USA v. Australia: Post-Match Thoughts

The USMNT closed out its World Cup preparations on a high note with a 3-1 victory over Australia in Roodeport yesterday morning.



Edson Buddle was one of the bright spots of the day, scoring his first international goal in the fourth minute before making it a brace just 27 minutes later.  Buddle had a high work rate throughout his time on, causing problems for the Aussies and helping create a number of scoring opportunities.  He showed good instincts and his continued his fine goalscoring form with two clinical finishes, a display that very well could push him into the starting XI for USA-England.  After the game, Buddle said of his performance,"I've given [Bob Bradley] a bit of a headache probably, but it's a good headache."  A good headache, indeed.

His strike partner Robbie Findley had an up and down, simultaneously showing that he can be a threat at the international level and that he still needs some polishing.  He did well to round Mark Schwarzer in the first half but was unable to hit the open net, perhaps the result of a lack of poise from a player without an international goal to his name.  The second half was more of the same, as he mishit a pass on a counterattack that would have put Landon Donovan through and hit the crossbar in front of an open goal off of a nice pass from Edson Buddle.  To be fair, though, the latter was some bad luck and not a complete gimme, as Findley hit his sliding volley downward, with the bounce hitting the bar.  It also must be said that his speed helped stretch the defense and open up the midfield, as it did against Turkey, and he made several productive runs in the attacking third, even though the final pass or shot weren't there.  Buddle's performance will likely push him into the starting lineup, but I think Findley still showed enough to earn a super-sub role in the event that Bob Bradley needs some speed up top late in a match.  Though some are expressing disappointment in Findley's play, I for one am pretty pleased with what I have seen out of the Real Salt Lake striker, as his play in the past two friendlies has exceeded my expectations.

Findley won't be without competition for that substitute striker role, however, as Herculez Gomez managed to make his mark on the match despite coming on in the 82nd minute.  Though he botched a pass on a 2 on 1 that would have given the US a third goal, he made amends in the 90th minute with a cool right-footed finish from eight yards out off of a Landon Donovan pass.  Once again, Gomez put himself in a good spot and put the ball in the back of the net when given the opportunity.

The good form of all three of these strikers (and I include Findley because he has done well overall during his friendly appearances) actually creates a problem that most weren't expecting the US to have, that being deciding which forwards will make the match day squad and which will get minutes.  That's certainly not a bad problem to have, and the play of the aforementioned trio coupled with a healthy (fingers crossed) Jozy Altidore should give the US some serviceable options up front.  If Altidore's ankle prevents him from playing the full 90 minutes in any of the group stage matches, at least Bradley has several adequate options at his disposal to fill the void.

Moving to the other end of the field, Marcus Hahnemann's second half performance was a mixed bag, as he made several good saves to preserve the lead while also struggling to corral a couple of crosses.  All in all, though, the good outweighed the bad as kept a clean sheet in the second half.  I still expect him to be the backup to Tim Howard once group play begins.

In front of him, Steve Cherundolo turned in a quality outing at right back, solidifying his claim to the starting job over Jonathan Spector.  He coupled good defensive play with some effective runs forward, on one of which he showed off his crossing ability with a perfect ball to Edson Buddle at the back post.  The center of the defense was a little shakier, however, as Clarence Goodson and Jay DeMerit had a couple of miscues throughout the match that probably should have led to a goal or two, mistakes that the US cannot afford against England next Saturday.

Oguchi Onyewu came on for the final 30 minutes and was not really tested too much, but the fact that he didn't start is leading some to question whether he will be ready in time to start against England.  My take on the situation was that Bob Bradley wanted to give him a lighter work load ahead of a light Sunday practice and an off day on Monday, allowing him to rest up some and get as fit as possible ahead of next Saturday.  This was supported by this Bradley post-match quote: "“We have been working Gooch hard in training since we arrived in South Africa...Last night we felt that, all things considered, it was best to use him as a reserve.”  Nevertheless, I'll be eager to hear how Onyewu is holding up in the coming days.

In the midfield, Michael Bradley played well, while Ricardo Clark turned in a fairly unremarkable performance alongside him in the center of the park.  While the US managed to escape with any serious injuries, something that so many other World Cup teams have not been able to do lately, Clark did limp off late in the match with what appeared to be leg cramp or muscle strain.   At this point, I think Edu would be the most effective choice against England, but who knows, maybe Bob Bradley thinks otherwise.

As I just mentioned, the US managed to avoid any serious injuries, but Clint Dempsey certainly gave American fans a scare or two as he was the victim of a couple of really ugly challenges.  Deuce got up each time, though, and showed some fire, getting in the faces of his opponents.  He played well on the wing before coming off in the 82nd minute, nearly scoring his second goal in as many games (his diving header early in the first half was incorrectly ruled offside, by the way) and capping off an encouraging couple of performances from a player who will be key to the US' success in the coming weeks. One major blemish on Dempsey's day, however, was some lax defending that allowed Tim Cahill to slip free on a corner kick and score Australia's lone goal.

Last, but not least, Landon Donovan once again turned in a strong performance on the wing, helping to create a number of opportunities while orchestrating the attack. Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra had decent appearances, as well, while Jonathan Bornstein managed to make it through his substitute minutes without a major gaffe, making a couple of good plays along the way.


-----

It's hard to believe, but the day we have all been waiting for is almost upon us.  The next time you watch a USMNT game, they will be going toe-to-toe with England in their opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.