A Step Back

A few days ago I titled a post "Not All is Lost," about the US Copa America campaign. However, tonight the inexperienced squad Coach Bob Bradley sent out looked like they were in a hurry to get on the next plane out of the country in the first half. The performance in the opening 45 was to say the least a disgrace and not worthy of international football at any level. Brad Guzan's dramatic penalty save was the only highlight for the US, and quite frankly Colombia was almost equally lifeless, besides on the goal they scored. I was completely unimpressed by the US midfield today and Heath Pearce also has to be counted as substantial disappointment. Eddie Johnson played perhaps his best game of the summer, but sadly he lacked any sort of service from the midfield and with tired legs from both the Gold Cup and Copa, he was forced to track back into the midfield and even the defense far too often. Bobby Boswell and Drew Moor looked totally outclassed by the otherwise average Colombian attackers, while Herculez Gomez looked decent up front but tired and ran out of gas in about the 35th minute which is a bad sign for someone looking for another national team call up.

While the effort improved in the 2nd half, particularly from Sacha Klejstan and substitute Charlie Davies, the overall effort was still by far the worst of the summer for the tired, weary and humbled US National Team. This match showed none of the imagination and fight that the over matched USA "B" side had shown in its first two matches against superior opposition. Instead the Americans matched up against an inferior side made Colombia's otherwise disinterested squad look like world beaters and that is simply not acceptable.