US 8-0 Barbados - Player Grades

US 8-0 Barbados

Anyway you look at this, it was a great way for the US to start their World Cup run. This was the expected result and the team lived up to it, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. With that in mind, here are the player grades:

Starting XI
Brad Guzan (GK) - What a boring way to up your international appearance numbers. With shots two shots, Guzan wasn't tested even once, so I will have to reward him for not falling asleep. A

Steve Cherundolo (D) - The entire defense had the easiest day possible, so full mistakes. Found his place and made some good starting passes. A-

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Had it easy but his yellow card is a bit disturbing. The minnows of Concacaf know they can't beat the US out right, so they look for ways of changing the game, such as getting a player sent off. The Gooch didn't need to get a card at that point, but he fell for their trap. B+

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Fantastic pass to Dempsey to get things started. Held strong in the middle and was at the start of a lot of the action. A

Heath Pearce (D) - He was actually beat a couple times during the first half and was missing the ball control he showed in the three warm-ups. B+

Landon Donovan (M) - Was big in the first 30-minutes and his finally 30, but he still seems afraid of taking the shot. His free kick was smart play and his passes are looking sharp but when you have space 18 yards out, take the shot. A-

Michael Bradley (M) - His passing was off for most of the first half and he seemed out of place in the midfield. He improved as the game moved along, but still not looking like himself. B

Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Poor Pablo, bulls his glut and gets robbed of his goal. He was looking solid, hopefully the injury is nothing serious. A

DaMarcus Beasley (M) - The fact that Beasley couldn't beat the keeper to the ball and get the shot on the wide open goal tells us that DaMarcus still has some recovery in front of him. Still, at 85%, he was causing trouble down the wing. B+

Brian Ching (F) - The luckiest brace you will ever see. Ching started slow but picked up as the game went along. He started working himself into better spots and getting chances. His ball control wasn't as strong as normal but he does seem willing to shoot. B

Clint Dempsey (F) - Stepped it up for this one and was having fun doing it. He didn't need much flash, instead he just pushed his way into place. Passes were sharp and speed was good. A+

Subs
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Mastroeni in the 26'. I didn't think his game was very solid. His passing wasn't that great and his creative touch was lacking for his first 30-minutes. It almost seemed like he was thrown off by the weakness of Barbados. B+

Eddie Lewis (F) - On for Dempsey in the 72'. I actually forgot he came on till I looked back over some notes. He did setup the own goal, but didn't really stand out. B-

Eddie Jonson (F) - On for Donovan in the 81'. Bob Bradley put him in for one reason, get a goal. The fact that he did it with his head on his first touch of the match is pretty cool. I just hope this doesn't start the 'he's back' talk, because he still has a lot to prove. A


Bob Bradley (Coach) - He wanted as many goals as possible and his team lived up to it. He now has the freedom to experiment a bit next weekend. A

So the US has their largest victory ever, it's just a shame that less then 11,500 people were there to see it.

Goals:
Clint Dempsey (Carlos Bocanegra) 1'
Michael Bradley 12'
Brian Ching (Pablo Mastroeni) 20'
Landon Donovan 59'
Clint Dempsey 63'
Eddie Johnson (Heath Pearce) 82'
Own goal (Daryl Ferguson) 86'
Brian Ching (Steve Cherundolo) 89'

US 0-0 Argentina - Player grades

US 0-0 Argentina

Let's see, amazing showing by a goalkeeper, horrible calls from the ref, an engaged, pro-USA crowd and Mastroeni walks off with a red, if only Brian McBride showed up bleeding from his face, it would have been World Cup 2006 against Italy all over again.

Sunday night was a great night for the US men as they played their best match since 2006 in front of almost 80,000 passionate fans. Argentina pressed and pressed, but the US was able to hold thanks in huge part to goalkeeper Tim Howard. The fact that he went 1 on 1 with Julio Cruz on four occasions and won every one of them is proof to his talent.

But the Americans did not just sit back and bunker down, instead they actually put together some good combinations that saw them open up the field and push towards goal. The bad news, when it came to the final third, the red, white and blue were still lacking.

As great as the play on the pitch was, the two biggest moments of the game were due to referee Joel Aguilar Chicas channeling his inner Jorge Larrionda and blowing calls. One, the missed penalty kick call against Tim Howard when he took down the on rushing Sergio Aguero in the 52'. Howard didn't get a single finger on the ball and took our Aguero's legs, it should have been a pk. Two, the phantom second yellow card to Pablo Mastroeni in the 71'. For once Pablo was completely innocent of anything as he wasn't even involved in the play that resulted in the foul. The reason given was unsporting behavior, but to earn a second yellow, in a friendly no less, Mastroeni must have said something really awful.

Both of these missed calls changed the flow of the game. The US was just starting to gain momentum when the Aguero mistake was made. Had the proper call be given, the game would have opened up for both teams. The Mastroeni red changed the entire mindset of the squad as they went from trying for a win to hoping for a tie.

In the end, this was a good way to end their three games of death. It showed us the weaknesses that still exist (forwards) and the strengths that we have (goalkeeping, defending).

Now the team moves on to the real matches as World Cup Qualifying starts next Sunday.

Here are the player grades:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - If anyone had any questions as to our number one in the nets, he shut them down last night. He was lucky with the pk call, but that still doesn't take away from his first half heroics. A+
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Beat a lot by Messi, but could hold his own with others. B-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - He covered the mistakes of others and provided us with the best scoring opportunity of the night (which is also kind of sad). Still, he missed his marks a couple times. A-
Danny Califf (D) - Slow start but picked up as the game moved along. Held his spots and blocked a bunch of centering passes. He deserves more looks. B+
Heath Pearce (D) - This was his breakout night. He kept the left flank tamed and pushed the ball forward. I think we have our left back. A
Michael Bradley (M) - Bad night for the little Bradley. Wasn't controlling the ball or supply. Maybe a couple weeks off will do him good. C+
Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Up to the red, he was looking good. Provides coverage for defenders and placed some good balls forward. B
Clint Dempsey (M) - The most consistent attacking presence, but passed instead of shot a few too many times. Has good ball control and helped in defense, but needs to take the shot. B+
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Nice speed along the side that surprised Argentina more then a few times. His crossing is still in need of some help. B
Landon Donovan (F) - Not a bad 100th cap, but nothing spectacular. He wasn't given many balls to run onto, but still caused some trouble. Getting better with corners and passing. B+
Eddie Johnson (F) - Time to move EJ to the sub list. Three starts and nothing from them. Last night saw more of the same. He's good at getting in but he doesn't know how to take a shot. C-

Subs
Maurice Edu (M) - On for Bradley in the 46'. Held his own and started a number of the second half attacks. B+
Jay DeMerit (D) - On for Onyewu in the 61'. Looked good and make some smart plays while his team was down a man. B
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Dempsey in the 61'. Did not take over the game like he did in Spain but gave the US some sort of push, especially late. Wasn't the best technical decision to go 1 on 4 while trying to kill the clock but I like his effort. A-
Sacha Kljestan (F) - On for Johnson in the 74'. The fact that this change only seemed to happen because Johnson get an injury is frustrating. Kljestan gave the side energy and make some good passes. Would have liked to see more then 20 minutes form him. B+
Eddie Lewis (D) - On for Pearce in the 78'. He still has something, which is good to know if the injury bug comes along. B
Frankie Hejduk (M) - On for Beasley in the 91'. Ran down the balls in his few minutes on the grass. Much like Lewis, he can bring some experience and calm to the side. No grade.
Sub not used: Brad Guzan


Bob Bradley (Coach) - Other then starting Eddie Johnson and then not subbing him out earlier and not giving Adu a bit more time, it was a good night. When Mastroeni was sent off, his changes to the team's setup proved capable of holding off the number one team in the world. Still needs to figure out the offensive problems. B+


So the US comes out on a high note, even without a goal in any of the three games. Hopefully this drought will end next weekend.

US disgraced by England - Players grades

US 0-2 England

Yes, it was only a friendly but it still stings. What the US men showed yesterday at Wembley was one of their worst performances since the World Cup. With the exception of a couple players, no one had a decent night.

So what can we take from this? First of all, no matter how frustrating it can be at times, the US team is based on Donovan. Without him in the lineup, they are missing a huge part of their game. That said, the US should still be far better without Landon then they were yesterday.

Next, we need technical skills. The number of times players missed their runs or just passed the ball directly to an English player was disgusting and don't even get me started on first touches.

Finally, players cannot just stand around waiting for the ball, they need to go make the play happen. The few times that we created any danger in front of the box were a direct result of Eddie Johnson or Clint Dempsey running at defenders.

I can say one positive thing, they didn't go into a full bunker state at any point during the match. They came close for parts of the first half, but they were still looking for a counter to get things going.

So what about grades? Here they are:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Made some good saves and really had no change at the goal he let in. A-
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Looked tired and missed his marks. C
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Best field player by far. Killed threats, held his marks, covered for others and overall, was a quality enforcer. Still needs to work on his speed. A
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - A little rusty and it showed. Didn't cover well and let England turn him a few too many times. C+
Heath Pearce (D) - Was able to hold the left side alright and cut down on the center balls and provided some help in attack. A-
Clint Dempsey (M) - He was the one marking John Terry on the first goal and disappeared for most of the first hour. Late in the second he started showing his skills and causing some trouble for England, but by then his side had given up. B-
Ricardo Clark (M) - I like Clark but he was over matched yesterday and his frustration lead to some stupid fouls including the one that Beckham used to serve up the first goal. C-
Michael Bradley (M) - He was forced to play much more defensively then he likes and it interrupted his game. His passing was not very strong but he did get some good tackles in. Still, if he was suppose to be the provider to the forwards, he failed. C+
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - There were moments but it was obvious that he is not fully recovered from injury. He was the main person moving the ball forward in the first half, but in the end he is not yet match fit. B-
Eddie Johnson (F) - This was EJ's best match in over a year. He was actually getting some great touches, making space, playing the ball well and drawing fouls. His quick turn kick shot in the second half was the highlight of the match for the US (that's not saying much). If only the midfield had provided better service, he might have made something of it. B+
Josh Wolff (F) - Josh, thanks for the time but we are just going in a different direction. C-

Subs
Brad Guzan (GK) (in for Howard 46') - He made some fantastic saves and kept the US from losing by a couple more goals. A
Frankie Hejduk (D) (in for Cherundolo 46') - He's old but he held to England better then Cherundolo. Brought something to the right side. B
Eddie Lewis (M) (in for Beasley in the 68') - Moved the ball better then most in the middle. His center after beating Joe Cole was wonderful. Perhaps his age is not as much of a negative as I thought. B+
Freddy Adu (M) (in for Wolff 68') - Had some creativity but still sent some balls to nowhere land. Should have been in earlier. B
Maurice Edu (M) (in for Clark 78') - He didn't have much time to do anything but he didn't look as out of place as Clark. That said, England was just killing time by the 78'. B
Nate Jaqua (F) (in for Johnson 89') - He came on for the cap. Why Bob Bradley didn't but him in earlier, I'll never know. No Grade

Bob Bradley (Coach) - The late scratch of Donovan threw him a huge curve ball, but still could have done better. With Clark not performing why not give Edu a chance at the half? Also, why did he stick with Wolff for so long? Why not give Jaqua a chance to pair with Johnson for more then just stoppage time? His team was looking flat by the 30' minute but he really didn't bring on the players to change that till after the second goal. C

US 3-0 Poland - We kill you with set pieces, player grades

US 3-0 Poland

Set them up and we'll knock them down. The US rolled over a difficult Polish side thanks to their amazing ability to confuse the defense on free kicks. All three goals were the result of plays from dead ball situation.

Overall the team held together well with the defense looking particularly sharp. Tim Howard had a very easy night in front of net thanks to the work down in front of him. In the midfield, the US won a lot of the possession game and had limited give aways. Up top, well things need improvement.

Any goal is a good goal, so I am not knocking the result, but it would be so nice to get a goal from the run of play (I think I wrote the same thing about the U23s). There is no doubt that America has improved over the last 6 years, but if they want to run with the big boys, a pure striker is needed.

So how did everyone do? Here are my player grades:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Didn't have to do much, but he did it when needed. Did a good job organizing the defense. Grade: A
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Kept the right side clear. The couple times he did get beat, he made some good tickles to get the ball back. A-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - He played a smart, physical game, which closed down options in the center for Poland and didn't earn him a card. This was his best game for the national team in over a year. A
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - He might not be getting the playing time at Fulham, but he still has something. He did get turned a couple times, but he also helped Pearce on the left. Add to it a goal and you have a good night. B
Heath Pearce (D) - Left back is still the weakest position in the US lineup, but Pearce made a good case for himself on the night. His one weak point, bad clearances. B-
Landon Donovan (M) - Landon finally shows something in Europe. His passing was precise, he got back to help on defense and he made himself open for the attack. If only he had finished the breakaway, it would have been a fantastic night. As far as dead balls, I guess Beckham has taught him something. A
Ricardo Clark (M) - Stopped some attacks, but misread plays a bit too often. C+
Michael Bradley (M) - Not a breakout night, but he did a lot of little things, including picking a few pockets. B+
Clint Dempsey (M) - He always seems frustrated these days. His play is still creative, but he never gets the ball in a place where he seems to want it. B
Brian Ching (F) - I'm sure some folks will disagree but Ching showed well. He used his physicality to push his way into space and did okay on the ball. As a target man, he gave the mids a good extra option, which force Poland to double cover him at times. Still needs to speed up his game for the international level and needs to make more of his chances. B-
Eddie Johnson (F) - I really like Johnson, but he has been lost on the pitch for a long time now. He just doesn't seem to see the game happening around him and he is scared to take the shot. C-

Subs
Josh Wolff (F) - On for Ching in the 63'. Found his space and placed some good balls. Still making a case for a start. B+
Jay DeMerit (D) - On for Onyewu in the 63'. Proof that there is some serious depth developing in the center back position. A-
Eddie Lewis (M) - On for Donovan in the 64'. Well maybe he is in the running for a 2010 spot. His free kick was perfect and his field play was strong as well. A-
Jonathan Spector (D) - On for Cherundolo in the 72'. Nice work to keep a clean sheet late and he knows how to get the ball out of the danger zone. B+
Benny Feilhaber (M) - On for Pearce in the 85'. He wasn't in much, but he did make a little noise. His game looked better, but with just 8 minutes of playing time, I can't really grade him. No grade.

Subs not used: Marcus Hahnemann (GK), Cory Gibbs (D)

Goals:
USA - Carlos Bocanegra 12',Oguchi Onyewu 35', Eddie Lewis 73'

One last grade, the new away jersey. Simple black with blood red accents. Looks far better then the home kit. Maybe basic black is the way to go, I mean it is so slimming. A

US 2-2 Mexico - Player Grades

US 2-2 Mexico
The US got outplayed last night and probably should have lost the game, but Tim Howard was just not having any of it. So what is the biggest thing we learned last night? The US is in serious need of some outside backs. Mexico was just racing it in with no interruption till they hit the Bocanegra-Onyewu wall.

There was also the bright spot of Jozy Altidore who appears to have come of age. His skill on the ball along with his speed should make him the striker we have been looking for.

Here are the grades as I see them:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Just outstanding. Put himself where he needed to be and grabbed any ball that came near. Keeping after the ball even when Bocanegra collided with him just proves what he can do. Guzan is good but he's not unseating Howard anytime soon. A+
Drew Moor (D) - Not a good night. He was getting beat on the run of play and was the one marking Magallon on both goals. His one bright moment was the setup of Altidore's goal. C-
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Held his ground well and covered for the mistakes of outside backs. Brought some good physical play to it all. A-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - This was the Gooch's best match in a long time. He was commanding in defense and smart with his play, plus there was the header into the side pocket for the first goal. He still needs to work a bit on his speed, but so does most of the team, and he needs to try and limit the fouls. A
Ramiro Corrales (D) - Another 'not ready for prime time' back. He was sloppy on the ball and got turned over and over. One good thing, he kept on his mark during set pieces. C
Landon Donovan (M) - Where was he? The only time he really touched the ball was on dead balls and he didn't do a very good job with them. Okay, he did pop the ball back over to Gooch for the first goal, but other then that, nothing. C+
Ricardo Clark (M) - He held his own against a very strong Mexican midfield. He didn't shine but he also didn't sink. Decent passing but needs to control the game more. B
Michael Bradley (M) - A man of extremes. At moments he was fantastic and at others he was giving the ball away. The good outweighed the bad, but there is still a lot of space to improve the gap. B
Bobby Convey (M) - Much like Donovan, Convey was lost on the night. A couple decent touches are not enough. C
Jozy Altidore (F) - Jozy more then held his own in his first big international test. He was a little cold at the start but then he started wrecking Mexico's defense. He still has some work to do on his positioning but the technical skills are there. How great was it to watch a US forward get a goal during the run of play? A-
Clint Dempsey (F) - Wowed on the disallowed goal (what a finish) but other then that didn't do much during the game. Maybe this had something to do with it being around 4am London time, but nothing fantastic. C+

Subs
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Dempsey in the 63'. He brought some control to the game and showed a little creativity but he still has a way to go to earn a start. His passing was pretty solid. B
Benny Feilhaber (M) - On for Bradley in the 63'. If this is what he can do without any playing time for his club, imagine where he would stand with some serious minutes. His footwork was really strong and he controlled the pace of the game. Really, why is Derby not playing this man? A-
Eddie Lewis (M) - On for Convey in the 70'. Much better then I expected, seeing as he was not in camp due to injury, but still past his best days. If the team is looking for speed, Lewis is not the answer, but he was still better then Convey. B+
Maurice Edu (M) - On for Clark in the 79'. He brought in the energy needed towards the end of the match, but didn't really have a lot of time to settle. Did a decent job slowing down the Mexican advance. B+

Subs not used: Pat Noonan (F), Michael Parkhurst (D), Brad Guzan (GK)

So overall, the team did well down the center but was missing out wide. They also need to improve their passing skills in order to control the tempo. So where do we go from here? With so many problems on the defensive outside are injured Jonathan Bornstein and Steve Cherundolo the big winners of the night? Was Donovan's slump due to Mexico's increase coverage of him or did the lack of pre-game smack talk keep him from bring motivated? Is there any excuse for not starting Altidore in every possible match? Did the new home jerseys make you think this was just some sort of pickup game outside the golf club?

One final thing, the call by ESPN last night was so much better then what it once was. The topic of conversation was almost always focused on what was happening or just happened on the pitch plus there were moments when the commentators said nothing. They still need to work on some of their camera angles and play backs (I never did see Dempsey offside on his goal), but still a great improvement.

Scoring summary:
USA: Oguchi Onyewu (Landon Donovan) 30', Jozy Altidore (Drew Moor) 40'
Mexico: Jonny Magallon (Pavel Pardo) 35', Jonny Magallon (Carlos Salcido) 47'
Attendance: 70,103

US 2-0 Sweden - Player grades

The US men got a little home pitch revenge on Sweden tonight as they topped the them 2-0 off of goals by Eddie Robinson and Landon Donovan. Donovan's goal means he is now the all-time leader in goals for the US MNT. Although it would have been a lot more fun to see the goal come from the run of play instead of a penalty kick, a goal is a goal. Congratulations all around, and lets hope for many more.

As far as the game was concerned, overall, it was an okay match for the US. They did well on set pieces but their technical touches left a bit to be desired. Several players did standout while others kind of sunk. With that in mind, here are the grades:

Starting XI
Brad Guzan (GK) - He was near perfect on the night. He was called on to make about four big saves and made them all. I think it is safe to call him the number 2 keeper for the squad. A+
Drew Moor (D) - Did great getting up on the right side, but missed his mark on a couple occasions. B
Jimmy Conrad (D) - Didn't really make himself known, but did some decent work on the first half corner kicks. B-
Eddie Robinson (D) - An excellent first cap. The goal was a great reaction shot and his work on defense was wonderful. He picked up people and covered for other's mistakes. A-
Ramiro Corrales (D) - Moved the ball out well but let a few balls sneak in on the left. Still, a good return to the team. B+
Landon Donovan (M) - He found his spots, directed traffic, made good passes and acted like a captain should. He did slack for a bit after getting the pk, but this was still a great night for Donovan. A
Maurice Edu (M) - He put himself into position and worked the game well, but his distributions were not as accurate as they need to be. B+
Ricardo Clark (M) - Smart on defense but didn't push enough to start attacks. B
Brad Davis (M) - Excellent night for Davis. His free and corner kicks were some of the best I've seen for the US in a while. Kept forcing himself into the play. A
Pat Noonan (F) - Worked well with Twellman, especially in the first 15 minutes, but wasn't really making trouble for Sweden. C+
Taylor Twellman (F) - Caused the defense a few moments of frustration but then disappeared. Should have earned a pk in the first half, but over all, a let down of a night. C

Subs
Michael Parkhurst (D) - In for Robinson in the 46'. Made some marking mistakes and didn't clear as well as needed, but kept his mark most of the time. B-
Clarence Goodson (D) - In for Conrad in the 46'. Used his size and distributed well, plus he opened up space for others. B+
Josmer Altidore (F) - In for Twellman in the 46'. Can anyone take the ball away from Altidore? He knows how to hold a ball and force the fouls. His passing can use some sharpening but still a great night. A
Chris Rolfe (F) - In for Noonan in the 63'. His touches were not on the mark and gave up the ball much too easy. He did draw the defense a couple times, but then made bad choices on passes. B-
Sacha Kljestan (M) - In for Davis in the 71'. Needed to play the holding game better. Kind of disappeared. B-
Jeremiah White (M) - In for Donovan in the 81'. Not really on the long to make a mark. Had a couple touches that were okay, but overall, didn't leave much of an impression. No Grade

So overall, the team was lacking up top, did great in the middle and held their own on defense. That seems to be the common thread throughout most US national matches these days. As far as the striker role is concerned, Altidore made a great case for a start against Mexico in February. Put Dempsey behind him and Donovan out on the wing in the middle and see what happens.

Goals:
Robinson - 15'
Donovan (pk) - 48'

US 1-0 Switzerland - Player grades

US MNT 1-0 Switzerland
Was this match a sign of things to come for the US? The way the young guard rolled into their positions has got to make even the most skeptically fan at least a little happy. Yes, it was just a friendly, but it was obvious Switzerland did not want to lose it.

But as much fun as it was to watch the youth make their debut, the thing I liked best is the way the team adjusted to the Swiss backline. In the past, Team America has been easy to frustrate because they would just keep attacking in the same way even when the results were nothing. Last night, their style of attack shifted as the young players took the field. There was a sense of the unexpected and that allowed them to knock the Swiss off their stride just enough to get a goal.

The US still has some weaknesses such as their free kicks. None of the four people that took meaningful kicks (in the final third) really did much with them. The playing surface could have something to do with that, but Switzerland was able to send in some good balls, so I'm not sure.

Overall, a very balanced match that showed the US can play and win in Europe. So here are my player grades:
Starting XI
Marcus Hahnemann (GK) - He was not really tested much in his half, but when he was needed he was there. A-
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Steve did what was needed but did not spend a lot of time around the ball. He did miss his mark on a couple corners. B
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - It is good to try and get in the head of your mark but not when it distracts you from the rest of the match. The yellow wasn't justified, but it is no surprise. He did hold his own and disrupted the push forward. B+
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Providing cover in the back and pushing forward when needed. He was everywhere and showing strong leadership as captain. A
Eddie Lewis (D/M) - He didn't have much time in the back but he did break up a couple balls. It took him some time to click into the midfield role when Beasley went out, but he did get a flow going. B
Benny Feilhaber (M) - Not an outstanding performance but was doing some of the little things to win balls. His touch was a bit off on the passes. B
Maurice Edu (M) - Excellent first game for Edu. He adjusted well and found holes. Also, he seemed to keep his feet better then anyone else on the slick pitch. A-
Michael Bradley (M) - Bradley has a way of causing something to happen in the 80+ minute range, but normally it is a hard foul that results in a red card. This game's big moment was much better then that. Not a great game but still really good. A-
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Early injury means no grade for Beasley.
Taylor Twellman (F) - Sadly, a big weak point on the pitch for the US. He was not finding space and was absent. He did pull back into the midfield a few times to get the ball, but with the Swiss defense what it was, there was little chance of taking it all the way. C
Clint Dempsey (F) - He was out of step for much of the first half, but started pulling it together in the second (it actually started after Beasley went off, so one has to wonder if more fault lies with his teammates). His willingness to muscle the opposition is something the US needs and his passing is spot on. Also, loved the 'hard charging' run when he was subbed out. A-

Subs
Heath Pearce (D, on for Beasley in 31') - Handled the side wonderfully. Got beat a few times but recovered. Overall, a great outing. A
Brad Guzan (GK, on for Hahnemann in 46') - Was a bit shaky at times but with all the work taking place in front of him, he held together well. A-
Dan Califf (D, on for Onyewu in 46') - Held up in the middle and didn't make a fuss. A-
Freddy Adu (F, on for Twellman in 77') - It might just have been 15-minutes, but it was still a great showing. His passing and ability to force his way into space (while staying on his feet) was wonderful. However, when golden chances come for goals, you need to finish. A
Danny Szetela (D, on for Lewis in 84') - Not on for long, but did excite in the attack. Will be fun to watch him develop. Gentleman’s B
Robbie Findley (F, on for Dempsey in 90') - Not on long enough to get a grade.

It is always nice to see so much goodness coming off the bench.

US 2-4 Brazil - Good match, poor calls and player grades

US MNT 2-4 Brazil
That Brazil won this match is not a big surprise, however it is amazing how much poor calls by Mexican referee Armando Archundia caused the result.

Not to take anything away from Brazil but Archundia did not call an obvious pk against Brazil for the take down of Josh Wolf yet somehow managed to see a foul against Ronaldinho after Bocanegra clearly got the ball away from him. That foul lead to Ronaldinho's goal. That's a two-goal difference in the match, but those we not the only missed calls. Twice Brazil had handballs not called and at least twice hard tackles went uncalled. Other then the card against Robinho for the dive right before the half, he basically let the men in yellow run the match.

But enough of that, let's talk about the play overall because this was one of the best matches by the US in some time. Their passing, which was nowhere in Sweden, returned as did a quick style of play. How nice was it to see the team just take off instead of holding it in the back allowing the opposition to flood all their players behind the ball while they figured out where they wanted to go. Also, nice work taking balls off the feet of the Brazilians.

The fact that the team played Brazil so close that a few poor calls could have changed the outcome of the match does say a lot for the performance the side put on today. Yes, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Robinho and Afonso had their moments, but they were only moments. Brazil did not dictate the pace of this entire match.

The US national team is past the days of moral victories, but this is as close as we can come to having one. We played the best team in the world and were able to run with them. Now the question is can we make this happen again and in a match that counts?

Still, this game made me feel good about the shape the team is taking as we head toward World Cup qualifying next year.

Here are the grades:
Staring XI
Tim Howard (GK) - It is hard to fault Howard on any of the goals but he needs to do more to organize his back line. B
Cherundolo (D) - He watched the wings and forced Brazil to move inside. B
Onyewu (D) - This has nothing to do with the own goal, which he could do nothing about. This grade is for his poor clearance skills, lack of physical play and all around poor marking. C+
Bocanegra (D) - He covered for the mistakes of others and forced balls away from the area. B
Pearce (D) - Was the weakest spot on defense. Brazil was flying down his side. He did put in some good time in attack but was not on top of it in the back. C
Bradley (M) - Did a wonderful job containing in the middle and redirecting attacks, however, yet again, he makes a very stupid play late that costs his time big time. Maybe the key is to never let him play past the 75th minute. B-
Feilhaber (M) - He did a hundred little things that disrupted the Brazilian, but did not play much in the US attack. Still, keeping the ball away from Kaka might have been the best 'offensive' thing he could do. B
Donovan (M) - With the exception of the corner kick that lead to the first goal, he was a non-factor in this one. Did not lead and often gave the ball away. C-
Beasley (M) - He was everywhere and had some great passes. Plus, when he moved back to defense after Arnaud, the line got stronger, but he needs to work on his free kicks big time. B
Wolff (F) - Nothing like taking the action right to the defense but he still gave the ball away a bit too often. B-
Dempsey (F) - He showed some great ball control and his goal was some of the smartest play in the whole game, but he is still far from an attacking forward. His play is that of an attacking midfielder, but if he is going to play up top, he needs to learn how to change things up. Still, great to see a player unafraid to play a little rough. A-

Subs
Eddie Johnson (F) (on in the 70' for Wolff) - The good news is he didn't look nervous and even made a couple smart plays, but over all, he was not a threat. Granted he wasn't given much, but a late striker sub needs to create some of his own chances. C
Convey (M) (on in the 71' for Feilhaber) - It was obvious that the year off due to injury has decreased his skill as he was far from good. Gentleman’s D
Arnaud (F) (on in the 86' for Pearce) - He stepped on the pitch with one desire, move the ball toward the Brazilian goal and that is what he did. Also won a couple balls and challenged players. Normally I wouldn't give a grade because of his short time on the pitch, but I did like what I saw so I'll say light B+.

US 2-1 Mexico - US comes from behind to take Gold and Player Grades

USA 2-1 Mexico
The US men came back from a halftime deficit to win the Gold Cup making it the first time since 1934 that America came from behind to beat Mexico. The story of this game is really a story of two halves as the US kept getting schooled in the first half but flipped the tables in the second. Perhaps the best reason for this change was the work of Ricardo Clark in the second 45. He brought some great passing and forced the team forward. This change forced Mexico to start attacks from deep in their own side causing fewer chances for El Tri. Where as Mexico threatened again and again in the first half, the second saw only scattered offensive sparks.

As happy as this moment is for the US, there is still the matter of failing to finish. There were at least three more fantastic opportunities for the Nats that they failed to connect. Had any of those found the net, the match would have been much less exciting in the final few moments. That said, Mexico made next to nothing of the many chances they could have had. Only 1 of 10 corner kicks resulted in something really scary and twice the ball went right in front of the goal face with no one getting to it.

Goals:
Mexico: Jose Andres Guardado (1) 44'
USA: Landon Donovan (4) pk 62', Benny Feilhaber (1) 73'

Player Grades
Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - He came up with some wonderful saves and helped guide his backline. A
Jonathan Spector (D) - Spector was out matched on the day and was run ragged by Guardado. Hope his head is doing better. C
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - The Gooch did well in the center but when he went to cover out wide, he was caught off. He used his size well but his speed, or lack there of, almost caused some big pain. B+
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Go Carlos Go. He kept popping up everywhere he was needed. His cover kept the shortcomings of Spector and Bornstein less painful. A
Jonathan Bornstein (D) - At the start of the match things looked real bad along the side but as the pressure fell on the back, Bornstein recovered and started interrupting. Still, he got stripped to start the Mexican attack that finished with a goal. C+
Clint Dempsey (M/F) - Dempsey silently worked his way into space and played some good in balls but he was looking frustrated as time went by. Don't know if he was just tired or if Bradley's chances were not to his liking but it was a poor end to a good tournament. B
Benny Feilhaber (M) - That goal alone is enough to get him a good mark, however much of the rest of his match was not so wonderful. He did work better with Clark then Mastroeni. B+
Pablo Mastroeni (M) - He did not assert himself and had bad first touch. C+
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Seems like a number of people didn't think he had that great of a match but I thought he did a good jump of being where needed to his passes were some of the best (especially early in the match). B+
Brian Ching (F) - The proof that soccer is not a fair is seen in Brian's lack of a goal in this match. He had great ball control and forced his way around players. He is still not McBride quality but unlike more of the US's forwards, he is not afraid to attack. A-
Landon Donovan (F/M) - I didn't think his first half was that great but in the second he turned it around. Started placing the balls were they needed to go and making those wonderful runs. A-

Subs
Ricardo Clark (M) - On for Mastroeni in the 46'. Mexico didn't know how to react to Clark. The Red, White and Blue started slipping behind them because of the work of Clark, plus he managed to track back on defense. Mexico could not get themselves together due in large part his work. A
Taylor Twellman (F) - On for Dempsey in the 69'. Taylor pushed harder in this outing but he acted more as a supplier then an attacker. B-
Frank Simek (D) - On for Spector in the 72'. He held up his side alright thanks to Mexico looking a little tired in the final 20-minutes. Nothing fantastic, nothing horrible. B-

This game will go down as a classic between the two nations and was a wonderful ending to the 2007 Gold Cup.

The win gives the US the wonderful reward of a 2009 berth into the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Not only will this give the Nats a number of difficult challenges in the various World Cup stadiums a year ahead of the finals but it will also provide them with a generous financial windfall.

US 2-1 Canada, the US sneaks into the final and Player Grades

US 2-1 Canada
The Nats continued their trend of dominating matches but not finishing chances. They actually came out strong at the start of both halves but did very little with it. Their midfield was beating Canada to the punch (great job tying up DeGuzman and preventing him from started the offense) and their defense was holding the line but up top, it was not a pretty night. Perfect summation of this was Donovan's whiff of the open shot in the box.

The other position that looked a bit weak was Keller in goal. I don't know if it was the couple earlier knocks he took but there was mass communication failure and odd choices being made by Kasey.

So what about that last play of the game? Two things. First, it hit off Onyewu so it should not have been offside. Second, it was past the four-minute mark so it should never have happened in the first place. Both of these were bad calls by the ref. Sadly, these were not the only two bad (or missed) calls during the game.

The US played the better soccer for about 75-minutes of the match but Canada was more threatening during their brief time in control.

Goals: US - Hejduk (1) 39', Donovan (3) pk 45'
Canada - Hume (1) 76'

Here are the player grades:
Starting XI
Keller (GK) - Like I said above, he was not communicating and made some odd decision on when to come off his line. The worst I've ever seen him in a national jersey. C
Hejduk (D) - Was running all over the place and controlling DeRosario better then most. Made some good passes but got an undeserved yellow card so will sit out the final. B+
Onyewu (D) - The Gooch was everywhere in the back. He finally had a game where he covered and controlled without over doing it and picking up a dumb card. Was the man that stopped so much. A
Bocanegra (D) - He made Canadian players disappear. Had some smart runs forward as well. A-
Bornstein (D) - The back that had the least to do on the night. He kind of stayed on his marks and disrupted a few passes, but was not really a key. There was a lot that could have been exploited but thankfully was not. B-
Donovan (M) - Landon created some chances but everyone time he had the chance, he flushed it away. Also, either his passing was very off or lots of folks were not making their runs. Still, he was not afraid to get in the box. B
Bradley (M) - He was having an amazing night (like man of the match night) until the stupid red card. As great as the 88 minutes were prior to that foul, his grade takes a big hit for putting his side in such a bad spot. C+
Mastroneni (M) - He was playing the backup to Bradley, so when Michael missed the chance to take the ball, Mastroneni was there to capture. He did look tired towards the end. B+
Beasley (M) - He was trying to ignite down and did look dangerous when in the area but too often he sent the ball wide, be it by shot or pass. B
Dempsey (F) - Clint tried to be the creative man in the middle but the ball always seemed to get away from him on the second touch. Did not push as much in front of goal as he has but stilled controlled balls. B+
Johnson (F) - How can he have so little fire on the international stage? If he wasn't pushing too much and getting offside, he pushed none at all. The one good thing, he does manage to get two defenders on him whenever he touches the ball, however with little support, he can't do much with it. C

Subs
Feilhaber (M) - On for Johnson in the 80th. Canada was building but when Benny came in, he threw a wrench in it until Bradley got the red card. B+
Taylor Twellman (F) - On for Dempsey in the 88th. He wasn't on long but he tried to give the team some time by taking the balls he got into the corner. Gentleman’s B
Ricardo Clark (M) - On for Mastroeni in the 89th. I'm not sure he touched the ball once so I can't really give him a grad. N/A

The team now gets ready for Mexico on Sunday afternoon in Chicago.

Mexico 1-0 Guadeloupe
Mexico was able to finely control a match and they still almost got beat. El Tri had their best outing of the whole Gold Cup and should go into the final feeling much better then they would have on Sunday. For Guadeloupe, it was a fantastic evening for goalkeeper Franck Grandel as he stopped a number of good chances from Mexico. So this means that both teams in the final have trouble finishing their chances. Should make for an interesting game.
Goal: Pardo (1) 70'

US 2-1 Panama - US dominates but has holes - Player grades

USA 2-1 Panama
I've never seen a team dominate so much but look so scared in the process. Once they went up by two and Panama lost a player due to red card, most of the squad, much like a large part of the audience, seemed to tune out. They failed to clear balls and made amazingly poor passes that allowed Panama to sneak back into it.

The US got the win, but in doing so revealed again their problems with finishing and the connecting passes. Panama is the best team the Nats has face so far in the Gold Cup and they should be a little concerned about how the played. The defense had their moments but seemed very disorganized. Panama's goal was a keystone cops moment in the backfield.

The good news is the US is getting better at breaking down teams that try to play in a bunker against them.
Goals:
US: Landon Donovan (2) pk 59', Carlos Bocanegra (1) 63'
Panama: Blas Perez (3) 84'

Here are the player grades:
Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Made a couple big saves but needs to do more to direct the backline. There was nothing he could do to stop that goal. A-
Jonathan Bornstein (D) - He was working hard in the corner and picked some pockets but also allowed a few too many balls to slip in. B-
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - He got a goal but on defense he was caught out of position a number of times and didn't clear that well. B-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - The Gooch did a lot in this match and managed to find just the right touch to prevent fouls from going against him. He still got a yellow, but it was a bad call. He was the only part of the defense that didn't seem to shutdown in the final 15-minutes. A-
Frankie Hejduk (D) - Bob Bradley wanted him to push forward and he did just that. Lots of long runs that added pressure but his work on defense was soft overall and towards the end he kept giving the ball away. B
Michael Bradley (M) - He works well with the rest of the midfield but his passing was sour. C+
Pablo Mastroeni (M) - He spring a number of balls but didn't take a lot away from Panama. B
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Another good game out of Beasley. He was pushing down the side and trying to set people up. Also, great work on dead balls. A
Landon Donovan (M) - Landon was the spark for the team by doing both the big and little things. He still doesn't have a killer look at goal but it is getting closer. A
Taylor Twellman (F) - He had a number of chances and could not finish them. Yes, the 'almosts' are getting closer but if he's not scoring... C
Clint Dempsey (F) - The was not his finest game but he still made some good moves to push the ball into position. Also, he is one of the main reasons Panama was screaming at the ref in frustration as he kept finding little pockets. A

Subs
Steve Ralston (M) - On for Twellman in the 71st. I don't think it was his fault but once Ralston came on, the middle stopped winning balls and the tide began to change. He didn't have many chances to move the ball up and caused some confusion in front of his own box. B-
Brian Ching (F) - On for Dempsey in the 84th. Not on for long, but did try to push forward. B
Ricardo Clark (M) - On for Donovan in the 89th. Again, not really on long enough to make a mark but did win a couple balls in his five minutes. Gentleman’s B

Next up for the US is Canada in the semifinal this Thursday at Soldier Field in Chicago (tickets).

Golden Boot
4 - Carlos Pavón - Honduras
3 - Carlos Costly - Honduras
3 - Walter Centeno - Costa Rica
3 - Ali Gerba - Canada
3 - Blas Pérez - Panama
2 - Julián de Guzmán - Canada
2 - Dwayne De Rosario - Canada
2 - Reynier Alcántara - Cuba
2 - José Luis Garcés - Panama
2 - Landon Donovan - USA
2 - DaMarcus Beasley - USA
2 - Amado Guevara - Honduras

US wins Group A - Player grades

US 4-0 El Salvador
The US men came out and made it a big night for all the fans in Foxborough as they finally started playing up to their quality. All aspects of this team were connecting as the backline moved together, the midfield created chances and the forwards knew where to place the ball. There is no such thing as a perfect game but this was just about as close as a team can get.

Yes, the offense still failed to finish a number of chances and the defense got beat a handful of times, but the squad did not get frustrated. Instead, they adapted. El Salvador was the better team for the first 15-minutes of the second half but Bob Bradley made a few chances while the players talked to one another and slowly found their way out of it.
Goals:
USA: DaMarcus Beasley (1) 34', (2) 89', Landon Donovan (1) pk 45+', Taylor Twellman (1) 73'

With the win, the US takes first place in Group B with a full nine points from 7 goals. By the way, the team still has not conceded a goal. Also, Guadeloupe from Group A has earned a spot in the quarterfinals due to the USA's victory.

Player grades:
Tim Howard (GK) - Not on call much but did come up with a couple saves. His distribution is also getting better. A
Jonathan Spector (D) - Was beat a number of times and had trouble clearing the ball. B-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Timid at first but calmed down and stated becoming a force. Needs to watch the cards and work on his service. B+
Michael Parkhurst (D) - Forced a few mistakes from El Salvador and had some quick passes but still lagged a little at times. B+
Jonathan Bornstein (D) - Loved using his speed to force the issue on the attack but was out thought on a number of occasions. Note, can't just run through physical matter. B
Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Welcome back, here is your yellow card. Showed some rust by not working great with others but started a few good attacks. B
Michael Bradley (M) - Had an off night. Passes were intercepted and his timing was off with his tackles. C+
Benny Feilhaber (M) - Much quieted on the night but did the little things that forced El Salvador out of position while stealing a number of balls. B+
Clint Dempsey (F/M) - He was everywhere making plays happen. Passes were spot on, took some great looks at goal, broke up plays and overall did everything he could and didn't even break a sweat doing it. A+
Landon Donovan (F) - It is obvious he is happy because he was playing great. He ran at players and made some good passes and his dead ball deliveries are getting better. A
DaMarcus Beasley (F) - How could I forget about Beasley (thanks Kinney)? Another wonderful night. Picked apart the defense and made some quick reactions and not just for his goals. This was the Beasley we all love to see. A+

Subs
Taylor Twellman (F) - On for Donovan in the 46th. He loves playing in front of the home crowd. He put himself into position using his muscle and teamed well with Ching. A
Brian Ching (F) - On for Bradley in the 63rd. He worked it as the provider as he placed a number of balls in for Twellman, Beasley and Dempsey. His touches were still a bit off but they are getting closer. B+
Frank Simek (D) - On for Spector in the 82nd. Didn't have much time to judge but did stop one buildup. Gentleman’s B

Trinidad & Tobago 1-1 Guatemala
T&T gave Guatemala more then they thought they would get as the Soca Warriors were able to hang around just enough to get leave the Gold Cup with a point. Guatemala had their chances but somehow T&T stopped them.
Goals:
Guatemala: Carlos Ruiz (1) 83'
T&T: Errol McFarlane (1) 87'

Guatemala takes the second spot in Group B and will face Canada on Saturday.

Here are the Gold Cup tables:
Group A

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Canada	6	3	2	1	0	5	3	+2
Costa Rica	4	3	1	1	1	3	3	0
Guadeloupe	4	3	1	1	1	3	3	0
Haiti	2	3	0	1	2	2	4	-2

Group B

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
USA	9	3	3	0	0	7	0	+7
Guatemala	4	3	1	1	1	2	2	0
El Salvador	3	3	1	2	0	2	6	-4
T&T	1	3	0	2	1	2	5	-3

Group C

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Panama	4	2	1	0	1	5	4	+1
Honduras	3	2	1	1	0	4	4	0
Mexico	3	2	1	1	0	3	3	0
Cuba	1	2	0	1	1	3	4	-1

Golden boot leaders:
3 - Carlos Costly - Honduras
3 - Walter Centeno - Costa Rica
2 - Julián de Guzmán - Canada
2 - Dwayne De Rosario - Canada
2 - Reynier Alcántara - Cuba
2 - José Luis Garcés - Panama
2 - Blas Pérez - Panama
2 - DaMarcus Beasley - USA

US 2-0 T&T player grades

USA 2-0 Trinidad & Tobago
They got a victory and did not surrender a goal, but the US still suffered from a lack of finishing against the depleted Trinidad & Tobago. The inexperienced side that took the pitch at the start had trouble settling till Landon Donovan was inserted at the start of the second. Overall, the team looked better on the night then they did Thursday, but much of that has to do with the easier challenge T&T presented. With the win, the US has earned a spot in the Quarterfinals.
Goals:
US: Brian Ching (1) 29', Eddie Johnson (1) 54'

Here are the grades for the US players:
Starting XI
Kasey Keller (GK) - Whenever he was called on, he made a save. Great job controlling his backline. A
Frank Simek (D) - Had a decent day in covering T&T's attack and was vital in taking a lot of balls forward. Needs to work on his passing. B
Jay DeMerit (D) - He knows how to force an attacker to miss a touch without causing the foul. Was not as much of a factor going forward, but held the backline tight. B+
Michael Parkhurst (D) - Got beat a couple times and disappeared at times. C+
Jonathan Spector (D) - He played his side very loose and it almost cost the US. C
Steve Ralston (M) - Good job placing balls into position and being the setup man. B
Benny Feilhaber (M) - Pushed the team forward and kept the ball in the attacking half. Even late in the first half, he had some legs on him. Guided much of the US attack. A
Ricardo Clark (M) - A so-so outing for Clark. Got his pocket picked a few times and needs to work on his placement of passes. B-
Justin Mapp (M) - He owned his side of the pitch. Great job racing behind T&T's defense and his centers were strong. A
Brian Ching (F) - Still having troubles finishing. His one strike was basically Mapp just bouncing the ball off him, however, he will go for just about any ball with little regard to the pain it might cause. B-
Eddie Johnson (F) - He actually looked at goal during this one and made some good runs (like the one with Donovan to get his goal). Still, he seems more apt to pass in the box then take the shot. B-

Subs
Landon Donovan (M) - Came in for Feihaber and upped what Benny was doing. Donovan was everywhere on the pitch. He took most of the pressure off the defense and supplied some good stuff to the offense. His skill on the second goal, including his smart tap over to Johnson for the finish, was near perfect. This is the leadership role one expects from Donovan. A+
Taylor Twellman (F) - Came in for Johnson. Taylor was trying to push harder but didn't get a lot of balls to prove his worth. B

I've been harsh on our defense over the last two games, but I must point out that the US is the only team in the Gold Cup that has yet to surrender a goal. This is because even when one guy makes a mistake, someone else is there to cover.

Here are the Gold Cup tables:
Group A

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Guadeloupe	4	2	1	0	1	3	2	+1
Canada	3	2	1	1	0	3	3	0
Haiti	2	2	0	0	2	2	2	0
Costa Rica	1	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1

Group B

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
USA	6	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3
El Salvador	3	2	1	1	0	2	2	0
Guatemala	3	2	1	1	0	1	1	0
T&T	0	2	0	2	0	1	4	-3

Group C

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Panama	4	2	1	0	1	5	4	+1
Honduras	3	2	1	1	0	4	4	0
Mexico	3	2	1	1	0	3	3	0
Cuba	1	2	0	1	1	3	4	-1

The top two teams from each group and the two best third place teams advance. At this moment these teams would advance.
Group A: Guadeloupe, Canada
Group B: USA, El Salvador
Group C: Panama, Honduras
Third place: C3 Mexico, B3 Guatemala
If this held, the US and Mexico would face either other next Saturday in the first quarterfinal in Boston.

Gold Cup Day 2 - US wins but comes out flat, player grades

USA 1-0 Guatemala

The US got the needed three points from their first match but they looked less then inspiring while doing it. The first half saw the team come together and pressure hard at times, but they missed a number of easy chances. It really should have been 2 or 3 nil going into the locker room but the Nats just could not respond.

Guatemala's plan for the second 45-minutes was obvious about 2 minutes in, play rough and try to force some US mistakes. It worked shockingly well. The US did not know how to play this style of physical soccer. Part of the problem was ref José Pineda who let Guatemala get away with fouls that the US was getting carded for, however a good team needs to learn how to stay calm during such matches.

The perfect example of the frustration of the team was Oguchi Onyewu. His first yellow was a weak call but the second was just stupid play. Guatemala was hoping someone would take their bait and sure enough the Gooch bit down hard. If there was a good bit of news on the night it is that the US calmed down once they went down to 10. Guatemala still pressured at times, but the US was able to kill off the game.

It was an ugly victory, but a victory nonetheless.
Goal: Clint Dempsey (1) 26'

Here are the players’ grades:

Tim Howard (GK) - He didn't have a lot to do, but when he was needed, he was there. A
Frankie Hejduk (D) - Covered for other defenders and was the calmest person in the backline. B-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Missed his marks, was not working in unison with the line and let his frustration get the best of him, thus putting his side in a difficult situation. A horrible night all around that makes the US's defensive situation only that much worse. F
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Was out of position a number of times and could not figure out how to control the counters. C
Jonathan Bornstein (D) - He was getting beat all over the place but did make a few timely clearances. C+
Michael Bradley (M) - Got himself involved in a lot of plays and won more then his share of the 50-50 balls. Still needs to work a bit on the passing - B+
Benny Feihaber (M) - Benny was the center of the team last night. He was all over the pitch setting up or stopping plays. His work rate and technical skill was the best on the field. A
Landon Donovan (M) - His crosses are getting better but still need some work. Good job breaking up plays, but did not create many. Also, he showed very little leadership to calm the game down. B-
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - This was his best game for the national team in awhile. He was doing great getting wide and sending in good balls. However, he, like many on the team, needs to learn to take the shot. A-
Taylor Twellman (F) - How did Twellman not get a goal? He was working himself into position, but he could not finish. Everything else was really good, but forwards need to score. B-
Clint Dempsey (F) - Dempsey as a forward, interesting. He made the most of the situation, but it is not his position. His goal and he made some things happen, but over time, his play slowed. B

Subs
Eddie Johnson (F) - Where is the EJ we have seen in the MLS this season? He was scared out there and not using his talent to push the defense back. C-
Steve Ralston (M/D) - Won some balls but made very little impact on the game. C+
Jay DeMerit (D) - He calmed his side down after the Gooch ejection by breaking up attacks and holding the ball. B+

El Salvador 2-1 Trinidad & Tobago
The other match of the night saw a T&T side lacking in talent almost get a share of the points from El Salvador. T&T looked much better then I thought they would while El Salvador looked a little worse. This was not a very exciting match as most of it was played in the middle third of the pitch but we did learn that T&T has some speed on them, even if it comes with little technical skill while El Salvador will shoot just about ever chance they can.
Goals:
El Salvador: Ramon Sanchez (1) 38', Dennis Alas (1) 81'
T&T: Silvio Spann (1) 8'


Here are the Gold Cup tables:
Group A

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Canada	3	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Haiti	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	0
Guadeloupe	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	0
Costa Rica	0	1	0	1	0	1	2	-1

Group B

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
El Salvador	3	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
USA	3	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
T&T	0	1	0	1	0	1	2	-1
Guatemala	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	-1

Group C

Team	Pts	GP	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD
Cuba	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Honduras	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

US 0-0 Guatemala - Review and player grades

Well that was a bit disappointing. All credit to Guatemala, they did what they setout to do and they did it well. They proved, yet again, that the US is bad in games were they have to work quickly in tight situations. One and two touch soccer is not our strong point and never has been. However, now that we are one of the big dogs of CONCACAF, we are going to need to change that or keep getting the same result as last night. That said, for the most part, everyone had a good performance, they just couldn't finish (as seen by the about 80 minutes when the ball was under US control). Anyway, here are the player grades:

Starting Lineup
Kasey Keller (GK) - Didn't have a lot to do on the night, but did a good job organizing the backline. I like his quick release style, but he still over kicks the ball way too often. Grade: B

Frank Simek (D) - A good first night on the job for Simek. He was instrumental in getting a lot of the plays started. B

Jay DeMerit (D) - Another good debut. His work rate was great. Wonderful at positioning himself to stop the play. B

Jimmy Conrad (D) - Better then Sunday, but he still let Carlos Ruiz get loose on a corner kick. When a team only really has one offensive option, you need to stick to him on corners. Still, he was very productive overall, especially with his long balls and shut Ruiz down for the rest of the night. B

Jonathan Spector (D) - He made a few key stops that made the rest of the defense's job easier and man does he know how to force a team offside. B-

Clint Dempsey (M) - The Deuce grew during the match and once Cooper came in and the field shuffled, he was in a much better position. He was busy forcing himself in the box and almost got on the end of more then a few balls. I really loved it when he exchanged words with the Guatemalan keeper late in the game for time wasting. He started playing mind games, just which he did it earlier. A-

Benny Feilhaber (M) - Feilhaber is making a name for himself. Not as amazing as Sunday, but with a flooded midfield, he did a fine job of keeping the ball moving. B-

Michael Bradley (M) - He can play in tight situations and he, much like Feilhaber, kept the ball moving. Still, he needs to work on his passes. B

Justin Mapp (M) - Wow, he took over parts of this game. He was the only player to make multiple long runs and cut his way through the defensive line. Now he just needs to work on his centering. If he had got a couple of those crosses off a little quicker, the game would not have ended 0-0. A

Landon Donovan (F/M) - Landon is not a forward. He was lost up there. Watching him try and use his head was just painful and why did he keep going into the center of the pitch? Once he shifted, he got much better, but he needs to improve his corner kicks. B-

Eddie Johnson (F) - Everyone wanted last night to be Eddie's night, but it just wasn't to be. He had a couple good chances and he even took the shots, but they were both to the keeper. He could have had a few more good chances, but his first touch was usually not a good one. C

Subs
Kenny Cooper 59' (F) - His addition took the wait off Donovan and opened up the field. He worked outside, great thing, but he still doesn't seem to use his size enough to force problems for the defense. A little more physical play could go a long way. B

Brian Mullan 67' (M) - His addition allowed Dempsey to attack further. That said, he didn't seem to move around the field enough to open up passing lanes. B-

Wade Barrett 74' (D/M) - In his few minutes, he didn't really get called on much. B-

Other Grade
ESPN2 - More coverage of the game with better explanations of who the players are and what lies ahead for the US team. Would have liked to hear them talk more about the Gold Cup (especially since tickets went on sale today), but I guess since they will not carry those games, they don’t care much about them. B

Bob Bradley - His hands were tied a bit due to the late scratches of Twellman and Beasley, but he should have found some way to move Donovan back quicker. The fact that the team came out after halftime with the same plan of attack as they had in the first half, makes me wonder. C+

Guatemalan team - The did a great job clogging up the field and accomplished more of their goals then the US did. However, they showed a real lack of class with all the 'injuries' late in the match. I know, Italy won a World Cup using this strategy, but it still makes for crappy soccer. B+

Refs - Was it just me or did other people think Jorge Larrionda was on the pitch last night? (For those who might not remember, Larrionda was the ref for our Italian World Cup match.) Our player is on he ground and gets the ball kicked into his chest repeatedly while being surrounded by Guatemalan players and the call is a hand ball against the US? Meanwhile, Guatemalans are diving all over the pitch and getting free kicks because of it? Then there was the obvious time wasting, yet Benito Archundia did nothing. And what about when Guatemalan coach Luis Suarez was interfering with a US throw in? No card, just a talking to by the fourth official? Makes no sense. F

US 3-1 Ecuador: Player grades

There is no doubt about it, Landon Donovan had his best performance in years today in Tampa Bay. Sparked on by a desire to move past his World Cup woes, he showed why so many people swear by his talent. However, he was not the only American to walk the pitch, so lets take a look at how each one performed.

Tim Howard (GK) - He made a few good saves and one major one early on, however, he didn't organize his backline as much as he could have. His ability to stop balls is strong, however, he needs to work on leadership. Grade: B

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Okay, I was not impressed with any of the starting four defenders as they all suffered from a lack of organization (the Ecuador goal was due to a complete failure by all of them). With more playing time this will improve. As far as Carlos, he did settle, but he never seemed calm. Grade: C+

Steve Cherundolo (D) - Steve seemed to center himself before the rest of the backline, but still was lacking. He did deliver some good balls during the second half, but all and all, not that great. Grade: B-

Jimmy Conrad (D) - After the gifted performance against Mexico, I was hoping for better. He wasn't forcing turnovers, nor was he making smart runs into the other half. He still has good talent, but the twinkle was missing today. Grade: C+

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - He wasn't using his size to intimidate Ecuador. I've never seen him beat so many times by his mark. The good news is he focused in the second half and did add a threat on dead balls, but it never fully gelled. Grade: C+

Clint Dempsey (M) - Where was he? The only time he seemed to be on the ball was when he was running it into the corner. Also, his passes were just a mess. He seems to be more focus on club then country, which is fine for now, but let's hope he will reemerge come Gold Cup time. Grade: D

Benny Feilhaber (M) - A very good debut for Benny. He missed some passes early on, but he made some corrections and worked out some good feeds to Donovan and others. He was a little slow to track back at points, but still a solid first show. Grade: B+

DaMarcus Beasley (M) - He is getting better, but it has not all returned. He gave away a few too many balls and misses a number of passes, but he was able to put together a strong 15-minute run in the second half. Grade: B-

Landon Donovan (M/F) - Anytime you get a hat trick you've had a good game, but what added to this was his ability to complete passes. For the majority of the first 45-minutes, he was the only American out there that did such a thing consistently. He was a leader all over the place and best of all, was not afraid to take the shot. Now the question becomes can he do this in games that matter? Grade: A+

Eddie Johnson (F) - His abilities are returning, but his confidence on the shot is still nowhere to be found. He was able to pressure Ecuador's backline and was so close to breaking free a number of times, but he just could not realize it. Still, this is far better then where he was. Now he needs to lean to take the shot. Grade: B-

Brian Ching (F) - Ching is willing to do anything to get his team ahead, even if it means breaking a piece of his head. Obviously he is trying to take over the 'bloody during every match' roll the Brian McBride once held. Still, he was missing for a large chunk of the first half. Grade: B+

Subs
Michael Bradley (M - 46') - Bradley came in and turned he dynamic of the match. He was feeding balls perfectly and forcing holes all over Ecuador's half and he even made some quick moves to save the defense. A great outing, but he still has a little maturing to do. Who knows if his dad will continue to be with the national team, but Michael sure will be. Grade: A

Taylor Twellman (F - 73') - By the time Twellman got on, the US was not in much of an offensive mood, still he could have worked harder are forcing some chances. He did track back to help steal the ball in mid-field a few times, but without much to work with, he didn't have much to do. Grade: B-

Jonathan Spector (D - 80') - He was only in for 10-minutes and by then Ecuador was slowing, but he was a great example of what can be done on defense. Grade: B

Brian Mullan (M - 80') - Just like Spector, not in for long, and didn't really have much to do with the game. Grade: B-

Justin Mapp (M - 83') - He saw little playing time, but just about ever touch he had resulted in Ecuador stealing the ball. I'm sure if he had more time, he would have settled, but a late sub needs to come in and work fast. Grade: C+

Brian Carroll (M - 91') - He was on just a minute, but what a minute. Okay, I think he touched the ball once and all went okay. Grade: Not enough to judge

Subs not used
Kasey Keller (GK) - The big man will probably get a turn on Wednesday night in Dallas. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the backline.

Other grades
ESPN - There was some good coverage at times, but how often is Dave O'Brien going to talk about sports other then soccer? Okay, we get it, the Gooch is built like an American football player, time to move on. I don't care if you've got a graphic, let's talk about the game happening in front of us. Or, if not that, how he is doing with his new club. Also, I know you are not broadcasting the Gold Cup, but why not take a few minutes to explain what it is. I know, it's more fun to talk about the Yankees playing next door, but you are a soccer announcer today. Thankfully Bruce Arena smacked him down a number of times and refocused the conversation on the game.

Eric Wynalda's halftime segment could develop into something really interesting. Make it a bit more rapid fire (like the Euro 2008 update) and a casual fan could catch up with everything they've missed. A great idea would be to continue issuing a red card to Oswaldo Sánchez for his discussing play. That said, what was up with the yellow to Lalas? He gave Cobi Jones a press conference and put him all over the Galaxy website last week, does Wynalda really think Lalas is not giving Cobi his due?

One last thing, did anyone else think that a number of the camera angles were 'blown out' (especially during the first half). It seemed like the close ups on Ecuador's side of the pitch were overly bright. Grade: B-