USA/Argentina!

[bullets13]

The best team they've played yet, but at least landycakes is healthyish.  kenny cooper got added to the lineup, and i would much rather see him up front than EJ. 

[RonBurgundy68]

Well with Argentina playing Brazil in the first game of their World Cup qualifying schedule in about a week, I would make a bet as to say that the likes of Messi/Tevez/Riquelme will probably only play the first half or so...

With that being said I think Argentina wins this game 2-1

Landon gets his 100th cap tonight to, congrats to him!

[bullets13]

mastroeni is in the starting lineup, but only because i wasn't available.

[bullets13]

6 minutes in and the US looks AWFUL.  our defense on the right is getting eaten up, and Argentina is just slotting in balls on the ground.  we're lucky to not have conceded a goal (or two) already.

[bullets13]

let me complain now about the fact that unless i have my nose touching the TV, i'm having trouble distinguishing the two teams' jerseys.  US is starting to look a lot better, getting some possession, not giving up easy chances.

[bullets13]

howard has been tremendous.  Argentina is definitely the best team we've played in this stretch, and their offense is exposing our defense.  on a HUGE positive note, our midfield is actually playing with an eye towards the offensive house, and we've had some decent chances.  this is the first time i've actually felt like the US could score a goal in the run of play in quite some time.  this is the best half i've seen EJ play all year, and the first time Beasley has looked worthy of being on the field since... WC 2002.  Heath Pearce has really impressed me as well, as he has played a good left back.  All of Argentina's offense is flowing through their left side, really exposing Cherundolo.  all things aside, we're fortunate to finish the half 0-0, but at least we've put some shots on goal (and i thought demspey's shot was goalbound when it took that deflection!) and created some chances.

[bullets13]

US started out great in the 2nd half, smacked a header off the crossbar.  things took any ugly turn when EJ grabbed an Argentina player's weiner.  That looked painful.  US did get bailed out on what looked like a pretty hard foul in the box by Howard.

[bullets13]

what the deuce!!!  Mastroeni just got a phantom red card!  US was really competing in this one, and looking really good in the 2nd half.  That's really upsetting because now they have to sit back.

[bullets13]

i'm watching it on DVR and i rewound it and watched, and Edu waxes that guy, but he kind of flies out of the way when he does.  Pablo was just standing there, about 4 feet from the guy, and then the camera zooms in on the ref and it looks like rather than giving the card to Edu he turns and gets confused and gives it to Pablo.  that's jacked up.

[bullets13]

How many cheap fouls did Argentina have in the last 10 minutes?  0-0 finish, which is a TREMENDOUS result for the US.  If they had played like this the last two games, they could've maybe finished 1-0-2 instead of 0-2-1.  We created some quality chances and the defense managed to keep a clean sheet.  To piggyback on Bon_Mot, here are my top 5 positives and negatives from the game.

POSITIVES:

1.  EJ looked like he was actually good enough to be on the field.  he got a couple of tough headers on goal, and distributed the ball well.  He might have looked better tonight because he didn't have any chances to roll a shot to goal, but i still think he looked much better.

2.  Heath Pearce.  Solid.  I've got no problem with him getting a regular starting role in the back.

3.  We frickin' tied the #1 team in the world!

4.  Marcus Beasley looked really good tonight.  He was all over the place defensively, and was making some of those long runs that used to make him so valuable.

5.  Tim Howard is a monster.

honorable mention: adu looked great off the bench, and wolff did not make it onto the field

NEGATIVES:

1. Cherundolo wasn't very good.  he got used and abused in the 1st half, and the 2nd wasn't much better.

2. The defense as a whole was allowing a lot of possession in and around the box.  It's not a good thing when you're opponent is consistently stringing 7 or 8 passes together in the attacking third.

3. Although our attack was better, there is still not nearly enough of an offensive presence when we get the ball up field.  The support is too slow, so our only threats remain counterattacking and set pieces.

4. Bradley is a good player, but he hasn't shown me much lately, and today was no different.  At least the coach/dad took him out at the half rather than leaving him in for the whole game.

5. EJ grabbed a dude's junk.  that was kinda creepy.

[BigNEDdog21]

How many cheap fouls did Argentina have in the last 10 minutes?  0-0 finish, which is a TREMENDOUS result for the US.  If they had played like this the last two games, they could've maybe finished 1-0-2 instead of 0-2-1.  We created some quality chances and the defense managed to keep a clean sheet.  To piggyback on Bon_Mot, here are my top 5 positives and negatives from the game.

POSITIVES:

1.  EJ looked like he was actually good enough to be on the field.  he got a couple of tough headers on goal, and distributed the ball well.  He might have looked better tonight because he didn't have any chances to roll a shot to goal, but i still think he looked much better.

2.  Heath Pearce.  Solid.  I've got no problem with him getting a regular starting role in the back.

3.  We frickin' tied the #1 team in the world!

4.  Marcus Beasley looked really good tonight.  He was all over the place defensively, and was making some of those long runs that used to make him so valuable.

5.  Tim Howard is a monster.

honorable mention: adu looked great off the bench, and wolff did not make it onto the field

NEGATIVES:

1. Cherundolo wasn't very good.  he got used and abused in the 1st half, and the 2nd wasn't much better.

2. The defense as a whole was allowing a lot of possession in and around the box.  It's not a good thing when you're opponent is consistently stringing 7 or 8 passes together in the attacking third.

3. Although our attack was better, there is still not nearly enough of an offensive presence when we get the ball up field.  The support is too slow, so our only threats remain counterattacking and set pieces.

4. Bradley is a good player, but he hasn't shown me much lately, and today was no different.  At least the coach/dad took him out at the half rather than leaving him in for the whole game.

5. EJ grabbed a dude's junk.  that was kinda creepy.

I noticed the player rolling around holding himself after this play..I didn't see what had happened until the replay had shown EJ had a handful of the other guy. I've never really been an EJ fan, but after seeing that it really didn't help his chances. 

I was confused on the card given to Mastroeni, hope I wasn't the only one.  :-\

I thought it was a pretty decent game played by the US. Howard definitely kept us in this game. But I thought we had some really great chances to score in the second half. Not a bad showing from the US. 

[RonBurgundy68]

I agree with all of the points already stated... But would like to add these:

1.) I think the way Freddy has played the past 2 games, he deserves a starting role for good...

2.) You could tell the difference with Landon on the field, better pace to the offense and more attacking options...

3.) Tim Howard = Bad son of a gun

4.) Defense looked pretty good...

5.) One of the worst officiated games I have seen in a while

6.) That was the funniest thing ever seeing Mascherano actually look down his pants after EJ grabbed you know what, that was priceless... SO FUNNY! I was rolling for hours over that...

7.) Does anyone know what Pablo got his card for?

8.) Kenny Cooper deserves a chance... Big target for headers and has pretty good foot skills for a big man...

9.) I thought Klesjtan had a pretty good game...

10.) Heath Pearce locked his starting job, what a game...

11.) Michael Bradley needs to be booted to the bench, not a fan at all of his game... Stupid fouls and stupid mistakes...

and last but not least...

12.) Anyone as surprised as me as to how good Danny Califf played? He literally came out of nowhere and stepped it up big time! For me the defense is getting better and better, and the 4 of Gooch, Califf, Pearce, and Bocanegra sounds pretty dang good...

Ok I'm done... Lol