A U.S. nationwide staff lineup that included Joe Gyau, Julian Inexperienced, and Jonathan Brooks greater than held its personal in opposition to the Czech Republic, and coach Jurgen Klinsmann feels good concerning the win.
BY
Jeffrey Donovan
Posted
September 03, 2014
6:01 PM
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PRAGUE—The USA, fielding an experimental lineup in its first match for the reason that World Cup, survived a late scare to defeat the Czech Republic 1-0 on a first-half objective by Alejandro Bedoya, the staff’s third victory in Europe below Jurgen Klinsmann.
Displaying flashes of the “proactive” soccer so usually talked about by their German coach, the People mixed properly by midfield within the first half as Bedoya, Joe Corona, and Combine Diskerud took turns pulling the strings. They acquired all they wanted within the 39 minute due to positive work by Diskerud to win the ball at midfield and burst into the penalty space, his blocked shot falling to Bedoya for a straightforward end.
With Joe Gyau impressing in his U.S. debut, the People seemed to be in cost just for their form to crumble halfway by the second half after six substitutions. Emerson Hyndman, the 18-year-old Fulham starlet, and left again Greg Garza of Tijuana additionally acquired their first caps as Alfredo Morales, Brek Shea, and Tim Ream acquired time as properly.
“It wasn’t simple, I think the Czech team had their chances—especially in the last 20 minutes,” Klinsmann instructed a information convention after the match. “If one of these chances go in, then we can’t complain.”
Nick Rimando, who took over on the half for Brad Guzan, stood tall to avoid wasting from Radim Reznik within the eighty fifth minute and salvage the win because the hosts pushed ahead of their final warm-up earlier than kicking off Euro 2016 qualification in opposition to the Netherlands subsequent week. Below Klinsmann, America’s different wins on European soil got here in Italy and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Tossing out his Brazil playbook, the place he relied on the muscle and work charge of Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley, Klinsmann fielded a staff with no midfield destroyer. It appeared to work as Corona, Bedoya, and Diskerud mixed properly to dictate the sport—a minimum of within the first half.
Klinsmann stated he instructed the “technically gifted” Diskerud and Corona that they’re “wonderful players” however wanted to “raise the bar in terms of aggressiveness. That’s their learning curve, and that’s what they did today—they stepped it up,” the coach stated. “And then obviously once they are in possession of the ball, they can play it.”
After a chippy begin, the People started to cool down as Gyau confirmed flashes of his tempo on the fitting flank, the place he mixed properly with Fabian Johnson. Julian Inexperienced, in his first U.S. begin, additionally confirmed his chops, racing by the intestine of the Czech midfield earlier than shedding for Bedoya, whose cross practically acquired to Jozy Altidore. Moments later, John Brooks, in search of extra magic after scoring the successful objective over Ghana on the World Cup, surged from protection to fireside large from lengthy vary.
After Michael Orozco’s headed clearance foiled a Czech break within the sixteenth minute, the U.S. started to push on the pedal.
Gyau fired the primary warning shot within the 18th. Three minutes later Inexperienced added his personal effort. Gyau would instantly take a look at Petr Cech once more, beating his man on within the space earlier than firing large.
In an indication of issues to come back, Diskerud started imposing himself, stealing the ball and switching the sector to Johnson, whose cross simply missed connecting with Corona. Two minutes later, Gyau sped onto a lazy again go, forcing Cech right into a hasty clearance. Then, twice on the break, Gyau once more threatened, however couldn’t get the cross off as soon as after which over-hit a by ball to Altidore.
“He has speed, he has technique, he’s improvising, he’s taking people on, and if he loses the ball, he chases it,” Klinsmann stated of Gyau, who not too long ago left Hoffenheim to signal for German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, the place he performs for the second staff. “He will only get better.”
Pushed ahead, the People regarded susceptible on a few breaks. Guzan needed to clear up within the thirty fifth minute after the omnipresent Bedoya stepped in to get a foot on Vaclav Pilar’s shot from outdoors the realm. When Orozco flubbed a header to provide the Czechs a nook kick within the thirty sixth minute, it regarded for a second that the tide may flip.
It didn’t occur. Wanting assured, the 19-year-old Inexperienced confirmed nifty footwork and an explosive first step on the left flank, forcing Cech to palm his cross over the bar. Moments later, Bedoya slammed residence Diskerud’s rebound for a uncommon winner on European soil.
Klinsmann, a lot derided in some quarters for allegedly failing to reside as much as his mantra of in search of to impose a “proactive” model of soccer on america, stated his staff is making progress because it seeks to step by step shift to a extra attack-oriented recreation.
“The transition I think that we talked about the last couple of days with the players—to move the whole thing forward, to play the ball out of the back, to find ways through midfield and not banging the ball long to Jozy and then hoping for the best—it’s getting there,” he stated.
“I think it was a huge step with that younger generation of players,” the coach concluded. “They didn’t get nervous and they were high pressured by the Czech team, and they still moved the ball.”
What did you consider the match? Share your ideas under.
Jeffrey Donovan is an ASN contributor and a veteran journalist primarily based in Prague, Czech Republic. Observe him on Twitter.
