So the US National Team never like to take the easy route to any end, but their first ever Gold Cup match loss versus Panama on Saturday needs no excuses. They look like a bunch of dazed children wandering around the pitch. Their play was marked by hopeless long balls forward to player who were too short to get on them, passing into traffic, and an absolute failure to defend on set pieces. Not one player for the USA had a good game, although some were worse than others to be sure, but for me the own goal typified the entire game. It wasn’t Panama were that good on the day, it was the surly, asthmatic, dull performances that the players in the USA jersey but on that ruined the match.
Personally, I blame Bob Bradley, who was a mistake to keep on, and is now surely living on borrowed time. It’s his fault that player who regularly perform at the club level can’t get it together as a team and win against perpetual no hoppers like Panama. Whether you blame the players or the coach, there is definitely some work to be done before the next match if the US want to get out of the group stage.
Posted by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com
