The Morning After: Thoughts on USA-Czech Republic

Well it’s the morning after the United States fell 4-2 to the Czech Republic, and it’s time to look back on last night’s game and see where it all went wrong. It certainly wasn’t the most promising performance that Bob Bradley‘s squad could have had, but there were also other circumstances that played a hand in that (such as their top players not playing and this being only a game that meant something to the guys trying to make the team). A view from the outside may make it seem like an embarrassing loss, but was it really? Let’s discuss some thoughts.

– Let’s start off with the obvious: There was no Landon Donovan. There was no Clint Dempsey. There was no Carlos Bocanegra, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, or Tim Howard. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s quite a group right there. And a group that will have a huge impact on this team come June 12. The team I saw out there last night looked like a team without a leader on the pitch, and that problem will easily be cured once these guys are playing. That doesn’t mean we still can’t criticize last night’s performance, however, because there were guys on the field that will be on this team after today’s cuts.

– As we mentioned a great deal in my live blog last night, the defense was VERY underwhelming. It almost seemed like the guys were to eager to try and prove their spot on the team, and instead had some major lapses which allowed the Czechs to score easy goals. While the defense hasn’t been flawless under Bradley, I did expect a much better display. But again, this is one game, and it was a game that featured a group of guys trying to make the team. When you’re pressing, mistakes are made. That’s what happened last night.

– Oguchi Onyewu simply does not look the same. This was evident when Tomas Sivok got the easy header for a goal at the end of the first half. Gooch was there, but couldn’t really get off the ground to stop him or offer a considerable challenge. He was somewhat aggressive early on, but again, he’s just not the same type of player we were use to seeing before the knee injury last year. I didn’t expect him to be in top form in his first game back, so I’m not going to be too negative about him. He’s still gotta get some more field time in before he can get back to his old ways. So let’s not fret too much over last’s performance from him. He’s proven to be a great defender, but he’s still gotta get his legs back. That’ll take time.

– Despite the loss, there were some bright spots:

Maurice Edu scored the early goal, and was a ball hawk in the first half.

I was extremely impressed with Stuart Holden, and thought he might have played better than anyone out there last night. He was extremely precise on corners, and gave his team plenty of chances to score.

I liked the energy that Brian Ching brought in the second half. I really hope he has a place on this roster.

Clarence Goodson made some nice plays that should allow him to find a spot on the roster. The header that kept it alive for Gomez to score was particularly great. He also had some lapses though that weren’t all that impressive, but he should still be fine.

Herculez Gomez should probably make the cut after a scoring a nice goal, and like Ching and Goodson, he brings high energy to the table (which wasn’t necessarily a good thing for some of the guys out there last night). Gomez can play, and hopefully Bradley keeps him around for the cup.

Edson Buddle was always around the ball, and didn’t really do anything to hurt his chances of making the team.

– Guys who really didn’t do anything to help their chances: Eddie Johnson and Heath Pearce. You sort of forget that these two guys were out there last night, as they just didn’t make the plays they needed to make. I would be surprised if either of these two are on the 23-man roster.

– Brad Guzan didn’t look great in goal, but we’ve gotta attribute some of that to the bad defense in front of him. Well all knew he wasn’t going to play like Howard, so it would have been crazy to expect a shutout (oh, wait…..I predicted a 2-0 victory, my mistake).

All in all, a disappointing night, but nothing that’s going to carry over to the World Cup. It was essentially a “cut” game, with guys getting one last shot to prove their worth to the squad.

Your thoughts on last night’s performance?