After a half-hearted draw towards Serbia on Sunday, the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce confirmed extra initiative and displayed higher group in a 1-0 win over Jamaica in Chatanooga.
BY
John Godfrey
Posted
February 03, 2017
6:25 PM
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AFTER AN UNDERWHELMING efficiency towards Serbia on Sunday, U.S. males’s nationwide workforce coach Bruce shook issues up towards Jamaica on Friday.
His beginning lineup featured 9 personnel modifications, as veterans Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, and Jozy Altidore discovered themselves on the bench, changed by the likes of Dax McCarty, Sebastian Lletget, and Jordan Morris. And the brand new coach confirmed his willingness to experiment with techniques, too: The one-striker setup that produced only one shot on purpose 5 days in the past was supplanted by a 4-4-2 alignment.
And it labored.
Granted, Jamaica just isn’t an intimidating opponent however the U.S. confirmed good group, good passing, and in a vital second Jordan Morris scored the one purpose of the sport to offer the U.S. a well-deserved 1-0 win.
The U.S. generated the primary half-chance of the sport proper across the six-minute mark, when McCarty acquired on a Benny Feilhaber nook kick and headed the ball simply above Andre Blake’s crossbar.
Jorge Villafana
4 minutes later, tight defending pressured a Jamaica turnover within the guests’ half of the sphere. Lletget discovered himself with the ball and promptly sprinted towards purpose, solely to be mauled by Jamaican midfielder Ewan Grandison.
Feilhaber took the next spot kick from 30 yards out, floating a cross to the correct aspect of the field, the place Steve Birnbaum proceeded to nod the ball right into a crowd within the middle of the penalty space. Jamaica, nevertheless, cleared the ball away.
The Individuals dominated possession within the first half, and evetnually established a sustained assault because the half-hour mark approached. Lletget and Jorge Villafana partnered effectively on the left aspect, creating a number of probabilities and delivering a critical of crosses that got here shut however by no means linked with the strikers.
A U.S. purpose appeared imminent however then the Jamaicans broke out on a counterattack on the 33-minute mark. Jamaica’s Cory Burke sped previous U.S. proper again Graham Zusi and blasted a cross throughout the face of purpose. U.S. backstop Luis Robles acquired a hand on the ball earlier than it ricocheted off Jamaican striker Romario Williams and over the endline.
A couple of minutes later the Individuals generated one other good likelihood. Walker Zimmerman’s thundering heading from the U.S. half discovered Juan Agudelo who headed the ball into house. Morris displayed his game-changing pace to race onto the ball, however his less-than-stellar contact allowed Blake to cost out of purpose and make a sliding save.
On the following nook kick, the Yanks rolled out a intelligent set piece that just about opened the scoring: Engaged on the correct flank, Feilhaber discovered McCarty who laid off an ideal cross to Lleget on the sting of the Jamaican penalty space. The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder curled the bar towards the far put up and simply missed placing the U.S. forward.
As the primary half ended, Lletget, Villafana, and McCarty stood out for the Yanks, whereas Pontius, Feilhaber, and Zusi struggled.
Area made only one sub at intermission, bringing San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham in for Robles.
Walker Zimmerman
Within the 59th minute, the Yanks confirmed some good mixture play to create the primary purpose of the sport. Lletget handed to Villafana who dished to McCarty who positioned Feilhaber in a harmful spot within the middle of the penalty space.
Feilhaber, who did not transfer rapidly sufficient within the first half, made a beautiful first-touch cross to Jordan Morris. The Seattle Sounder striker tapped the ball again to Feilhaber, who responded by establishing Morris for a right-footed blast that flew into the again of the web.
In what could show to be a telling transfer, Area subsequent introduced in Bradley and Nagbe for McCarty and Feilhaber—giving the U.S. captain an opportunity to play with Nagbe on the left and Lletget within the middle of the pitch. These three may discover themselves lining up towards Honduras on March 24 in San Jose, Calif.
Jamaica could not put a lot stress on a well-organized U.S. protection—Walker Zimmerman and Steve Birnbaum did not have a lot to do, however they had been strong—and by the 70-minute mark the Individuals had been holding the ball within the midfield and attempting to attract Jamaica out.
The gambit made sense however the guests, already eradicated from the 2018 World Cup, appeared content material to maintain the rating shut. Accordingly, little or no house opened up and the Yanks didn’t generate any significant scoring probabilities within the recreation’s waning moments.
The U.S. did sufficient to beat a workforce it ought to beat, at dwelling. And that is precisely what Area’s males might want to do towards Honduras in a month-and-a-half.
