SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer USA vs Guatemala

Seems like alot of people missed the game Sunday so I figured I would just make sure everyone knew about this game on Wensday ESPN2 at 9PM....Looking foward to it.

Will it be better than last night's Jamaica-Panama match?

didnt see that one, decent?

pretty frustrating match to watch...i've gotta be honest

Poor showing by the US but you got to give Guat some credit.

My thoughts:

Very young and unexperienced US side, but they did alright.

Conrad futher more proves he is a staple in this US D.

Nothing coming out of Dempsey flank play was mainly on the other end with Mapp

Johnson had 2 goal scoring chances in the first half that he should have finished....WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM???

Feilhaber may earn himself a spot on the roster, and with injuries in defense, so could Spector

Best thing from watching the game: Wynalda as much as I hate him he said something really true when talking about where some of the players come from. He said "ODP program or Over Driven Parent"

Player of the Match: Justin Mapp, Wynalda said something about wether or not he has the drive to be on this team. Think he showed everyone that he does, and in my opinion he always has.

I thought Mapp had some good moments, but also made some crucial errors in judgment.

I'm not sure any of them deserved Player of the Match, but I liked what I saw from Simek - especially since - I've never seen the guy before, ever.

Edit:

I have a moment to elaborate here - so I shall.

I'm going back on my Player of the Match statement. Go ahead and give it to Conrad. Aside from a handful of opportunities he did a solid job of marking Guat's go-to.

The defense as a whole showed promise - in the defensive third. Simek was the only defender to show any real interest in the other side of the field.

I would also say that there was a complete lack of variation in the team. How many times can you lob a 30-40 yard ball to Dempsey in the box? Again though, I have to say Simek showed some promise here. He did serve up a few, but he also took the ball wide and created some opportunities there.

Lastly, I really wanted to see Kenny Cooper do something. I'm really big on this guy. However, if you're that big up top..there is no excuse for disappearing (which aside from his "attempt" in the box..he was a ghost)

That's about it. Good learning experience for the young ones?

I didn't think the US performance was all that terrible, they just didn't adjust well to Guatemala's scheme at any point in the game, which may be the most disappointing aspect. Conrad did play quite well I thought, minus losing Ruiz on a corner that he nearly finished. Eddie Johnson has all the talent in the world, and as a fan it hurts to see him appear to not have the confidence he once had following his injuries.

I think the biggest question with this team now is determining whether Bob Bradley will continue as the coach, or who his replacement will be. I loved Eric Wynalda's statement at the end of the match: "In this business, there's two ways things go...How it should be, and how it's gonna be."

Personally, I'd like to see how Bradley can develop some of these younger players and mesh them with the veterans, working toward Africa 2010.

You also gotta give vredit to Guatemala for sticking with their gameplan. Although they play a bit harsh, their defense was excellent in stopping Donovan and in double teaming players. Great defensive showing by both squads

I too am disappointed with EJ's play and wish he could regain some confidence. However, I think people are being a bit hard on him. On another board, critism was posted immediately after his first shot. I think there are several things to consider. 1) Have any other forwards on the team getting the opportunities on goal he has. I would say no. I think he gets in the position to take shots that others just don't. 2)I watch games and highlights every day and particularly if you look at other matches from last night, the best strikers in the world fail to convert on even easier shots than what EJ had (considering that the Guats were playing so devensively).

Could EJ have scored 2 goals? Yes. Should he have scored? Maybe. Does any and every other striker in the world score on those 2 chances? No.

Credit to Coach Bradley, he is coaching like he will be around for awhile and bringing in new players. No instant gratification but long term coaching decisions!

However, was not fun to watch and caught myself turning to Portugal vs. Serbia Setanta coverage due to game lacking quality. EJ and Dempsey need to get back to where they were, they seem slack or lacking something and I know there are issues!

Third, what was up with Gautamala's #8, that kid was vicious. Our players really kept their cool. I would have lost my cool over a couple of things he did that should have been cards!