor defense and his untimely dribbling into traffic, but the upcoming game against Egypt has nothing on the line. My recommendation would be to play him as an attacking mid or second striker in the slot behind Altidore. The two have shown that they have a good understanding while playing together. Then you can put Donovan and Dempsey on the left and right sides. Both had decent games against Brazil, but when either one ran with the ball they had little support. For this reason I would put Adu in as second striker and give him the freedom to roam about the field. As long as he has the will to run off the ball I think our attack will show a different dimension.

In conclusion, we have to have Feilhaber and Adu in the lineup. Feilhaber will provide service from the center spot and Freddy simply adds a dimension we haven't had in the last few games, actually he adds something we have never had, you have to start throwing him into the fire just to at least see if he can live up to his billing. If not, then, well, it will be a short World Cup for us. Bob, for God's sake, take a risk once in a while.

Yours Truly,
A disgruntled US soccer fan.