Sunday, October 24, 2004
Coming Home
A four-game road trip that started with a win and a pair of ties to end the regular season ended with a 1-0 loss at the hands of the Revolution in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal. Second leg is next Sunday back at the friendly confines of Estadio Crew with only one goal to make up in the aggregate. The recap:
* No danger! We were not dangerous in the attack. Buddle and Martino were coming back too deep to get the ball in the first half, and the offensive subs in the second (Cunningham for Buddle and Washington for Elliott) did not add significantly to our attempts on net.
* Tactics were awry. We tried to be cute in our forays towards the offensive third, which plays right into the plodding "grinta" style of the Revs. We didn't run at them with the ball, we didn't pelt their net enough, and we didn't seem to have any ideas on changing our attack when it became apparent that we weren't having any success. Still, this game had 0-0 written all over it and that would have been a good result if not for one error in the 25th minute, leaving me to ask...
* Who had John?!?! WHY was Avery John allowed to just hold the ball about 30 yards from net, with no one coming to close him down, only to dribble in a bit and drive a laser into the upper corner, with which Buschie had NO chance. That strike has us behind in the series and in need of a multiple-goal win next week to advance in regulation time.
* No danger! We were not dangerous in the attack. Buddle and Martino were coming back too deep to get the ball in the first half, and the offensive subs in the second (Cunningham for Buddle and Washington for Elliott) did not add significantly to our attempts on net.
* Tactics were awry. We tried to be cute in our forays towards the offensive third, which plays right into the plodding "grinta" style of the Revs. We didn't run at them with the ball, we didn't pelt their net enough, and we didn't seem to have any ideas on changing our attack when it became apparent that we weren't having any success. Still, this game had 0-0 written all over it and that would have been a good result if not for one error in the 25th minute, leaving me to ask...
* Who had John?!?! WHY was Avery John allowed to just hold the ball about 30 yards from net, with no one coming to close him down, only to dribble in a bit and drive a laser into the upper corner, with which Buschie had NO chance. That strike has us behind in the series and in need of a multiple-goal win next week to advance in regulation time.
Monday, October 18, 2004
US vs. Jamaica roster pool and considerations
With the United States National Team through to the Hex with a game to spare, much has been mentioned about who to call into camp for the final qualifier of the semifinal round, November 17th against Jamaica in Columbus, OH. Hence, here are some things to consider and a running tally of who should be in camp for this match:
* We can field an all-MLS side and contend quite well against the Reggae Boyz, which would allow for our Europe-based players to remain with their clubs even though November 17th is an international matchdate in the FIFA calendar.
* MLS Cup will be played in Los Angeles on November 14th, making it somewhat unlikely that any players from either finalist would be brought to camp, especially considering that 80% of the league's teams will have completed play for the season by November 7th and a competitive side could be fielded from whatever eight teams are not in the final.
* Bruce Arena, therefore, could conceivably open camp for this match on November 8th, allowing for a number of new guys to get long looks from Bruce and bolster their case for inclusion when the Hex starts in February.
Oguchi Onyewu and Conor Casey should be the only two Europe-based players called to camp, provided that their inclusion for all of camp can be arranged. The rest of the camp roster will come from MLS, with names added as the playoffs progress and teams are eliminated.
US roster for 11/17 Jamaica match
Chris Armas, Chicago Fire (MLS)
Conor Casey, FC Mainz (Germany)
Cory Gibbs, FC Dallas (MLS)
Eddie Johnson, FC Dallas (MLS)
Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege (Belgium)
* We can field an all-MLS side and contend quite well against the Reggae Boyz, which would allow for our Europe-based players to remain with their clubs even though November 17th is an international matchdate in the FIFA calendar.
* MLS Cup will be played in Los Angeles on November 14th, making it somewhat unlikely that any players from either finalist would be brought to camp, especially considering that 80% of the league's teams will have completed play for the season by November 7th and a competitive side could be fielded from whatever eight teams are not in the final.
* Bruce Arena, therefore, could conceivably open camp for this match on November 8th, allowing for a number of new guys to get long looks from Bruce and bolster their case for inclusion when the Hex starts in February.
Oguchi Onyewu and Conor Casey should be the only two Europe-based players called to camp, provided that their inclusion for all of camp can be arranged. The rest of the camp roster will come from MLS, with names added as the playoffs progress and teams are eliminated.
US roster for 11/17 Jamaica match
Chris Armas, Chicago Fire (MLS)
Conor Casey, FC Mainz (Germany)
Cory Gibbs, FC Dallas (MLS)
Eddie Johnson, FC Dallas (MLS)
Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege (Belgium)
Thursday, October 14, 2004
MLS World Cup Qualifying update
The tally after CONCACAF semifinal matchdays four and five:
* 46 goals by 17 current or former MLS players (yes, I'm counting former Crew draft pick and current Toronto Lynx striker John Barry Nusum in that total, and adding in goals from now-current MLS players from prior in qualifying) representing 13 countries OTHER than the United States in 3 confederations. (# = country is eliminated from qualifying)
* 46 goals by 17 current or former MLS players (yes, I'm counting former Crew draft pick and current Toronto Lynx striker John Barry Nusum in that total, and adding in goals from now-current MLS players from prior in qualifying) representing 13 countries OTHER than the United States in 3 confederations. (# = country is eliminated from qualifying)
#John Barry Nusum (Bermuda) 7
Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) 6
Stern John (Trinidad/Tobago) 6
Dipsy Selolwane (Botswana) 5
Amado Guevara (Honduras) 4
Dwayne DeRosario (Canada) 3
#Duncan Oughton (New Zealand) 2
Andy Herron (Costa Rica) 2
#Ryan Nelsen (New Zealand) 2
#Jean-Philippe Peguero (Haiti) 2
Zizi Roberts (Liberia) 1
Shaun Bartlett (South Africa) 1
Saul Martinez (Honduras) 1
Damani Ralph (Jamaica) 1
Jorge "Zarco" Rodriguez (El Salvador) 1
Cornell Glen (Trinidad/Tobago) 1
William Sunsing (Costa Rica) 1
Monday, October 04, 2004
A Hollow Point
In front of its second consecutive sellout crowd, the Crew was in prime position to clinch home-field advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs and their first conference title. A victory over the Fire combined with a DC win at the Metrostars would put Columbus seven points up on the Meadowlands side with just six points available. Despite Damani Ralph’s penalty kick strike on 14 minutes, momentum was with the Crew all evening. Nate Jaqua’s dismissal and Kyle Martino’s answer from the spot on the halftime whistle put the Crew back in the driver’s seat. Despite two leads in the second half, the Hunt Park outfit could not close out the match, ending up with a 3-3 draw that moves the team five clear of the Metrostars and extending its unbeaten run to a league-record-tying 15 straight matches. The recap:
* Downside of 11 v. 10 was evident. For the second straight match, the Crew had a man advantage for the entire second half and, for the second match in a row, they had problems cashing in on their wealth of numbers. DC United did not score in part because of a spectacular match from Jon Busch and in part because their personnel options were severely limited after the Nelsen ejection, having used one sub to replace an injured Jaime Moreno and a second to restore a third player to the backline. Chicago, on the other hand, lost a midfielder/forward and still had a four-person backline in place that was less-than-fully challenged by the Crew in the latter 45 minutes. That, along with effective substitutions by Dave Sarachan and a lack of straight-up marking or a tactical adjustment to emphasize their numerical advantage, is what doomed the Crew.
* Same old story in Cowtown. Greg Andrulis gets top kudos for making proper adjustments to his normal first XI due to the absence of Edson Buddle and Ross Paule. Yet again, his inability to make changes WITHIN the match is what probably cost us two points. Not changing his allocation of players to take advantage of Jaqua’s early exit, pulling off Szetela for Lagos (a lateral move at best) late in a one-goal match, and not using the third sub once the Fire tied the match were errors on his part. Despite that, three points could have been gotten and were not because………
* WE LAID BACK! We got the lead at 2-1 and sat back, leaving opportunity for Andy Herron’s first goal. We get a 3-2 lead and then shell up instead of going after a fourth goal. Tired legs on our part, fresh legs on theirs, and a zone in back to manage Ralph (plus not following Herron when he drifted back into the midfield) left the Fire chance upon chance to grab a point and keep their own playoffs dreams alive.
* Downside of 11 v. 10 was evident. For the second straight match, the Crew had a man advantage for the entire second half and, for the second match in a row, they had problems cashing in on their wealth of numbers. DC United did not score in part because of a spectacular match from Jon Busch and in part because their personnel options were severely limited after the Nelsen ejection, having used one sub to replace an injured Jaime Moreno and a second to restore a third player to the backline. Chicago, on the other hand, lost a midfielder/forward and still had a four-person backline in place that was less-than-fully challenged by the Crew in the latter 45 minutes. That, along with effective substitutions by Dave Sarachan and a lack of straight-up marking or a tactical adjustment to emphasize their numerical advantage, is what doomed the Crew.
* Same old story in Cowtown. Greg Andrulis gets top kudos for making proper adjustments to his normal first XI due to the absence of Edson Buddle and Ross Paule. Yet again, his inability to make changes WITHIN the match is what probably cost us two points. Not changing his allocation of players to take advantage of Jaqua’s early exit, pulling off Szetela for Lagos (a lateral move at best) late in a one-goal match, and not using the third sub once the Fire tied the match were errors on his part. Despite that, three points could have been gotten and were not because………
* WE LAID BACK! We got the lead at 2-1 and sat back, leaving opportunity for Andy Herron’s first goal. We get a 3-2 lead and then shell up instead of going after a fourth goal. Tired legs on our part, fresh legs on theirs, and a zone in back to manage Ralph (plus not following Herron when he drifted back into the midfield) left the Fire chance upon chance to grab a point and keep their own playoffs dreams alive.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Matchdays Four and Five: Shut The Door!
It's qualifying time again, as the United States National Team heads into another twinbill of action starting next Saturday in San Salvador, followed up by a match on the 13th in Washington, DC against Panama. Bruce Arena has made a couple of changes to the roster for these two matches from the one for the last pair of fixtures, with World Cup veterans Pablo Mastroeni, Tony Sanneh, and Josh Wolff returning to the fold. Absences of note include Chris Armas, Brian Ching, Steve Cherundolo, and Claudio Reyna. The roster:
Tim Howard, Kasey Keller, Jonny Walker; Gregg Berhalter, Carlos Bocanegra, Bobby Convey, Cory Gibbs, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Pope, Tony Sanneh (Columbus Crew); DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Eddie Gaven, Cobi Jones, Eddie Lewis, Pablo Mastroeni, Clint Mathis, Kerry Zavagnin; Conor Casey, Eddie Johnson, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff.
The United States MUST get six points out of these matches in order to effectively shut the door on the rest of the group and secure its spot in the final round of World Cup qualifying. HOW we do it, however, differs from game-to-game.
El Salvador game notes:
* Jump them early! We have normally had our way with El Salvador in most matches against them. We need to get out and take an early lead rather than leaving it for someone to rescue us on the death of time like the first two road qualifiers.
* Mix it up. No Reyna, no Armas, and a return to the fold of Wolff and Sanneh tells me we should try to play the diamond in this match. Lineup:
Keller
Sanneh-Pope-Bocanegra-Convey
Beasley-Mastroeni-Donovan-Lewis
Wolff-McBride
* Get the lead, then blood guys. Players such as Eddie Johnson and Eddie Gaven have yet to find the pitch in qualifying for the US but seem to be in the plans of the Bruce. Thus, we need to blood them if we have a chance (two-goal lead at the half should allow for it, I would guess).
Panama game notes:
* THE match of the group. This is the match that pretty much the whole group will hinge upon. If the US can take care of business here and move to 11 points, they will be through and put the rest of the group on-edge for advancement. If we're not in that great of a position, then the whole list of theories come out for how someone COULD keep us home.
* Make Panama play. The Panamanians might come into DC and take the road-team approach (sit on it, bunker, try to get out with a point) if they are in good enough position to be able to advance with a win on Matchday Six. We must force them to bring some action to the table by getting out in front on them (notice the theme of the past few sets?). Early goals force your opponent to play your game and are more conducive to getting results than hanging back and trying to snag something late.
* Saturday's results will determine the lineup. How Panama does against Jamaica I think will contribute to who is used to start this match. I have to think that BA would like to give Howard another qualifying start or else he wouldn't have brought him in, but if the US canont ensure its passage regardless of the result of this match (win or draw), Keller HAS to start. I won't guess at a lineup for this one, but I do think you could design two different approaches to this match, one in which we go for the juggular because we can and one where we make sure we have control of the match and keep our advancement fate in our own hands. Getting to the next round matters more than who of Jamaica/Panama/El Salvador goes there with us, so don't be TOO surprised if we play to secure the one before going for three in this match should it be necessary.
Tim Howard, Kasey Keller, Jonny Walker; Gregg Berhalter, Carlos Bocanegra, Bobby Convey, Cory Gibbs, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Pope, Tony Sanneh (Columbus Crew); DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Eddie Gaven, Cobi Jones, Eddie Lewis, Pablo Mastroeni, Clint Mathis, Kerry Zavagnin; Conor Casey, Eddie Johnson, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff.
The United States MUST get six points out of these matches in order to effectively shut the door on the rest of the group and secure its spot in the final round of World Cup qualifying. HOW we do it, however, differs from game-to-game.
El Salvador game notes:
* Jump them early! We have normally had our way with El Salvador in most matches against them. We need to get out and take an early lead rather than leaving it for someone to rescue us on the death of time like the first two road qualifiers.
* Mix it up. No Reyna, no Armas, and a return to the fold of Wolff and Sanneh tells me we should try to play the diamond in this match. Lineup:
Sanneh-Pope-Bocanegra-Convey
Beasley-Mastroeni-Donovan-Lewis
Wolff-McBride
* Get the lead, then blood guys. Players such as Eddie Johnson and Eddie Gaven have yet to find the pitch in qualifying for the US but seem to be in the plans of the Bruce. Thus, we need to blood them if we have a chance (two-goal lead at the half should allow for it, I would guess).
Panama game notes:
* THE match of the group. This is the match that pretty much the whole group will hinge upon. If the US can take care of business here and move to 11 points, they will be through and put the rest of the group on-edge for advancement. If we're not in that great of a position, then the whole list of theories come out for how someone COULD keep us home.
* Make Panama play. The Panamanians might come into DC and take the road-team approach (sit on it, bunker, try to get out with a point) if they are in good enough position to be able to advance with a win on Matchday Six. We must force them to bring some action to the table by getting out in front on them (notice the theme of the past few sets?). Early goals force your opponent to play your game and are more conducive to getting results than hanging back and trying to snag something late.
* Saturday's results will determine the lineup. How Panama does against Jamaica I think will contribute to who is used to start this match. I have to think that BA would like to give Howard another qualifying start or else he wouldn't have brought him in, but if the US canont ensure its passage regardless of the result of this match (win or draw), Keller HAS to start. I won't guess at a lineup for this one, but I do think you could design two different approaches to this match, one in which we go for the juggular because we can and one where we make sure we have control of the match and keep our advancement fate in our own hands. Getting to the next round matters more than who of Jamaica/Panama/El Salvador goes there with us, so don't be TOO surprised if we play to secure the one before going for three in this match should it be necessary.
