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| Germany v USA – five things we learned | Germany v USA – five things we learned |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Michael Bradley is back | Michael Bradley is back |
| It had been stealthily happening in club play and now in international play, but Michael Bradley is back to being the fulcrum of the US side. | It had been stealthily happening in club play and now in international play, but Michael Bradley is back to being the fulcrum of the US side. |
| Since touching down in Brazil Bradley had seemed dogged by a mix of lack of full injury recovery (the body was willing but his timing was off) and something that looked like mission creep: instead of setting the tempo for the US team, Bradley always seemed to be second guessing where fires might be breaking out around him, and looked tentative and even distracted as he pushed even short passes astray. | Since touching down in Brazil Bradley had seemed dogged by a mix of lack of full injury recovery (the body was willing but his timing was off) and something that looked like mission creep: instead of setting the tempo for the US team, Bradley always seemed to be second guessing where fires might be breaking out around him, and looked tentative and even distracted as he pushed even short passes astray. |
| The short passing is still an issue on occasions, but Bradley’s box-to-box ability is back, as his ability to switch the direction of play at speed. And of course there are those mid-range balls over the top, hit on the move, that are the hallmark of Bradley at his best. | The short passing is still an issue on occasions, but Bradley’s box-to-box ability is back, as his ability to switch the direction of play at speed. And of course there are those mid-range balls over the top, hit on the move, that are the hallmark of Bradley at his best. |
| Related: Germany 1-2 USA | International friendly match report | Related: Germany 1-2 USA | International friendly match report |
| He drove the team back into contention against the Netherlands, and when the USA again fell behind in Germany and were being swarmed by overlapping runners in Cologne, Bradley was at the heart of a 35-pass sequence towards the end of the first half that halted Germany’s possession for 90 seconds of respite for the US. As for how that sequence ended, well, Bradley chipped an inch-perfect pass into the path of Mix Diskerud to chest down and poke home the equalizer, flicking the switch on what turned out to be an extraordinary second-half performance for the USA. | He drove the team back into contention against the Netherlands, and when the USA again fell behind in Germany and were being swarmed by overlapping runners in Cologne, Bradley was at the heart of a 35-pass sequence towards the end of the first half that halted Germany’s possession for 90 seconds of respite for the US. As for how that sequence ended, well, Bradley chipped an inch-perfect pass into the path of Mix Diskerud to chest down and poke home the equalizer, flicking the switch on what turned out to be an extraordinary second-half performance for the USA. |
| And this is something Bradley does at his best: he shows his team when to hold and when to go. That can be as simple as his play in a one-off counterattack, but more often its about the intelligence to sense the passages of a game and the skill set to apply that reading. When he’s off his game, the USA can have trouble altering the tenor of matches. When he’s on it, as he has been these last two games, the US look a more three-dimensional team. | And this is something Bradley does at his best: he shows his team when to hold and when to go. That can be as simple as his play in a one-off counterattack, but more often its about the intelligence to sense the passages of a game and the skill set to apply that reading. When he’s off his game, the USA can have trouble altering the tenor of matches. When he’s on it, as he has been these last two games, the US look a more three-dimensional team. |
| And of course his shot cleared off the line late on made Bastian Schweinsteiger pull this face, keeping the animated gif industry in business for the next 18 months, for which all social media is grateful: | And of course his shot cleared off the line late on made Bastian Schweinsteiger pull this face, keeping the animated gif industry in business for the next 18 months, for which all social media is grateful: |
| Klinsmann the coach is back | Klinsmann the coach is back |
| Jürgen Klinsmann’s experimentation over the last year, coupled with his unwillingness to play along with the political niceties of the US soccer ecosystem, has at times left him looking more isolated than at any time in his reign – certainly his second–term room to maneuver with the fans seemed a lot less generous in scope than the indulgence he enjoyed pretty much right up to dropping Landon Donovan from the World Cup squad. | Jürgen Klinsmann’s experimentation over the last year, coupled with his unwillingness to play along with the political niceties of the US soccer ecosystem, has at times left him looking more isolated than at any time in his reign – certainly his second–term room to maneuver with the fans seemed a lot less generous in scope than the indulgence he enjoyed pretty much right up to dropping Landon Donovan from the World Cup squad. |
| Yet in an odd way it also insulated the coach from some of the usual criticisms coaches get judged by. With a revolving cast of players, in a revolving array of positions, it was hard to judge Klinsmann’s tactical ability to respond in-game, especially when the bulk of his adjustments were mass substitutions that had less to do with the immediate game at hand and more to do with amassing minutes and glimpses of players, without a clear impression, at least outside the camp, as to how all this was supposed to gel together. | Yet in an odd way it also insulated the coach from some of the usual criticisms coaches get judged by. With a revolving cast of players, in a revolving array of positions, it was hard to judge Klinsmann’s tactical ability to respond in-game, especially when the bulk of his adjustments were mass substitutions that had less to do with the immediate game at hand and more to do with amassing minutes and glimpses of players, without a clear impression, at least outside the camp, as to how all this was supposed to gel together. |
| But now, at last, with only one warm up game before a Gold Cup that is vital to the team’s 2018 World Cup preparations (more of that in a moment), Klinsmann showed his hand. With Germany threatening to overrun his defense with men over every time they attacked in the first half, the US teams’s full backs and wide midfielders were left anxiously checking for runners, and by default pinning themselves back in their own half. | But now, at last, with only one warm up game before a Gold Cup that is vital to the team’s 2018 World Cup preparations (more of that in a moment), Klinsmann showed his hand. With Germany threatening to overrun his defense with men over every time they attacked in the first half, the US teams’s full backs and wide midfielders were left anxiously checking for runners, and by default pinning themselves back in their own half. |
| Related: An oral history of USA at Italia '90: the World Cup that changed US soccer | |
| The frustration was that the German defense was a relatively unfamiliar one and there to be got at, as the USA’s goal and final five-minute flurry in the first half had shown. | The frustration was that the German defense was a relatively unfamiliar one and there to be got at, as the USA’s goal and final five-minute flurry in the first half had shown. |
| And that was Klinsmann’s take too. In the second half he sent his team out with Gyassi Zardes pushed further upfield and introduced DeAndre Yedlin to give the world champions a taste of their own medicine. Now it was the USA’s turn to swarm forward, and unlike, for example, the Dutch last Friday, they kept their foot on the pedal throughout the second half, even as the usual late flurry of subs might have threatened to lose the shape of the game. | And that was Klinsmann’s take too. In the second half he sent his team out with Gyassi Zardes pushed further upfield and introduced DeAndre Yedlin to give the world champions a taste of their own medicine. Now it was the USA’s turn to swarm forward, and unlike, for example, the Dutch last Friday, they kept their foot on the pedal throughout the second half, even as the usual late flurry of subs might have threatened to lose the shape of the game. |
| It made the Klinsmann game plan legible in a way it hadn’t been for a while. It’s good to see it back. | It made the Klinsmann game plan legible in a way it hadn’t been for a while. It’s good to see it back. |
| The USA can play after half-time | The USA can play after half-time |
| Way back in the sequence of World Cup warm up games the USA began coughing up late goals. They were in wins and were generally treated as cautionary notes – annoying habits to be stamped out – even when they spread into World Cup play itself and Portugal’s late equalizer. | Way back in the sequence of World Cup warm up games the USA began coughing up late goals. They were in wins and were generally treated as cautionary notes – annoying habits to be stamped out – even when they spread into World Cup play itself and Portugal’s late equalizer. |
| And then, as the post-World Cup friendlies started up again, the habit began to stick, as the USA began to repeatedly concede goals late, or come out flat in the second half. And it’s not as if the games had already gone by then – in fact in the 11 friendlies since the World Cup the USA was drawing or winning in all of them at half-time. | And then, as the post-World Cup friendlies started up again, the habit began to stick, as the USA began to repeatedly concede goals late, or come out flat in the second half. And it’s not as if the games had already gone by then – in fact in the 11 friendlies since the World Cup the USA was drawing or winning in all of them at half-time. |
| Related: Germany 1-2 USA: international friendly – as it happened | Related: Germany 1-2 USA: international friendly – as it happened |
| Obviously some of the frustration about what tended to happen next is down to that experimentation with rosters and subs from Klinsmann, who kept the faith throughout – though even he must have recognized that over time certain habits become harder to shake, and that friendlies or not, grinding out some results would be necessary. | Obviously some of the frustration about what tended to happen next is down to that experimentation with rosters and subs from Klinsmann, who kept the faith throughout – though even he must have recognized that over time certain habits become harder to shake, and that friendlies or not, grinding out some results would be necessary. |
| The team had already begun to alter the trend before this brace of European games, but not in such emphatic fashion as they mustered in coming back from 3-1 down against the Netherlands and taking the fight to Germany in their own back yard. It’s one thing to hold on for a result to buck a trend, and another to be good value for the win. | The team had already begun to alter the trend before this brace of European games, but not in such emphatic fashion as they mustered in coming back from 3-1 down against the Netherlands and taking the fight to Germany in their own back yard. It’s one thing to hold on for a result to buck a trend, and another to be good value for the win. |
| Bobby Wood may find a new club soon | Bobby Wood may find a new club soon |
| In announcing his Gold Cup squad, Klinsmann left Bobby Wood off his 35-man provisional roster. Wood’s German second-division team had just been relegated and he was without a club and the coach thought he was better off dealing with that situation. | In announcing his Gold Cup squad, Klinsmann left Bobby Wood off his 35-man provisional roster. Wood’s German second-division team had just been relegated and he was without a club and the coach thought he was better off dealing with that situation. |
| Woods has certainly done his best to advertise his virtues in the last two games, with winners against the Netherlands (as he finished off an injury-time move to sweep the ball home) and more impressively spinning and shooting low into the corner from outside the box to beat Germany. | Woods has certainly done his best to advertise his virtues in the last two games, with winners against the Netherlands (as he finished off an injury-time move to sweep the ball home) and more impressively spinning and shooting low into the corner from outside the box to beat Germany. |
| The latter goal in particular temporarily raised Wood’s stock skywards after what’s been an otherwise tentative start to his international career. The serial auditions since the World Cup had produced little of note, and even the more patient observers were beginning to cough and look away when his name made the line-up. | The latter goal in particular temporarily raised Wood’s stock skywards after what’s been an otherwise tentative start to his international career. The serial auditions since the World Cup had produced little of note, and even the more patient observers were beginning to cough and look away when his name made the line-up. |
| He’d made five substitute appearances prior to making his full debut against Chile in January – a game where he looked anonymous other than missing a DeAndre Yedlin cross, and where he was taken off at half-time. At international level Wood looked like a wallflower, especially when compared to the confident outings by Stanford product Jordan Morris. | He’d made five substitute appearances prior to making his full debut against Chile in January – a game where he looked anonymous other than missing a DeAndre Yedlin cross, and where he was taken off at half-time. At international level Wood looked like a wallflower, especially when compared to the confident outings by Stanford product Jordan Morris. |
| And then there was Wood on Wednesday afternoon, picking up a ball thanks to Morris’s classy dummy, and turning to fire himself into brand recognition. He may yet end up as a trivia question, but it’ll be a different question now. And the question of his next club may be solved sooner rather than later after this week’s showreel. | And then there was Wood on Wednesday afternoon, picking up a ball thanks to Morris’s classy dummy, and turning to fire himself into brand recognition. He may yet end up as a trivia question, but it’ll be a different question now. And the question of his next club may be solved sooner rather than later after this week’s showreel. |
| We’re at a key point in the cycle | We’re at a key point in the cycle |
| The post World Cup cycle is over for Klinsmann’s team. This forthcoming Gold Cup can determine the USA’s entire trajectory leading up to 2018. A win, coupled with their 2013 win would see the USA automatically qualify as Concacaf representatives to the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. | The post World Cup cycle is over for Klinsmann’s team. This forthcoming Gold Cup can determine the USA’s entire trajectory leading up to 2018. A win, coupled with their 2013 win would see the USA automatically qualify as Concacaf representatives to the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. |
| With the centenary edition of the Copa America to take part in next year, along with the Olympics, that would make for two summers of intense competitive soccer preparation for Russia and something like the kind of intensity Klinsmann wants from his international schedule. | With the centenary edition of the Copa America to take part in next year, along with the Olympics, that would make for two summers of intense competitive soccer preparation for Russia and something like the kind of intensity Klinsmann wants from his international schedule. |
| With only a Nashville friendly against Guatemala to face before the Gold Cup, Klinsmann is at the business end of his preparations and left with some serious food for thought by these two games. The news he had called in DaMarcus Beasley out of international retirement for his provisional squad suggested that he was not yet convinced the young players he has blooded in recent months are ready to take the next step without the guiding hand of experience, but as he narrows the squad for next month, he’ll be aware that more than a few young names have made a real case for themselves in the past couple of games. | With only a Nashville friendly against Guatemala to face before the Gold Cup, Klinsmann is at the business end of his preparations and left with some serious food for thought by these two games. The news he had called in DaMarcus Beasley out of international retirement for his provisional squad suggested that he was not yet convinced the young players he has blooded in recent months are ready to take the next step without the guiding hand of experience, but as he narrows the squad for next month, he’ll be aware that more than a few young names have made a real case for themselves in the past couple of games. |
| We know that Klinsmann is happy to play the iconoclast when he has to, but the Beasley inclusion suggested a note of caution in his ongoing spirit of constant revolution. The final squad list for the Gold Cup should make interesting reading. | We know that Klinsmann is happy to play the iconoclast when he has to, but the Beasley inclusion suggested a note of caution in his ongoing spirit of constant revolution. The final squad list for the Gold Cup should make interesting reading. |
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