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It's been a wild ride this summer for American fans
U.S. Soccer in the spotlight
But a look at the results of the thirteen games played by the Americans played over the past two months reveals that unfortunately the bad times outnumber the good.
The Americans are routinely failing to beat good teams. Despite that, they have been in two finals — and lost them both. And, in both those finals, they've conceded eight goals in the second half. The teams the Americans have beaten have been — with one exception — second-rate.
Against good teams, they are losing badly. Moreover, they are leaking goals even against bad teams. Who is responsible?
In my estimation, the answer is clear. The coaching staff has not prepared the team to compete at the highest level. If the Americans hope to perform well at the World Cup next year, U.S. Soccer needs to make a change.
The national team's record since June 3rd, when the Americans lost badly to Costa Rica at Saprissa, is 7-5-1.
In that period the Americans have conceded an astonishing 22 goals (1.6 a game, on average), while scoring 23 (1.7 gpg). This means that the Americans are scoring goals, a sign of progress, but are being undone by a leaky midfield and defense. They are especially vulnerable early in each half — a sure sign of disorganization that sometimes gets solved as the game moves along, but too often doesn't.
The USA has also had an unusually high number of players ejected. Ricardo Clark, Sacha Kljestan and Michael Bradley were tossed at the Confederations Cup, while Jay Heaps was sent off late in Sunday's Gold Cup final. This signals a lack of composure and/or a misunderstanding of the rules of the game (of those ejections, only Bradley's was at all debatable).
The USA's biggest wins came against Grenada (4-0 on July 4th to open the Gold Cup), Egypt (3-0 to reach the semifinals of the Confederation Cup, with help from Brazil) and Spain (2-0 in the Confed Cup). Their other wins all came against Honduras (3), a team that has not won against the USA in eight years, and Panama, and that one required a penalty kick in extra time. And, they were held to a draw against Haiti.
Out of these games, the triumph over Spain cannot be understated. It was a stunning upset of a top-ranked team and arguably the best result in modern U.S. team history. But it came out of a tremendous effort — defenders and midfielders were blocking shots with great commitment — that cannot be repeated over the length of any tournament.
Spain had most of the ball, but lost because the Americans simply would not let themselves be beaten. Three cheers, but it's not really a long-term game plan.
The Egypt win was also noteworthy. The Americans knocked off the African champions. They did exactly what they had to do to get in position to benefit from Brazil's stunning demolition of Italy — this allowed the Americans to sneak into the next round via total goals scored (that was also the afternoon that Carlos Bocanegra returned from injury, playing at left back instead of in the center, where the U.S. finally looked more complete).
But even that is a mirage of sorts. The improved back four of Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Oneywu and Bocanegra did blank Spain, too, but was shredded by Brazil in the second half of the final.
The way Mexico destroyed the makeshift back four Sunday added further to the argument that the Americans might consider playing five at the back with Steve Cherundolo wide right, Spector, DeMerit and Oneywu forming a trident, and Bocanegra playing wide left.
Often the performances of the last two months veered from routine to terrible. Beating Grenada, the worst team at the Gold Cup, is like beating a U.S. college side. In the World Cup qualifier against Honduras, the Americans conceded a dreadful early goal and had to fight back at Soldier Field.
In their subsequent two games against Honduras, however, the USA played well, getting the job done in decent form. The Americans slogged through two other games, against lowly Panama and Haiti, when they gave away two soft goals.
The losses are very troubling. Beginning with the 3-1 thumping by Costa Rica, a dispiriting pattern has emerged. The Americans are not ready to play from the whistle — we've mentioned those early goals. Even in wins, the USA has been giving up early strikes, such as Carlos Costly's fifth minute zinger for Honduras at Soldier Field.
Andy Herron needed only two minutes to seal the deal on June 3rd, a game which afterwards manager Bob Bradley admitted that he didn't "think there was any area at all where we were good enough to win against a good team."
Against Brazil in the group stages of the Confederations Cup, Felipe Melo took only seven minutes, while Robinho followed up 13 minutes after that on the way to a 3-0 win. Jozy Altidore said after the game, "When you come out flat against these guys, this is what happens."
CONCACAF Gold Cup
And Haiti nicked its first goal in the first minute of second half play to draw level — and then scored again two minutes later to go ahead. If not for Stuart Holden's goal in stoppage time to level it at 2-2, the USA would have lost.
And against Mexico this past Sunday, in what was the worst performance for the USA since the 1970s. Gio Dos Santos and Carlos Vela attacked from the start of the second half, peppering Troy Perkins' net and ultimately winning a penalty after ten minutes of play en route to a 5-0 drubbing. Bradley said: "When you have a game that feels like this at the end you don't forget it." We'll see.
This wasn't a "learning experience." You don't learn anything from having your head handed to you by your biggest regional rival — save for the fact that you made some very poor selections on your side.
The best things of the past two months? Players were able to make adjustments in South Africa, and took control of two games. The Americans improved with Bocanegra finally being moved out wide and Demerit getting serious time in the center. Landon Donovan took a huge step up. Finally, that win over Spain succeeded in focusing the USA on the men as never before.
The worst? Demerit likely wouldn't have gotten that chance had Bocanegra not been injured. This long time unwillingness on the part of Bradley to make roster changes, even when they would clearly benefit his team, has been a subject of much debate among fans. The Americans gave away the huge psychological edges they held over both Mexico and Costa Rica. They lost two major, well-watched finals on national TV.
Most damagingly, we continue to make excuses for the team, and delude ourselves that effort can win games, instead of skill. Right now, it seems as if we have one truly special player in Donovan, surrounded by hard-working but limited guys.
Because, even when the Americans can avoid early disasters, they struggle against the top teams. Italy, Mexico and Brazil all pummeled the USA in the second halves of their matches, signaling that as the Americans tire and the adrenalin is replaced by tired legs, the good teams can take full advantage.
It's probably not worth complaining when a Felipe Melo or a Vela turns you inside out, but the same Mexicans who looked totally ineffective in the first half Sunday were transformed as the U.S. wore out.
That directly calls into question the efforts of the coaching staff and the ability of MLS to prepare players for the world game. Personnel choices, tactics and the team's fitness levels are all debatable after this stretch. It's not arguable that the MLS XI that played Sunday (only two starters aren't league players) was found dreadfully wanting.
FIFA Confederations Cup
After playing six Gold Cup matches, there is only one field player to emerge as a "possible" for the Americans down the road and that is Stuart Holden. To play an entire tournament to ID only a single man is a ridiculous waste of energy and resources.
Where were, for example, Jose Francisco Torres and Danny Califf? Why was Freddy Adu allowed to return to Portugal — where, once again, he is not playing?
Why did Kenny Cooper, who finished on the Gold Cup all-tournament list, see so few minutes in comparison to Brian Ching (who may have played himself off the side)?
Why was Jay Heaps given more than a single game when it is clear that at his age he couldn't possibly be a factor in South Africa? Why was Michael Parkhurst called in to replace the injured Jimmy Conrad — and then not play?
Why was Altidore, who didn't exactly rack up the minutes in Europe, allowed to take the time off after being named to the roster? Why were Conor Casey, Ricardo Clark and Johnathan Bornstein added to the roster, only to not be used?
What about the tactics? Once again, after a long spell with the same team(s) together we are at a loss to define an American style of play. Arguably, if the Americans had a style they would be able to regroup after conceding early goals. All we've heard from Bradley on the matter is that he'd like to play an "attacking" game. But what does that mean?
Possession-oriented football that tries to build plays from the back through the midfield? A quick-passing counter-attacking game? Route One football? I defy anyone who has watched these past thirteen games to tell me. And since the USA can't play the same way game to game — to say nothing of half to half — how can the coaching staff truly evaluate players?
Fatigue? How could a group of MLS players, supposedly in mid-season form, be exhausted as Biran Ching claimed following their loss to Mexico? Why did the Americans do something utterly uncharacteristic at Giants on Sunday, and stop playing?
It was Mexico, after all, that had the semifinal nail-biter, needing penalties to eliminate Costa Rica after extra time. The Americans had a relative walk in the park in the first game that night against Honduras. But it was the Americans who crashed and burned Sunday ... and you can argue that fatigue had a lot to with what happened against Brazil in the second half of the Confederations Cup final.
All this comes down to the men running the operation. That's their job, isn't it? To spot problems and solve them. We should have gotten well beyond suggesting that a five-goal loss gives us a chance to study the tape to learn something.
Sadly, coaches have rarely been held accountable by U.S. Soccer for their performances. This time, they should be.
CONCACAF WC Qualifying
There's an August 12 game in Mexico City coming up that must be won if the momentum gained in the Confederations Cup isn't to be totally surrendered.
Remember, this is a new era for U.S. Soccer. ESPN did a pregame show this week for a match it wasn't airing and also has pitched a preview show for the game in Mexico, that will air on an obscure Telemundo offshoot in English. Recall that ESPN is the network that couldn't be bothered with MLS highlights a decade ago.
Today, they understand that American fans are excited about the world game and want something from their team.
U.S. Soccer needs to be aware of that changed landscape. There may be something to be said for letting a coach and his staff work in relative peace and anonymity. And yes, sports talk radio has turned even a single baseball decision in a 162-game season into a crisis. That's silly.
But what do think would have happened Sunday had the final score been, USA 5, Mexico 0?
I think Javier Aguirre would have said goodbye to his players before his last press conference as coach.
In the world game that's what happens. Here, there are so many do-overs that we lose sight of the actual record.
Jamie Trecker's newest book, "Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks" is out now from Harcourt. Jamie is assisted by Jerry and Janice Trecker. Contact Jamie at jamie.trecker@gmail.com and visit his blog and website at www.jamietrecker.com.
The views and opinions expressed by Jamie Trecker do not necessarily reflect those of the Fox Soccer Channel or FoxSoccer.com.
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