I was scared, I’ll admit it. The things that were most vivid in my memory after the U.S.A. Soccer game against Turkey were some shaky defense, a rough showing from youngster Julian Green, and the thought that half the Turkish team looked like Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones. But I calmed down, I watched some of the game again to get a better understanding of what I saw, and I put Taylor Twellman on mute.
I don’t think a diamond midfield is going to work, mainly because Jermaine Jones or Kyle Beckerman, depending on who is in at the time, looked outnumbered when Turkey would push forward and attack. That’s not to say it doesn’t work as an attacking formation, but when that ball is turned over, Michael Bradley better be sprinting back into the defensive mid role that got them through qualifying so well. Jones isn’t as good at slotting that 30 yard pass through the midfield as Bradley is, and when the General is too high to begin with he can’t make as much magic happen.
I thought the centerbacks looked remarkably comfortable out there, despite that being everyone’s number one concern headed into pretty much every U.S. match I can remember this last year. But Matt Besler put in a decent showing, although he was a little overwhelmed at times, and Geoff Cameron proved that he belongs in that starting role. It’ll be interesting to see if Omar Gonzalez can break back into the starting 11, especially with three very strong centerbacks running the show. And let’s not forget about John Anthony Brooks, who came in and, after a few shaky minutes, really put on a clinic.
Fabian Johnson looked good, especially getting into the attack, but he was caught out of position almost as often as Timmy Chandler was. But it was Timmy who had my heart pounding in the last ten minutes with some very poor defense. I know, it’s a long game and he probably got tired. But that’s not going to fly come June 16th. Defense is the hardest position in my personal opinion, because you have to focus 100% of the time, and if you have even the slightest mental lapse the opposition is bearing down on you. But overall, he had a decent game, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him at left back. We won’t have a sub to waste on him in the World Cup though, so he better shape up.
Offensively, Jozy Altidore did a hell of a job. I know, I know, he didn’t score. But that guy played the hold up forward role to perfection and dragged defenders out of position all match. He’ll get a goal against Nigeria, I just know it. Let’s all calm down a little bit and let the man do his job, and I guarantee he’ll be slotting them home soon enough. And while we’re at it, let’s cut Julian Green a little slack. The kid is 18 years old, and has a whopping 58 international minutes to his name. There is no possible way we can judge any player based on 58 minutes of work. He won’t start any of these World Cup matches, but did we expect him to? The role he’s going to play is someone who can drag the ball to the corner late in a game and draw fouls and find openings. He’ll be okay. Even DeAndre Yedlin looked pretty good, getting up the wing on attack, and recovering well to make tackles. In fact, in the last 15 minutes Turkey didn’t even bother to attack down the left side that much. They clearly saw a winded Chandler on the right side, and took advantage of it.
This Nigeria match on Saturday will be a fun one to watch. Our defense will be tested, and Jurgen is likely to field a team that will most likely be the starting 11 down in Brazil. It’s time to get down to business, and I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid. I’m confident the U.S. Men’s National Team will get out of this group, and make some splashes in the international scene. Regardless, I’m very proud of them, and you should be too. That’s all they can ask for, a little support from the country they are representing, and it’s the easiest thing for us to give them.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @TheCleavesiest. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Main Photo:
