USA-France Post-Match Thoughts & Highlights

Another friendly, another underwhelming performance from the USMNT. Let's take a look back at the Yanks' 1-0 loss in Paris.

But before we dive into that, let's revisit some numbers that have been popping up around these parts fairly frequently:

• For starters, the loss now guarantees that the US will finish 2011 with a losing record, the first time that this has happened since 1997.
• Second, the US have now scored just 2 goals in a whopping 540 minutes under Jurgen Klinsmann. Hardly the attractive, offensive play that many hoped for when the German was hired.
  
• Third, the Yanks have now been held scoreless in 7 of their 10 total matches on French soil.

The first two of those numbers underscore a general frustration right about now that we'll get to later, but regardless of whether or not one is displeased with the way things have been going, there's no denying that we have been forced to sit through some unbelievably drab soccer over the past couple of months.

Against France, it was no different. The Yanks came out in a defensive shell and never really emerged from it, with their attack never really threatening a French back line that was missing some of its bigger names. 

Klinsmann's initial deployment was a defensive one, understandable given the opponent and location. But there's a legitimate claim to be made that it was overly defensive to the point of being detrimental to squad performance as a whole. Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman sat deeper in the midfield, playing more or less side-by-side for much of the match in defensive roles, while Danny Williams was a much more defensive option on the right side of the midfield compared to, say, DaMarcus Beasley or Robbie Rogers.
 
And with that deployment, it became immediately apparent that the US would be playing bend-don't-break soccer for much of the 90 minutes. Under Bob Bradley, this was not an uncommon approach against a top tier opponent (see: Spain, 2009 for the most obvious example), with the Yanks focusing on shape and defensive discipline to set up counterattacking opportunities. Against France, the US lacked that key latter component, as their defensive posture and personnel were not really conducive to producing the counterattacks that would have helped balance the flow of play some. 


 Instead, Edu and Beckerman added little in the way of forward thrust and substantial possession, with plenty of square balls and some poor touches that nearly cost the US dearly. As a result, the midfield and back line were often put right back on their heels after winning possession, or simply unable to get forward quickly enough from their defensive positions to support Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore. The lack of extended possession and the isolation of the front two meant that the majority of the game was spent in the American half, with no real scoring opportunities produced at the other end.


 French coach Laurent Blanc said following the match that he was never really worried about the outcome of the match, an understandable (albeit I'm sure slightly inflated given France's own offensive struggles for long stretches) air of confidence given the toothless-ness of the US attack.


Was it the proper approach from Klinsmann? In a sense, yes; this was the type of match where defending and counterattacking would probably best suit the US. But the personnel selections didn't quite set the squad up for success, with an overemphasis on defensive presence to the point of severely limiting the attack. But substitutions did little to change that, with Jermaine Jones coming on in the midfield over Michael Bradley, who adds a little more attacking verve to the mix, a puzzling decision given Bradley's playing time in Serie A, his skillset, and the pitiful offensive flow from the US to that point that left us all believing that a French goal was inevitable.


"Bend, don't break" is okay so long as there is a mechanism by which to relieve pressure for a little bit, namely quality counterattacking play. It's very rare that a team can manage to withstand constant pressure for a full 90 minutes without that. Defending higher up the field and pressing attackers in deeper positions are both made extraordinarily difficult when sustained possession is nonexistent. And the US were an example of that on Friday.


Defensively, some have heaped criticism on the center backs, stating that their lack of pace ultimately cost the US a goal. While this may be true in part, there's much more to the matter. For starters, even with the defensive-minded midfield, French attackers still were finding space to operate. But most importantly- and I apologize if I sound like a broken record- the Yanks just couldn't possess at all. It was really just a matter of time until they got caught against a talented opponent.


Is Clarence Goodson the answer at center back? I don't think so. But would another center back have kept that goal from coming? Given the run of play, it's really hard to convince me that that would be the case. Ultimately, the truly disconcerting thing is that the US created absolutely nothing in the final third, continuing a pattern of underwhelming play. There is little improvement, despite a decent bit of consistency in the squads selected. That is fairly worrying, particularly when you consider that there are just two more friendlies before World Cup qualifying- where there is very little margin for error- begins.


And that, rightly, has been the most common criticism of the Klinsmann era. It would be one thing if the US were losing but creating chances; but they aren't even doing that much. As I said over the weekend, there are theories as to why that may be, with most of them circling back to Klinsmann. I offer an alternative theory here centered around the absence of Landon Donovan that I think is very relevant to the discussion.


Back to the France friendly, though. Individually, there were few bright spots. Brek Shea and Steve Cherundolo seem have suffered from not playing with their respective clubs over the past two weeks (because FC Dallas' season ended, in Shea's case), looking a little out of sync and a step slow at times (most visibly when Cherundolo struggled to keep up with some attackers on his side).


The midfield did not do much of note (positively, that is), while Carlos Bocanegra and Clarence Goodson made some good plays but were also fortunate to not get burned on a couple of other situations. As a unit, though, the defense was decent, coming close to keeping France off the board despite the run of play. Playing a huge part in that was Tim Howard, who showed his world class ability, namely with his stunning stop on a second half free kick that kept the match level. Without Howard, 2-0 or 3-0 would have likely been the score. He kept things respectable with his strong play.

Clint Dempsey saw the ball a decent bit and drew free kick after free kick, but he was rarely in threatening positions because of the lack of support going forward. It appeared France were simply content to take him down, perhaps believing (probably correctly) that taking Dempsey out of the attack would more or less derail US offensive efforts.

Jozy Altidore's play, it must be said, was cause for some degree of optimism, as he made several solid contributions in a target role despite being very isolated for much of the match. Once again, though, we are left with the same refrain, lamenting the lack of service and support for the front man.


To be perfectly frank, it was pretty dreadful match to sit through as an American fan. And coming on the heels of several other underwhelming performances, the result only further fuels some of the discontent that has been bubbling up within the USMNT fan base. Do friendly results matter? No, not really. But there has been a significant lack of visible improvement in the side's performance that is unsettling.


Some have opined that Klinsmann should get the opportunity to prove himself over time, preferring to wait until qualifiers begin to give their ultimate judgement. While this is appropriate, it also cannot neglect what's going on right before our eyes and Klinsmann's experience to date (remember, he was far from a proven entity when he took this job, despite what many will have you believe). The Yanks may have a manageable third round group and will almost surely move on to the Hex, but the lackluster outings suddenly make us wonder about what happens beyond that and whether or not Klinsmann is capable of earning his big bucks at that stage.


Sunil Gulati sunk a lot of money and political capital into getting his guy after years of courtship. But you have to wonder if the trained economist isn't also taking into account the concept of sunk costs as the US approaches its pivotal fixtures in a funk unseen since the late '90s. Has the US regressed since Bob Bradley left? Is Klinsmann unfit for this job? Those kind of questions will surely be asked in the long layoff between tomorrow's match and the January camp. I won't take a stand just yet, as Klinsmann still has opportunities to show his stuff, but it's a valuable mental exercise to at least put yourself in Sunil Gulati's shoes and consider what is going on (and associated investments, what is to come, and the potential risks involved for the national team, the federation as a whole, and Gulati personally.


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Against Slovenia, the Yanks will have yet another opportunity to right the ship and restore confidence. Oguchi Onyewu is back to full training and presumably available for selection after missing the France match with a minor groin injury. And the Slovenians present a lesser threat than the French going forward as a second tier team more on the USMNT's level at this point in time.


But success will by no means come easily, as Slovenia defense is stingy in its own right and more than capable of causing an already sputtering attack some problems. Will we see adjustments given past performance and the new opponent? Only time will tell, but we'll delve into this in USSD's preview coming later this afternoon. 


Whether the goals come or not, though, most will simply be hoping to see some kind of improvement from the USMNT in Ljubljana.