This about summarizes the first half. With a lesser keeper, we'd be down 4 or more. Brazil is dominating at the US are letting them. We're looking long too frequently and skipping Bradley and Edu in the midfield. I'm not sure Bradley had a touch after the 20th or so and he needs to be the guy controlling the pace in the midfield. There's a lot of punt and run going on and trying to find Donovan as soon as possible. Bradley should be the outlet for the defense, not Donovan. He's too far away and too isolated.
Manager chat for the US at the half. Alexi Lalas appears to be in the Bradley camp. As for me, I'm torn. I like what he's done and I think he got more out of the guys available to him than anyone else available would have. On the other hand, as we saw with Bruce Arena, there's a great chance for the team to get stale and old with one coach for 8 years. Regardless, I think a decision needs to come down before the friendlies in October. ESPN brought up the persistent Jurgen Klinsmann rumors. I'd love to have him involved, but it seems like its head coach or nothing. He was terrific with Germany, but that's Germany.
^ Yeah, exactly that was Germany, I'm not sure he's a good coach. Didn't last long at Bayern. agoo can you imagine if this game was in Brazil? We'd be losing 10-0. lol
Three subs for the US. Altidore for Buddle, Guzan for Howard, and Kljestan for Feilhaber. Two good subs and Guzan is being thrown to the wolves. Kljestan sends a ball in from deep on his first touch and Donovan was nearly on it. Pato gets the ball from Robinho on a quick counter and sends it off the outside of the net. I thought it was three and Brad Guzan's long night starts early.
I am not sure it would have that kind of effect on the result of this match. The crowd seems almost 50/50 in the stadium and the brazilian kids are playing with no pressure at all, that's a good thing.
49 - In addition to poor defense, we're not even contesting on set pieces. If Gonzalez and Bocanegra aren't going to be defending, they need to be threatening on corners and free kicks.
53 - Five chances in one play for Brazil. You know those trampoline dunk shows where the guys just jump up and pass to the next guy in line? That's what Brazil just did, resulting in a shot off the post from Robinho. Cross from Santos deep finds Alves, Alves crosses back to Neymar, Neymar finds Robinho, Robinho finds the post. Any of the three could have shot on their touch, but were looking for the next guy.
57 - Bradley called off-side after finding the net. Donovan played a corner short to Kljestan at the corner of the 18. Kljestan pops it in for Bradley who had a wide open header. Bradley was wide open because he got caught offside.
58 - Bradley finds Altidore long. Altidore was wide on the right side of the pitch and dribbling in on David Luiz. He found the space on Luiz, but Thiago came across to send it out for a corner.
60 - Hernanes enters for Ramires. The defending was solid through the middle, but there wasn't a lot of possession centrally for Ramires to show what he can do in the attack. 61 - Neymar with a few stepovers to create space and then he slams a shot in on Guzan. Guzan stands strong to make the save and send it out for a corner. More US subs. Bocanegra and Donovan out, Goodson and Findley in. Michael Bradley gets the captains armband with the first three choices out (Bocanegra, Donovan, Howard).
63 - Edu rockets a pass along the ground, hitting Findley with a chance to create space for himself. Findley bundles over it though. It was a hard pass, but players at this level need to have a better first touch.
66 - Altidore is playing wide right and ended up spending a great deal of Brazil's last possession between the defense and midfield. Altidore with a good run once he finally gets the ball. He tried to send the ball in for Findley, but was taken down. Free kick for Kljestan. Set up to go indirect, but he curled it in on Victor, thinking shot all the way. Much better at free kicks than Donovan. Bedoya goes out for Gomez. Not sure what's going to happen with the formation now.
66 - Brazil had a sub somewhere along the line. Andre out for Pato. The less Pato the better for the US. Don't know anything about Andre, other than that he's not Pato and that's a positive.
70 - Neymar on the counter had Goodson beside him and, somehow, Goodson caught up. Not sure where or how that happened. Neymar still got a shot off with some pace, but Guzan made the save going to his right. 71 - Here's the problem with the US and Altidore. Kljestan plays a short corner to JOZY ALTIDORE. Our 6-1 center forward who can jump over players and can out-muscle just about any defender coming his way is taking a short corner and attempting to send in a cross. He's got skills to do that, but its just idiotic to have him out there like that. He looks like he's lot a ton of confidence since he got sent out to Hull.
74 - Neymar goes out for Ederson. I thought we would have seen the end of Neymar's night at the end of the first half, but he kept playing and was doing very well in the second half. Still threatening, despite the injury. Ederson's first touch was to the left of Guzan and he hurt himself making a few fancy dribbles and trying to send in a cross. Not sure exactly what happened, but he stood up grabbing his hamstring and didn't really move too far beyond the touchline back into play. 76 - Ederson calls it a night as Carlos Eduardo enters.
Andre is not that good. He is the "other" Santos' wonderkid. But the core of that team is Neymar, Robinho and Ganso. Andre got a call for the national team because of the other players, IMO.
