Up way too early to watch the U.S. and Nigeria battle to reach the knockout stage of the Olympic soccer tournament. Despite the lack of adequate sleep, I decided to dust off my analysis hat and put some thoughts together. Here we go.
What a disappointment, but what a wild last 20 minutes. Just when it looked like the U.S.'s goose was cooked, they came alive and were within one shot off the crossbar from advancing (thanks for nothing, Japan). Of course, they almost gave up 4 more goals at the end, but that's what happens when desperation forces such a single-minded push forward for a goal. And that desperation was the result of a careless, stupid foul early on that had the U.S. playing short-handed for virtually the entire game. That put them in a defensive mindset early as they packed everyone back and hoped they could withstand the assault. But like the Branch Davidians at Waco, it was only a matter of time before the assailing forces would break through and torch the place, as the Nigerians scored late in the first half and looked to have put it away with a second goal about 80 minutes in (that came on the heels of the kick-in-the-teeth news that the Netherlands had scored on a penalty kick). I seriously considered turning the TV off and going back to bed at that point, but I'm glad that I stuck it out, even if the end result wasn't what I had hoped. If you decided to sleep in, the full video and highlight packages should be up on NBCOlympics.com sometime this morning.
Overall, I am heartened about the prospects for the U.S. team going forward. Yes, there are some deficiencies, but it seems that many of the lapses are more mental than physical and those should be easier to correct. If Adu and Bradley had been in there it may have been a different story today, but playing the "what if" game will only make you crazy (or make me crazy at least). That doesn't mean some of Novak's decisions shouldn't be questioned, or that the players get a pass on bad play. To that end, a player-by-player breakdown follows.
STARTERS
Orozco - The goat for a mindless elbow that had him sent off early (must have gotten that from playing in Mexico). I thought he had played well in the first two games and I hope he will continue to develop for the future.
Guzan - Hung out to dry on both goals, but made some nice saves and looks to continue the strong tradition of U.S. goalkeepers. He'll even get to learn on the job with Brad Friedel at Aston Villa this year.
Parkhurst - Had been rock solid for 2+ games until he got beat along the end line on the first Nigerian goal. Fell down on the second goal as well and didn't get the necessary help from Wynne in time.
Wynne - Strong in defense and some good forays into the offensive zone, including a great run past 2 defenders that resulted in the U.S.'s best scoring chance of the first half. If only he had a little more touch with the ball at his foot, he might have picked out McBride who was wide open for a few seconds. Complicit in the second goal, which came from his side of the field.
Edu - Made the most of his opportunity during the tournament and played well again today. Moves forward well (he drew the foul that led to Kljestan's penalty goal)and becomes a target on some set pieces. I will need to watch some Toronto FC games to see how he plays in MLS.
Rogers - I can't sugarcoat it - he was awful during the first two games - giving away balls all day long and providing no crosses from the left side whatsoever. Even with the U.S. team shorthanded, I thought he should have been benched. Orozco' sending off forced him to play at left back and he had his best game of the tournament as a result. You could tell he was out of his element back there occasionally, but I thought he held his own and when he did move forward, he looked more confident and was able to do better with his possession. He's playing well in MLS and is only 21, so if he can continue to make some incremental gains, he might be a factor for the national team down the road.
Holden - Delivered some nice balls on set pieces and provided needed defensive help before subbing off. If he could have corraled that cross in the 2nd half, the game would have been tied. (If ifs and buts, were candy and nuts, etc. etc.).
Kljestan - Needed to bring it today in Adu's absence and definitely did not. Too many bad touches and giveaways that led to Nigeria moving the other way. I was not impressed with him overall with the exception of the last 30 minutes of the Netherlands game. My pessimistic side thought he would miss the penalty today as well, but he nailed it and set the stage for the exciting finish.
Szetela - I have been wanting to see more of him since the U20 world cup last year and he got a chance today with the absence of Adu and Bradley. Unfortunately, he didn't do much with it, providing no pressure on the defense and no service from the right side. He didn't do anything obviously wrong, he was just sort of there. He's playing in Italy's Serie B, which could be a stepping-stone to a larger stage at some point.
Altidore - Says his ankle is still bothering him, and was asekd to play out of position on the left flank once Orozco was sent off and Rogers moved to the back. Came out at halftime without having made much of an impression in these games (his goal was a lucky deflection). Will be interesting to see how he does in Spain in the upcoming season. He has shown he has a nose for the goal but doesn't create opportunities himself.
McBride - Must have been exhausted after being the only one forward most of the game, chasing the defense. Did not have a good tournament due to a complete lack of service. I can't remember one decent cross into the box from the run of play during the 3 games until the one in the 2nd half today that McBride missed and Holden couldn't control when it fell to his feet. Without that, McBride can't really help you. For reason I'm willing to second guess putting him out there for all 3 games, especially once Davies came on and showed something.
SUBS
Feilhaber - Seemed more interested in bitching to the refs than trying to make something happen, but the U.S. definitely played better with him out there (an effect I've noticed previously). I like him and he's got loads of potential and if he can find his way to some regular playing time with a club team after Derby County soured on him - and it looks like that might happen - then he could become a midfield force in time for the next World Cup. That's hardly a given, however.
Davies - Hat tip to JDB for mentioning Davies to me and saying he would like to see him in there. He plays in Sweden, so I've never really seen him play, but his limited time on field was an eye opener. He created all sorts of problems for the Nigerian defense and his potentially equalizing header off the crossbar was one of those jump-up-off-the-couch-and-then-cover-your-head-with-your-hands moments. So where was he the rest of the tournament?
McCarty - He's like The Little Engine That Could. He doesn't look like much (in fact, he looks like he just came from his junior prom), but he's always moving and thus forcing the opponents to pay attention to him. Given how tired both sides were by the end, his energy could have been the difference. Didn't happen but he's a great option to keep around for situations like this one.
So the U.S. will not be moving on, which is a shame. On the bright side, it means not seeing them possibly get decimated by Argentina in the quarterfinals. And more sleep for me. That's probably a good thing.
