There's a bit of history this evening as the US national team is going to Cuba for a World Cup Qualifier. As there is a government imposed ban on travel to communist nations, the US national team can only go when it is absolutely required for the existence of the team. As such, this will be the first trip to the island in 61 years for the national team. The major story lines on the field is whether or not various Americans can break out of their funk in this match up. Watching Eddie Johnson has become one of the more frustrating experiences of my entire life, but he does tend to eat up the CONCACAF cup cakes, so perhaps he'll remember that he's bigger, stronger, and way faster than anyone defending him and actually go at people. Clint Dempsey seems to have lost the flair and, more importantly, the intensity that earned him a big money move to Fulham. Michael Bradley has also struggled with the national team as he tries to balance his defensive responsibilities with the attacking skills he showed in the Eredivise with Hereenveen. Lastly, Michael Orozco is on the roster and could get a chance to redeem his Olympic Gold Medal winning moment of idiocy, or he could just drop some elbows on some Cubans. On the Cuban side, we could see the next Maykel Gallindo, a Cuban defector who has made a big impact in the MLS. Remember, the Cubans are coming to America on October 11. In case you are watching an hear the five fans in the crowd cheering for the US, you can read this blog entry by CNN/SI's Grant Wahl. I'll be alternating updates between here and the New England-Columbus MLS match.
USA starting XI: USA--Cuba Starting Line-up --------------Howard------------------ Hejduk------Onyewu-----Bocanegra (c)-------Pearce -----Bradley-------Edu----------- Dempsey------------------Beasley---------- --------Donovan------Ching----------- I'd expect that we'll see Donovan playing behind Ching a bit more than we see there. Donovan and Ching have hooked up well together when they were with San Jose, but that was about three or four years ago.
ESPN Classic is live in Havana with John Harkes and JP Dellacamera. No Marcelo Balboa nearly makes up for the Crew announce team in the Revs match. ESPN shows the US lineup as a 4-5-1 with Donovan behind Ching. Cuba will go 5-4-1 and will probably play for the draw. The weather is looking terrible in Havana as the rain is pouring. The crowd is a bit smaller than I would have expected, though ESPN's Pedro Gomez says 50,000 will be in attendance. Gomez said he'd try to catch up with the sparse few Americans there, but I'm hoping he doesn't as those Americans will probably get arrested.
First corner of the match goes to Cuba and Carlos Domingo sends a leaping volley well off target. Domingo is a 17 year old making his first appearance for the Cubans. He got free on some weak marking by Maurice Edu.
DaMarcus Beasley forces a corner in the sixth minute. Cuba isn't big and the US is so set piece should be significant. As a side, Tim Howard is wearing pants for this match. I disapprove.
In the 14th now and Clint Dempsey makes a nice run into the box. I'm not sure if he was crossing or shooting, but whatever he was trying missed by a great deal. On the bright side, he was taking a run at and by the defense.
Cuba's number 10, Robert Linares looks like he could be a threat. Gets past Bradley easy in the 17th before Oguchi Onyewu puts him on the ground. Linares initiated the contact, so no foul was called.
We're in the 23rd and there isn't a great deal to report. Not too many chances or creativity from the US and less from Cuba. US has most of the possession and its in the Cuba half. A couple of poor crosses were sent in. One was cleared and the other was punched out by the Cuban keeper. The US needs to send in crosses a bit lower and with some pace, rather than these high looping balls.
In the 26th now and Villegas gets a yellow for a hack on Hejduk. Frankie made a nice move off a cross-field pass. Beasley sent in a free kick, but it was far too low and cleared by Cuba. The ball sat around a bit on the top of the 18, but Cuba eventually cleared. Brian Ching and Landon Donovan have been nearly non-existent thus far. I'm wondering what Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore need to do to get serious looks.
In the 30th and Maruce Edu sends a long ball over the top to Brian Ching who plays it off his shin, rather than going with the first-time volley, which would have been the thing to do as he was streaking into the six. The ball ended up going out for a goal kick. Altidore at least gets a shot off of that.
Dempsey sends a long ball along the ground, down the middle for a running Donovan on 34 minutes. Unfortunately for the US, the ball was just a bit too long and the Cuban keeper gets on the ball.
The first touch may be the most basic, but also the most important of skills for footballers, but the US have been extremely poor on the first touch all match.
Dempsey goal in the 40th. Unfortunately, I am the on call staff member at my University in the 40th, so I have to run for a bit.
Just got back and Dempsey's goal is it. The commentators just said that Dempsey went off injured at the end of the half. No word yet one whether or not he'll be back out there.
We're 47 minutes in now and Clint Dempsey is playing in the second half, but just took a boot to the face, so I'm sure he's rethinking that decision while counting his teeth.
A complete mishap for the US defense in the 49th. Frankie Hejduk played the ball for Onyewu, but pushed it well past him and the Cuban attacker was able to get the ball and get into the box before Onyewu stripped him. Hejduk is having troubles it seems right now as he picks up a yellow for elbowing a Cuban making a run. Sorry for not using the Cuban's names, but I honestly haven't heard of any of these guys.
Cuba with another corner in the 52nd, but its cleared by the US. Not a whole lot of attack for the US as Cuba has been controlling possession since the second half started.
We've reached the 56th in Cuba and the home side is still controlling the possession and going at goal. The US looks cool with a 1-0 win, but they need to try to score more. Ching, Donovan, Dempsey, and Beasley have been entirely non-existent thus far in the half.
We're in the 60th in Havana and the US is starting to find some space. Dempsey's shot deflects out for a corner. Donovan lines it up and sends it in, but the ref blows the whistle for a foul.
