U-23 Olympic Qualifying: US 1-0 Panama

I'm going to stop calling these 'recaps' because honestly, I don't recap what happened in the game. I'm just posting what I think about it. And here's what I think about this one:

A clean sheet is just what Seitz and the US defense deserve. The Panamanian offense isn't the strongest of the group (by the numbers it's the weakest, actually) but it's to the US' credit that there were a scant few chances on goal.

On the other side of the field, our offense could use a little work, namely with finishing. Shots, boys; let's have more of them. I think ultimately what will lead to more shots is better service, and in that case, here's what needs to happen:

- Get rid of Gaven. I didn't see any creativity from him this game. He advanced the ball only to pass it laterally or backwards. I'd even be willing to experiment with Zizzo in his place.
- Centralize Freddy. He's the best finisher of the squad (which explains why he was up top), but he's also the most creative. He contributes more as a #10 in the hole than as a forward up top, or, ideally, as a CAM with the freedom to get forward. We saw a central Freddy in the U-20 tournament; let's see it again.
- Put Kljestan in the middle third. For this to happen he needs to be relieved of the bulk of his defensive duties, and for that to happen we need Edu playing as DM instead of McCarty. (I said it yesterday and I'll repeat it again today: the kid has the motor, but not the brain.) Problem is, there are only two ways Edu gets to play midfield: Ianni steps up in training and inspires some confidence in Nowak, or West Ham releases Spector. The latter is more likely, I think.

If we want more goals, this is what I think the lineup needs to look like:

------------------Altidore-----------------

-------------------Adu--------------------

Zizzo------------Kljestan------------Holden

-------------------Edu----------------------

Wynne----Spector----Orozco-------Sturgis

-----------------Seitz-----------------------

Otherwise, if one-nil victories are satisfactory, then what we saw tonight should suffice.


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Other notes:

- The Sturgis experiment seems to be working. There weren't many chances from the wing. Then again, there weren't many chances at all, but still, he's better than Freeman. Honduras will be the real test.

- Orozco is a fine addition to the squad. He is excellent on the tackle and works well with Edu. I don't have any complaints.

- Hill's touch and balance are better than Wynne's. Wynne has him beat for pace and stamina, though, and because both have sub-par positioning and awareness, my top choice for left-back would be Wynne. If Hill is an option on the left, why not try him on the wing? (More important question: is Hill injured? He wasn't on the bench.)

- Our set pieces aren't terrible; in fact, a couple of our corners were fearsome indeed. Nowak has obviously been drilling dead-ball plays during practice.

- I want to see more Holden. He was excellent for the first half-hour. His stamina is lacking a bit, which might be why he didn't start v. Cuba, but he's the best winger in the current squad.

- Speaking of wingers, how about the prodigal Salvatore Zizzo? Hannover was reluctant to let him go for the week, but he isn't showing much out wide. He worked very hard for very little. Better than Gaven, but still-- compared to the U-20 tournament, Zizzo is underperforming. Let's get back on form, Z.

- Nowak has picked a very balanced squad for this tournament, IMO. The team is neither overly offensive nor defensive and Nowak has options at almost every position on the pitch, even if some of those options are untested and experimental. If we had won v. Cuba, I would be satisfied. As it is, I wish we had more tried-and-true options up top and out wide. I wonder if Nowak misses Alvarez and Feilhaber going into a make-or-break match v. Honduras.

- This might be tempting the devil, but I'm curious about Cervi. He became very popular very fast. I want to see why.

- At one point the ESPN Deportes commentators mentioned something about DC United. Anyone know what? Also, a paradox: I appreciated the Spanish commentary of this match better than the Miles/Caligiuri abomination of the DC-Harbour View match.




Plato's Republic beckons.

Enjoy.

Sorry to disappoint...

... but I don't think I'll be able to catch the U-20 match v. Uruguay tonight. That's not to say I won't watch the highlights or read the recaps, and I'm even toying with the idea of ignorning the thing completely until I can get my hands on a game torrent, but for tonight at least I'll be attending other matters.

Hope it's a good one anyways.

Update: nevermind, plans changed. I'll be right here singing the US' praises tonight.

Chris Seitz Interviewed

USSoccer.com (along with Center Circle & Studio90) tends to deviate sometimes from being the mouthpiece of US Soccer Federation to the lowdown, player-access type website you would expect from a club team. I really like that.

Recently they've come up with an interview with US U-20 and senior MNT hopeful, Chris Seitz. Spectacular kid, one of the gems against Brazil, and one of the few players whom I would personally select as a soccer ambassador from my nation to the footballing world at large.

What I found most interesting:

'CC: How did it feel to be named Man of the Match against South Korea?

CS: “Well, when I’m named Man of the Match that means that the guys in front of me didn’t play their best game. I hope we don’t have to face that situation again, where I have to come up with some saves. But, that did happen and I have to be ready for those kinds of games, too.”'

He speaks the truth.

Enjoy.

(And when you're done, there's this gem, culled from the US U-20 blog:

"Sunday, July 8 @ 7:45 p.m. Right as dinner started tonight, Thomas threw a bit of a curve ball at the guys asking them to go around and give one word that describes the team. Twenty-one players and twenty-one different answers, including ‘desire,’ ‘fight,’ ‘family,’ ‘heart,’ ‘friendship,’ ‘confidence’ and…ah, not sure we can repeat one of the answers, but a synonym is courage and it rhymes with ‘halls.’ "

Glad to see they're getting along fine.

Enjoy.)

Thomas Rongen Should Be Proud: US U-20's 2-1 Brazil

What a thrilling match. Fantastic. As a soccer fan, I am thoroughly enjoying myself. With this win, the US is one of the strongest contenders for U-20 World Cup glory. I predict an amazing run towards the final.

Let's get right into it. In no particular order:

Outstanding players in the first half

(US)
-Sal Zizzo did a really impressive job at right wing and his drives toward goal were one of the US' most consistently dangerous threats throughout the match. Ives: "Is that really UCLA's Zizzo schooling Real Madrid's Marcelo?"

-Robbie Rogers did a great job over on the left wing. Rogers seems to appreciate that sometimes it's better to dribble towards the center for a good look or a wicked shot instead of constantly pounding the wing for a blind cross. Good stuff.

-Altidore maintained a physical presence and exhibited world-class composure to burn the ball past Brazil keeper Cassio. I'm already dreaming about the Olympics next year.

-Anthony Wallace (played left back for the US) is relatively unknown and unheralded in the US soccer community, but he looked amazingly calm versus Pato et. al. Fancy footwork didn't faze him. If Bornstein can't sort himself out by 2010, I have a strange feeling this kid will overtake his spot on the squad.

-See my comments below about Seitz in the second half.

(Brazil)
-Jo was a terror.

-Pato showed great creativity to work the ball in the box, but his bane is his finishing touch. Understatement of the year: he's decent for a 17 year-old.

Outstanding players in the second half

(US)
- Michael Bradley will probably get a pat on the back for his performance tonight and not much else. I'm here to make it known that he did a great job keeping the Brazilians from running amok straight through our defense. I'll be the first to say that he's not suited for the holding midfielder role (on the US senior squad he's got much more creative license), but because he's one of the most physically mature players in the U-20 tournament, he's automatically qualified to knock opponents off the ball. Furthermore, he's got a great touch for dispersing pressure, knowing who to send the ball to and in which direction; none of this, "I have the ball under direct pressure, let me stand up straight and attempt to clear it across the field" nonsense I've seen way too much from our U20's and seniors alike. Bradley plays it one time on the ground to a player who can pass it forward or comfortably clear to safety. If you never score in this tournament, Bradley, that's okay: I've been watching.

- Adu stayed in magical form. He's got a certain strategy I'm starting to appreciate: in the first half he puts in an honest effort orchestrating the attack and formulating offensive plays from the hole; in the second half, when it seems like the whole world's tired but him, Adu slips up top next to Jozy and has his way with the opponent's defense. I thought for a time that his size and build were too slight for him to work past taller, stronger opponents, but I was wrong. Adu has a great touch and a great eye to match. Adu was another of our most consistent threats throughout the game.

- Altidore never lost composure or physicality, sometimes working with his back towards goal a la Ching and other times having a dribble against defenders a la Twellman. Great stuff.

- Seitz: Man of the Match. A Perkins-esque, Guzan-like performance made him truly stand out among a pitch full of rising stars. I am extremely worried about his right leg; he stopped taking kicks and laid down straight away after the whistle blew. If he goes down for the quarterfinals, the US' chances of taking the title are halved.

(Brazil)
- Jo and Leandro Lima never let down, constantly pressing forward. They are deft passers and downright filthy dribblers. Amazing. Lima didn't deserve to score and tie the game; Pato did. Pato's chip should never have hit the side netting.

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Beltran had an absolutely horrible game. He was completely outclassed. That's not to say he wasn't putting for the effort: I saw the sweat dripping from his brow. Despite his good effort, he was a defensive hazard and an offensive woe. I was honestly surprised it took so long for Rongen to throw Ward in for Beltran. Better luck next time, kid.

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I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with Ferrari.

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I'll say it again: with this win, the US is one of the top contenders for the U-20 title. This game proves they know how to score and are capable of winning 70, 80, even 90 minutes into a match. Thomas Rongen should be proud.

Lets hope the players get ample regeneration time to be fresh against whoever in the quarterfinals. I'll be thrilled to watch it, whenever it is.

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Query: In Brazil they tout young stars as 'the next Ronaldinho' and in France, 'the next Zidane.' Does that make Adu the next Donovan? What does that make Altidore? The next Wynalda? In my opinion, young American stars make a name for themselves very early on.

Enjoy.

Freddy Adu Revives the Hype: US 6-1 Poland

Well, Freddy and the boys are at it again:

They dismantled Poland with six world-class goals.

The highlights speak for themselves.

Adu wasn't the only starlet to shine: Szetela had a brace on the day and Altidore got his name in lights, as well.

The game seemed so surreal: everyone was clicking, everyone making runs, beautiful shots. Everything added up -- meaning the young Americans were in unusually fine form today.

Julian Valentin caught a nasty elbow to the face and left the game bleeding. Ofori Sarkodie came on as a replacement. We'll hear updates, I'm sure.

So how much does this speak for the talent of the US squad and the quality of the program? Volumes? Paperbacks? Last December's DogFancy? Here's what I make of it: Poland, being battle weary from their Brazil match still, were always slow and never truly inspired. They nabbed one at the beginning but it was clear from that point on that they didn't possess the resources to keep the lead. Bradley was an unsung hero, doing all the dirty work while his teammates fished for glory -- but does he really need to shine? He's in a good situation in Europe and the MNT already has him well in their sights. It's good that Adu and Szetela lived up to their reputations for a change. Their performance today did wonders to justify our belief that they will grow into outstanding footballers very soon.

But I'm not answering the question. How much does this say about the squad? Not a whole lot. It confirmed our convictions about Adu and Szetela, and everyone looked great on the pitch, but they certainly can't expect the same kind of lackadaisical midfield play and mushy, forgiving defense from Brazil, who are still looking to humiliate an opponent with their traditional class and style. The US stands atop the group as of now; whether we don't slip to second by the next round I can't say. I have a good feeling we'll progress to the next round, but I couldn't tell you how soon we're leaving. One game does not a tournament make.

One thing's for sure: we looked damn good on that green stuff today.