England v USA Match Thread

[Olzy]

so far another boring game

no pace in the side again.

[Olzy]

can only see a goal coming from a Beckham set piece.

[Olzy]

^ bingo terry!

[Jon]

USA v England: At The Half

You really want to know how good Donovan is, and how important he is to the USMNT going forward? Just go watch a replay of that first half. I’m always amazed at how little offensive capabilities the US seems to have. Some games are obviously worse than others, but overall… very little in the final third of the pitch. Not saying that if Landon was playing we’d be winning because England just that much better of players, but just for all the Donovan haters, hopefully it’s crystal clear how big of a cog he is for the team.

I’m trying not to get too down on the US. Because I do this every friendly. I get so pissed at the US and their play that I forget that it is indeed “just a friendly”. But honestly, that first half was pretty much garbage from the United States. England looked a class above anything the U.S. wanted to do, which is understandable on a certain level but still.

Gerrard was the best player on the pitch in the first half and it was clear to see. I thought Rooney, Lampard and Beckham also played pretty well.

And for the damn record: I don’t need to see anymore, don’t need more time to prove anything; Eddie Johnson is worthless. And everything Bradley puts him in the starting eleven, the U.S. for all intensive purposes will be a man down to the competition.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy for JT, but the absolute laugh-ability of the U.S. going forward that first half was ridiculous.

Full strength against Spain & Argentina is a must, or we’ll lose by double digits in both matches. Okay, I might be acting a little over dramatic. But I can’t help it. I know the gap between the two countries footballing wise is significant, I was just expecting SOMETHING. Maybe the second half will bring it.

[Olzy]

We play better with Barry in the side.

[bandini]

Jon, welcome to TS. How about adding a link to us on your blog. Thanks.

[The Rule]

Originally Posted by Olzy

We play better with Barry in the side.

True, Barry instead of Lamps if they're gonna keep Gerrard on the left.

[The Rule]

Originally Posted by Olzy

so far another boring game

no pace in the side again.

A lack of pace is not the biggest problem, it's the lack of creativity that's really annoying.

Get Bentley in the team on the right, that adds creativity. And once Richards is fit, he'll be able to over-lap and get crosses in. The sooner Beckham and Wes Beige aren't in the England team, the better.

Put Young in on the left and let Gerrard run the show from the centre of midfield. Allow Rooney to drop deep and create and play Agbonlahor alongside him. He's quicker than Defoe, and he's better at holding the ball up, although not as good a finisher.

[Olzy]

Johnson was starting to overlap. Probably with Bentley is he either doesnt have the pace to beat a man or there wasnt any bodies in the box to cross it into. I actually thought W.Brown had a decent game and I'm not usually a fan of his.

Same old England get the ball and pass it back. Thats why we need a Young or anyone who is willing to beats players and get balls in the box.

Barry soo much better than Lampard at passing. Barry actually turns on the ball when he takes it of the defender and passes forward. Plus it's nice to have someone with a left peg.

Lampard is not effective in this England team, Gerrard plays his role and I rather have SG in the side.

Yeh I would play Gabby he would scare the shit out of any defender for his pace. Not bad in the air either. Defoe is too lighweight plus on the finishing side of things he wasnt that great last night he did have some good oppunities.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Originally Posted by Olzy

can only see a goal coming from a Beckham set piece.

That was a good call, Olzy!

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Allow Rooney to drop deep

Whatever you say to him, he always drop deep. He has need to be involved all the time.

[kyan]

Lampard and Hargreaves kept occupying the same spaces, ran into each other a couple of times.

Defoe played quite well, he didn't really have any clear cut chances and won so many freekicks, gave the American defence a real problem I thought.

Olzy tbh I prefer England passing it backwards and hanging onto the ball rather than pumping it long to Rooney and Defoe who would struggle to outjump an ordinary defender...

It was a shame not to see Ashton or Agbonlahor for a bit though, hopefully we will v T&T, although Rooney's been taken along.

[Olzy]

Originally Posted by kyan

Olzy tbh I prefer England passing it backwards and hanging onto the ball rather than pumping it long to Rooney and Defoe who would struggle to outjump an ordinary defender...

Yeh I dont want to play long ball. But would like to see us get in behind opposition defences more and with our team with Becks and Gerrard coming inside we arent getting that from the wingers.

Alot of the time we are getting forward and then rather annoyingly we hit a 20 yard pass back to Rio or James .

We played much better when Barry came on though.

Defoe had a good game to be fair. But he did have a few chances he could of score espically the one in the first half a cross from Gerrard I think after excellent 1 2 with Rooney.

Mighty were you being sarcy?

[hanuma]

Hargreaves has none of the positional sense needed to hold that midfield, he either needs to play alongside someone static or on the flanks, because Capello isn't going to have time to teach him where to stand. Lampard had no role to play in this game, having Gerrard on the left actually made them nullify one another even more in the first half. Beckham really doesn't deserve a starting spot, he can barely jog any more, sticking in his own half spraying balls around from the right and then taking the odd set piece isn't what you want from a rightmidfielder.

Defoe looked good, Rooney didn't. Wes Brown or Glen Johnson...a choice I don't envy any manager. Come back Micah Richards.

Rule's 442 from the other thread is fine for matches against crappy teams, against the best I'd play, (l-r) Young-Lampard-Barry-Gerrard.

[NJ10]

I think Hargreaves might be worth a look at full back. He has shown he can play well there for United, and for Bayern before that, he has the pace and willingness to get up and down, defensively he is solid and his crossing is good either from deep or from closer to the by-line. Brown is a centre half in build and in the way he plays, he was the one player who didnt look technically good enough last night.

I thought Gerrard did well last night, took his goal well and was involved in most of the good things England produced. I like Lampard but last night he was off colour, even his short passing was below his usual standard. I agree with Hanuma that having Gerrard wide left and cutting in probably led to he and Lampard getting in each other's way more than ever. I was impressed with Barry's use of the ball, nice to see him linking up with Gerrard for the 2nd goal ( a sign of things to come perhaps?)

Defoe had some ok moments, his control from that free kick (which led to that silly scissor kick) was exquisite, but i just dont think he is a good enough player to start for England. He wasted a good chance from Gerrard's pull back and wasted another good shooting chance from an Ashley Cole (who i thought was excellent btw) square ball, he won a free kick but the chance was there and he wasnt/isnt intelligent enough to take it. Expect Ashton and/or Agbonlahor to play on Sunday, though if Ashton doesnt start putting a bit of graft in then he wont last long.