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World Cup: USA v. Ghana Preview

Before we get to the preview of the USA's knockout game in the Round of 16 with Ghana, let's take one last moment to savor Landon Donovan's stoppage time goal against Algeria that got the USA through.

Here is a link to the video. And here is a link to Andres Cantor's classic call.

On the flip, a preview of today's 2:30 p.m. game.

Bob Bradley, who has had a bad World Cup in my opinion (I know I know), has huge decisions to make. He has been vainly trying to find an answer for USA's porous defense, especially early in games. With Onyuwe not in form after the devastating knee injury he suffered in the final CONCACAF qualifier, there are no good answers. Bornstein was a bad choice against Algeria (even though he made no major mistakes) and he would be a bad choice here. But there are no good choices.

Bocanegra has been terrible at left back and not much better at center back. DeMerit was also terrible in the center, especially early. The only standout has been Cherundulo, who has been ok on defense and has been a real offensive threat.

In reality, Bradely has no choices here and will likely play the same 4 as in the Algeria game. Cherundulo, Demerit, Bocanegra and Bornstein. This is a terrible back 4, but there's nothing better available.

At the midfield, Donovan, Dempsey and Michael Bradley (yes the coach's son) are no brainers. Will Bob Bradlly be tempted to go back to Ricardo Clark? Let's hope not. Clark is inept. Just terrible. Edu has earned the spot. (I still love Holden, who has not stepped on the field.)

Up front, Robbie Findley is available again, which is a terrible break for the USA if Bradley play him. Herculez Gomez was very good against Algeria. He should start. I expect Bradley to start Findley though.

Jozy Altidore was fantastic against Algeria and seems to be hitting his stride. He will play. Buddle looked lost in the Algeria game when he came on in the second half. No Buddle imo.

Of course Tim Howard in goal.

Unfortunately, I have not seen much of Ghana in this World Cup so I really can not give you an informed view of their form.

Ghana knocked out the USA in the 2006 World Cup. Here is a match report from that game from the UK's Telegraph newspaper. Dempsey scored for the USA. Reyna gave away a goal and a bad penalty was called against the USA.

One last fun fact:

Key clash

Landon Donovan v John Mensah: Donovan is enjoying a terrific spell but will find Mensah as the man detailed to halt his progress and the USA’s passage to the last eight.

Sunderland are still considering whether to sign Mensah permanently; this game could give Steve Bruce some food for thought.

Last season Donovan scored for Everton against Sunderland – and Mensah.

May history repeat itself,at least when it comes to Donovan scoring against a Ghanan defender. The other history we want to change.

Go USA!!

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  • Display: Sort:
    Here we go again, down one early... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 01:39:40 PM EST
    Ugh.

    Hate for Altidore to come out (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:25:49 PM EST
    A player with fresh legs might be an advantage though.

    Quit trying a cross (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:48:34 PM EST
    and put the ball on goal.

    Bradley (Coach) (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:25:45 PM EST
    screwed up this game 6 ways to Sunday.

    He should be canned.

    Why? Do you consider spotting the other team (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by steviez314 on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:45:53 PM EST
    30 minutes, 2 substitutions, and 1 goal to be screwing up? (snark)

    After all, Clark and Findley had been stars in the WC up to now (double snark).

    Besides, if the substitutions work, you're a coaching genius (snark overload).

    Parent

    One good thing Bradley did (none / 0) (#66)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:51:44 PM EST
    was make me look like I knew what I was talking about.

    Parent
    Yahoo sports has the story headline we wished we (none / 0) (#69)
    by steviez314 on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:18:51 PM EST
    could write:

    link

    Parent

    Good article (none / 0) (#70)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:20:40 PM EST
    Also (none / 0) (#71)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:27:39 PM EST
    Replacing Bradley with (none / 0) (#72)
    by brodie on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:51:19 PM EST
    Klinsmann would be quite a coup.  Or should I say putsch.

    Definitely I think we've seen the last of Bradley.  Might have been enough 30 yrs ago that his team went to the Suite 16, but these days that isn't enough.  He could have saved his job had it come down to, say, bad luck or suspicious reffing, instead of his team consistently not being ready in the first 5 minutes.

    Parent

    At least when previous coaches kept playing (none / 0) (#73)
    by steviez314 on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 09:03:29 PM EST
    Jeff Agoos and Damarcus Beasley past their expiration dates, it was because those players had a track record of performance.

    Just no excuse for Clark and Findley (unless Bradley belives in the Domenech astrology selection process).

    Parent

    Missed much of this (none / 0) (#67)
    by brodie on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:52:05 PM EST
    game -- why so many first-half US substitutions?

    Parent
    Just Clark (none / 0) (#68)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:18:03 PM EST
    who was substituted because he is terrible. Which begs the question - why did he start?

    Parent
    Not to pile on Bradley (none / 0) (#75)
    by smott on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 09:26:24 AM EST
    But the repeated awful starts and seeming lack of focus early in games is often a reflection on the coaching IMO (and playing experience)...

    When the team is unhappy with one thing or another whether that be lineup or tactics, focus can really go out the window and they're just not ready to play...I'm no soccer expert however.

    But repeated awful starts as the US displayed, I usually pin that on the coaching staff....

    Parent

    The US will lose to Ghana IF ... (none / 0) (#1)
    by cymro on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:44:52 AM EST
    ... they begin the game playing defense the way they have done in the first halves of their previous matches.

    The US is an attack-minded team with a suspect defense (US), Ghana is a team with attacking speed (but limited scoring success to date), and a strong well-organized defense. Ghana's defense has looked better than that of the other teams the US has played, and if the Ghanaians score early they could shut down the US.  

    What if Slovenia's players had been faster on offense and more skilled on defense? Would the US have come back from a deficit against such a team? I don't think so.

    I believe that's the challenge USA will face when playing Ghana. I just hope they have figured out how to start out the game less tentatively from the kick-off. They can't wake up and start playing after half-time in this game.

    I'm holding my breath (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jen M on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:50:47 AM EST
    This could become a problem long before the game starts but there you have it.

    Here's hoping I getting home in time (none / 0) (#3)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:56:29 AM EST
    from my daughter's swim meet.

    Daughter's tennis tournament for me (none / 0) (#4)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 08:10:15 AM EST
    Touch and go.

    Parent
    ....and back (none / 0) (#6)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 01:21:43 PM EST
    with minutes to spare.

    Nothing like spending 4 hours watching your kid spend a combined total of 5 minutes in the pool. (She did great though).

    Parent

    I have no idea how the US will match up (none / 0) (#5)
    by LatinoDC on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 01:11:17 PM EST
    against Ghana... This team played well against Germany and beat Serbia, but we don't really know how those teams performed.  Hopefully B. Bradley won't have such a big impact on the game, if so the US is in trouble.  

    Gramatical question: when refereing to a team, should I refer to them or it?

    That was Howard and Clark's fault..... (none / 0) (#7)
    by LatinoDC on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 01:36:51 PM EST


    Clark is a spaz (none / 0) (#9)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 01:40:15 PM EST
    Clark out, Edu in (none / 0) (#10)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:00:37 PM EST
    I like Edu (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:02:12 PM EST
    He seems to have a stable quality to his play IMO.

    Parent
    Ghana isn't giving an inch (none / 0) (#12)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:04:47 PM EST
    Would someone please explain to them how small their country is :)

    They had heart and appetite. (none / 0) (#57)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:19:55 PM EST
    Donovan says they "got back in the game" and the problem for this team was that they never were in the game until ten fifteen minutes after it started - after they were woken up by goals scored on them.

    Ghana deserved the win today.  They played well and were present the whole time.

    Parent

    Blech (none / 0) (#13)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:17:02 PM EST
    We only had one good scoring chance the whole half.

    half time (none / 0) (#14)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:17:05 PM EST


    Doesn't help that the Ghana goalie (none / 0) (#15)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:33:59 PM EST
    is having a big game.

    He is..... (none / 0) (#17)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:40:42 PM EST
    COME ON YANKS! (none / 0) (#16)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:40:10 PM EST


    I was watching some of the world (none / 0) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:43:47 PM EST
    chat smack talk.  Someone wrote that the U.S. will blame Osama for the loss :)  Someone else writes Stop Hating the U.S. you haters.

    Why cant we play like this in the 1st half? (none / 0) (#19)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:45:38 PM EST


    that's what I was wondering (none / 0) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:46:53 PM EST
    Come on Landon (none / 0) (#21)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:47:59 PM EST


    Fecking Goal! (none / 0) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:48:13 PM EST
    The guys is on fire! (none / 0) (#24)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:48:56 PM EST
    Did that ball hit the post? (none / 0) (#26)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:50:22 PM EST
    Kind of a close shave between goal and blown PK.

    Parent
    It hit the post (none / 0) (#27)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:52:33 PM EST
    Did Mensah get a yellow card on that foul?  I was stupidly watching chat when it happened.

    Parent
    yes (none / 0) (#28)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:53:21 PM EST
    Yeah baby (none / 0) (#23)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:48:31 PM EST
    I like our chances if we keep playing aggressive.

    Parent
    What a goal (none / 0) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:49:26 PM EST
    With meditation and everything

    Parent
    Altidore looks better and better (none / 0) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:56:53 PM EST
    as each game goes by.

    Sarpei is a very good defender (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 02:59:03 PM EST
    NOT a good loss for Ghana

    Bradley got right in there (none / 0) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:03:28 PM EST
    Losing Sarpei I think is going to be tough on them

    Parent
    Too bad he didn't realize how wide open he was (none / 0) (#32)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:05:09 PM EST
    so he could have booted a better shot.

    Parent
    The closer we get to that goal (none / 0) (#33)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:08:47 PM EST
    The tougher it is going to get, now they will hurt each other and worry about the foul later....except Mensah probably

    Parent
    Is extra time sudden death? (none / 0) (#34)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:09:09 PM EST


    No (none / 0) (#35)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:14:20 PM EST
    How much extra time before PK? (none / 0) (#36)
    by smott on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:18:18 PM EST
    20 mins?  Sorry to be clueless...

    I think there are two 10 min (none / 0) (#37)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:24:21 PM EST
    sudden death periods, with a small break in between them if nobody scores in the first 10.

    Parent
    Oh...it isn't sudden death (none / 0) (#42)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:29:13 PM EST
    WE GET TEN MINUTES TO MAKE THIS RIGHT

    Parent
    I think it's 30 minutes and no sudden death. (none / 0) (#44)
    by Joan in VA on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:30:39 PM EST
    Then PK's.

    Parent
    30 mins for WC? (none / 0) (#47)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:33:07 PM EST
    For this round. ? (none / 0) (#53)
    by Joan in VA on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:55:48 PM EST
    The boys just called from Atlanta (none / 0) (#38)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:25:14 PM EST
    They will now puddle jump to Dothan.  There is very good chance I could miss the finish.

    My husband said that people are (none / 0) (#40)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:26:18 PM EST
    madly crowded around the televisions in the Atlanta airport.

    Parent
    How did that happen? (none / 0) (#41)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:28:41 PM EST


    Too many Christians in Atlanta (none / 0) (#43)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:30:06 PM EST
    being encouraged to watch :)

    Parent
    I am dying! (none / 0) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:30:48 PM EST
    Oh the injury (none / 0) (#46)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:32:24 PM EST
    Oh the pain....oh run clock run

    Parent
    our spirit looks broken (none / 0) (#48)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:42:12 PM EST


    I don;t play soccer (none / 0) (#49)
    by smott on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:44:20 PM EST
    I play ice hockey and I am a goalie...so my impression may not be all that valid...

    But everything I have seen from the US D this tournament, is they are appalling. Just bad. Really bad.  That Ghana OT goal looked like a harmless ball to me.

    I get better D in my midnight beer leagues.

    So much goalie sass smott :) (none / 0) (#51)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:51:49 PM EST
    Let me know when you're in the Stanley Cup :) Goalies and goalie mouth.....sheesh (said good naturedly)  

    Parent
    LOL MT!! (none / 0) (#56)
    by smott on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:02:45 PM EST
    Sorry did not mean to come off as an expert!!!  Just that when I watch the Ghana scores...the goalie in me is going "Holy SH-T!!  Force the guY!! Take an angle!!"  

    Or whatever!....just that the coverage seemed awful to me....as a goalie.

    Could be wrong of course.

    And no - no Stanley Cup.

    D1 at Cornell though.

    Parent

    No you're on the money. (none / 0) (#59)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:24:48 PM EST
    I played soccer and that's why I like hockey so much, actually.  There are a lot of similarities between the game - and yours moves way faster than ours does - lol - but the principles are basically the same.

    The US team was too lax in all their matches about allowing fast breaks to develop - they didn't pressure their opponents enough.

    During the second half they actually did up the pressure and looked very good - created chances - etc. - but it wasn't instinctive enough for them - especially amongst their defense.

    Parent

    I agree that our D is weak. (none / 0) (#60)
    by Joan in VA on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:28:40 PM EST
    Not the goalie, but the defenders. It's almost impossible for the goalie to keep the ball out of the net all by himself unless it comes right at him. The net is just too big and the ball too fast, plus this new WC ball just behaves differently than anyone is used to. The defenders have to break up scoring opportunities for us to have a chance. I will cut the D a little slack today as Ghana's players are faster than we are and you can't teach speed, as they say.

    Parent
    Again no expert (none / 0) (#61)
    by smott on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:53:27 PM EST
    ....but on the first goal G Howard looked way offline to me....near post wide open....

    Or was he expecting the D to cut that off and the attacker to be forced back toward him??

    IMO that was awful D...but dunno if it was poor G as well...

    ???

    Parent

    D1 at Cornell is pretty impressive :) (none / 0) (#74)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 05:08:17 AM EST
    I don't know why we have such horrible defender problems.  I guess Howard is supposed to do everything.  I would think that we would have some better talent out there, and now we are out :(  Howard was pretty amazing, running down field to play at the other end as the game neared ending.  My husband was on a plane and didn't get to see it, had to settle for game highlights.  Howard never quits and neither does Donovan.  I noticed what magster did though, that when the going got tough most of the team deflated horribly and lost heart and accepted they would be the losers here.  The U.S. easily loses heart.

    Parent
    I gotta go bye guys (none / 0) (#52)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 03:52:38 PM EST


    History repeats. :( (none / 0) (#54)
    by Joan in VA on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:01:26 PM EST


    Well cr#p (none / 0) (#55)
    by magster on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:01:46 PM EST
    Ghana's goal in extra time was beautiful.  Game lost in 1st half.

    That was a tremendous goal (none / 0) (#58)
    by jondee on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 04:21:03 PM EST
    by Gyan: he was almost knocked off his feet from behind, kept his footing and concentration and hit that volley in the only place he could put it.

    Parent
    Caught only a few snippets (none / 0) (#65)
    by brodie on Sat Jun 26, 2010 at 07:49:59 PM EST
    of this one, but if a team is consistently not ready to play or at least defend its goal early on in the match, including early in the overtime period, usually that's a coaching problem.  Of course, there could also be an on-field (defensive) captain problem, but the coach again is responsible for that situation.

    Frankly, I'm not surprised our side lost given how they've had to play from behind so often in this tournament, and needed a last-minute goal last game to move to this round.  Eventually, that kind of inconsistent effort will catch up to you, especially against a very good team like Ghana.

    This team also seemed to be lacking a talented and very aggressive and bold scorer/striker.  Donovan is a quality midfielder with an accurate touch, but is primarily passer-oriented and non-aggressive in mindset, seems to me.