U.S. soccer team loses 1-0 at Sweden

[KFDM COOP]

U.S. soccer team loses 1-0 at Sweden

GOTEBORG, SWEDEN — Back in Europe, the U.S. soccer team lost — as usual.

Kim Kallstrom scored in the 56th minute to lead Sweden over the United States 1-0 Wednesday night and send the Americans to their first four-game losing streak in a decade.

With most of its top players in the starting lineup, the U.S. team failed to create many offensive opportunities. After starting the year 10-0-1 — all at home — under new coach Bob Bradley, the U.S. team has lost four straight, all on the road. The Americans, who went 0-3 at the Copa America in June, had not dropped four in a row since January 1997 against Peru, Mexico, Denmark and China.

While the U.S. team has become a regional power during the last two decades, it has struggled in Europe, going 2-10-3 there in eight years under coach Bruce Arena. This was the first trip to Europe for the United States since it went 0-2-1 in the first round of last year's World Cup in Germany, a letdown following a quarterfinal appearance in South Korea four years earlier.

The Americans return home for their next game, on Sept. 9 at Chicago. But it doesn't get an easier — they face Brazil, the world's top-ranked national team.

Kallstrom scored his seventh goal in 46 international appearances with a left-footed drive from just outside the penalty area that went into goalkeeper Tim Howard's right corner. Kennedy Bakircioglu set up the goal, running across the top of the penalty area, pushing off Steve Cherundolo and stepping by Michael Bradley.

The goal came six minutes after Clint Dempsey nearly scored for the Americans. Standing inside the box, Dempsey fired a low shot near the right post that goalkeeper Rami Shaaban barely got his gloves on.

The United States had a chance to tie in the 90th minute, when Bradley's glancing header off Bobby Convey's free kick was bobbled by Shaaban. The goalkeeper then gathered the ball as Jay DeMerit was poised to poke in the rebound.

Before a crowd of 20,648 at Ullevi Stadium, Sweden stopped a 12-game winless streak in exhibition games that dated to 2005.

DaMarcus Beasley had the Americans' best chance in the first half, shooting just wide of the right post from inside the area just three minutes in.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden's top forward, nearly scored in the 14th minute but his shot was cleared off the goal line by defender Oguchi Oneywu. Ibrahimovic, scoreless in his last eight international games, was stopped one-on-one by Howard in the 31st minute and just seconds later, following a cross, sent a header off the crossbar.

Kallstrom came close to scoring his second goal in the 75th minute with a free kick from about 25 yards that just missed Howard's top right corner.

[Bon_Mot]

:-[

How does Bob Bradley expect to score when the only healthy striker he invites is Kamani Hill who received his first cap today.  The US essentially ran a 4-6-0 with Dempsey and Landycakes supposedly playing up top - neither of which is comfortable there.  Altidore had a game today so I suppose that was why he wasn't called up, and our other choices at forward...ugh!  If you or anyone you know can score a goal, please contact Bob Bradley at the USMNT.

Convey was an ash-tray on a motorcycle.  I know he's been hurt, but friendlies like this in Europe are hardly the place for a rehab game.  What kills me about this is Beasley had a really good first half at left-mid, so (obviously) Bradley moved him to right mid in the second half so Convey could play on the left, therefore negating any creativity or possession on the wings that we had in the first half.  Also, Bradley took Pablo off for Convey so Feilhaber, who in the first half was playing a position he almost never plays - right mid, moved inside with Lil Bradley and then Donovan dropped back as a withdrawn striker for a 4-2-3-1.  Which on paper looks great...if you have a lone striker who knows how to hold and stall a ball in traffic in the middle of the field or has blazing speed (see Thierry Henry for both).  I love Deuce, but every time Dempsey received the ball it seemed like he was within 5 yards of the touch line looking as threatening as a kitten pawwing at a ball of yarn, really not his fault though.

Bornstein started again.  I...  I just...  Someone please explain this to me!  Spector played only 25 minutes.  Demerit fifteen.  Pearce and Simik didn't even get a call!  All four are based in Europe.  You flew Bornstein across the Atlantic!  You know what he can do (not much)!

Venting aside.  The US looked great at times in two thirds of the field.  Sweden is without a doubt a quality squad.  A 1-0 result in Sweden can be seen as a moral victory, and, man, do I love moral victories!    Now we can start prepping for Brazil on the 9th at Soldier Field!  :-\