(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
It's been nine long months since I last wrote an article about our young, courageous American National soccer team.
Since then, the US side has had plenty of up's and down's. For the most part, changes to the starting 11 has followed popular opinion (at least mine), but many of those spots are still fluid and could change before their next match.
Among all the fluidity, though, Coach Bradley has made one thing abundantly clear: this team is going to be tough in the back third and lightning fast on the wings. In the three matches they've played in Round 4 of the World Cup Qualifiers the US has tried to enforce that, reaching a certain degree of success. Those matches have also left other questions unanswered.
WCQ - ROUND 4
Nothing was more exciting than watching the Americans dismantle Mexico 2-0 on Feb. 11 in their first Round 4 match. At the time, many Americans probably thought that the US was well on it's way in becoming a major world power in the world's game.
Few could have guessed, however, that it was Mexico's lack of organization and inability to maintain shape and balance (especially away from Estadio Azteca) that would be their undoing—a point we would all come to realize in their recent match in Honduras, as they were manhandled 3-1.
Michael Bradley came of age with two outstanding goals (one in the 90th minute to seal the win), the US defense was air tight, and the most critical moment had to be Mexico's Rafael Marquez's thoughtless decision to challenge GK Tim Howard with his spikes, for which he would receive a booking of the red variety.
Howard, upset and winded, would end up with a caution, and would have to sit out the US's next game due to the accumulation rule.
The US team would travel to El Salvador to play their second match on March 28. The US team hadn't allowed the El Salvadorians a goal in over a decade, and has lost to them only once in 18 previous matches. History became a useless footnote as soon as the Americans took the field. This game would be reminiscent of the match against Guatemala a few months ago as the US team walked into a proverbial buzz saw.
The atmosphere was raucous, the fans were insane, the opponent was intense and energetic from the opening whistle, and the American team would be without a number of starters: GK Howard, CB Guch Onyewu and WB Steve Cherundolo. In their places, Coach Bradley opted for Brad Guzan (GK), Danny Califf (CB) and Frankie Hejduk (RB).
The Americans spent 80 minutes sleepwalking. They stubbornly tried to mount their attack through the middle of the field, despite El Cuscatlecos' insistence in packing in the middle leaving the wings uncovered, and playing six and sometimes seven back. Their counterattack proved intelligent as El Salvador scored twice off of US mistakes in their attack.
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