While the U.S. was fortunate to tie with a goalkeeping howler from Robert Green, I feel that the U.S. did enough to have earned that draw, especially with the English performing poorly. However, karma can be a real bitch sometimes - Algeria gifted Slovenia a 1-0 win this morning with a goalkeeping error of their own. That leaves Slovenia in good position in the group. Two draws, or possibly even just one, and they could make it through on tie-breakers, which makes the U.S. - Slovenia game very, very important. The U.S. did not play well enough against England to raise my confidence that they will not drop at least two of the remaining six points in the group.
The Good
The U.S. played to win. They did not fold after conceding early and, although there was a significant amount of bunkering in the second half, the U.S. still countered strongly on occasion and went for a second - nearly got it with a strong run from Jozy. Dempsey, Donovan, Gooch and Jozy all showed up in good form for this first highest-scrutiny, if not highest-pressure, game. None of them had an absolutely outstanding game, but there was no sign of nerves, poor decision-making, or under-performance. This is good from the U.S. "stars," as they are the ones with the most to "prove" and the most damaging should they choke.
The Bad
The back four were caught out of position a number of times. I'm not sure if Bob Bradley told them to concede wide areas, confident in our central defense to clear out crosses, but it was happening far too often and I shouldn't think "wide" includes inside the penalty area. Too often, overlapping or wide runs were left unchecked and the English were able to exploit this vulnerability, although never able to make a goal out of it (see: Heskey, Emile).
Additionally, the U.S. counter-attack looked predictable and both Donovan and Dempsey's propensity to come central left the U.S. attack narrow during long stretches of the game. Findley was only ineffective and he didn't get particularly good service - he certainly didn't look as outclassed as he did against Holland. I wouldn't want him as the second striker, but I half-expected worse.
The Ugly
My hope for Ricardo Clark was to see a solid performance without expecting any greatness. My hope was disappointed. Clark lost Gerrard on the first goal and continued to lose the men he was marking all night. His passing was adequate, but often telegraphed - I feel his lack of vision may have stunted the U.S. counter, but it was really only his defending that was pretty awful. Still, with both Edu and Torres on the roster, I think it might be time to replace Rico.
Slovenia and Algeria
Obviously, I wouldn't start Clark, but I wouldn't be shocked if he still makes the starting XI. After all, it's not like Torres and Edu have never disappointed in their own right. I would like to see more of Stu Holden or Torres if the attack is stagnant in either game; I feel that both those players inject a breath of fresh air and a different style to the U.S. attack. Fortunately for the U.S., both Slovenia and Algeria looked very sloppy in defense. Both Algeria and Slovenia may spend significant portions of the game attacking the U.S. because they are more likely to get a result against us than the English and that may provide some scoring chances. That said, the U.S. will probably still have to break down some defensive bunkering. The U.S. really needs to beat Slovenia on Friday to have their destiny in their own hands, a draw might not be sufficient, and a loss ends the U.S. run all but mathematically.
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