SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer US v Spain Saturday

Is this a good idea so close to the Gold Cup? Spain Sat and Canada Tues.

It does not look like it was a good idea. 3-0 at half time and we are don't have our good players in. I think it is a terrible idea to crush confidence before going into the Gold Cup. The only good news is that US is in CONCACAF so there is not too much competition in the Gold Cup.

We look like crap.

where is the back line? they drove it right down our center. we suck from box to box.

is this coach up to task?

tim howards gonna kick some fb ass tonight

It troubles me that we scheduled this when we did. Then, we got a huge crowd ready to support US Soccer that must have thought it was a total waste of money to see a 3rd rate team get pounded. Why are we constantly trying players out like this? Home matches with intenational appeal and national implications should be used to bulid our fan base. Use away friendlies to try new players, systems, etc. The average American sports fan does not understand that we were 'tweaking' only that we stunk in losing 4-0.

And, have our central players EVER seen a give-and-go before?

I completely agree with you Wayne. I had non-soccer friends that were looking forward to this match and by half time were totally uninterested. Casual fans don't care who is wearing the uniform, they want to see us be competative.

Does anyone else think a bad showing at the Gold Cup and Bradley has to go?

Yes. But not because of any single match or tournament. Because it's time for fresh insight and perspective to lift us off our current plateau. And with a raft of veterans about to "age" out, it's time to bring the "right" new ones into the mix.
For one, find an international-caliber manager/leader who can bring different guys to the table. My sense is, Joe Rossi (for one) wouldn't play for Bradley. Also, identify who really is and is NOT eligible. Guys like Junior Hoilett (Blackburn/Canada) are said to be eligible for the U.S. side. Are they? Do we want/need them? How do we get them on board?
Second, eliminate the dead wood. We have too many know-nothings and "names" in direct or peripheral positions of influence BOTH ON AND OFF THE PITCH. Somebody please show Oguchi Onyewu to the door and replace him with a young kid who'll care enough to make mistakes, rather than doing his best imitation of a statue.
And please -- PLEASE -- stop the endless anointing of "the next great American player." We've constructively ruined guys like Adu, Altidore, etc., with the weight of ridiculously overblown expectations.

The coach might have to go, but his kid is absolutely top-notch. Easily one of the four best players this country has to offer right now.

Hurst, I couldn't agree more. I think he is a great player. Someone correct me if I am wrong but I don't think he was an every day player in the EPL. It's hard to get better as a country when one of our top 5 players only gets in 2 or 3 games for Aston Villa since the end of January.
I am not sure if he was hurt or not but that isn't good.

Agreed with you both, on a variety of issues.
The Bradley kid can play. He trained with Villa. I can't recall seeing him in a match, or even on the list, though he may have been. I suspect he played for the reserves, though I don't know how often or well.
The larger issue is the value of playing vs. the value of training, vs. the value of both. From what I've seen of Altidore's "development," I'd say that so-called high-level training, without actually PLAYING, has limited value.
Conversely, I'd say that Donovan's stint with Everton, where he did both, may be the best thing that ever happened to him professionally.
In an ideal world, MLS will grow into something more than a jumping off (or winding down) point for Americans with overseas aspirations and/or careers. Though I suspect we're at least 5-10 years from anything like that point.

We need a coach ASAP. Jürgen Klinsmann would be ideal but it would kill him if the US had to play Germany and if the US some how won. Another thing is "The Special One" said he wants to be an international coach and the US is his second choice behind his home country of Portugal. I think we need to look beyond the borders of the US and pay some serious cash and get a really good coach to lead our national team. I am really excited about the future of US soccer but for the next few years it will still be tough.

First off - Goalie, not sure what is so great about Tim Howard. I believe the offense starts in the back, I lost count how many times Tim kicked the ball down field for a 1 vs 4 jump ball - we basically gave possession back to the Spanish at least 19 out of 20 times Howard had the ball

Defense - not sure what is going on with Oneywu in the back but he was horrible and he just hasn't been the same, he was a beast back in 09,

Midfield - where were they? I would stick Bradley and Dempsey in the center mid

Forwards - Altidore - I just don't see it but then again all we have is the long ball to the top - we don't value possession, we kick it around 3 or 4 times and give away a long ball

Hopefully Team USA will get their act together and do something good this summer.

Goalie- Tim Howard is sick he just has no defense in front of him.

Defense-? Does not exist. (If you disagree just watch the 2010 World Cup)

Mid-Field- Bradley is nasty, Dempsey is nasty, Edu is good when he tries, benny feilhaber way underrated and should play more.

Forwards- Needs to be Adu, yes Freddy, and juan agudelo. Both are insanely creative and actually want to score. I really dislike Altidore.

Forwards?? Really? Creative is one thing - when we have the ball. What about defensively? Altidore and Agudelo have no idea how to defend. They don't have to get nasty and slide into to win the ball, BUT they do need to work to make play predictable. The midfield had absolutely now way to determine how to defend. The play would shift to one side, only to work back into the middle and back outside in a series of combinations. If the two up front would have worked together to force the play to one side or the other and then give support to prevent the ball from moving back into the middle in the middle 1/3, the midfield would have had an easier job of compressing the field and not allow Spain so much room. It would have taken away the balls over the top and helped (our struggling backs) to make their job a little less complicated. Yest we are lacking in the back four.

Back to Howard. If the backs and the mids do not move to open up to give an option, just where would you like him to serve the ball? He varied the distribution as much as possible, he just needs more options.

On the subject of defensive backs, why is it that this is the achilles heel of US soccer? Even at the youth level, we struggle to have good defensive backs. Nobody wants to play that position. Everyone wants to be a forward and score. If the youth, and the parents could see this, just think how they can excel by becoming a solid defensive back. Good ones, truly good ones are hard to come by.

Largest crowd in New England? CHECK!
Poorly timed scheduling? CHECK!
Starting two bruhs in the middle of the field? CHECK! DISASTER!

What on earth was Bob Bradley thinking when he paired Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones together in the center? About as lame-brain as Irmo partnering their midfield duo against Wando. Totally abused and outclassed and the score could have been a lot worse than 4-0.

Time for a rebound tonight vs. Canada. Best player for the U.S., on Saturday was Clint Dempsey and with the likes of Landon Donovan, Steve Cherundolo, etc., then the Red-White-Blue should be OK. Need to see a better performance from Tim Howard, too, because he is yet to be included in the realm of Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, etc.

Also a big Gold Cup for Bob Bradley. If the U.S. does not reach the Semifinals - at least - then Mr. Sunil Gulati will have a lot of explaining to do the rest of the summer.

First and foremost, we NEED near-, mid- and long-term visions ... not flavor-of-the-week thinking. The latter gets you nothing but fool's gold.

Jason Kreis as our national coach?

is there a schedule listing for soccer on tv, comcast?