USA v. Colombia - October 12

Discussion in 'Americas' started by agoo, Aug 23, 2010.

  1. agoo

    agoo Member

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    USA will face Colombia on October 12. Details are still a little sketchy as its listed on FIFA.com as being in New York, but the USSF has made no formalized announcement of the match. It could be at the Red Bull Arena, which is not actually in New York, nor are there any significant football-appropriate structures in NYC. More details to come I am sure.
     
  2. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Apparently its not going to the New York area. Bummer for me as I am near by and celebrating my birthday with the USMNT would be pretty sweet.

    Still waiting on USSF announcement, but they're probably trying to secure a venue before making it official.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2010
  3. agoo

    agoo Member

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    PPL Park has been announced as the venue...putting this match about 25 minutes away from my current homeland...on my birthday. Alas, I have to run a staff meeting at that time. Lame.
     
  4. agoo

    agoo Member

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    A few roster changes for this one. Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra have returned to Hannover and Saint-Etienne respectively, while Heath Pearce and Brek Shea have joined the roster from FC Dallas. Shea and Pearce will be the only MLS based players available on Tuesday. Shea replaced Altidore as the youngest player available to Bob Bradley.

    The Pearce addition I get, with limited options in the back getting even thinner with the first choice at both left and right back out. Shea can play in defense, but has only played on the left, which is Pearce's spot of choice. A guy like Kevin Alston would have made a lot more sense, given that his season is all but over with the Revolution having been eliminated from a playoff spot weeks ago, and he plays in Cherundolo's right back position and provides similar skills.

    Michael Parkhurst is on the roster and has played some right back before, but really is not worth the experiment as he's a fringe player at best for this squad.
     
  5. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Starting lineups are in:

    -------------------Altidore-----------------------

    --------Shea--------------------Holden----------

    ---------Bradley-------------Jones--------------

    -----------------------Edu--------------------------

    Pearce------Onyewu-----Goodson------Spector

    ---------------------Guzan------------------------

    Here is the Colombian starting lineup:

    -----------Falcao---------Moreno--------------

    Ramos-----Restrepo----Viafara-------Ibarbo

    Valencia----Yepes------Mosquera----Zuniga

    ------------------Mondragon-----------------

    USA lineup looks awesome. Somewhat curious to see how it actually plays though. I think Bradley and Jones will be going forward more from center mid with Edu anchoring the midfield. Holden and Shea are both strong wingers, even though Holden has been playing centrally for Bolton.
     
  6. agoo

    agoo Member

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    A couple of other notes quick. Gooch is serving as captain, which I believe is his first time wearing the arm band. Bocanegra is back in France, Donovan wasn't called in, and Howard is on the bench. Interesting to see Gooch getting the call as fourth choice captain as he's not really a vocal guy and he doesn't appear to provide much in the way of organization in the back. A lot of that is because Howard doesn't shut up, but Gooch is also a quiet guy by nature.

    Michael Bradley is seen by many as a future captain, but I guess Bob isn't really to give his kid the arm band yet. Personally, I would have loved it, if for no other reason, than to inflame the Bradley detractors out there.
     
  7. agoo

    agoo Member

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    This is the 16th time the US and Colombia have played. ESPN showing a clip from their ESPN 30 for 30 film "The Two Escobars," about the match at the 94 World Cup where Andres Escobar scored and own goal in a 2-1 loss and was then murdered when he returned home. Some commentary from John Harkes who assisted the own goal and Alexi Lalas who played in defense. Juan Pablo Angel described the moment as the "saddest moment in Colombian soccer history."

    Most interesting comment was from Lalas, who appeared to be getting slightly choked up. He was asked what it meant to the US to win that match, and he said that it got them into the knockout stage and got a lot of the players on that team great opportunities to further their careers, but there isn't one among them who would give up the win and the related benefits to change the course of Escobar's life.
     
  8. Colonel Ronan

    Colonel Ronan Continue...?

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    Herp derp.
     
  9. agoo

    agoo Member

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    I don't know what this means, but it would serve as a valid summary of the match. The formation was a nice attempt, but it didn't work. Jones and Bradley were on top of each other, Shea was frequently in the center of the pitch while Jones was pushing out wide. Maurice Edu spent most of the match trying to get everyone to move up. Holden hasn't been a winger for three years and showed it. Altidore had no space, though he probably wouldn't have done much with it. Spector was terrible. Shea was not anywhere near the taller/more Norweigian Clint Dempsey that he is in MLS.

    Eric Lichaj was good. That's about it.
     
  10. Colonel Ronan

    Colonel Ronan Continue...?

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    You got it! :D
     

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