While the postmortems continue into the U.S. team's displays against England, Spain and Argentina, I'll steer away a little from what the performances and results mean for the national team's world standing. Instead, I'm wondering if -- given the fact that Bob Bradley's side next face Barbados -- the choices of these recent opponents were suitable preparation for the start of World Cup qualification? For, as glamorous as the most recent triumvirate of opposition was and despite the relative anonymity by comparison of the world's 121st-ranked nation, the most important games for the U.S. are yet to come.
Against Barbados , the U.S. will be expected to win comfortably. Moreover, it will be expected to control possession and tempo as it picks apart what is bound to be a deep-lying, tightly-packed defense. In a nutshell, the style of play required to advance to the next stage of qualification is the polar opposite to the counter-attacking style which has been adopted over the past two weeks.
Before I go on, just to be clear, there is no chance of the Bajan Pride springing a surprise, especially given the two-legged format that the tie will follow and maybe that is why the warm-up opposition has not reflected what the U.S. will face this Sunday at the Home Depot Center and a week later in Bridgetown. That is, without being overly complacent, U.S. Soccer was pretty confident of easily dispatching these soccer minnows.
However, what must be focused on this week to avoid any hiccups is an offensive game plan that will see America try to break a goal drought that currently stands at 287 minutes. A look at the goals scored thus far in 2008 shows just how predictable the side can be at times. Of seven national team strikes, just one -- Jozy Altidore's header against Mexico -- has not come about directly from or somehow via a set-piece move. Of course, that the U.S. is strong from dead-ball situations is something to exploit but, with Barbados likely to pack its penalty area with size and strength, goals from corners and free-kicks are by no means certain.
Given that, there are three areas from which Bradley must ensure more goal attempts originate. First, outside midfielders such as Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley must play as wide as they can in order to serve crosses and also to link up more effectively with the full backs that play behind them. With the exception of a couple of Heath Pearce flirtations inside the opposing final third in the Argentina match, this has been a glaring omission from the U.S. team's recent performances.
When said crosses are delivered, it is paramount that there are numbers on the receiving end. A more instinctive striker than Eddie Johnson should be given a chance. Meanwhile, Michael Bradley had an outstanding season in Holland playing for a Heerenveen side that enabled him to focus on late runs in support of his forwards. In national team colors, however, the coach's son has been restricted from marauding forward by being saddled with more defensive responsibility than he is used to. Against Barbados, this is less likely to be a factor, meaning Bradley should be given more freedom.
Finally, whichever combination of Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu, Dempsey and Beasley are thrown into the fray by Bradley must be encouraged to commit their opposite number more often. More than anything, defenders hate pace when it is directed straight at them. Individual flair does not seem to be something that has been actively encouraged in recent national team games but, especially against a rigid system such as that which Barbados will employ, the ability to make a move at speed to catch an opponent out of position may prove invaluable.
Card-happy weekend
There were a lot of hot tempers on display as seven red cards were shown in three MLS games on Saturday. My main issues with referees are twofold. First, as was evidenced in the Columbus vs San Jose game, consistency is essential but is not always evident.
After Ricardo Salazar decided that Brad Evans' scything challenge on Kelly Gray was worthy of a red card, the man in the middle had set a certain standard. Thus, two minutes later, when Eric Denton was shown a yellow after arguably denying Frankie Hejduk a goalscoring opportunity with an equally late tackle, Columbus followers were entitled to shake their heads.
Second, there is often little human empathy by match officials in MLS. Sometimes, a smile and/or a stern word will do. At Toyota Park, Brandon Prideaux and Marcelo Gallardo were ejected after an innocuous clash. Perhaps Gallardo's reaction was over the top but he certainly leant into Prideaux rather than aiming a headbutt. As for the Chicago man, sure he had a word and a little shove on the United midfielder, but it was an incident that is often seen numerous times in any game.
Television evidence suggests the referee, Baldomero Toledo, did not see the incident and took advice from his assistant before going to his pocket. What a shame the linesmen didn't say that what actually happened was that "two players got tangled up. Have a word and tell them to get on with the game."
Well played, young man
Since making his U.S. debut as a 21-year-old in 2003, Edson Buddle has had a tough time. Off-the-field issues while playing in Columbus were complemented by an increasingly nomadic status that saw him make stops in New York and Toronto before he was traded to Los Angeles last year.
A goal on his debut, however, was the start of Buddle settling into life on the West Coast and his strike against Colorado on Saturday was his fifth in eight games this season. With Bob Bradley increasingly in need of a line-leading striker, a continuance of this form by the man named after the greatest of them all, Pele, might see Buddle given another chance to shine on the international stage.
A thing that made me go hmmm
Fair play to Frankie Hejduk for his recent commitment to both club and country. After playing for the U.S. against England in London on 28 May, the veteran full back went to California to play for the Crew versus Chivas three days later, before heading to Spain to turn out for the national team on June 4. The following Saturday he played 90 minutes for Columbus versus San Jose before making the trip to New Jersey to face Argentina a day later.
The only question I have is, what benefit is served by asking a vastly-experienced 33-year-old with a history of injuries to make all these journeys? I wonder what Drew Moor, a younger player who plays the same position, thought when he was released from the national team squad. Surely he could have gained more from the experience of being involved in taking on the world's No. 1 team than Hejduk, who has been there and done that?
Andrew Hush
