Trinidad and Tobago vs. USA: Winners and Losers from 2018 World Cup Qualifier
The United States men's national soccer team played to a 0-0 draw with Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night in Port of Spain to earn a point in Group C of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The hosts dominated the start of the match and continued to press forward for most of the first half, but the Americans made a few adjustments and ended the contest as the better side.
The result helped both teams in their qualification campaigns, as they are now tied on four points heading into March's games. Trinidad and Tobago will face St. Vincent and the Grenadines twice, while the USMNT will play back-to-back matches against Guatemala.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from the goalless draw at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Winners: Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler
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Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler are the USMNT's first-choice center-back pairing. There is no debating that fact.
The experienced duo showed plenty of poise in a road environment and let few significant chances fall to Trinidad and Tobago.
Although players like Joevin Jones and Cordell Cato found space on the wings, Cameron and Besler were there to clean up everything that was sent their way. It may not have been an exciting 90 minutes to watch for USMNT fans, but thanks to Cameron and Besler, it was far from a nervy 90.
If both players remain healthy, they should be able to form a solid partnership in the buildup to the Copa American Centenario.
Loser: Gyasi Zardes
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Gyasi Zardes had plenty of chances to score for the Yanks, but he was unable to hand the visitors three points on the road in the second game of Group C action.
The best chance of the match for the LA Galaxy man came in the 47th minute, when his header off a Jozy Altidore cross struck the top of the crossbar. If Zardes aimed for a lower target, he may have put the Yanks ahead early in the second half.
As the match progressed, Zardes continued to find solid opportunities in the final third thanks to the movement of Altidore and others, but he was nothing short of wasteful for his entire 75-minute shift.
One bad performance up top won't kill Zardes' stock with the USMNT, but when the two matches with Guatemala come around in March, he must do better to impress manager Jurgen Klinsmann—especially if Bobby Wood remains in form.
Winner: Joevin Jones
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Joevin Jones was one of the most active players on the pitch in Port of Spain on Tuesday night as he twisted around both American full-backs at certain points in the match.
The best managerial move of the match involved the Chicago Fire player, when Trinidad and Tobago boss Stephen Hart shifted Jones to the right wing in the second half in an attempt to break down Tim Ream. The 24-year-old got around Ream on a few occasions, but he didn't cause a ton of damage to the USMNT defense before he moved back to the left wing.
There is no doubt Jones is one of the rising stars in CONCACAF, and do not be surprised if he turns into one of the best players in the region during World Cup qualifying.
With his pace in the lineup, the Soca Warriors should easily advance to the hexagonal round, where they will give the other five teams quite a fight.
Loser: Michael Bradley
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Michael Bradley had one of his poorest games in recent memory for the USMNT in the goalless stalemate with Trinidad and Tobago.
Bradley's decision-making was awful in the first half—he created a few giveaways and ruined the USMNT's best move forward in the first 45 minutes. With the Yanks trying to gain a foothold in the 16th minute, Bradley took the ball down the left wing, but then he decided to cut back inside instead of taking on a defender by himself.
That play was the perfect example of just how bad Bradley's game was. The little things he usually does right were missing for 90 minutes, which is one of the reasons why the Yanks left Port of Spain with one point instead of three.
The good news for Bradley is he will receive plenty of time to recharge himself during the MLS offseason. As long as he plays well in the March matches versus Guatemala, he should be forgiven for his bad night to close out 2015.
Winner: Khaleem Hyland
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One of the reasons why Bradley and Jermaine Jones did not have a massive impact on the USMNT attack was the play of Khaleem Hyland.
Hyland disrupted the rhythm of Bradley and Jones as he tried to sneak forward and exploit the gaps that sometimes pop up when the American duo plays together.
Just like a few others in the Trinidad and Tobago lineup, Hyland gave the Americans fits in the first half before he regressed during the latter stages of the contest.
Although he didn't trouble Bradley and Jones much in the final 20 minutes, Hyland did lay out a midfield game plan for others to follow if Klinsmann starts the pair next to each other in future matches.
Winner: Jozy Altidore
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Despite being far away from goal for most of the match, Jozy Altidore had a positive impact on the USMNT attack.
Altidore's movement was his best quality on Tuesday as he shuttled out to the wings on countless occasions in order to free up space for Zardes. Altidore's best display of movement came on Zardes' shot off the crossbar in the 47th minute as he lofted a beautiful ball onto the head of the young forward.
The Toronto FC player wasn't a big factor in the penalty area because he didn't have to be as he showed trust in Zardes, who had the most chances of any player. Unfortunately for Altidore, his strike partner just had a bad night and couldn't finish.
As the Yanks continue to look for a young partner for Altidore, the 26-year-old must be able to show he can adapt to whomever he plays next to. He did on Tuesday with Zardes, and he looked comfortable with Wood on Friday night.
If Altidore continues this trend into 2016, the USMNT attack will eventually become more fluid, and his fellow forwards should find plenty of gaps in opposing defenses.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
