U.S. survives a torrid night in San Salvador
Following Team USA's rather fortunate 2-2 draw in San Salvador on Saturday, a game that might have had a decidedly different outcome if El Salvador's starting goalkeeper hadn't been replaced by his backup, Coco The Clown, here's what I'm thinking Monday:
1. What I didn't like about the U.S. team's performance. Where to start? For the first 75 minutes or so, the play of the Americans was a horrendous mixture of listless, tentative and error-prone. Much had been made before the game about the hostile crowd the U.S. would face, but outside of Frankie Hejduk few of the team's veterans seemed to step up and exhibit the type of fiery leadership needed in that environment.
As for tactics, the U.S. game plan was a curious study in what not to do against an El Salvador team that hedged its bets on packing the middle of the field and relying on sharp counterattacks. That El Salvador's coach had already announced his intentions to employ said stategy made it even stranger that the U.S. spent much of the night trying to work the ball futilely through the middle, largely ignoring the flanks and its two full backs showing an odd reluctance to get forward. Considering Team USA's limited offensive creativity, it's also surprising that Freddy Adu wasn't even named as a substitute. He might not be ready to start for 90 minutes, but his ability to offer something different on offense surely merits a spot on the bench.
On a night when the majority of the U.S. team turned in below-par performances, the appalling play of Heath Pearce and Sacha Kljestan in particular stood out. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Pearce is not the answer at left back. Aside from being MIA on the first goal, where he inexplicably failed to track El Salvador's Eliseo Quintanilla as he cut inside, Pearce offered next to nothing going forward and was erratic with distribution.
Kljestan, on the back of an average performance against Mexico, did nothing to dispel the doubts that his composure on the ball suffers dramatically when he comes under pressure. His numerous errant passes confirmed it, and Kljestan also failed to offer any offensive creativity or link to the forwards, which presumably is why he was in the lineup in the first place.
At center back, it seems Danny Califf is etched in coach Bob Bradley's mind as the first-choice backup to Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra. Although Califf wasn't a disaster, he consistently fouled and gave away free kicks to stop his man. He also resorted numerous times to hopeful long punts out of the back. Granted, this is the type of tactic that can cause panic and confusion against undersized CONCACAF opponents. But against accomplished teams, it's just not going to work. One has to question how Watford's Jay DeMerit is behind Califf in the pecking order, and for that matter how Chad Marshall, Jimmy Conrad and Michael Parkhurst are as well.
A lot has been made of DaMarcus Beasley's brief stint at left back against El Salvador, with critics citing how Beasley was easily beaten for the cross that led to El Salvador's second goal as evidence that a move to left back would fail.
I don't necessarily agree with this. Although he certainly didn't impress there Saturday, I don't think Beasley's potential at left back can be fully judged until he has had proper preparation for a position switch. You certainly can't just switch him there midgame, when the U.S. is under heavy pressure, and expect him to excel without giving him suitable reps at the spot first. I'm not saying Beasley will definitely succeed as an international left back, but I still believe it's worth an experiment -- in any case, he's still probably a better bet there than Pearce. On the larger question of what to do about the troublesome left back position, it's certainly time to take a look at Jonathan Spector again. As for his offensive display, it's safe to say Beasley was a non-factor on the night, continuing what has been largely a downward spiral for him over the last couple of years.
Finally, a word about Landon Donovan, who was mostly anonymous against El Salvador and again added fuel to the fire of his critics. Donovan needs to learn that as the Team USA's key playmaker there are times when he absolutely must be more selfish and demand the ball, even if it means dropping back deeper to pick it up. His lack of assertiveness is less of an issue when he has world-class teammates and he's a cog in the machine, as was the case during his recent spell with Bayern Munich. But in a U.S. lineup in which he's plainly regarded as the go-to guy, it's a flaw he needs to correct.
2. What I liked. There's no denying that everything changed the moment Jozy Altidore and Jose Francisco Torres entered the fray. Altidore provided much-needed pace and power up front, and most importantly took his chance to pull back the first goal for the U.S. Yes, Altidore might be languishing on the bench in the Spanish Second Divison. No, he doesn't have a long and accomplished professional résumé. And, no, he probably won't become one of the world's elite forwards (no matter how optimistic U.S. fans are about him). However, the simple truth is that he currently is Team USA's best pure striker in terms of finishing, and for that reason alone he needs to be in the lineup more often.
As for Torres, he showed the composure, ability to retain the ball under pressure and accuracy of distribution that otherwise was mostly missing against El Salvador. When considering his decision-making and constant ability to switch the U.S. point of attack, his cameo was hugely impressive.
If nothing else, the performances showed just how antiquated the notion is that young players need to be broken in slowly before playing in high-pressure games. Forget Altidore's and Torres' supposed lack of experience; both players are ready to contribute now.
And a final word about Hejduk: Although his touch going forward can be heavy and his crossing erratic, there's no doubt that the Columbus veteran's intangibles still add strong value. He did get beaten badly for El Salvador's second, but he more than compensated with an inch-perfect assist and game-typing goal. More importantly, he remains one of the few U.S. players who refuses to be intimidated regardless of the opponent or situation.
3. What's next? With Tim Howard back from suspension and Onyewu presumably healthy for the matchup against Trinidad & Tobago (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), the U.S. defense should be steadier. I'd be shocked if Torres doesn't replace Kljestan as the starter in central midfield. The U.S. should probably consider rolling out a basic 4-4-2, with Donovan at right midfield, Clint Dempsey at left midfield (he has been used there at times by Fulham this season) and Altidore and Brian Ching up front together.
4. Podcast launch. Just to let you all know, this Friday, April 3 marks the launch of ESPN's U.S. Soccer podcast. David Mosse, Andrew Hush and I will discuss the U.S. national team, MLS, Americans playing abroad and other topics on a weekly basis. For that very microscopic base of fans out there who can't get enough of us, here's your chance to send questions (to any of our e-mail addresses) that you want to hear discussed on the podcast. Remember to let us know where you're writing from too and put "Podcast Question" as the subject header.
Jen Chang
