My pre-Confederations Cup prediction for the US? Three games, three losses. Right now it looks a great bet!
The team’s in shambles, really. DaMarcus Beasley shouldn’t be on the roster much less in the starting lineup, a fact patently obvious to everyone except Bob Bradley. While the goal in the sixth minute was definitely a blow, Beasley’s lazy mis-trap on a US corner paved the way for Brazil to sprint 105 yds for a virtual tap-in and the game was effectively over.
These aren’t easy games but since when are coaches judged on easy games? Bob Bradley has struggled with a competent team selection in five of the last six games, the one exception being the mighty Trinidad & Tobago at home, for God’s sake. We have to accept the fact that these are the best players the US has to offer (a sobering thought in itself) but we do not have to accept a manager who has no idea how to put a team together. The changes to the lineup were uninspired to say the least. And the US advances late in the second half can be discounted since Brazil had long since put on the cruise control.
Was Kljestan’s tackle a red card? I would still say no, but it was reckless and stupid. Again, I would contend if that was an Italian tackle or a Spanish tackle, it’s a yellow. Since it’s an American, and we’re widely regarded as being clumsy and violent, it’s a red. Fair? No. Predictable? By this point, yes. I would also point out that these red card tackles have not been committed in dangerous areas or as the last man back.
Other fun facts, some mentioned during the broadcast:
* The US played more long balls against Italy than any other team in a first round game; the US also completed fewer long passes than any other team in the tournament.
* The US has conceded 10 goals in their last four games, half of them coming inside the opening fifteen minutes.
* The US has scored 11 goals in their last seven games, of which seven have come from set pieces or penalty kicks. Three of the goals that came from open play were scored against Trinidad & Tobago.
* According to some quick counting, of Bradley’s 25 wins as the US coach only 8 have come against opponents outside CONCACAF: Denmark, Ecuador, China, Switzerland, South Africa, Sweden (twice), and Poland. Of these teams, only four (Ecuador, Switzerland, Sweden, and Poland) qualified for the ‘06 World Cup, and none of them made it past the second round.
None of this will cost Bradley his job.
Current Mood: Whatever | 
2 Comments
we’re widely regarded as being clumsy and violent
And the best way to dispel that is not to compound stupid errors with desperately reckless attempts to regain possession. I’m not surprised that it was red, but I am bothered that it seemed like the ref waited until he saw how badly Ramires was hurt before he showed red. Because, you know, that’s not going to discourage diving or anything, just make the writhing and moaning last longer before the diver recovers.
Yep. On one hand, you can’t have second-class teams taking out multimillion dollar players in a minor tournament. On the other, this is a dress rehearsal for the refs as much as the teams and the card flinging that went on in WC ‘06 ruined the first two rounds of the tournament. If that experiment proved anything, it was that ejecting players like mad does not stop heavy challenges from coming in.