10 Observations from The USA's 0-0 game with Argentina
No offense, but did Argentina look completely uninterested in this game? Thank you.
If this is the best group of the USA's mostly European-based players, count me as unimpressed. If this is what playing in Europe gets Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley--they could be in MLS and do no worse.
Tim Howard was outstanding--he deserves credit for that performance. BRAVO. Now, who else can we say that about for the Yanks?
Not to harp on the forwards, but when was the last USA attack on the enemy goal that you thought to yourself--"wow, this looks promising....?"
USA opponents need only to apply consistent pressure on the ball and the US will make a poor pass, a mistake, or get pickpocketed by the defense.
Sacha Kljestan's opportunity late in the game summarizes for me the extent of the Americans' lack of seasoning on a world stage. Sacha had a great chance that he just could not get off fast enough. That millisecond of hesitation is what elite countries have in abundance and we lack in similar abundance.
I'm not always in favor of a coaching change in the middle of World Cup qualifying, butI think it's time US Soccer realized its mistake and fires Bob Bradley. I LIKE THE GUY--but the USA needs the training and pressure of Europe and South America. They could have had Juergen Klinsmann when he was available...
The officiating was atrocious. CONCACAF is a joke.
Is the USA defense just letting the opposition have the ball on the wings unopposed? Argentina did that all night long, and there was nary a US defender in sight when the ball was played in.
I don't mean to sound the alarm--but WC qualifying is in jeopardy with play like that.
All ball....Argentina had way to many of these last night
Though I am a life-long Southerner, ice hockey is my game. I was likely the first hockey-specif ic sportswriter in the state of Louisiana when the ECHL arrived in 1995. I was a freelance hockey sportswriter for local fishwraps between 1995-2000.
Being from New Orleans, I follow the Saints, Hornets and LSU in that order. I have been from Los Angeles to New York City to watch Wayne Gretzky play, and I attended my first hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1985. The greatest hockey ever played was the 1987 Canada Cup Final between Canada and the USSR.