Observations: USA 2 - Jamaica 1

photo by psd	via PhotoRee

Tapping into some stream of consciousness from Correspondent Ed's mind.  We think this is related to the US Mens National Team's 2-1 victory in Kingston, Jamaica on Friday night:

Our left and right backs are beaten routinely.

There is absolutely no midfield when move the ball forward.

Omar Gonzalez just kicks it like a KC stopper.

Jozy Altidore is never onside.

Jermaine Jones: typical heavy touches.

Fabian Johnson is awful; he looks like a high school player.

Graham Zusi is the most creative American at this point.

The camera work for the game is awful; the stadium looks like it was made without help of an architect.

US: strong defense on corner kicks.

There's no one more disdainful then Clint Dempsey after he's been fouled.

Damarcus Beasley may be even worse going forward than he is at back.

Easy long balls in space we head forward mindlessly instead of trapping.

They just love bombing it forward to no one from the back.

Brad Evans has Beasley-level incompetence going forward.

We're unable to hold ball against Jamaica.

Edgar Castillo comes in for Fabian Johnson and, somehow, he looks even worse.  Plus he's the size of a Under-10 player.

Apt Cliche: US 1 - Jamaica 0

photo by Hazel Motes	via PhotoRee

Scott returns to our pages with some thoughts on the USA's Crucial 1-0 victory over Jamaica earlier this week:

A Tale of Two Halves may be a cliche but cliches are popular because they are apt and last Tuesday night's game between USA and Jamaica was the epitome of this one. Determined to avenge their loss in Kingston just four days earlier, the Americans unequivocally dominated the first half, declaring open season on Jamaica's woodwork and 'keeper, the latter responding brilliantly and the former repeatedly bouncing away scoring hopes. The second half, on the other alternate-universe hand, saw those same Americans, in the waning minutes especially, playing grade-school kickball.

The seismic shift in this game can be directly traced to the 56th minute when Herculez Gomez scored off a freekick because Dwayne Miller picked that moment to be human and botch the save. Almost immediately, USA began to play more cautiously.  Whereas before the US players would patiently string together tens of passes, now they began to get nervous and boot the ball up field, presumably with one eye on the clock. Whereas the first 55 minutes were filled with possession dominance and multiple chances on goal, the Red,White and Blue now seemed to turn yellow, afraid to continue in that same style. 

Jamaica, for its part, was now the team passing and pressing, with such sudden style change clearly affecting the Americans, contributing to their ever-increasing reticence to continue what had worked so well in the first period.  Ultimately, a fine late save by Tim Howard preserved the unnecessarily narrow victory, but not before Jamaica threw the kitchen sink at us. 

On the night, Graham Zusi, in particular, impressed. He was consistently dangerous on the attack and useful on defense. For not having played much with the National Team, he dictated an unusual amount of the proceedings in a positive, creative fashion. 

Also impressive was one of Stoke City's newest signings, Geoff Cameron. An imposing figure in the central defense, he poked away balls, muscled forwards and otherwise thwarted what counterattacks the Reggae Boys concocted. My biggest compliment for this youngster is that I rarely cringed, as I so often do, when our opponents had possession in our final third. 

Also ameliorating my cringes was the ageless Steve Cherundolo who effortlessly snuffed out potential dangers by plucking the ball away from Jamaica's left forward after seemingly tapping him on one shoulder and stealing from the other side.  All this, of course, was in between incessant, skillful runs forward during which he juked, passed and crossed like a veteran winger.  We can only hope that Stevie continues to belie his age, at least through July 2014. 

Dread in the Land of Dreadlocks: Jamaica 2 - US 1

photo by Fabian Bromann	via PhotoRee

If one were searching for subtle differences between the Bob Bradley era and the Jurgen Klinsman era in US Soccer there are plenty of signs apparent to the observant viewer -- the US' recent friendly victories in Italy and Mexico to name just a couple -- and last night gave us yet another: when's the last time you remember the Nats grabbing an away goal in a World Cup qualifier before the contest was even a minute old?  Strike another first for Klinsman and US Men's soccer, as Clint Dempsey took the scoring honors, receiving a surprise start and the ball at his feet in front of a gaping net within the same sixty seconds.

But as evidence that the team remains a work in progress one need look no further than minutes two through ninety of the same game.  The US allowed the Jamaicans to boss the midfield, and although the game was not decided in open play, the US never generated enough scoring opportunities to deserve a win -- or even a draw for that matter.  The resulting 2-1 loss puts significant pressure on Klinsi and the Nats to rebound with a win over the very same island nation side in only four day's time -- that the second game will be played in the slightly friendlier confines of Columbus, Ohio has to be counted on as a significant advantage.

Although Jamaica equalized halfway through the first 45, their opening goal was not due to a total US team breakdown, but rather two Kyle Beckerman gifts: the first when he committed a weak attempt at a tackle just outside of the 18 yard box, and the second coming as he deflected the resulting free kick past a flummoxed Tim Howard to give the home side their equalizer. By this point in the action US fans were likely asking if Beckerman -- he of the rastafarian dreadlocks -- was momentarily confused as to which side he was playing for.