FAN ARTICLES
Howard keeps US in Gold Cup final win
Comments (18) : There was not a player on the US team that I would have ranked over a 5 out of 10. Howard, the US 'keeper, was put under pressure continuously by the team's porous defense from the opening minutes and had more trouble contending with bad back passes (three of them) from his own players than from the Mexican offense. The one save he had to make should have been caught but he gave away the corner instead.
Where did they find Carlos Bocanegra? He looks like and plays like the old rhino, David Unsworth, and as much as Everton fans love our players none would ever claim he was worth an international cap. Nor is Bocanegra. From the moment he got the yellow card in the ninth minute he was living on borrowed time and was fortunate to not get another later in the game. Unless they can find a true striker to fill the center forward spot they will continue to look aimless in games.
Jared Borguetti, the old left-over hero of Mexico, has let age catch up with him. He was unable to keep up with the young studs in the Mexican stable and eventually pulled up short with what looked like a hamstring injury in the 40th minute. He is too old to be a starter. Sanchez, the Mexican coach, should save him for the least 20 minutes of a game when you need to inject a little leadership in the game to steady the younger players. The Mexicans showed more flair than their US counterparts attacking over and over until poor marking left Andrés Guardado open on the left side just a minute before half-time and Mexico went into the dressing room content with being 1-0 up. Howard was well beaten but really had no chance to get to the ball. Unfortunately he had been caught standing, watching, on a couple of occasions previously so that he was beaten here was not surprising either. Their keeper Oswaldo Sánchez, pulled off a couple of decent saves and the team operated as a team while the USA floundered unable to get any kind of rhythm.
The second half fared no better. The US substituted Pablo Mastroeni for Ricardo Clark as the teams came out of the tunnel. Unless Mastroeni was injured in the first half, this was mystifying as in my opinion he had been their best player up to that moment.
If I'm the Rangers coach I'd pull out of the Beasley deal based on this game alone. He was totally pathetic (read crap). Rank him a 2. The boy needs to get into the weight room and then bulk up about twenty pounds. Those Highland winds of Scotland will knock him down more the the Mexican players did. In the closing minutes he had the opportunity to wrap the game up but hit the bar with no-one to beat on what should have been a tap-in from seven feet out.
Ching showed a little skill up front beating the defender and rounding the keeper only to hit the post with them both laying on the floor. Howard stepped up two minutes from regulation to make the save of the match with a point-blank save after another botched defensive job, and grabbed another in the closing minutes to help keep the victory.
The game took a turn when the US was awarded a penalty in the 62nd minute and while the goalkeeper jumped around like some clown on Ritalin (I thought goalies where supposed to stay on one spot until the ball was kicked), Landon Donovan stepped up and calmly hit the right side. When did Donovan become the aging veteran? I remember him as the up and coming starlet. Made me think that if I'm lucky enough to live the next thirty years when I'm eighty I shall be watching a US team made up of players not even born yet!
Seven minutes later Taylor Twellman replaced Dempsey, another 2-ranked player, and suddenly his enthusiastic runs sparked a little more life in the drooping team. (Also, looking at how his chest muscles spread his shirt out, perhaps he should show Beasley the weight room, he evidently spends all his waking moments working out).
When the winning goal did come however it was the most spectacular moment of the game as Benny Feilhaber hit a beautiful right-foot volley from about twenty yards out that fairly screamed into the back of the net.
The Mexicans never gave up and bought on another old favorite Cuauhtemoc Blanco to inspire the unlucky Mexicans. The US missed so many sitters in the last 10 minutes that the Mexicans had plenty of opportunity to get the equaliser but they remain cursed. They just don't seem to be able to beat the USA even when the Yanks play awful soccer. Sorry Mexico, better luck the next time.
When we go on tour we should be able to hand any US team a loss based on this poor performance. Better watch out for the Mexicans in Monterrey though...
Reader Comments (18)
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2 Posted 25/06/2007 at 08:58:31
Given the sheer amount of matches that have taken place in the last couple decades, Mark’s opening sentence is hard to take seriously.
3 Posted 25/06/2007 at 09:16:55
So tim Howard played for the USofA. But does anyone really care how America performed. I for one don’t. I log on the toffeeweb to read about Everton.
So mark you fluent in Spanish now?
4 Posted 25/06/2007 at 13:12:47
5 Posted 25/06/2007 at 13:33:43
The US finishing was poor. This game should have been 4-1 US. They had three sitters in front of goal and didn’t manage to put it in. The Mexican outplayed the US in the first half, the US outplayed the Mexicans in the second and had more opportunities that they didn’t capitalize on. You must have been well into your pints to have seen the game as you wrote it.
6 Posted 25/06/2007 at 14:02:08
7 Posted 25/06/2007 at 14:07:42
8 Posted 25/06/2007 at 14:16:49
I reckon Everton should get Guardado though.. he’s gonna turn good and he’s a left sided player
9 Posted 25/06/2007 at 14:26:06
Seriously, you’re delusional. The US had as much of the play as the Mexis not to mention a wonder strike from Feilhaber.
Oh yeah... Howard was good too. But you guys should already know that.
10 Posted 25/06/2007 at 14:47:47
Well you know what, I knocked that old clown borgetti out when I saw him while clubbin in miami and I’ll knock you out too. I’ll put my ’landyfist’ into your ’landyface’
11 Posted 25/06/2007 at 15:03:10
While we didn’t set the world alight in this match, at least not until the 2nd half, you’re player rankings are wanting to say the least.
Anyone who watched the match could tell you that Dempsey was really the only US player that was below par.
12 Posted 25/06/2007 at 16:06:42
13 Posted 25/06/2007 at 17:18:13
14 Posted 25/06/2007 at 19:20:33
15 Posted 25/06/2007 at 19:30:03
16 Posted 26/06/2007 at 05:55:02
Tim Howard made some terrific saves. I see Cahill’s playing international in tournament too. Hope he’s ready for the season
17 Posted 26/06/2007 at 13:28:15
Timmy Howard is a fabulous goalkeeper, from a country that seems to spit them out more than any other position. I agree with Mark that Timmy has the habit of slapping or punching the ball away, and has the occasional moment of madness. But he’s always committed, whether he’s wearing Everton blue or US white. I think that coupled with his obvious athleticism makes him a real asset. Moyes did well signing him on permanently; cheap at the price, if you ask me.
Dempsey was lousy. He’s a brilliant player, but as he matures he’ll become consistent. Few people who’ve watched the US for years can look back and see such a sweet stroker of the ball. He’s spoiled for talent, but he’s also perhaps a bit full of himself now, playing for mighty Fulham and all... And yes, Beasley needs to pump some iron, eat some wheaties, and hit the friggin’ sitters when they’re there. But he was positive all game long, did his job, and for once is proving to this fan that he has some consistency...
To all UK Everton fans, please forgive us Yanks for speaking abotu the US team here. The only people less interested in hearing about the US team than you guys are our fellow countrymen, so bear with us. But this avowed toffeeman for one is overjoyed at seeing one of the best US products playing at the people’s club.
18 Posted 28/06/2007 at 15:04:29
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1 Posted 25/06/2007 at 06:29:30