USMNT v. Turkey: A Tale of Two Halves

After enjoying the USMNT's send-off series finale in front a fantastic crowd of over 55,000 at the Linc yesterday, I've put my post-game thoughts into words.  Enjoy:

I've made it no secret that I wasn't impressed with what I saw out of Robbie Findley in his January, February, and March USMNT appearances.  He looked like he was in over his head, which made me skeptical of his preliminary roster chances, let alone his shot at earning a ticket to the World Cup.  I am very happy to say, though, that he really did a lot to change my opinion yesterday.  His insertion into the match was one of the key sparks for the Yanks, adding some speed and energy up top while also allowing Clint Dempsey to drop back into the midfield, where he was a lot more effective.  Findley made his intentions known right way, freeing himself up for a good shot from 20 yards out just a couple of minutes after the half started, a play that was in stark contrast to the US' stagnant attack in the first half that often stalled once it go in and around the 18. 

While at times Findley was guilty of putting his head down and running himself into trouble (i.e. the endline), there were a number of positive contributions from the RSL striker, not the least of which being his perfectly weighted chip to Landon Donovan on the opening US goal.  What endeared him to me most, though, was a 60 yard tracking run back into the defensive half to break up a counter attack with a toe poke.  He might not be the most polished option, but if Findley can provide the same speed and work rate in the attacking third, we just might see some of him in South Africa after all.

Big ups, Robbie; you played well yesterday.  Now keep it up.

As Findley's stock rose, Jonathan Spector's took a big hit.  The West Ham defender had a rough 45 minutes at right back, getting beat on a couple of occasions and getting caught well up field on Turkey's lone goal (though, to be fair, he didn't really get much cover from anyone in the midfield when he made his long run forward).  While he may be the speedier option at RB, his 1 v. 1 defending and positioning was inferior to that of Steve Cherundolo.  Cherundolo had a good second half, positioning himself and anticipating well, something that Spector did not do particularly well.  While the speedy wing options of England may make Spector a more appealing option on the right side, I stand by my belief that Cherundolo is a better right back at this point in time and would be the better choice come June 12th. 

Elsewhere in the back, Oguchi Onyewu helped quell a lot of fears yesterday, looking much more comfortable and explosive than he did against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.  He didn't have too much to do thanks to the US' improved  attack, but he won a number of aerial battles with strong leaps and made a couple of good plays in the defensive third, most notably his sliding block on a shot from 12 yards out.  The progress from Tuesday to Saturday has me confident that Gooch will be ready to go against England. 

His center back partner, Jay DeMerit, had a good second half after getting beat in a couple of 1 v. 1 situations in the first half.  Only DeMerit can really tell how much of an issue his eye really is, but based on his second half performance, it doesn't seem to be much of an issue.  His struggles in the first half seemed to be more the product of huge spaces in the midfield and panic at the back after the aforementioned Spector miscues rather than misjudging balls because of depth perception problems.  Again, though, that's just my opinion of it; only DeMerit really knows where he's at. 

Carlos Bocanegra had a solid game at LB and seems like a good bet to start there in the World Cup, particularly after Jonathan Bornstein's shaky performance as a substitute.  He got forward a lot throughout the match, as the midfield played very narrow at times.  While this style left a lot of space open for the outside backs, it did also make the US all the more susceptible to the counter attack.  With speedy wingers like Aaron Lennon or Theo Walcott, England could very well punish the US if Bocanegra or any other outside back get caught up field. 

The narrow midfield was one of the main reasons for the US' stagnant attack in the first half.  Landon Donovan and Benny Feilhaber drifted centrally on a number of occasions, leaving few options going forward other than hopeful long balls or forward runs from the outside backs.  Ricardo Clark and Michael Bradley didn't have the best of halves, with both looking a step slow on the ball and when making challenges.  This led to some pretty significant gaps in the midfield, allowing some Turkish attackers to run at the likes of Jay DeMerit and Clarence Goodson.  While Bradley's starting spot is still firmly secured, Clark may find himself further down the pecking order after Saturday thanks to Maurice Edu's good form and Jose Torres' very strong substitute performance.

Torres came on at halftime and proved to be a huge calming presence in the midfield, turning in what has probably been his best performance with the USMNT.  His distribution and soft touch on the ball helped the US get on the front foot and really control the second half.  In addition to his usual poise on the ball, Torres also did very well in the defensive half, making a number of tackles and helping usher Turkish attackers into double and triple teams.  The performance was so convincing that the Texan could very well find himself in the starting XI in the group stage.  If not, his calmness on the ball and intelligent distribution should at least earn him a substitute role. 

Jozy Altidore was one of the players that best exemplified the game's 180 degree turn.  In the first half, he got very little service, with his touch being a little off on the few occasions that he was able to settle the ball at his feet.  He really picked up his play, however, at the tail end of the first half with his superb solo effort that beat a couple of defenders and nearly set up Clint Dempsey for a tap-in goal.  Paired with Findley in the second half, Jozy benefited from a calmer midfield and back line, as he got more service and support in the attacking third.  He and Clint Dempsey also switched at times, with Altidore sliding out to the wing to receive the ball at his feet and run at defenders.  All in all, Jozy was much more effective in the second half.  Whether that has more to do with his strike partner or a more composed midfield, I can't say.  But if Bob Bradley deems it to be the former, who knows, we just might see an Altidore-Findley combination again in the coming weeks.

After not getting a lot of service or support in the opening half, both Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan turned in much stronger performances on the wings in the final 45.  Dempsey played on the left, the position he said he preferred in an interview during camp, while Donovan played on the right, a position he often played in his stint at Everton (which happened to include a stellar performance against Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole...).  The duo linked up well on the game-winning goal, with Dempsey showing good poise inside the box with a defender challenging him. 

Because of Donovan's previous success on the right wing against Ashley Cole and Dempsey's preference for the left side, there's a good chance that they will start in those respective positions against England.  That would, though, mean that either Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, or Herculez Gomez would partner with Jozy Altidore up front.  After his performance yesterday, Robbie Findley might actually be a lot closer to filling that void than a lot of us previously thought.  Do I expect him to get that call?  Not yet.  But it's definitely not out of the question.

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All in all, Saturday's match was a good note to leave on, as the Yanks put together a quality effort in the second half to secure a win in front of a large crowd with a loud American majority.  Let's just hope, however, that they sort things out in the next two weeks so that they don't need 45 minutes to wake up when Group C play rolls around.