Lessons Learned from USA's October International Friendlies

The United States men's national team's most recent international break is now over, at least from the standpoint of playing matches.

American supporters are probably just fine seeing it end.

Jurgen Klinsmann's men conspired to turn two uneven but sufficient victories into two totally unsatisfactory and dispiriting draws by conceding very late to both Ecuador and to Honduras.

There are plenty of takeaways from these two matches, but not too much to really feel good about for Klinsmann, his players and their fans.

Those Who Do Not Learn from History Are Destined to Repeat It

Associated Press

When it comes to defending leads late in games, Klinsmann does not know if he is coming or going.

The United States scored in the fifth minute against Ecuador, only to give up an equalizer in the 88th minute.

The United States scored in the 10th minute against Honduras, only to cough up the lead in the 86th minute.

You cannot make this stuff up.

Both times, Klinsmann undervalued victory at the expense of making waves of ill-fitting and seemingly haphazard substitutions that left gaping defensive holes in front of his beleaguered goalkeeper.

Against Honduras, it was a forward's challenge from attacking midfielder Mix Diskerud (who was quite good in both friendlies otherwise) that led to the dangerous free kick the Hondurans converted through Maynor Figueroa's header.

To have this happen once—to lose a lead late on home soil—is forgivable.

To have it happen twice in less than a week? That is just down to inexcusably poor defensive work and misuse of personnel.

Friendlies may not count, but tell that to the players who just gave away two sure victories in a handful of days.

Klinsmann Has Little Belief in His Centre-Backs

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

Jones looked and played like a linebacker against Honduras.

That was Jermaine Jones lined up at centre-back next to Matt Besler to start this match, flanked by Greg Garza and Timothy Chandler.

Jones, 32, is a midfield menace by trade. He plays physically and usually on the border of recklessly, which is what made him so valuable to the United States in this past summer's World Cup tournament.

To Jones' credit, he was more than game against Honduras despite being played out of position. Except for one professional foul that led to a yellow card in the 60th minute, Jones played really well.

But this was Honduras, and it was a friendly.

Physicality is fine for defenders, but recklessness and a fluctuating temperament (another Jones staple) are not good qualities for centre-backs. From the 60th minute on, Jones looked like a red card and/or a penalty waiting to happen.

And what must Omar Gonzalez and John Brooks be thinking watching this match? If Klinsmann thought those two were a significant part of the future of the American team, what was the point of trying Jones out at centre-back?

Or maybe that was the point.

Jozy Altidore Loves to Play in the Colors of the Stars and Stripes

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

There goes that man again.

If you did not know better, you could be forgiven for believing that Jozy Altidore's teammates at Sunderland have been freezing him out intentionally or putting sedatives in his water bottles.

Altidore has been feckless for the Black Cats in the Premier League, and apparently wants out of that situation.

As usual, though, Altidore became Superman again in these past two United States men's national team friendlies once he pulled on his No. 17 for America.

Altidore was perhaps the best player on the pitch for the Americans against Ecuador, though he did not score. He made up for that fact against Honduras, scoring the Americans' only goal in the fifth minute with a gracefully brutal finish.

Your guess is as good as anyone's as to how Altidore is so potent in the American shirt and so useless abroad.

Michael Bradley's World Cup Hangover Rages on

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Klinsmann's treatment of Bradley is either bizarre or unfair. Or both.

Michael Bradley must be starting to wonder why he bothers with the United States men's national team.

After Altidore pulled up lame in the past World Cup, Bradley was forced to play out of position for the rest of the tournament. Rather than patrolling the defensive midfield and cleaning up messes made by his attacking teammates, Bradley was asked to play behind Clint Dempsey (himself out of position) and create chances.

It really did not work, at all.

Bradley was not available against Ecuador, but started and played 76 minutes against Honduras. It was Bradley's exquisite long lob in the 10th minute that put Altidore in position to score.

Unfortunately for Bradley, Klinsmann showed against Ecuador that he continues to see Bradley as a player who needs to play forward to be valuable. Bradley must feel like the best drummer in the band, only the manager insists that he grab a guitar and play lead.

On top of all of that, Klinsmann is dropping broad hints that Bradley's choice to play in Toronto was the wrong one.

"Making that decision going from Roma—a Champions League team to Toronto that now seems like they are not even qualifying for the playoffs—it is a huge disappointment," said Klinsmann per Simon Evans on the official MLS website.

Klinsmann has even suggested that Bradley's place in the team is not assured.

Why Klinsmann will not just let Bradley play his preferred role, his best position, is beyond comprehension.

We Don't Know Enough About the Young Americans After These Friendlies

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Donovan's farewell took minutes from younger players who could have used them.

Klinsmann is supposed to be building an American side that can go deep into the 2018 World Cup draw. To do that, the thinking goes, he will need to develop his young and potential-laden prospects into real players.

That did not happen in either of these two friendlies. Like, at all.

Klinsmann is not to blame for the fact that Landon Donovan used up 40-plus minutes against Ecuador in East Hartford. That decision was made above Klinsmann's head.

But Sunil Gulati presumably did not write Jones' name into the XI at centre-back ahead of younger players with more promise. Gulati did not bury Bobby Wood on the bench for the Honduras match after his poor showing against Ecuador. Gulati did not make the decision to play DeAndre Yedlin for less than half an hour against Honduras after playing him out of position (at midfield) against Ecuador.

All of that was Klinsmann's doing.

These friendlies were supposed to tell us what players like Wood, Yedlin, Brooks and others are capable of.

Somehow, Klinsmann managed to rely too heavily on players he already knows about and still blow two late leads.

This international break was not a waste for the Americans, but there were opportunities missed on the scoresheets both in the scores and the personnel deployments Klinsmann chose.