Handing out cheesesteaks to Shea, Agudelo, Beckerman and others

Agudelo seemed almost selfish at times taking a touch or two too many. That being said, he did have some decisive passes. Maybe he gets a small cheesesteak. Shea looked incredible. I can’t wait to see him get more action on the team. Rogers was great all around for sure.

As far as Jones, do we have to give him any more caps? I haven’t been impressed with him at any point. He’s not gonna be an impact player in the long run so let’s stop wasting roster spots on him just to see what he can bring for the next two or three years at most

You know what, maybe Juan should share his Robbie. You’re correct, Robbie did exactly what Klinsmann asked and went at people, which is Rogers’ game. I always say that Rogers’ biggest deficiency is in sloppy, imprecise crossing. So, I suppose in my mind I didn’t see much improvement there, so he didn’t make an impression. But he did dribble and was aggressive, and that counts for a lot, too. And he scored, of course, which counts the most. … Now, excuse me … I have to make a Texadelphia run. (Regional cheesesteak spot.) Love that place.

I can’t recall who took the shot — Shea? — that was deflected by Mexico’s keeper. And it sat out there like a nice, ripe cherry for picking like Donovan did against Algeria. And where was Agudelo? Replays showed him to be a few steps behind other Mexicans. Not that I have had a chance to review the thing entirely, but that’s the sort of thing that a young, hungry player should have, at a minimum, been at least somewhere around to gobble it up. He wasn’t.

That said, the work with Shea on the goal was worth some cheesesteak.

…that, as Harkes pointed out the improvement in US attacking coincided not just with the US substitutions, but also with some Mexican substitutions, particularly that of Rafa Marquez. It’s hard to overstate Marquez’s quality. This is a guy who started for Barcelona FC, and he still has it. So we need to be careful not to get too carried away by the second half.

Also, there is always the need for a player like Beckerman on any great attacking team. Richie Williams for the great DCU teams of the late ’90s. Claude Makelele for Chelsea. Sergio Busquets for the current Barcelona FC. Beckerman had a good night last night.

I too would love to know why Adu did not make the final 18.

“might not belong on the pitch” but is there because of BB. I know they’re watching with their “I hate BB blinders” on.

I never WANTED BB as coach in the 1st place. But folks, check Opta before you rant. By the numbers, M. Bradley was, at worst, the 2nd best player in a US kit last night. Now numbers may not tell ‘everything.’ But you better have more than “he looked slow” or your IMPRESSIONS to override the stats. On the goal, I thought the fault was a whole lot more with Castillo and Torres for failing to close down a routine short corner play than it was Bradley for being full on Peralta’s body when he managed to swing his leg for a deft touch. At some point, you salute the attacker for showing class and earning his pay. MB couldn’t have played Peralta any tighter w/o conceding a PK.

I think Bradley is best served in the ‘central’ role of the CMF triangle. Where he can make runs forward when the chance presents itself, but still applies pressure on the ball and can see the game from deeper. He’s best served when he can get the ball early and move play from one side to the other.

Jones and Buddle in particular looked hopeless. It’s the job of a target forward to at least TRY to connect. Agudelo did, Buddle was invisible, failed to win anything in the air, failed to apply meaningful pressure on the opposition’s defense. Failed to show up. Jones was invisible in defense, inept with the ball. I can’t think of one solid tackle he made.

Torres had a torrid time on the left, but looked better when he moved centrally. Much better. The problem is, I don’t know where that puts him, since I think that means he ends up competing with Donovan, Dempsey, and (when healhty) Holden for that attacking MC position. And sorry, I’d want those three rotating from the wings through the central spot during the game. In fact, that’s pretty much how I’d like to see the 4-2-3-1 played with them. Altidore/Agudelo/whomever else as the target, and then those three changing positions between the two “wings” and the AMC. I’m not sure Torres is versatile enough to make that rotation, and I’ve never seen a left-footed player so consistently lost on the side of his favored foot.

Castillo wasn’t Bornstein bad. But he was bad. He was not a human turnstile as JB was. But he was a disaster with the ball, which is supposed to be what he brings to the side. Orozco did not show me much of anything either. But it was better than his red-card match. :P

In short, I liked the match for the options for the future it presented, and a grand comeback that deserved another goal from the denied PK on Donovan or the ought-to-have-been Red on Rogers (Which ought to also go into the cheesesteak analysis, RR’s run for pace ought to have ended the competitive portion of the match.) But it did not answer the legitimate questions we have, save perhaps affirming that Altidore has ‘some’ competition at striker in Agudelo. But LB remains a quandry. Depth @ CB remains an issue. Those were the things BB could never address, and they remain problems. I liked Boca last night too. But don’t seriously try to tell me he’s going to hold up for the next WC. He’s there for guidance and player-coach roles right now. And that’s fine, until the Qualifying bullets fly in earnest in the Hex.

in the CB discussion at this point. He’s been playing that a bit at club level. Also, although I hated his inclusion in the Ghana match, and his earlier RC propensity, I do think he’s learned his lesson. His touch last night wasn’t any worse than Jones, Orozco, or Torres’ before he moved into the center.