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USA-SPAIN (R)


Obinna

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Match reports indicate that the team had a bunker mentality for much of the match but apparently did a better job of showing composure on the ball than during the England match. Sounds like a lot of handwringing going on right now with USMNT supporters on their forums. Among other things, they don't have much use for the two defensive midfielders approach (which critics call the "empty bucket" formation) consistenly used by Bradley the Elder. On the positive end of things, Adu had a good performance as a creative influence for the Americans so maybe he's finally living up to the hype.

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Guest Jeffery S.

I saw the first half then fell asleep, at 11. I do that maybe three times a year max.

The US pressured very high up, pushing against the creative mids for Spain, while Spain was really playing with just one striker, Torres, and Silva behind and around him (a 4-1-4-1). And Silva is not a goal scorer. So what was missing was a 2nd striker and maybe a wide option in attack that would have allowed the Spain mids to move the ball into lower risk areas. Still, the US was organized, fit, and showed some flash, in fact Adu had some nice plays and impressed, of course now that he is at Benfica it is easier to praise him.

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quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

I saw the first half then fell asleep, at 11. I do that maybe three times a year max.

The US pressured very high up, pushing against the creative mids for Spain, while Spain was really playing with just one striker, Torres, and Silva behind and around him (a 4-1-4-1). And Silva is not a goal scorer. So what was missing was a 2nd striker and maybe a wide option in attack that would have allowed the Spain mids to move the ball into lower risk areas. Still, the US was organized, fit, and showed some flash, in fact Adu had some nice plays and impressed, of course now that he is at Benfica it is easier to praise him.

Thanks for the report, Jeffrey.

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quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

I saw the first half then fell asleep, at 11. I do that maybe three times a year max.

The US pressured very high up, pushing against the creative mids for Spain, while Spain was really playing with just one striker, Torres, and Silva behind and around him (a 4-1-4-1). And Silva is not a goal scorer. So what was missing was a 2nd striker and maybe a wide option in attack that would have allowed the Spain mids to move the ball into lower risk areas. Still, the US was organized, fit, and showed some flash, in fact Adu had some nice plays and impressed, of course now that he is at Benfica it is easier to praise him.

Thanks for the report, Jeffrey.

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Guest Jeffery S.
quote:Originally posted by BearcatSA

Thanks for the report, Jeffrey.

Spain has lost some of those interesting wings like Joaquin and Vicente, and that is a real loss as Spain had speed and an outside option always. So maybe that helped the US defend. The irony is that Xavi, the player they most tried to close down, and wisely, was the one who scored an amazing goal against them.

The States is mentally sharper than Canada, a better unit, and even though it is hard to say that man to man they are better, they work as a solid block, without too much inspiration-but then Donovan was on the bench so that would make up for a lot right there.

Canada tends to take a step back and stay behind the ball, and that is not defending. It irritates me, if you are positionally right you can push forward without risk, but Canadian mids and defenders tened to hold back and that means defending from the very start in your last third, the rest you give away because you have not been trained to move forwards defensively. Like the States has.

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quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

The US pressured very high up, pushing against the creative mids for Spain . . . .

I'm trying to think back to the GC semi last year to understand what you mean here. The Americans seemed to use Michael Bradley and Mastroeni (plus Landycakes) to put pressure on our central mids, create turnovers and mess up our rhythmn, especially at the start of each half, when their energy levels were running highest. Is this what you are referring to? If so, down the road I can see them using the same tactics again if we have to play them in the Hex, but adding a more mobile central mid to our formation (i.e. not Nash) should really help.

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