Seattle forward Eddie Johnson scored both goals for the USA (AP Photo)
One pundit on my timeline called this the worst game the US Men's National Team have played since the early 90s. Well, in the early 90s I was a snot nosed teen more concerned with playing soccer (and playing badly) than I was with watching it, so I can't really disagree. I think I can honestly say it was the worst I've ever seen them play.
Does it say something that they can play that badly and still come away with three points? Sure it does. It says sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, but I doubt luck will get us through the Hex, and we're not even there yet. Still, you gotta hand it to Eddie Johnson. He was good, not just lucky. To say this was a statement game from him probably doesn't do him justice.
Surely the conditions in Antigua and Barbuda didn't help, but as is often said about pitch condition, both sides have to play on it. No knocking A and B, but a World Cup caliber team at the top of the group should have been able to overpower them, and that was not the case at all.
The Americans looked to be in control early on, and pushed their noses in front in the 20th minute. Sporting Kansas City's Graham Zusi sent a left footed cross into the area to Johnson, who headed the first goal of the night down past the Antigua 'keeper to make it 0-1 to the USA.
The advantage didn't last long though, and this time it wasn't even Kyle Beckerman's fault. In the 25th minute Peter Byers stripped Carlos Bocanegra and dished to Dexter Blackstock, who torched by Clarence Goodson and the rest of the flower picking USA defense to slot an easy goal past Tim Howard to make it 1-1, which was the score at halftime.
The USA attacked into a heavy wind in the second half, and chances continued to be at a premium. Herculez Gomez got a couple of nice looks in the area, but always seemed to be looking for the extra, killer pass instead of going for goal, which got the USA nothing. Klinsmann brought in Jermaine Jones, who I like to call Super Yellow Card man. Apparently this was supposed to help, but ten minutes and a few horridly bad passes later, Jones picked up his customary yellow card, which will keep him out of the last match against Guatemala.
Antigua and Barbuda about caught the USA flat footed a couple of times as well. It didn't matter if it was Michael Bradley, Danny Williams, or the aforementioned Jones, all of the midfield had a hard time with the speed of the home side. The defense left Tim Howard dangerously exposed a few times, and the home side sent a couple of shots just agonizingly wide of the Everton man's post.
It was EJ and the USA that would get the last word though. In second half stoppage time, San Jose forward Alan Gordon hit Johnson with a cross at the back post. Johnson effortlessly floated a header into the net to seal the 1-2 win for the USA.
Did they deserve the three points? Probably not, but in the end they'll take a sigh of relief and take them. The result puts them up three on Jamaica and Guatemala, who play later this evening. A draw in Kansas City on Wednesday SHOULD be enough to put them into the Hex, but that's not a sure thing yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment