U.S. 2 - 4 Czech Republic: Thoughts

Well, losing is never good, but it's not the end of the world. Not promising, mind you. But not the end of the world. I'm not going to recap the game, but rather list some of my thoughts and impressions.

• I have Torres' name and Kljestan's number on my U.S. jersey, apparently. Serves me right, but it should be okay: I don't think either of them is going. Kljestan was not bad, he was just a complete non-factor. Torres, I do not think will be selected. I still rate Torres quite highly, probably higher than most people think I should, and I thought he played well tonight. If the U.S. were playing with the squad they used tonight, I would keep Torres. However, he demonstrated neither the imagination nor the ambition going forward that are going to be necessary to the U.S. counter-attack. Dempsey and Donovan will be looking for long passes into space to try to disorient opposing defenses. Torres' short passing and maintenance-of-possession were quite good, however the U.S. is not a possession team.

• If I had to guess between Buddle and Gomez, I think that Gomez is going. However, I don't think that he has a lock. Buddle was much more involved, whereas Gomez looked much more dangerous.

• Demerit and Feilhaber didn't even dress? I don't like that at all. Neither of them should be a lock, in my book, to go to South Africa.

• I want Brian Ching on the squad. There, I said it. Unlike Gomez, Buddle, and EJ, Ching showed some creativity and intelligence. The other three strikers were trying to use their physicality to force opportunities, but to little avail. Brian Ching's back-heels and short passes into space really opened up the Czech defense. In addition, he did what he was supposed to do, and that was to hang on to the ball.

• Onyewu looked hesitant and not just on the first goal. There were a couple of challenges. Not all - he went in hard often and looked like his old self at times. Hopefully, the hesitance is due to it being his first game back, not due to a mental block.

• Beasley looked acceptable, shockingly. I don't rate him very highly, normally. But he looked acceptable as cover.

• Heath Pearce, EJ, you'll be watching the games from your couches or, at best, the stands. Nothing personal, but you didn't have it tonight. Bornstein, you might be going because Pearce blew it.

• Edu or Bedoya. . . that's a tough one. Neither really impressed, but both showed the speed and aggression that Bradley will probably consider an asset in the midfield. Probably Bedoya, due to his promise. Edu has had numerous opportunities, but never managed to lock himself in.

• Holden looked quite good, especially considering he's just back from a broken ankle (Nigel De Jong can burn in a lake of sulphur for all eternity as far as I am concerned).

• Goodson appears to have secured himself a ticket to South Africa. He's not my first choice in central defense, but he's not Bob Bradley's either. He seems more than adequate as cover.

• No Spector tonight; I'm not sure what to make of that. Bradley has made clear in the past that he has doubts about Spector, but it's tough to see benching, let alone not taking, a player who was first team on a side in the English Prem.

• Last but not least, Guzan is now probably last and least. He didn't make any howlers, but he certainly didn't control his box and probably didn't come out as aggressively as he should have on the 3rd and 4th goals. That's not certain because we didn't see any of Hahnemann, but Bradley saw him play during the English season, unlike Guzan. Guzan, I think, is now the U.S.'s third keeper.