It's Monday morning, and ahead of this week's big clashes for the U.S. with Spain and Argentina, a few things are still bothering me about last week's game between U.S. and England:
1. What on earth was Josh Wolff doing in the lineup? Bob Bradley can't take all the blame for his players being comprehensively outmatched by England; after all, a coach can only select from those available to him. Having said that, there is no rhyme or reason as to why Josh Wolff should have been selected. Between his age, his career lack of goals at the national team level and the sheer fact that he's not an international-class player, there's no way he should be in the squad, let alone in the starting lineup.
I'm not sure what Bradley was hoping for when he sent Wolff out in the starting lineup; after all, how many times do you need to try the same thing over and over while hoping in vain for a different outcome? Starting Wolff and other veteran strikers of his ilk who have proved they haven't got what it takes on the international stage is like putting a Whitney Houston CD into your stereo every night and hoping that she turns into Rihanna. The same applies to Eddie Johnson: When was the last time he actually impressed in a U.S. shirt? It's ironic that, against England, he produced one of his better performances but it's still not good enough -- especially if that's the best you can expect from him.
What makes it all even more exasperating for U.S. fans is that younger and more exciting talented players such as Jozy Altidore and Kenny Cooper remain rooted on the sidelines. Let's face it, a blindfolded Altidore operating on one leg is still more likely to score a goal than Wolff. I guess you can argue that Bradley didn't want to upset both players' respective MLS clubs, but this week's game against Spain is a FIFA international date, which means clubs are obligated to release their players, yet on the roster there's still no sign of either player. You know there's a problem when the average person can look at the pregame lineup and predict offensive futility with near certainty, as was the case before the England game. If Bradley starts Wolff again against Spain, some serious questions will need to be asked about the direction of this team.
2. I could have sworn it was Landon Donovan. Judging by all the e-mails and comments I've seen and received over the last week, it seems that the U.S. wasn't actually missing Donovan against England. Instead it appears that some combination of Cristiano Ronaldo/Maradona himself was out with a strained groin injury and unable to make the game at Wembley. That's right, I'm a little incredulous that some people think Donovan would have been the difference between a loss and a win. Let's not forget that, first of all, Donovan would have been just as starved of service as Clint Dempsey, Wolff and Johnson were in that game. He's not a player who wins the ball for you, dominates the center of the field and controls possession, all of which was lacking against England -- instead, he relies on others to get him the ball.
Given the way that Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark were passing the ball that day, I doubt Donovan would have touched the ball even more than two to three times in the first half. Yes, there's no doubt he would have added fluidity and creativity to the U.S. offense, and, yes, he would have possibly made one or two threatening runs, but that's about it. Before fans exaggerate what they think Donovan would have done, you need flashback no further than the last time the two teams played (May 2005) when Donovan was very quiet against an English lineup that resembled nothing more than a third-string team (Zat Knight played center back; enough said).
3. No more revisionist history, please. Even more indicting than those who claim that Donovan's presence would have resulted in a win, are the U.S. fans who argue the U.S. was fielding an understrength team. Let's be real for a second -- the simple fact is that if the World Cup started tomorrow, that U.S. lineup that took the field against England comprised of what would likely have been 9 of the starting 11 minus only Donovan and probably Altidore. U.S. fans need to stop relying on the age-old crutch of saying if Player X had played then Y would have happened. Using the same logic, you could easily argue that had it been Michael Owen and not the erratic Jermain Defoe starting that day, then England could easily have scored more goals.
4. What to look for against Spain. Against Spain, the U.S. needs to come out and attack and avoid retreating in a defensive shell. If Bradley insists on starting the dual holding midfielder approach again, then he needs to provide a link between them and the forwards. That calls for either Dempsey or Freddy Adu to start as a withdrawn forward/attacking midfielder -- assuming Donovan is absent again -- and start just one striker. The Spanish team is superior to England's in every way, but is not quite as solid defensively on set pieces and could be vulnerable there. Having said that, if the U.S. decides to try to sit back, rely on counterattacks and try to combat Spain's deluxe midfield with just Michael Bradley and Clark, things will get ugly fast. That's basically an invitation for Spain to dominate possession, probe around the box all day long and wait for the inevitable strike from goal-machine Fernando Torres. The only way the U.S. is going to give Spain any kind of a test will be to pressure the ball in the midfield and press people forward with an attacking mind-set.
5. Getting off lightly. One last point I'll make is again regarding Adrian Serioux. As you're all aware, the Dallas hack, er I mean, midfielder was red-carded a couple of weeks ago for a reckless tackle on the Galaxy's David Beckham. The tackle was late and looked designed to hurt Beckham -- it could easily have broken his leg. If Serioux's post-tackle taunts of "Welcome, baby, welcome" weren't enough indication of his intent, it also came to light that last year Serioux made comments to the Sun that indicate premeditated violence on his part.
"[Beckham's] great for the MLS but me and a few others are going after him -- he's made us feel unappreciated," said Serioux. "If he's on the ball, he's there to be hit hard."
Surely enough ammunition to justify some type of playing ban? After all, Andy Herron got suspended for a few games for throwing a flagrant elbow last year as a member of the Crew. Yet all MLS saw fit to do was fine Serioux a paltry $1,000. That's right, $1,000, hardly much of a deterrent.
Jen Chang
