Home sick today, so I got to watch the USA v. Switzerland game. Missed large parts due to said illness. Overall, good effort put in; but, that back line is very suspect. Brek's goal was spot on. Switzerland deserved the equalizer as the US back 4 looked clueless on several corner kicks and paid the price for it. No issue with eth double yellow given to Altidore as he should know better; but, if the ref is going to card the US for dissention, then several Swiss players should have been carded, too. Will take a 1 to 1 draw away against a solid Euro club playing a man down.
Took a long lunch and watched at home because I am sicko.
I think we learned a great deal from this match. Players like Morales and Danny Williams showed up and looked good. Altidore is looking sharper and sharper as gets more consistent. Bradley is still not a center attacking midfielder but we had nobody else to play there so he had to move up.
Lineup 4-4-2 diamond
Jozy, Zardes
Bradley
Morales, Bedoya
Williams
Shea, Brooks, Orozco, Chandler
Rimando
Subs:
Yarbrough-Rimando
Alvarado-Orozco
Yedlin-Bedoya
Ream-Williams
Morris-Zardes
I thought the first half was a very good showing. Michael "World Class my ass" Bradley missed and easy sitter and Bedoya should have put a header in the back of the net. It very easily could have been 2-0 at the half. My impression was that we had the Swiss really frustrated and I wish we had gotten more for that.
Brek Shea reminds of some of our younger UConn running backs. Has a brilliant game and then he forgets how to play. I thought that even before the goal that he was the best player for us. I don't like him at left back though. I think he is left wing still.
The game really turned on Jozy getting sent off. He totally deserved it, he told the ref to to himself not once but twice. Stupid. That changed the game in my opinion because Altidore, Bradley and Zardes were doing a good job pressing high and disrupting the Swiss. Once that dried up the Swiss went into attack mode and it was only a matter of time.
I've seen statues and turnstiles that defend better than Tim Chandler and Deandre Yedlin. Alfredo Morales is a stud. He's normaly a center mid, but I think Jurgen had him there to help contain Shaquiri and I think Shaquiri wants to press charges for theft as a result. He looked really good and I can finally see why Jurgen loves this guy so much.
Danny Williams looked solid as a Dmid. There's a reason why he starts every game for Reading.
I still think that Matt Besler is a better Left Center Back than John Brooks. Brooks should become better someday, but even with his upside, he makes some errors that caused a moments.
Alvarado (Club America) and Yarbrough (Leon) are solidly US players. Jurgen uses these camps like a college coach uses official visits. Mexico was looking at these guys and they are totally onboard. Both are starters for quality Liga MX Clubs. Alvarado is a good option on the right side. I think Yarbrough will be our third keeper in the near term.
Next friendly is on April 15 against Mexico in San Antonio I believe. It's not a FIFA date but so we probably won't have any European based players, although it would be nice if FIFA came through finally on Gedion Zelalem's paperwork. Also, I doubt Tottenham will miss Yedlin much. Brad Friedel was the analyst today and he gave an update on Yedlin's status. He's integrated with the club well, but he won't play until the friendlies this summer.