Jozy Altidore Red Card a Blemish on Positive Night for USMNT vs. Switzerland

For the first 68 minutes of the United States men's national team's 1-1 draw with Switzerland, the frustration and concern created by last Wednesday's loss to Denmark were replaced by a large amount of positivity. 

Just as the nerves of the USMNT fans were beginning to calm down, however, Jozy Altidore unleashed a profanity-laced tirade in the direction of Italian referee Luca Banti. 

Altidore, who had just been booked for a bad foul, subsequently received a straight red from Banti, who also warned Altidore about his dissent during the half-time break, per a conversation that ESPN's Doug McIntyre had with U.S. midfielder Alejandro Bedoya: 

Although he did take responsibility for his actions after the match, per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, Altidore handed his team a bit of adversity that it was looking to avoid against the No. 12 side in the FIFA rankings. 

Before the USMNT forward was given his marching orders, the Yanks delivered one of their best performances since the World Cup. 

Bedoya, who has been used in a few different roles in midfield, continued to be a model of consistency on both sides of the pitch. 

Not only was the Nantes player fairly efficient in the attacking half of the pitch, but Bedoya also tracked back and had some key involvements in his own penalty area. 

The players surrounding Bedoya in midfield, Danny Williams and Alfredo Morales, also turned in impressive performances for manager Jurgen Klinsmann's side. 

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The lone outlier from the strong day in the middle of the pitch was Michael Bradley, who lined up out of position as a No. 10. Despite his lack of finishing on Tuesday night in Zurich, Switzerland, Bradley did create a few solid attacking opportunities. 

It didn't come as a major surprise that Bradley lacked the skills to finish off a superb counter in the first half. But he also wasn't helped by the poor run made by Gyasi Zardes. 

Bradley also missed a golden opportunity in the first half, which led to a few comparisons to Chris Wondolowski, the often-maligned forward who sent his shot from close range high over the bar against Belgium at the World Cup. 

Although he didn't have the best day as a finisher, Bradley showed potential as a No. 10, which is something USMNT fans might not want to hear. If players like Williams, Morales and Bedoya prove they are capable of holding down the fort in midfield, Bradley will be given more chances to shine as a playmaker in attack. 

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While there were mixed opinions about Bradley's game, almost everyone was pleasantly surprised with the play of left-back Brek Shea. 

Shea, who converted to the position from the wing before the Major League Soccer season, caught some unexpected attention in the 45th minute, when he whipped a free-kick past Switzerland goalkeeper Roman Burki. 

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The Orlando City player turned in a respectable shift in defense, which also featured two solid performances from Michael Orozco and John Brooks. 

Brooks recovered from his poor match against Denmark with a good outing in Zurich, while Orozco's consistency extended into the first 45 minutes of the 1-1 draw. 

Orozco and keeper Nick Rimando were given the remainder of the match off, when the Liga MX duo of Ventura Alvarado and William Yarbrough entered the match to start the second half. 

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Both newcomers to the squad impressed. Yarbrough was not at fault for the Switzerland goal, as his defense let him down on a corner kick. 

If you look past the few errors by Altidore, Bradley and Timmy Chandler, who failed in his attempt to defend the game-tying set piece, the USMNT actually looked like a competent team for most of the 90 minutes against one of Europe's top sides. 

Now the questions surrounding the USMNT entering the Mexico match on April 15 will be about consistency. Klinsmann will likely use an entirely different group of players for the CONCACAF showdown in San Antonio. But he still needs to carry the momentum gained from Tuesday's draw into the next match. 

If his squad can record a win or draw in the emotionally charged contest, and break a recent conceding trend by holding El Tri scoreless in the last 10 minutes of the match, the Yanks will earn a massive confidence boost heading into the June friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany. 

Thanks to the solid performance of the USMNT squad against the Swiss, the Yanks also took a major step forward on the road to repeating as Gold Cup champions this summer. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.