Hex Games 2 & 3 Recap

In what is being called the “Thrilla in Vanilla” the U.S Men’s National Team (USMNT) held on to beat Costa Rica 1-0 in near white-out conditions in Commerce City, CO. In my opinion the match never should have been played, but once play started Referee Joel Aguilar (El Salvador) and Match Commissioner Victor Daniel (Grenada) were correct to finish it off since the conditions were the same for both sides. Of course Los Ticos protested the match but FIFA denied it saying that Costa Rican Captain Bryan Ruiz did not complain to the referee during the match in the presence of USMNT Captain Clint Dempsey. Los Ticos fans did manage to perform a nice protest in their next match against Jamaica though.

The USMNT was able to make Dempsey’s goal in the 16th minute off a deflected Jozy Altidore shot stand up but it wasn’t easy. What stood out most to me was Manager Jürgen Klinsmann keeping his lineup choices simple and being rewarded for his “conservative” approach. He made the right choices on the back line with Omar Gonzalez and Clarence Goodson in the middle flanked by Geoff Cameron on the right and DaMarcus Beasley on the left. Gonzalez and Goodson were solid and Beasley (Man of the Match) did yeoman’s work going forward and retreating back. However Cameron was awful and almost cost us the match numerous times.

Brad Guzan kept a clean sheet in goal and considering the conditions that was probably more than you could ask for. About the only complaint I have with Klinsmann’s lineup choices was starting Graham Zusi in the “Landon Donovan Spot” (I preferred Brek Shea). I even liked Jürgen’s substitutes bringing in Eddie Johnson for Zusi in the 76th minute, Maurice Edu for Jermaine Jones in the 83rd and Kyle Beckerman for Herculez Gomez in the 90+4. Considering the lead up to this match with “the article” and all the injuries this was an epic win for the USMNT. As Michael Bradley said we recaptured “The commitment, the determination, that heart, winning mentality; the willingness of every guy who steps on the field to run and to fight for every other guy on the field.” Well said.

Next up was El Tri in the dreaded Estadio Azteca where the USMNT was 0-13-1 in World Cup Qualifiers prior to this match. To make matters worse both Jones (ankle) and Goodson (hamstring) were unavailable forcing Klinsmann to start Edu and…gulp…Matt Besler. When I heard Goodson was out I figured we’d get steamrolled but a funny thing happened. We managed to barely hang in there early and suddenly the 94,000 (not 104,000 or 110,000 it should be noted) in attendance were eerily quiet. I mean the quietest I had ever heard for a USMNT match at Azteca.

Guzan managed to keep a clean sheet again due in large part to play of Gonzalez (Man of the Match) and, much to my surprise, Besler in front of him. Beasley struggled hard and Cameron is just shaky all around but between Gonzalez and Guzan our defense bent but never broke. On offense we had ONE official shot and it wasn’t even on goal. Now compare that to 19 shots (only 3 on goal though) and 58% possession for Mexico. Given those statistics a 0-0 draw was a miracle of sorts but fútbol can be a strange game at times...0-13-2 baby!

I do have one nit to pick with Jürgen though; taking Altidore out in the 55th minute for Johnson was questionable at best. If you’re going to take Jozy out you have to replace him with Terrance Boyd. Just have to. The other subs were reasonable with Brad Davis coming in for Gomez (whose free kicks were AWFUL to be kind) in the 71st and Shea coming in for Zusi in the 82nd. It’s also worth noting that Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has never scored against the USMNT and that this was the highest rated World Cup Qualifier ever on ESPN.

The next qualifier for the USMNT is at Jamaica on 6/7 and after that we play four of our last six qualifiers at home. Joining us by then, assuming Klinsmann and he can get over each other, should be one Landon Donovan. That’s right, Landon has returned to the Los Angeles Galaxy and said “I realize that I have a long way to go, both on the field and off the field, to work back into the national team, and that's my goal. I miss being a part of that. I want to represent my country again.”

If you would have offered me four points after three matches with a level goal differential I’d have taken it no questions asked given our schedule. With Donovan on the way back our lineup seems to be solidifying at just the right time too. We now have two options in goal with Guzan and Tim Howard and our four midfielders are set with Dempsey, Donovan, Jones and Bradley (hopefully Josh Gatt will be the first off the bench). With Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler set at left and right back respectively the only questions as I see them are who joins Jozy up top (I’m rooting for Boyd) and who out of Goodson, Cameron, Besler and possibly John Anthony Brooks plays alongside Gonzalez in the middle of the back line?

Good times for U.S. Soccer right now, good times.

FOURTH ROUND TABLE
TEAM          W  D L GD Pts
Panama           1   2  0   2    5
Costa Rica       1   1  1   1    4
United States 1   1  1   0    4
Honduras        1   1  1   -1   4
Mexico            0   3  0   0    3
Jamaica           0   2  1   -2   2
Top 3 qualify with 4th place facing New Zealand in a home-away series.