World Cup: Analyzing Our Team

First things first, let's talk about how the US played against England. Overall, it certainly was not the best performance. Giving up a goal in the 4th minute of the game always forces your hand, and it definitely affected our game. However, we played our hearts out after getting a gifted goal. Keeping the game 1-1 was a victory considering the circumstances. Remember when I said that Tim Howard would have to make some big saves for us to have a chance, well DAMN WAS I RIGHT! Timmy probably had eight fantastic saves that kept us tied. There is some talk that he may have broken a rib or two, but I am confident he'll be out there when the US takes on Slovenia on Friday.

Three positives to take from the England game:
1) The center of our defense. Wow, for all the talk I did about Rooney, did he do anything? Demerit and Onyewu were absolutely rock solid in defense.

2) Tim Howard. One of the best goalies in the world cup. A stud. Enough said.

3) Donovan played really well. Both he and Dempsey had a role in most of our threatening plays. Donovan had a couple of fantastic crosses that could have been in the back of the net. They need to keep doing it for us to succeed.

Three negatives that need to be corrected:
1) The center midfield was below average. Ricardo Clark and Michael Bradley turned the ball over wayyyyy too many times! It nearly cost us a goal on multiple occasions. Also, Clark lost his man on England's goal. That can't happen at this level. We need to start the game against Slovenia with a different midfield pairing.

2) I'm not going to say that Robbie Findley played bad, but he wasn't the answer to partner with Jozy. Findley is out there for his speed, but he rarely beat his defender with it. I might start Buddle in place of Findley against Slovenia.

3) Ball control left a lot to be desired. Jozy needs to hold up the ball better until help arrives. The midfielders need to quit turning the ball over. And, our defenders need to distribute the ball better.

Closing US Thoughts:
one point against England was a victory. But we need to win on Friday. Slovenia is leading the group right now with three points. We should be able to get lots of quality chances and win the game. If we do that, we are set up to move through the group. If not, it might be over.

As always, I will be watching Friday at 9am. I hope you all will too. It is a monster game that makes or breaks our tournament, and I fully expect us to win!

World Cup Thoughts:
Argentina was supremely disappointing. One goal against Nigeria? They better get it together. Similarly, Italy looked brutal against Paraguay. They were lucky to escape with a draw. It'll be interesting to see how those teams evolve as the tournament progresses.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, great wins by South Korea and Ghana. Ghana might be a team to watch. They can win games with their speed and physicality.

Well, that's all for now. I encourage everyone's thoughts, questions and comments. Go USA!