USA-Venezuela Post-Match Thoughts: On Cameron, Rico, Wondo, & More

There certainly are worse ways to start off the year than the USMNT's dramatic 1-0 win over Venezuela on Saturday night. Check out the highlights below, which includes Ricardo Clark's record-setting game-winner:



While the win did not come until the dying moments of the match, a positive result never seemed in doubt, as Venezuela hardly ever threatened in their attacking third.

I mentioned on Twitter prior to kickoff that Geoff Cameron and Michael Parkhurst would be two players that I would be monitoring, as they might provide the kind of possession-oriented center back that Jurgen Klinsmann has been seeking. Neither were greatly tested, thanks in part to strong support in front of them from the defensive mids, but both managed to do what was asked of them without much trouble.

Cameron, who looks capable of making the leap to the full team in the near future, was solid going forward, helping build attacks from the back. One notable example occurred early in the first half, when Benny Feilhaber was able to spring Brek Shea behind the defense, a sequence that began with a properly-placed ball from Cameron into the midfield. Parkhurst, meanwhile, brought his usual understated game to the table, positioning himself well to disrupt attacks without much drama.

In the end, though, Venezuela's toothless attack leaves me not entirely convinced of either center back's merits. Getting tested in a hostile environment against a Panama side that will include a couple of strong, skilled forwards should give us a much better idea of where the two stand at the international level.

As I mentioned above, the midfield was key in limiting the amount of work Parkhurst and Cameron actually had to do, with Jermaine Jones leading the way. Jones looked very much the part of an in-season veteran on a Champions League squad, bossing his way around the center of the park. While he looked to get a little too heated at times (wearing the captain's armband didn't smooth out all his rough edges), Jones led by example, tracking well and helping initiate attacking forays. I was hoping to see Jones show his class instead of perhaps playing down to his competition, and he did not disappoint, turning in a very solid performance after an abbreviated camp stay.

Alongside him, Jeff Larentowicz quitely pulled his weight as well, providing a more under-the-radar kind of support next to the more eye-catching play of Jones.

The big moment of the match, though, came from Larentowicz's replacement, Ricardo Clark. His goal in the 7th minute of stoppage time was the latest second half stoppage time winner in USMNT history. It must be said, also: Jermaine Jones provided the service after hitting several other quality corners throughout the match. That could very well be something that we see carry over to the full national team if Jones continues to produce dangerous set piece deliveries.

As far as Clark goes, though, his time on was largely anonymous until his goal. But that goal alone could go along way to boosting the confidence of a 29 year old who as recently as last year was doing some good things in the Bundesliga. It was a nice moment for a player that left the field at the World Cup nearly in tears, and you could tell by his reaction that the goal really meant something to him.

While some love to write him off or blame him for the World Cup loss to Ghana (this just in: several others were involved in that play, from Bob Bradley to the center backs to Tim Howard), the fact of the matter is that Rico could very well still have more to offer to the national team setup (even if just as depth). He needs a move from Eintracht Frankfurt, which has devolved into a pretty terrible situation for him, but Saturday's goal could go a long way to boosting his confidence as he seeks to revive his career.

In that regard, his call into camp (which some were not too pleased about, for various reasons) has already been a success in my book, and could pay greater dividends down the road than bringing in a fringe young player just to fill out the ranks. And for that, I commend Jurgen Klinsmann for his unexpected decision. We'll see if Rico is able to build off of that against Panama and in the coming weeks as he seeks a move.

As I've always said, in never hurts to have a surplus of experienced, skilled, in-form options. So don't write someone like Rico off just yet.

Elsewhere in the midfield, Brek Shea showed flashes of his quality and was unlikely not to score at least one goal in the first half. Ultimately, though, he disappeared for long stretches of the match, which was a little disappointing. As one of the more talented (and internationally experienced) players in the squad, I was hoping to see Shea do what Jermaine Jones did and really help dictate the match. Alas, he did not, apart from a couple of bright moments in the attacking third.

Benny Feilhaber, meanwhile, did some good things in the middle, setting up a Shea opportunity with a gorgeous through-ball among other things. In the end, though, I found myself frustrated with his outing. While Feilhaber showed his quality and creativity at times, there were also a couple of instances of being "too cute", where he passed up a shooting opportunity for an ill-advised pass. Nevertheless, he reminded us once again that he possesses a skill set that is still pretty unique in the USMNT's center mid pool, which could keep him in the full team picture in the near future.

What irked me, though, was his constant yelling at the ref. Without a doubt, referee Roberto Garcia Orozco missed a lot. A lot. Between several maulings in the box on nearly every corner, the US has legitimate penalty claims on a number of occasions, with Feilhaber often on the receiving end. But Benny let his anger get the best of him too often and nearly cost the US dearly when he kicked out at a Venezuelan defender, an unpunished act that very well could have led to a red card on another night. That kind of petulance or lack of composure takes away from Benny's game and is in stark contrast to the reaction of someone like Chris Wondolowski, who responded to a clear take-down on a corner by getting up and working to get a shot off just seconds later. At 27 years old with 39 caps across some big competitions, Feilhaber simply needs to better at keeping his cool in that spot.

Up front, Teal Bunbury had a little bit of a tall task, playing without another true striker. But he managed to get himself into some dangerous spots throughout his time on. With that being said, though, his finishing and performance as a whole left a lot to be desired, with several good opportunities squandered. While undoubtedly a talented young prospect, Bunbury still has plenty of room to grow before he starts making a big impact with the full side.
zusi, sapong, hamid, delagarza

In contrast to the performance of Bunbury was that of Chris Wondolowski, who came on in the 62nd minute and was highly active and effective up top. The San Jose Earthquakes star was unlucky not to score his first international goal, getting robbed by an acrobatic save from Leonardo Morales. He put himself in dangerous spots and used a little veteran wisdom to create some space between himself and Venezuelan defenders in the final third. Wondo also helped set up a couple of good scoring opportunities with good movement off the ball and quick, well-placed passes. All in all, he was one of the more impressive Yanks on the night, behind the likes of Jermaine Jones and perhaps one or two others.

While many still can't forgive Wondo for his Gold Cup miss against Panama, I still see him as a valuable player in the pool (there aren't many quality finishers) that could very well work his way into the full team picture as we move into World Cup qualification. A strong follow-up performance against Panama could help keep him on Jurgen Klinsmann's radar.

Speaking of Klinsi, his tactics were good on the night, and the USMNT's issues usually were ones of execution, rather than planning. The Yanks dominated, and the 4-2-3-1 (or, at times closer to a 4-3-3) helped create a fair share of goalscoring opportunities. Really, were it not for an outstanding performance from Venezuela's keeper, the score could have been something closer to 3-0 or 4-0.

With that being said, the same thing that I said about Cameron and Parkhurst applies to Klinsi: Venezuela weren't the strongest side, so I'd like to see him replicate his success against a tougher foe on the road on Wednesday in Panama.

Before closing, it's also worth highlighting the fact that a couple of Yanks earned their first cap, a milestone moment in one's career. While CJ Sapong, Graham Zusi, AJ DeLaGarza, and Bill Hamid (who didn't have to make a single save on the night) did not have particularly remarkable debuts, it's always a cool thing when players get to wear their national colors for the first time.

Last, but not least, one of the big stars of the night was not on the field, but rather in the stands. The crowd of 22,403 in Glendale, Arizona was loud and involved throughout the match, creating a wonderful atmosphere. The numbers and enthusiasm are all the more impressive when one considers that this was a friendly between B-teams. Perhaps with the right opponent (read: not Mexico or certain Central American teams), the Phoenix area could provide a good home-field advantage during World Cup qualifiers. Hypotheticals aside, Arizona fans showed well on Saturday. Kudos, folks.

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After a 2011 that included far too many losses and underwhelming efforts, the Yanks' 1-0 win was a welcome beginning to 2012. Let's hope they're able to build upon that as they take on a much stiffer challenge on Wednesday in Panama City.

I'll have a match preview piece up tomorrow, so be sure to come by and check it out.