Malawi-Algeria : What Can We Take From It?

For those who missed it, one of the USMNT's Group C World Cup opponents was in action this morning, as Algeria took on Malawi in the second match of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Unlike yesterday's raucous atmosphere at Estadio 11 de Novembro, there were only about a 1,000 people in attendance for this match, as thousands of empty red and yellow seats dominated most camera angles. But like the Angola-Mali match, the result of the match came as a pretty big surprise to all those following the tournament.

Malawi entered the day at 99th in the FIFA world rankings. Though those rankings are far from an exact science, you don't end up that far down the pecking order by some flaw in the system; for a CONCACAF frame of reference, Haiti is ranked 90th, so it's pretty evident that Malawi is far from the caliber of teams that will be playing in South Africa. Algeria, meanwhile, is a team coming off of a strong qualification campaign, sitting just 12 spots behind the US at #26 in the world. Big mismatch, right? Well, that's why they play the games (as cliche as that phrase is).

Faouzi Chaouchi was one of the heroes in Algeria's dramatic playoff victory over Egypt, but he was undeniably the goat on this day. Early in the first half, a long through ball came towards the top of the box, and Cahouchi, an Algeria defender, and a Malawi striker all converged. Chaouchi was the first to get there and rather than slide and grab it with his hands, he tried to thump clear. Unfortunately, this clearance only found the legs of the oncoming attacker, redirecting the ball into the path of a wide open Russel Mwafulirwa, who buried the loose ball into the open net to give the Flames and unlikely 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. Malawi would add another first half goal off a corner kick, as a cross from the left back found the head of Elvis Kafoteka in the middle of several Algeria defenders. Chaouchi could only sit and watch as the glancing header went straight to the far corner to double his team's deficit.

But Chaouchi would find himself picking the ball out of his net one more time, once again the result of a goalkeeping blunder. Early in the second half, a high swinging cross came into the area and Chaouchi leaped to meet it just outside his six yard box. Though he was essentially unchallenged in his efforts, he was unable to snare the ball, slapping it down to the feet of an opponent. The strike that followed rang off the post, but the ensuing rebound was hammered home, sending the Malawi bench into a frenzy and leaving Chaouchi in disbelief.

The match would end 3-0, as Algeria looked completely dejected and disinterested following the third goal. It was a just result, as Malawi created better scoring opportunities throughout the match while adequately stifling the Algerian attack. The result vaults Malawi to the top of the Group A standings and gives the weakest side in the group a legitimate shot to move on to the knockout stages of the tournament.

As I return to a USMNT focus after that game recap, I wonder if there is anything we can genuinely take from this in terms of next summer's World Cup. On one hand, it was just one game, a possible aberration, and a tournament opener at that. A slow start next summer would not have a direct impact on the US, since Bob Bradley and company will take on England in their first match.

But it's hard not to take notice when a future opponent loses to a team of Malawi's level so close to the World Cup. By no means do I want to knock Malawi, but let's face it, they aren't exactly Brazil. A match like today's could stay in Chaouchi's memory for quite some time, particularly if Algeria crash out in the group stage and his mistakes prove to be the deciding factor. Though it might not stick around long enough to impact his World Cup performance, any little knock to his confidence can only help the other teams in Group C.

Chaouchi and the Algerian defense had some problems with crosses and balls played into the box today, which could suit the USMNT attack very nicely. With Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, and Clint Dempsey (not to mention guys like Robbie Rogers and DaMarcus Beasley, who could also be in the final roster) all capable of providing quality service from the wings, the US is not lacking options for service. If Bob Bradley chooses to attack this apparent weakness (and again, today very well could be an anomaly, so I'll refrain from declaring anything definite), this could very well mean a start for Conor Casey or Brian Ching up top. Though they're not exactly everyone's favorite striker options, those two provide a strong aerial presence that Bob Bradley might seek to utilize against a team that struggles with crosses. Throwing big bodies forward on set pieces could also create loads of mismatches, particulary with guys like Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu, who have proven themselves to be capable finishers inside the 18.

Overall, I think we'll have to wait and see how the rest of the tournament plays out for Algeria before making any conclusions about their ability or style of play. The above points are more food for thought, and less scouting report material, but we should be able to get a good idea of some of Algeria's strengths and weaknesses as the tournament progresses. While it is still months prior to the World Cup, leaving plenty of time to work on tactics and strategy, personnel probably won't change too much, so some of these tendencies or inabilities that we see in the coming weeks could very well bubble up next summer on the fields of South Africa.


Catch Algeria in action against Mali this Thursday, as they look to salvage their already stuttering Africa Cup of Nations campaign.