4 takeaways from U.S. vs. Ecuador
Landon Donovan’s hat trick led the U.S. Men’s National Team to a 3-1 victory over Ecuador yesterday. The format below, detailing what can be taken away from the most recent U.S. match, worked well for the U.S/Mexco game so I have decided to reprise it. Following are four things to take away from the United States’ victory.
Landon really is back.
After the Mexico game, I wrote about Landon, “I’m not quite ready to welcome him back into the fold but he was very good last night.”
Strike that from the record, won’t you? Landon Donovan is most certainly back. He set the tone for the rest of his side with his first goal, a left-footed strike coming off a misplayed clearance only 42 seconds into the game.
Also after the Mexico game, I wrote that Donovan “can be very effective when he’s facing the goal and using his speed.” There will never be a better example of this than his second goal of the match. Landon, seeing the chance for a counter-attack, streaked through the midfield, calling for a through ball from Brian Ching. Ching delivered and Donovan calmly, coolly scored the game-winner.
His third goal came off a perfect, slotted pass from DaMarcus Beasley and if it hadn’t ended up in the back of the net, the ball surely would have left the stadium.
After the game, Landon said, “I’m now embracing a leadership role. I used to say: ‘I’d love to be a leader. I want to be a leader.’ But it’s not good enough to say it. You have to show it.” That attitude is about nine months too late. Nevertheless, Landon gleamed as though it were 2002.
Video of all the goals:
Bob Bradley
I have never been sure about Bradley either as a permanent figure or as the interim coach. But his ability to combine MLS- and foreign-based players and his penchant for putting together a solid lineup with a veteran core peppered with up-and-comers have made a believer of me.
I’ve been holding out hope that the Federation was waiting for the end of the European seasons to snag Carlos Queiroz from Manchester United but given Bradley’s aforementioned qualities and the most important variable—success on the field, you may add my voice to the cacophony calling for Sunil Gulati to offer Bradley a permanent post.
ESPN better, still not quite there
ESPN’s production of this game was much better than any of their recent soccer telecasts. Missing were the maniacal camera-switching and obsessive pimping of Bob Bradley.
Dave O’Brien, who is clearly a baseball announcer first and everything else second, shouted “GONE!” after Landon Donovan scored his second goal. Had I not known I was watching soccer, I would have assumed that O’Brien was getting a little too worked up over a home run in a meaningless spring training game.
Eric Wynalda and Bruce Arena engaged in a love-fest for the majority of the game and except for Arena reading his opening remarks off a teleprompter again, they were both tolerable.
I particularly enjoyed Bruce’s smackdown of the Onyewu-as-a-guy-who-
plays-a-different-sport-you-know-a-real-sport-like-American-football scenario upon which the ESPN producers insisted. Yes, Gooch is a very large man; so what? You won’t hear anyone tell you that A-Rod would make a great basketball player.
Match-ready
In terms of fitness and form, the U.S. team that defeated Ecuador yesterday looked very different from the team that defeated Mexico. This was partially due to the influx of European players who are already match-fit and in form. The bigger picture—and this is a credit to Bob Bradley’s camp—showed that the MLS players, particularly Brian Ching, were able to keep up with the pace of their counterparts.
In short, the passing was crisp and well-intentioned and the movement both on and off the ball was meaningful. The back four looked shaky at times and their kits were, at best, odd, but the various combinations of eleven looked comfortable with each other and moved a step closer to Copa America and the Gold Cup.
I’d even go so far as to say that we could beat a world powerhouse like, I don’t know, say, Israel.
Further reading
ussoccer.com: Early and Often
Fox Sports: U.S. vs. Ecuador slideshow
AP: Landon says marriage makes him a better leader
ESPN: U.S. dismantles Ecuador
ussoccer.com: Post-game quote sheet
23 comments
Excellent recap! I missed the match as I was making an emergency run to Costco to restock our youth league’s concession stand
True to North Carolina form, we went from winter to summer in one week and we sold tons of drinks in one hot day. Whee the fun of helping run a youth league!
Glad to see Donovan is back!
O’Brien yelled GONE instead of GOAL? Oh that’s just priceless.
I can’t take your men’s national team seriously, I’m an Englishman and my national team is a complete joke right now, but yours isn’t, but I believe you could turn into one if you don’t test Bob Bradley against decent sides away from the U.S.A., I think Bradley has done well against opposition designed for him to win comfortabley against, and now you have two more pointless friendlies coming up.
If you are going to continue to do that you might as well hold big training camps so they can work on moves and tactics, have fewer friendlies and actually use some of them to go to another country and not have the crowd behind you, that’ll be the real test and where the growing comes into it.
SGD:
I agree with a lot of what you say. We do need to schedule more high-caliber opponents and those away from home.
That said, these are the types of teams we’ll be facing in the upcoming tournaments and these games (the last two, in particular) prep us for those competitions.
Also, I’m not sure there is such a thing as a USA-friendly crowd in America. Our last match with Mexico, while played in Arizona, was decidedly pro-Mexico and a couple summers ago, I attended a friendly in Chicago, where we played your national team, and there were more people from an island across the ocean than from the U.S.
I agree that more games need to be played abroad. Even though games played on US soil usually still mean less USA fans than fans for the opposing teams, there is still a comfort level to playing on home soil and the US needs to test themselves against the rigors of travel and unfamiliar conditions. Like the altitude in Quito, for instance.
I thought Beasley looked mediocre yesterday with the assist to Donovan being one of the few good passes he made all day.
And Bruce Arena said it again: This is the 2nd time I’ve heard him say “I remain corrected” while doing match commentary. Sounds ridiculous…
Josh, totally agree with getting similar opposition that you’ll face in the cup, but England did that before the world cup, pointless teams and we failed really badly, maybe the tope teams of that style of play would benefit more, I don’t want the U.S. to fail believe me, i’ve embraced the country and the MLS, I even got myself a season ticket for RSL! lol, but the MLS teams seem to do it right, like the Rapids and ReAL went to Spain to train and play a few games, i’m sure a few more will do that in the coming years, I just don’t know why the NT won’t? It’s like one rule for the clubs and another for the the NT, does that make sense? The MLS is growing really fast and they are doing everything to make it grow, there are some silly and ridiculous things, but at the end of the day the boys wearing old glory on there chest won’t do anything abroad unless they play away and play against the top teams and top coaches.
The US should be attempting to schedule a friendly against England at the new Wembley, pronto.
I don’t want the U.S. to fail believe me, i’ve embraced the country and the MLS
I’ll believe it when you send me a picture of you eating a Big Mac and drinking a Miller High Life.
at the end of the day the boys wearing old glory on there chest won’t do anything abroad unless they play away and play against the top teams and top coaches.
Hard to argue.
LOL oh mate i’ll send you one! but I ain’t buying any food or drink at the match it’s to bloody expensive
Forcing an Englishman to drink Miller High Life is just cruel and unusual.
What is it? Is it like piss water?
I wouldn’t even force an American to drink High Life.
Calling it “piss water” is being kind.
Reminds me of an old lecture given by a former Geology Professor explaining watersheds:
“So, if you walk 1/4 mile north of the road and piss into this pond, the water eventually drains into the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean. But if you walk 1/4 mile south of the road and piss into this pond the water eventually drains into Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, passing by the city of St. Louis.
So remember, the next time you drink Budweiser, your drinking your own pee.”
“Is it like piss water?”
Yes. Yes it is.
I probably watched a good 80% of this one, if you can believe it, Josh. And the last quarter or so of that was with my future father-in-law, who’d normally be watching NASCAR at that time (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I really thought this was an exciting game, and for me that means the kind that could draw in non-fans. The passing seemed to do most of the trick — as you put it so well, it was “crisp and well-intentioned.”
For example, Beasley’s pass on that third US goal actually stirred my heart just a little bit (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I also have some reactions to your reactions to the ESPN coverage. I agree that Dave O’Brien just doesn’t feel right doing soccer. The Gooch-as-football-player thing didn’t bother me so much, though (other than the fact they were comparing him to a wide receiver when a DB or LB made a lot more sense). I understand why it would have bothered you, but if you really want more people to get into soccer, these kinds of tactics help.
Is it me, or does Bruce Arena’s voice sound more like it belongs on Project Runway (not that there’s anything wrong with that)?
“Obsessive pimping of Bob Bradley” - I love it (the phrase, that is, not the act of obsessively pimping Bob Bradley).
Being a ChivasUSA fan and having gone through a season of Bradley I would have to say its a toss up. He will get the team prepared, but you will be going through a roller coaster of a ride most of the match. He loves to get the lead then spend the rest of the game guarding it. I cant tell you how many times we scored early, and then spent the rest of the game defending to then be scored on in the final minutes due to a break down in defense. Bradley is a great tactician and will work his teams hard in practice but be prepared for an interesting experience if he becomes full-time.
As for ESPN they have a long ways to go.
David.
Could the growth of the US soccer market be to blame for the lack of friendlies overseas? I mean it appears almost every nation in the Americas (besides Argentina and Brazil) will play 1 or 2 matches here every year. And now were even seeing more and more Euro nations coming over to play friendlies that don’t always invovle the US. Heck, does Mexico play any friendlies in Mexico anymore? I agree we should play more overseas but I wonder if most countries when asked to take on the US just tells us don’t come over here, we’ll come to your house and schedule a couple of other friendlies while were over there.
I don’t know, I’m rambling, and pissed at the dig against the champagne of beers.
Good ramble - and good points being made there.
I have to say that you brought up a good point Matthew, security hassle?! But sill there are a good few U.S. players in Europe and I can only see more moving over, apart from Donovan that is.
Is it me, or does Bruce Arena’s voice sound more like it belongs on Project Runway
I’m afraid I can’t answer that because I’ve never seen the show. I’m not surprised that you have (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I can only see more moving over, apart from Donovan that is.
Heavens, no; that would be too stressful.
After the banter yesterday and the ribbing my American friends gave me i’m all on board for Donovan staying in the U.S. forever, it’s his life/career, I guess us English just have the opinion that if you don’t want to reach the higest level then you are a loser, but if you live in California with a wedge of money and a lovely tart on your arm then things can’t be that bad!
[...] Christian Franek at FulhamUSA had beers and a conversation with Eric Wynalda before the U.S. destroyed Ecuador. What resulted was one of the most candid and akwardly funny interviews I’ve ever read. [...]
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