USA - France Friendly
November 11th, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^
No, not really. Not very good reading on our back line with all the through balls being played over the top. Goodsen looked pretty good on 1 vs 1 especially covering someone like Ribery.
November 11th, 2011 at 5:00 PM ^
looked a step slow today as well.... not sure what the answer is. Before today I would have said 4-3-3 and play a higher line but we got torched over the top as it is. SMH
November 11th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^
I would like to see what would happen if we played that, but I don't see it happening with today's personnel.
November 11th, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^
I haven't been able to follow as closely as I wanted recently so I have a quick question for anyone that has been watching closely. I know we'be lost 6 of 8 or something similar but have we looked better? Any improvement/silver linings or do we just not look good?
November 11th, 2011 at 5:07 PM ^
This is going to be a transition while Klinsmann gets players used to his system. Our biggest problem is finding the back of the net. I want to see him play two strikers because Jozy is not very good at being a lone striker. He is the kind of player that really excels when he has someone else running off the ball to draw defenders away from him.
Also JK is testing out lots of different players who haven't gotten a chance in the past or they are completely new to the team. Guys like Danny Williams and Fabian Johnson who both grew up in Germany and have been trained by the German clubs are deciding to play for the US.
I like what JK is doing in terms of development and finding new talent. He is making it possible for guys like Brek Shea and Tim Ream to get training with top European clubs even if it only for months at a time.
This has nothing to do with the USMNT, but I'm really excited about our U-23 squad who will be playing in the Olympics. I'm especially excited to see Plymouth, MI's Josh Gatt start for the US.
November 11th, 2011 at 5:11 PM ^
good to know, thanks for the insight
November 11th, 2011 at 5:15 PM ^
I think what the announcer said is that we've lost 4 of 6, and scored 2 goals total.
My impressions as a non-expert when it comes to soccer is there were moments when we looked ok, and it looked like we played good defense in the first half.... but the big problem, as I see it, is that we never get any sort of attack going. Whenever we got the ball in France's half of the field, it looked like we'd frantically make some sort of half-assed attempt to do something, or, our player who had the ball would end up swarmed by 2 or 3 French players and not be able to do anything. I don't know if that's a formation problem, not wanting to over-commit by bringing too many players into the offensive half of the field, and then being vulnerable to a counter-attack, but, it's not working. This is how the US team has looked to me ever since I started watching somewhat regularly during the last world cup, while they were under Bradley. Things don't look much different.
I also don't care much for Altidore or Dempsey, to put it mildly. Dempsey just seems like he rarely does jack shit, and he *always* has this pissed off look on his face, like he totally doesn't want to be there. It's not like we're winning, so get him out of there and replace him with someone that wants to be there and will be proud to wear the colors.
As for Altidore, it seems like he's so hyped as this great player, and whenever he gets the ball he just fails to do anything creative.... It's like he's so excited to actually have the ball (rarely happens, since the other team possesses it the majority of the time) that he just frantically makes a run and gives it right back to the other team.... instead of taking a more measured, strategic approach, and setting things up in the opponent's side of the field.
Again, take my observations with a grain of salt. I don't know much about the finer points of soccer strategy.
It's disappointing to have such a shitty start, but, IMO the Klinnsman hire isn't even as much about what's happening now as much as building for the future. This is a long-term project, that also, as I understand it, includes implementing Klinnsman's philosophy (more European) into youth soccer in the US. There's a good chance that we won't even see the full fruits of Klinnsmann's tenure for another 10 or 20 years, once the next generation of US soccer players comes up, and Klinnsmann is long gone.
November 11th, 2011 at 5:28 PM ^
I disagree with your statements about Deuce. I will admit that I am biased because he is one of my favorite players, but that pissed off look is just his game face. He works extremely hard, but today was not paid off for his hard work. Especially today since our midfield and fullbacks were having issues stringing passes together.
I said this above, but Jozy needs someone running off the ball so he doesn't eat so many double teams. He is very good at holding and making moves in one on one situations. He is not very good running at defenders so much. I would like to see him hold and lay off more, but JK is not doing him any good by leaving him as the lone striker.
November 12th, 2011 at 1:25 AM ^
I agree with both of you. Both great arguments. And I'm just bored reading a soccer thread before falling asleep. I was sick of the ya know story.
*my soccer ability/knowledge is only highschool,club, an rec leagues. In a rural community(amishy). So basically you two are like Rooney & Renaldo.
November 11th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
Croatia is a very solid team, not surprised they beat turkey , but 3-0 at turkey, that is a lock, just as Ireland is a lock after the 4-0 win over estonia
czech republic should be ok with that 2-0 win
Portugal needs to be worried, Bosnia is no slouch and can beat portugal in leg 2
November 11th, 2011 at 5:44 PM ^
Nice to see Italy win 2-0 in a friendly today, tough game vs uruguay on the 15th
November 11th, 2011 at 6:13 PM ^
talk about formations and tactics til you're blue in the face, but the reason we have lost 4 of the last 6 games is because we have a huge lack of talent.
The way we teach soccer in America is garbage too. Though it is getting better. We won't compete golablly until players like Marc Pelosi and Josh Gatt grow into their roles on the USMNT.
But regarding this game: ozy Altidore is turning into a nice forward. His backheel flick to Dempsey was superb. He does a great job bodying defenders and holding the ball. He doesn't really have anyone to support him though. We need Brek Shea to be on form to have a scoring threat. It's a damn shame that we don't have Stewart Holden or Jose Torres.
November 12th, 2011 at 3:18 AM ^
I agree with you abot Jozy. I hate seeing him up there by himself..
We are lacking the deep lying playmaking midfielder right now. Someone like Torres who is very good with the ball at his feet and distribution is something that JK needs in his system. While guys like Beckerman and Edu make fine defensive midfielders they are not the greatest passers.
Did you hear that Pelosi was finally able to sign with Liverpool after he got clearence? I don't know much about the Liverpool system, but it can't be too bad. I hope other get the opportunity to train in Europe.
November 12th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
Yeah I totally agree about Torres, and we have no one to replace him with, except Diskeruud and I think we agree on his talent.
I'm very excited about the next generation of American soccer because we have guys like Josh Gatt who went over to Europe at a young age. I think Pelosi will do well in the Liverpool sstem. He's a box-to-box midfielder that they love at Anfield. Side note, Liverpool also has Vilyan Bijev, a fellow American with a lot of promise at striker.
November 11th, 2011 at 6:14 PM ^
1. Dempsey/Altidore played well, and I'm really interested to see what JK can do if he gets to use Dempsey and Donovan in the same game.
2. Maurice Edu, wihle his play was adequate, is not an attacking midfielder. I am a bit curious why JF Torres hasn't played in the last few matches, but getting a healthy Stu Holden (i know, pretty contradictory statement...) would really bolster the flow of the attack.
The USA really would benefit from seeing Holden on the field at the same time as Dempsey and Donovan - and I think in the mean time JK is throwing shit at the wall to see what will stick. Fabian Johnson looked legit, for example, while I have been less impressed with Danny Williams.
All in all not a terrible effort, but even our backups/second tier players should be able to create a few more opportunities than what we saw today.
November 11th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
Torres had surgery on his foot a month ago and will be out another 6 months or so.
Agreed he was a great offensive addition to the squad. Im a little disheartened that Klinsman hasn't tried to insert Mix as a creative playmaking midfielder.
November 12th, 2011 at 2:59 AM ^
Mixx is one player that I want to see get actual playing time. If you watch him play he has the creativity in the midfield that we lack sometimes.
Most casual fans might not have heard about him or his ability, but he has it. I hope JK will give him his shot. Hopefully we will see lots of Mixx in the Olympic qualifying matches. I am for sure going to go watch them play when they come to the Home Depot Center.
November 11th, 2011 at 6:23 PM ^
on the attack are Donovan, Shea, and Adu. They seem to do the most creating for us, which is the one thing our team is really lacking. We defend well, but if we do nothing but defend for 90 minutes then well keep losing. We need to take better chances on offense and hold the ball a bit more. Our finishing is just poor, we need our most creative passers playing, especially so Altidore doesn't feel the need to try his hand at dribbling any more.
November 11th, 2011 at 7:04 PM ^
you could not be further from the truth.
We defend for garbage. We got lucky today, France should've scored 3 or 4. Adu showed that he isn't done when he came on for us in the Copa America, but he is FAR from a complete player... and with Klinsman's German style of play, Adu doesn't fit. And Landy cakes is mediocre-at-best unless he has 30 meters of open space in front of him. Shea has promise, but is still very bipolar in his play.
Our best 3 players are Tim Howard, Dempsey, and ... Tim Howard again.
Edit- no one on our team can pass well.
November 12th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
On L'Équipe, a major French sports site, the writeup for the match reads:
"The French team wins by the smallest of margins against a valliant American team in a meeting in which it displayed some good offensive tactics."
The French fans' comments below are not very enthusiastic, regarding it as a sloppy, ref-aided win over an average opponent. Howard earned some praise, but otherwise the U.S. team is not held in high esteem (nor is the French squad in their eyes right now). Klinsmann's got some work to do.