2009 Dynamo & USMNT Soccer Thread

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Keith

Bradley sent out a lineup designed to lose. He looked at both games this week and basically chose to go three-and-out and punt against Costa Rica to get ready for Honduras. Boo.

I can understand looking at the two matches and deciding to focus on Honduras. That might have been what he was doing, but why did he have to play a 4-3-3? We could have pushed someone forward later in the match if he wanted to try and create more of an attack. You knew that Costa Rica was going to come fast and hard, and with that turf an extra midfielder to try and break up their attack before it got started would have been the smart thing to do. Yes, Rico would have been perfect for that role. Yes, I am a homer.

Our backline is really overrated, and by that I mean they suck. Onyewu seems to disappear, Bocanegra isn't as good as we seem to want him to be, and the experiment with Beasley at LB needs to end at least until we get better play at CB. (I kinda like Marvelle Wynn at RB, just wish he was a bit more consistent defensively.) I realize this is a bit of homerism, but why isn't Bobby Boswell called into this camp more?

I still like Onyewu. The oustside backs were out of position so much that he was really forced out of his comfort zone in the middle several times. Bocanegra is so-so. I wonder about Boswell too. Bradley seems to be falling into the same trap as Arena of getting stuck on the same players even when they don't play well. I like Wynn's potential, but you shouldn't be starting in a world cup qualifier based on potential....especially when the other outside back is playing out of his natural position. Beasely was absolutely terrible. I don't even want to see him on the field. His first touch is embarrassing for a player at this level. A poor touch by Wynn indirectly set up at least one of their goals if I remember correctly.

Speaking of overrated, I'm looking at you Clint Dempsey, sorry. I get he can finish (does a pretty decent job at Fulham), but if he isn't moving forward, then he's not really an asset at all. Makes you really appreciate the sort of game Brian Ching brings to this squad and makes you realize how much they miss him like they did against Costa Rica. Sounds crazy since Ching's finishing hasn't been anything special lately, but Ching might be as important as anyone to the squad right now. I hope his partnership with Alitdore grows, though given time it seems obvious that Jozy will eventually replace Ching completely.

I still pull for Dempsey because he's form Nacogdoches. He didn't play well at all. Ching would have made such a huge difference in this game....not just because he wouldn't have tried to hide from the ball all night and look like he was about to cry like Donavan (can you tell I'm frustrated with him). He would have dropped back and forced himself into the action and used his strength to fight off the Costa Rican pressure instead of crumbling from it. Altidore didn't have a great game, but he at least looked like he was trying. He'll get better. I hope he manages some more minutes wherever he ends up on loan next year. Oh....and can someone else besides Landon please start taking free kicks. He completely misses anything that could be considered a target more times than not. We cannot afford to miss those opportunities.

More overrateds? Pablo Mastro-card... goodbye. Ugh, I wish Bradley would quit giving him minutes. Give me any of our other midfielders and let Mastroeni ride off into the MLS sunset.

Please God

Lil' Bradley is a good player, he's won me over, but Daddy keeps him on the pitch too long and too often. He should have not been out there before he got his yellow, and now he isn't available for Honduras. Hopefully this means Rico gets a shot. I like Rico, and would have loved him out there instead of Mastrocard, but lil' Bradley is obviously the better player overall.

Bradley hasn't won me over, but he's a solid player and showed at least some effort. Not sure I really like him in that role though. He's just not creative enough to initiate an attack for me, but that goes back to that idiotic formation. One more time. Rico would have been perfect as a defensive midfielder against Costa Rica. I understand he was a last minute replacement because of injury, but I couldn't believe he wasn't inserted to start the second half. I can't believe he took Torres out, unless it was to save him for Sat. He seems to be the only player we have who's willing/able to create something 1 on 1.

As for the Dynamo... right on schedule it seems. This 2-game stretch @ Chicago and vs. Chivas will be telling though. Ching out for tonight (and Rico), but Chicago is missing Blanco and others too, so maybe that's a wash. Actually, I'm interested to see Kei and Ade together, and with Mulrooney able to play Rico's role, should work in our favor

I'm looking forward to finally getting a good look at the Dynamo's new forwards. Holden's going to need to keep stepping up with Ching gone. Mulrooney should be able to handle Rico's role well enough. If we can come away with four points from our next two games I'll be estatic.

[Keith]

dale dynamo

8-0-1 now in their last nine games. If they hadn't allowed that goal in the 88th minute on the road in NY, they'd have a perfect run in that stretch. Actually, had Ching also buried his chip in the home match against the NYRB in April, they could have been looking at a 10-0-0 run. Amazing.

Dom has done it again in getting Cam Weaver for Wondo. Two goals tonight after setting up Holden's goal in the Chivas match. Every time you think the Dynamo are hurting at forward, Kinnear just reloads.

And the first half season MVP might be Geoff Cameron. His pairing with Boswell has just been phenomenal to watch. Adding in Hainault has just made the backline one pretty impressive unit.

There's a home match next week against Salt Lake, but then there's a pretty long road trip with four away (plus one on the road for the USOC - - I think that is in college station though). A couple of those, like the ones against Seattle and Toronto, might be fun to watch.

[papabear]

I was really counting on Julius James to be the one to help shore up the back line, but Cameron and Hainult have been fabulous. Holden looks more and more comfortable each game replacing DeRosario. They had a stretch against Toronto a few matches back where they played some of best soccer I have ever seen from them...truly a joy to watch. Their linking up better on the runs and seem to finally have gotten on the same page.

Their ability to re-load and reshape the team in the middle of the season is amazing.

[papabear]

Rico's red card vs. Italy was B.S. Even playing a man down I still felt like we gave away the game. Brazil is going to come out angry after having to struggle to beat Egypt. Don't think we're going to make it out of the group stage....

[Keith]

Agreed on all counts. The group set-up was a joke. The other group is Spain and yuck, designed to give the host the best possible opportunity to advance.

With Italy and Brazil in with the U.S. and Egypt, hopes were dim, but they had promise at halftime. I feel bad for Rico. He is not a dirty player. It was a bit of a reckless challenge, warranted a yellow but not a red. Sadly, there have been some trigger-happy refs in recent World Cups, so something like this could happen in 2010. It's a good learning experience for him and the team. The U.S. has some decent midfield depth though, so Rico might have a hard time getting selected when it counts next summer.

On an unrelated note, I kinda wish Bob would give Adu more minutes. I can see it being hard since he wants Dempsey out there and Donovan is better suited in the middle, but Adu has some ability, and I think he may be a better dead ball kicker than anyone in the current starting XI.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Keith

Agreed on all counts. The group set-up was a joke. The other group is Spain and yuck, designed to give the host the best possible opportunity to advance.

With Italy and Brazil in with the U.S. and Egypt, hopes were dim, but they had promise at halftime.

I thought our best chance to advance was to upset Italy and then beat Egypt. I'm not sure if the Brazil v Egypt match proves the Brazilians are vulnerable or that the Egyptians are much better than I thought. Probably a little of both. Even with a man down we had a couple chances that we really wasted to score more against Italy. We also had our usual instance of sloppy play wasting what I thought was a pretty good day of defense.

I feel bad for Rico. He is not a dirty player. It was a bit of a reckless challenge, warranted a yellow but not a red. Sadly, there have been some trigger-happy refs in recent World Cups, so something like this could happen in 2010. It's a good learning experience for him and the team.

One of my complaints is that he was tripped up himself right before the foul. It was just incidental contact, but it had him slightly off balance as he went in for the challenge. He caught the Italian high and that's probably what cost him the red. A yellow wouldn't have drawn much of a complaint from me, but even the Italians admitted a red was unwarranted.

The U.S. has some decent midfield depth though, so Rico might have a hard time getting selected when it counts next summer.

Rico is like Shane Battier to me. so much of what he does goes unnoticed. He just has a way of breaking up the flow of the opposition before they can ever get into an attacking position. I thought he was doing a good job until the red, and hope Bradley recognizes his value and tireless effort. He's just perfect in the defensive mid-field role IMO.

On an unrelated note, I kinda wish Bob would give Adu more minutes. I can see it being hard since he wants Dempsey out there and Donovan is better suited in the middle, but Adu has some ability, and I think he may be a better dead ball kicker than anyone in the current starting XI.

I like Dempsey and with his experience in England I understand why Bradley keeps throwing him out there. He just hasn't been playing well. Everyone wants to make Donovan the centerpiece and keeps telling me he's better suited to the middle, but for me his best games of late have come when he played out wide. I would love to see more Adu.

[Keith]

Okay, Donovan out left is good so long as he stays aggressive and stays wide. And I was ready to pile on Dempsey again until his goal. Actually, f- it, I'll do it anyway. If Dempsey isn't good enough to play forward, then he should sit on the bench. He is just not going to play defense. That limitation can be covered if he plays forward, but not at right mid.

btw, anyone really miss Bocanegra? Can't say as though I am. I guess he's still the worthy starter when healthy (plus he seems to have a knack on corners), but he's still overrated in my book. Onyewu is playing better though. Or maybe he isn't having to cover up for his teammates as much.

lil' Bradley has his good and bad moments, but I can't help but imagine what Adu would look like in his spot. Yes, Freddy needs to develop (and I wish he would play on a club that started him), but if he can't get the minutes in WCQ's and Cups like these, then when? Hopefully in the Gold Cup, but I'm not sure if they've officially announced the rosters yet. Hopefully Adu will get his chance then, but with Holden on the roster, I'm guessing it will have to be at forward. Hopefully Adu can show some improvement defensively from there. Just seeing Adu on the bench when Davies, Casey, etc. get their names called is a little frustrating. Altidore is there to win balls in the air (and Dempsey if Big Bradley keeps putting him at RM), so let little Freddy squeeze on in there.

And Rico ought to be a lock from now on. This squad is a different monster when Rico is in the middle. I'll be curious to see how he pairs with Stuart Holden in the Gold Cup.

Speaking of, Dynamo will be losing Andrew Hainault to the Canadian team. I guess I shouldn't complain too much given half of the Dynamo squad should be considered for call-ups, but Hainault is becoming a very effective player for the Dynamo. I think it's taken him a bit to get comfortable out wide and moving forward, but he's definitely upgraded the backline. It seems like Wade Barrett is a good guy and a great team leader and all, but it was rough watching him try to play against RSL on Saturday.