The United States men’s national soccer team had a minor hiccup in the last round of FIFA World Cup qualifying but righted the ship quickly.  Soccer 365’s Richard Snowden looks back on the games and some of the weak areas that need to be addressed.

By Richard Snowden

They can't say they weren't warned beforehand. Regular readers will recall the admonition to the U.S. national team players regarding letting their guard down that appeared in this space about two months back.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened when the Yanks showed up in El Salvador recently. Facing an opponent that sits 89 places below them in the FIFA World Rankings, the U.S. players found out the hard way what can happen when you mail it in against even modest opponents who are fired up.

After a few half-decent early forays forward, the Yanks proceeded to embarrass themselves thoroughly for the next 70-plus minutes. One wondered at times if these players had ever even met before, so ragged and out of sync was their play.

Soaring on the buzz of over 30,000 wildly passionate home fans, the Salvadorans exploited the visitors' sloppiness with aplomb. Just 15 minutes into the match, Carlos Bocanegra and Heath Pearce combined to botch a routine defensive play, leaving D.C. United outcast Eliseo Quintanilla a perfect opening to slot a 15-yard drive past stranded 'keeper Brad Guzan.

With that, the home crowd instantaneously went from energetic buzz to sonic equivalent of a category 5 hurricane. And the U.S. players, who had already been playing timidly for more than 10 minutes, suddenly had a distinct deer-in-the-headlights look about them.

That look was reflected with stunning clarity in their performance. Gone were the inspired, methodical warriors who had conquered Mexico, replaced by what looked more like a mediocre NAIA team than a national side.

Unable to string more than two or three passes together, the Americans were reduced to hoofing and hoping, blasting aimless long balls forward in hopes of hitting something other than a blue shirt. Not surprisingly, the Salvadorans made fools of them, with sharp combination play, shrewd runs and deft dribbling that belied their lowly ranking.

The Yanks bent further and further under the pressure until the inevitable break came on 72 minutes when DaMarcus Beasley lost track of the active Rodolfo Zelaya, giving him space to cross into the box. The ball found Cristian Castillo, who rose above the inattentive Frankie Hejduk to power a header past Guzan, doubling the Salvadorans' lead.

Seemingly stung by his defensive blunder, Hejduk picked himself up and did something no American player had managed to do all night: play with commitment and attitude. Five minutes later, he got forward from his right back slot to cross for substitute Jozy Altidore, who met the service with a thumping header that cut the deficit in half.

The goal breathed new life into the slumbering Americans, as if someone had appeared to tell them it was OK to play now. With two minutes remaining, the inspirational Hejduk headed home a deflected corner kick to haul the Yanks level and silence the crowd, and Brian Ching came perilously close to winning the game with a late bicycle kick.

Despite the shocking malaise they displayed for most of the game, the U.S. players deserve a bit of credit for battling back to rescue a point. With any luck, they have learned their lesson with regard to coming out flat and underestimating opponents, for as the Salvadorans clearly proved, doing so can be dangerous, perhaps even fatal.  

To their credit, the Yanks shook off the malaise quickly and regrouped to deliver a better display in trouncing Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 four days later in Nashville. It was night and day compared to the sleepwalkers who threw away two valuable points in San Salvador, and Altidore staked his claim to future success nicely in becoming the youngest U.S. player to record a hat trick at the senior level.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley's decision to move Landon Donovan to the left wing and drop Beasley back to left back paid dividends, as Beasley was generally effective enough and Donovan grabbed assists on all three U.S. goals. Michael Bradley got forward regularly from the middle and the tandem of Altidore and Brian Ching up front showed promise, boosting an attack that was largely AWOL in El Salvador. 

Nevertheless, concerns remain for the Yanks going forward. Foremost among them is the left back position, where Beasley is at best a stopgap measure who doesn't particularly want to be there. Heath Pearce is clearly rusty from lack of use, and Jonathan Bornstein has yet to recapture the form that made him a promising prospect two years ago.

The versatile Jonathan Spector, now healthy after a long injury layoff, is a possible option on the left as well. One wonders why Bob Bradley has not considered Carlos Bocanegra, who starts regularly for Rennes in France at the position, as the U.S. player pool is much better stocked with solid center backs that might be paired with Oguchi Onyewu.

One player who seems to have played his way out of the reckoning in the middle is Dan Califf, who did little of use against El Salvador. Jay Demerit deserves more looks based on past experience, and Chad Marshall and Michael Orozco are quality options as well.

Another persistent problem area is attacking midfield, where Landon Donovan's ongoing penchant for disappearing is worrisome. Whether Donovan can be truly effective on the left flank remains to be seen, but based on his track record, he isn't likely to get it done in the center outside of CONCACAF. Meanwhile, Freddy Adu hasn't made it off the bench in eons at club level and continues to be maddeningly inconsistent. 

Clint Dempsey has expressed a preference for a central role, but he is too useful on the right flank to move, especially given the dearth of viable options. The one player who certainly merits longer looks here is Jose Francisco Torres, a quick, tricky player whose comfort on the ball and deft passing provide an element long missing from the U.S. team.

Beasley's lack of effectiveness at left midfield leaves a hole there as well. Donovan will need to play more out wide to prove his worth in the role, but Jeremiah White plays there for AGF Aarhus in Denmark and merits more looks. Robbie Rogers also might be a good alternative if he continues to perform well for Columbus.  

Even in goal, the Americans aren't as well stocked as in the past. Brad Guzan still has a long way to go to be a viable alternative to undisputed favorite Tim Howard, and riding the bench isn't helping. Marcus Hahnemann, now back from injury, might be a better second choice, as he plays regularly when healthy and boasts considerable experience. Beyond these choices, the drop-off is disturbing.

And while Altidore has shown flashes of great promise, the attack remains a major concern. Ching works hard but is rarely effective against top opponents, and Kenny Cooper has done little lately to show he deserves a larger role. The one U.S. forward who might be ready to step up is Charlie Davies, whose speed and power might provide an excellent complement to Altidore's strength, guile and finishing ability.

For the moment, things are going fairly well for the Americans. Aside from the trip to El Salvador, the team is getting the results that should be expected from the region's top team. As long as the players keep their eye on the ball and play with maximum focus and commitment from here on out, they should continue to get the results they need.

Still, with a very busy summer coming up, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup and tough games in World Cup qualifying, the Yanks will need to address their weak spots in order to get it done going forward. More options are needed, and fortunately, this summer's games will provide an ideal opportunity to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

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