ASN: Howard, Ream & Cameron Take It on Chin in Scores

The U.S. males’s nationwide staff misplaced to a hungry, gifted, centered Costa Rican staff on Friday. Listed below are Brian Sciaretta’s participant rankings—and this is hoping that you’ll go create your individual evaluation too. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
September 01, 2017
7:55 PM

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THE UNITED STATES MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM dropped its second residence qualifier of the Hexagonal Friday night time, shedding 2-0 to Costa Rica. The higher staff gained this recreation because the Ticos executed an ideal recreation plan, leaving the Yanks in a dangerous predicament.

The U.S. received little or no from its ahead mixture and allowed its finest participant, Christian Pulisic, to be neutralized by the guests. However the greatest story is that the staff was let down by a central protection pairing that was shaky all recreation lengthy. Fulll credit score has to go to San Jose Earthquakes ahead Marcos Urena who was medical along with his possibilities and made the People pay—twice.

Right here is how the person U.S. gamers carried out.

The Beginning Lineup

Tim Howard: The American icon didn’t make a giant save on this recreation and was out of place on Costa Rica’s opening objective—the place he was crushed on a tricky angle. He’s actually going to want he had that one again. Score: 4.5

Jorge Villafana: The Santos Laguna left again didn’t make any defensive blunders however he pushed ahead quite a bit and had nothing actually to indicate for it. Score: 5

Tim Ream: The Fulham central defender is having yr for his membership however had a really tough recreation in entrance of his former residence crowd. Minutes earlier than Costa Rica’s opener, he almost gifted the Ticos a objective. He wasn’t nice on the opening objective both though he did drive Urena out vast to a tricky angle. Total it was a recreation to neglect. Score: 4

Geoff Cameron: Whereas he has been among the best and most constant American gamers for a number of years, Cameron had a horrible recreation for america—maybe the worst in his profession. Not solely was his positioning off however his distribution out of the again was additionally severely missing. Score: 4

Graham Zusi: It was truly a fairly good recreation from Zusi at proper again. He swung in some harmful crosses and usually contained his aspect of the sector. Score: 5.5

Michael Bradley: The U.S. captain was the most effective American on the sector. He pressured turnovers and helped create lots of the finest offensive alternatives for the Yanks. Score: 6.5

Darlington Nagbe: As all the time, he confirmed some ability and good ball possession however a closing shot or a harmful move was non-existent. He hardly ever performed Jozy Altidore or Bobby Wooden into scoring alternatives: Score: 5

Fabian Johnson: It was a brutal outing from Johnson, who has had a nasty yr for each membership and nation. He was invisible for lengthy stretches and infrequently a part of any promising offensive maneuvers. The U.S. may have used a giant efficiency from him however his poor exhibiting allowed Costa Rica to focus on containing Pulisic. Score: 4.5

Christian Pulisic: It was apparent that Costa Rica got here into the sport with the principle precedence of containing Pulisic. When the Borussia Dortmund attacker broke free, Costa Rican defenders fouled him arduous—and the yellow playing cards had been properly value it. Pulisic was harmful at instances however even he wasn’t in a position to ship in an efficient closing ball or shot. Score: 6

Bobby Wooden: The Hawaii native was starved for service and usually unproductive every time he was in a position to get entangled. With Altidore drifting to obtain passes, Wooden wanted to be higher making harmful runs. Score: 4.5

Jozy Altidore: The Toronto FC ahead didn’t have any chemistry with Wooden. He was in a harmful place just a few instances however couldn’t end. His passing wasn’t nice within the closing third. His finest second got here within the first half when he in all probability ought to have drawn a penalty. Score: 4.5

Substitutes

Clint Dempsey: The Seattle Sounders ahead tried to press arduous for an equalizer and assist manipulate the ball within the closing third. In the long run, he got here up empty—similar to everybody else. Score: 5

Jordan Morris: Morris got here on too late to earn a grade: Score: NR

Paul Arriola: Arriola got here on too late to earn a grade: Score: NR

The Coach

Bruce Area: On paper, Bruce Area made lots of the proper decisions. However there have been 4 primary errors he made that value the staff the sport.

1. Pairing Ream and Cameron in central protection was terrible. There was zero chemistry. Did these two carry out properly in coaching or was Area merely selecting his starters based mostly on membership type? 

2. The Altidore-Wooden pairing up high stunk. Area appeared to be making an attempt to get the 2 finest forwards on the sector collectively however they aren’t a perfect mixture. Wooden performs alone up high at HSV and Altidore is partnered with an explosive Sebastian Giovinco in Toronto. Pairing two slower forwards up high was not the reply in opposition to an organized Costa Rican protection that was a match bodily for them.

3. Area overestimated Johnson’s potential to contribute. Johnson has been out of shape his whole yr and coping with an damage in current weeks. Johnson was the worst of the 4 U.S. midfielders on Friday.  

4. Area made his substitutions manner too late. Dempsey ought to have began the second half. Morris and Arriola ought to have come on earlier, and Johnson ought to have been eliminated.

Hopefully Area realized quite a bit from this recreation. Score: 4.5