USMNT Attack Needs Fresh Blood After Coming Up Flat Against Honduras
For the second consecutive match, the United States men's national team started strong in attack by scoring an early goal. But just like the 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Friday night, the Yanks' attack went silent against Honduras in a 1-1 draw Tuesday in Boca Raton, Florida.
Once again, Jozy Altidore had an impressive start to the game, and he was rewarded with a 10th-minute goal that resembled the one he scored against Nigeria in June.
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Minutes earlier, Altidore selflessly passed the ball on to Clint Dempsey, who never gained balance over it to fire a worthy shot on the Honduras net. Altidore took care of things himself on his 24th career international goal.
After that moment in the match, the American attack flatlined. Altidore and Dempsey rarely linked up in search of a second goal, and that burned the U.S. in the 86th minute when Maynor Figueroa headed home a Mario Martinez free kick.
While the focus will be on the defense for not marking correctly, and Mix Diskerud for making an aggressive sliding challenge to concede the set piece, blame must be put on the attack for keeping the game as close as it was.
Based off the first 10 minutes of the match, the United States should have been hungry for more than one goal. That's especially true for Altidore, who is looking to prove he can still score goals on a consistent basis.
The Sunderland forward has no one to blame but himself for failing to capitalize on another opportunity in front of the net to bring calm to an American side that looked dysfunctional at times Tuesday night.
The largest amount of criticism for the lack of chances in the final third will fall on Michael Bradley, who was handed a start in the same attacking role he struggled with in Brazil. Bradley is not an attack-minded player at heart. He can play a few terrific passes on occasion, like he did on the Altidore goal, but he is not a pure No. 10.
Playing Bradley in the attacking part of the midfield diamond didn't work in Brazil, and it looks like it won't fly after the World Cup either. However, Bradley was not the only one to blame for the rough attacking outing on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.
Graham Zusi, who played a part in both Sporting Kansas City goals Friday night against Chicago, was barely visible on the pitch throughout the 64-minute shift he put in. The presence of Alejandro Bedoya was not felt much either, but at least he contributed on the defensive side of the ball.
When the time came for manager Jurgen Klinsmann to make changes in the second half, none of the players he brought on in attack did much to impress. Bobby Wood, who was extremely active in front of goal against Ecuador, seemed to regress a bit, while nothing substantial came out of DeAndre Yedlin on the right wing.
The good news for the United States is that there is plenty of time to tinker with the starting 11 before the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2016 Copa America Centenario. But another performance like the ones over the last week won't do much to help the attacking credibility of the team.
If Altidore is healthy, he is guaranteed to start up front in any upcoming match, but who plays behind him is the real key to unlocking the potential firepower up front.
It is clear Bradley is not the answer at the No. 10 position, but it is also not 100 percent set in stone that Diskerud is the solution to the problem. Although he has put in a few good shifts since the World Cup, Diskerud is best suited to play in the middle of a 4-3-3 and then move forward as an extra option in attack.
Since those two options may not work, it is time for Klinsmann to dip into the talent pool and actually give a chance to a few young players, not just call them up to earn a few minutes off the bench in garbage time.
With Joe Gyau and Julian Green suffering from injuries at the moment, Klinsmann has to establish solid backup options to the two talented youngsters. One player to look at would be Luis Gil, who earned a call-up for the Ecuador match but didn't play at Rentschler Field.
The 20-year-old Real Salt Lake player brings a creative flair to the game that the United States is in need of right now, and Klinsmann will only know if he's ready for the big stage if he throws him out there in an actual game.
The same can be said for a plethora of young players, which is why Klinsmann may have to rely on a few veterans to right the ship before handing out caps to the future stars of the team.
One veteran central midfielder who is good at doing just that is Benny Feilhaber. He has been tremendous for Sporting Kansas City this season in Major League Soccer. Another wily veteran of the American system is Brad Davis, who would also be worth calling into the squad to create chances off crosses from the wing.
These may not be long-term solutions with Gyau, Green, Yedlin and others coming through the ranks, but something has to change for the next two games against Croatia and the Republic of Ireland. Both teams will not wait until the waning moments of the second half to put a legitimate chance on goal.
Finding the perfect combination in attack may not happen for a while for Klinsmann, but he needs to be open to change unless he wants to see his side fall silent once again.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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