44 - Another save from Howard. This time its Rojo coming forward from left back and ending up in the 18. Shot took a deflection off DeMerit.
45+ - Argentina win a corner after Bocanegra sends a Zanetti cross into the stands. Taken short to Messi who proves typically impossible to dispossess, but he's finally shoved off the ball by Edu.
And the first half as mercifully come to a close. US defense hasn't looked bad, but there has been zero possession and all five of the midfielders are getting pinned way too far back. I would say that Altidore needs to work harder and smarter to retain possession up front, but every time he gets near the ball in the middle, Burdisso, Milito, and Mascherano are there to take it away from him. From the looks of it, if the US is going to score, its going to be on a set piece.
Halftime subs for the US: Juan Agudelo and Timothy Chandler are on. Debut for Chandler, who may or may not speak English. Ives seem to have implied that he doesn't speak the language. Jones and Spector out. US switches to a 4-4-2. Would like to see Tim Ream get in. DeMerit and Onyewu are playing well, but Ream can pass out of the back and the US is desperate for possession.
46 - Great shot by Di Maria. He gets the ball after a switch of play and makes a quick move to get space on Bocanegra before curling one at the far corner. Shot found to the top of the net, possibly a save, but the ref gave the US a goal kick. 48 - Another save by Howard after a strong chance by Messi. Di Maria gets to the endline and hits Messi with a cross, but Howard was there to squash the chance. 48 - Yellow card for Timothy Chandler. Welcome to the US!
50 - US already taking more possession and chances than in the first half. Altidore holds up play in the middle and chips up over the defense to Donovan on the right. Donovan with a hard cross looking for Dempsey, but it was cleared out. 51 - ESPN providing (indirectly at least) a fun fact. Juan Agudelo scored for the US before he scored for MLS. 52 - Altidore called for a cheap foul. He took possession from Mascherano, then Mascherano flops back as though he was pulled down. 53 - Shot from the US as Edu sends it wide. Donovan sends the ball back for Chandler. The debutant cuts in towards the middle before sending it in to the head of Altidore. Jozy heads it back for Edu. Shot was slow and wide.
56 - Argentina have settled a bit and have reverted back to the first half mode of domination. US seem to be getting more aggressive and trying to force them away from goal. 57 - Side note, this is Javier Zanetti's 140th cap for Argentina.
58 - Lavezzi with another impressive run past Bocanegra. Takes a shot from a very narrow angle, but forces a strong save from Howard who cleans up the rebound. 59 - Foul on Mascherano, dangerous set piece for Donovan, just to the left of goal. GOAL FOR JUAN AGUDELO - 1-1 Donovan with a great free kick, header by Bocanegra foces a diving save from Andujar. Agudelo sends the rebound in to the back of the goal.
61 - I think Agudelo might now be the youngest and second youngest goal scorer in US history. Two caps, two goals. Agudelo now has two goals for the US and one in MLS. 62 - Another great save by Howard, but it won't count as Di Maria was off-side. Messi with a ridiculous run. DeMerit, Bradley, and Onyewu try to take him off the ball, but he goes from the right wing to the left side of the D before being fouled. He would have been in on Howard if the ref gave the continuation. 63 - Dangerous free kick for the US. Howard can't get the wall in the right spot. Messi free kick goes up and over goal. Howard is on the brink of unhinging his jaw and swallowing Agudelo for being out of place.
65 - Lavezzi with a run down the left wing this time. DeMerit takes it off of him in the box for a corner, which is played short. After some touches around, Banega ends up behind the defense, trying to find Milito charging in at Howard. Howard cuts out the cross. 66 - Messi sets up Cambiasso on the right inside the 18. Cambiasso had to shoot, but instead sent a cross back trying to find Messi, Di Maria, or Lavezzi who all appeared to be ready to pounce on a rebound. Cross cleared easily.
67 - Altidore gets the ball deep on the right wing. Cross seeking out Agudelo, cleared by the defense. Corner to be taken by Donovan. Tons of shoving from Argentina. Corner goes through to Agudelo on the corner of the 18 who whiffs on a scissor kick. Would have needed a finish like Rooney's against Man City if it was going to work. Possession continues for the US. Another chance as Donovan sends a cross in, cut out after a lunge from Milito. Agudelo had Andujar at his mercy if it wasn't for the defense. 70 - Altidore takes a punch in the mouth from Milito. No foul called for either the punch or Rojo riding him to the ground from behind. Altidore takes a ton of punishment whenever he plays.
72 - Onyewu can't do anything with the ball other than hoof it up long. Type of stuff you'd see from England (just seeing who reads this), right now the US needs better.
73 - And right when I poo on Onyewu, he comes up with a brilliant intervention from as Di Maria bears down on goal after a cheap give away. Just cut him off to give Howard an easy pick-up. 73 - Chandler barreling down the right side and goes to hit a cross that floats into the 6 after a deflection. The ball finds Agudelo, who gets just under the ball and sends it skyward. 74 - Biglia is on for Cambiasso. First sub for Argentina.
76 - Attacking chance cut out after a couple of poor touches. Dempsey needed to shoot first touch, instead he took a bad one that sent him away from goal. Quickly down to the other end and Messi has Onyewu on the edge of the 6 to Howard's left. Onyewu sends it out for a corner, well defended by the US.
77 - I'm starting to wonder what some of the US players need to do to get a call short of flop about like their were Javier Mascherano or import a ref from a country other than Mexico. Chandler getting thoroughly held by Lavezzi, but there's nothing. Moments later, Altidore is just shoved to the ground by Milito, again no call. On the bright side, Bocanegra tries running through Biglia and slams right into him with no call. 79 - Yellow card for Donovan. Mascherano hurls himself at the ground after slight contact. There is not a single player in a red shirt who would have left his feet on that challenge. 80 - Dempsey down after a tackle from Biglia. Dempsey has words for Biglia after that one. Players from both sides getting together exchanging words and minimal shoving. If Argentina wants to turn this into a rugby match, I could see a 2-1 US win.
82 - Dempsey v. Biglia continues. Biglia kicks out at the ball (no particular chance at it) while on the ground. Dempsey takes a foot to the calf. 83 - Clever backheel from Altidore trying to find Dempsey. Mascherano takes another dive. This one was among his worst as he started to throw his feet up in the air before he even crossed paths with Dempsey. US wins the corner, taken short, and cleared easily. 84 - A bit of a dive from Donovan as Biglia pulls on his shoulder after the US no. 10 made it past him. Another dangerous free kick for Donovan. Cleared by Mascherano.
86 - Another chance for the US. Altidore charges down the right wing, cross barely over Dempsey. 87 - Argentina counter as this is all end to end stuff now. Messi ends up dribbling around the box with Onyewu and DeMerit in his wake. Shot goes well over goal. As much as I'm shitting on the flopping Argentines, I should note that Messi just does not leave his feet, even when there is contact...except for when he tries to jump in on Onyewu.
88 - Dempsey has Zanetti all over him on the right corner of the 18. No call. 89 - Altidore finally draws a foul that is called. Howard comes up to take the free kick, closer to the midfield stripe than the 18. Sends it long in for Altidore, who wins it and plays back to Chandler. Argentina get the ball back off of Altidore and counter. 90 - Rojo called for a foul on Dempsey and questions it, despite an obvious take down. Two minutes of stoppage time. Can't say its two minutes for the US to hold on as both defenses have been thoroughly tested in the second half. 91 - Bocanegra earns a yellow for hacking Di Maria down. Clearly a make up from the earlier Onyewu elbow to Messi for the US based Barcelona fans.
92 - Last chance of the game here it appears as Onyewu gives up a free kick about 35 yards out. Messi lines it up, probably looking for a header. Bradley wins the header, but not well, Bocanegra sends it out for a corner. Corner taken short, Bocanegra wins it away from Biglia. Final whistle blown - brilliant result for the US, as they get the 1-1 draw. Second half performance makes me say they earned it as they had just as many chances as the Argentines.
Final reflections on the match: I think 4-5-1 would be best if Holden is available. If not, Bob Bradley needs to stick with a 4-4-2. Any combo of Bradley, Edu, and Jones can handle the defensive responsibilities and can maintain possession. When all three are together, they are just too defensive and end up on top of each other. Additionally, having Agudelo up top next to Altidore gave him much more space and made it possible for him to hold the ball up while Dempsey and Donovan joined the attack. As for the defense, DeMerit, Onyewu, and Bocanegra are slow and continued to be slow, but they were also much more organized than I remember seeing them recently and were able to limit chances, especially in the second half. I can't think of an instance where they were caught out of place. Overall, this was an earned result for the US based on the strength of the second half performance, especially with the substitutions of Juan Agudelo and Timothy Chandler.
