The US males’s nationwide group fell behind Iceland twice Sunday afternoon in Carson, Calif., however saved its composure and fought again for an entertaining 3-2 victory to kick off its 2016 marketing campaign.
BY
John Godfrey
Posted
January 31, 2016
6:15 PM
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STEVE BIRNBAUM made essentially the most of his 45 minutes on the pitch Sunday afternoon, aiding on Michael Orozco’s 59th minute header and scoring certainly one of his personal seconds earlier than stoppage time as the USA males’s nationwide group secured a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in opposition to Iceland.
It was simply his second look for the U.S. nationwide group, and it was fairly an eventful afternoon for the 25-year-old California native. Along with his offensive contributions, Birnbaum was partially at fault on Iceland’s second objective as Aron Sigurdarson curled a stunning shot across the D.C. United defender and into the again of the U.S. objective.
In the long run, nonetheless, each Birnbaum and U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will probably be happy with the up-and-down exhibiting. The Individuals regarded very robust on offense, particularly within the first half, demonstrating sharp passing and decisive play for the primary time in a very long time. Psychological lapses contributed to each of Iceland’s objectives and the protection might have achieved higher, however the Yanks regarded good in opposition to a gifted group filled with motivated gamers.
The US began the sport in a 4-4-2 formation, with Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones sharing central midfield tasks, Lee Nguyen on the left wing and Ethan Finlay incomes his first U.S. cap on the fitting. A slimmed-down Jozy Altidore and Gyasi Zardes partnered up high.
FC Dallas fullback Kellyn Acosta, one other debutant, performed on the fitting alongside Michael Orozco, Matt Besler, and Brad Evans. New York Crimson Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles secured his second cap and his first look in a U.S. jersey in seven years.
Finlay received off to a vivid begin, exhibiting loads of pace, ambition, and confidence on the fitting facet. He actually did not appear nervous or tentative in his first U.S. look, operating at defenders, pushing ahead with confidence, and seeking to join crosses within the field.
In actual fact, your entire U.S. facet regarded robust on the onset. Fast one-touch passes, overlapping runs, and a pervasive positivity permeated the play.
After which Iceland scored the primary objective of the match.
The guests took the lead within the thirteenth minute when Kristinn Steindorsson took benefit of some ball watching and despatched a left-footed shot that deflected off a U.S. defender and bounced slowly previous Robles and into the again of the online. It was a fluky objective, completely in opposition to the run of play, and it silenced the sparse crowd on the StubHub Heart.
The Individuals ought to have tied it up three minutes later when Nguyen floated an inch-perfect cross to Zardes straight in entrance of Iceland’s objective. Enjoying in entrance of his house followers, the Hawthorne, Calif., native nodded the ball down at too sharp of an angle and it bounced over the gaping goalmouth. It was a golden probability and a horrible miss.
Within the twentieth minute, the Yanks received their equalizer—and it was a magnificence. The sequence began close to the middle circle when Jones instructed Bradley to push ahead. The Frankfurt native then discovered Zardes within the left channel and the Galaxy ahead instantly delivered a one-touch go again to Bradley on the sting of the penalty space. The U.S. captain discovered Altidore with a stunning ball simply behind the Iceland protection. The striker did effectively to remain onside after which lifted a fragile, left-footed shot over onrushing Iceland goalkeeper Ogmundur Kristinsson to tie the sport.
On this play and all through the primary half, the Individuals barely resembled the uninteresting, plodding group that performed so poorly in 2015. Nguyen appeared to have the ball on a string and unlocked a number of offensive possibilities. Brad Evans was vigorous, pushing into the assault and cracking a robust header that flew over the crossbar. Everyone regarded vibrant and, considerably shockingly, it appeared as if the group had a cohesive plan of assault.
The primary half led to a 1-1 tie however the U.S. ought to have been in entrance and it regarded more likely to take the lead after the break.
Um, nope.
Iceland retook the lead proper after intermission after a disputed foul name created a way of confusion on the sphere. Whereas Bradley jawed on the referee and his teammates stood flat-footed, Iceland restarted play, pushed the ball down the left flank, and Aron Sigurdarson made a nifty crossover transfer earlier than delivering an exquisite shot that sailed round Birnbaum and previous a diving Robles.
At this level, Iceland had two pictures on objective, and each went in.
Simply as they did within the first half, the Individuals responded rapidly to tie issues up.
After a sequence of dead-ball alternatives on Iceland’s facet of the sphere, together with two nook kicks, Birnbaum leapt as much as head a ball towards open house in entrance of objective and Orozco pounced on the chance. The 29-year-old defender from Orange, Calif., nodded the ball house for his fourth worldwide strike.
With the rating tied as soon as once more, momentum shifted considerably and Iceland, which was opportunistic in each its objectives, started to enhance its build-up and possession. Miscommunication alongside the American backline gifted a beautiful probability to Iceland’s Birkir Saevarsson within the 69th minute however he shot the ball straight at Robles, who smothered the ball and held on.
The U.S. most likely ought to have claimed the lead within the 77th minute when Acosta pushed the ball down the fitting wing to substitute ahead Jerome Kiesewetter. Working full pace, the German-American delivered a blistering cross to the middle of the field however Darlington Nagbe attacked the ball tenatively—he caught out his proper foot weakly as a substitute of stabbing the ball along with his left or even perhaps making an attempt a diving header—and the possibility went losing.
Three minutes later the Yanks almost scored once more, driving the ball into the field twice and making an attempt to make use of some fancy footwork to arrange a close-range strike. Kiesewetter, who impressed throughout his 20-minute shift, Jordan Morris, and Nguyen all appeared on the verge of placing the U.S. forward however determined defending saved the rating stage.
The decisive play got here within the ninetieth minute when an in-form Bradley offered an ideal cross to Birnbaum, who was unattended within the heart of the Iceland penalty space. The six-foot-two defender blasted his header into the again of the online—it was a no-doubter—giving the U.S. a deserved, and morale-boosting victory to start the 12 months.
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John Godfrey is the founder and editor in Chief of American Soccer Now.
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