by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

Despite their obvious deficit in talent, Cuba have daring and quickness. I usually only give the "empty bucket concession" against hyper-skilled foes like Argentina and Spain, but on an extremely poor field in an extremely strange atmosphere with several starters at less than top match fitness, maybe it was the best call.

Even better, coach Bob Bradley remembered that strings are for him to pull. Despite holding a 1-0 lead at the break, he realized that something had to change. Seemingly, with the simple flip of the Heath Pearce green light switch, the USMNT controlled much of the second half to abscond from Cuba with full points.

Oh, it certainly wasn't all good; the passing was headache-inducing poor again, our central midfield actually hastened already swift Cuban progress upfield with giveaways all night and the offense apparently forgot their mission altogether.

I'm not done... one-touch combos were practically non-existent (perhaps because "touch" seemed like a dirty word out there with all the poor pass receptions). I also stopped counting at 13 the number of times a U.S. player received the ball at or near midfield with multiple forward passing options and opted to pull up and back pass. I did so in the first half - not good.

While the USMNT looked super shaky even with a lead at the break, they closed a road CONCACAF World Cup qualifier with general ease for the second straight time. Yes, I definitely could have been rougher with a different mindset, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for halftime adjustments.

And though I'm also fond of winning without playing your best, on Wednesday, I promise to be more insistent in my grading. On Wednesday, I will expect both.

U.S. Player Ratings

Tim Howard (7) - Though he didn't have a great deal to do, that which had to be done was handled expertly. His late, low reflex save wasn't a super gem, but it was big from a result standpoint.

Frankie Hejduk (6) - It was a solid night for Surfer Dude, and probably pretty much the kind of veteran effort coach Bradley was looking for. Some people will scoff, but I say this was the perfect night to call on Frankie.

Heath Pearce (5.5) - It was really a tale of two halves. He wasn't awful in the first, but then he wasn't really involved in the play much. After the break, his surges forward kept trailing Cuba on the back heel. Had his baby cross from the late wiggle into the area fallen into the danger zone, it would have been the most dazzling play by a USMNT wingback in a while. Folks, the best is still yet to come.

Oguchi Onyewu (6.5) - Aside from one hesitant possession bobble, Gooch was again the locked gate. Of course, we shall face many tougher opponents, but the hosts are a bit buzzy and that's not to be taken lightly.

Carlos Bocanegra (6) - Clock in, do job, clock out. The captain was hardly noticable out there - which is almost always good for a center back.

Michael Bradley (4.5) - After possibly his worst overall showing in a U.S. shirt, I must at least ask the question: might it be time he sat one or two out? His pass release was slow and inaccurate, his marking spotty and international cards seem to just pile up. Of course, it's possible after an astounding amount of air miles flown over the last 6-7 weeks, that Bradley just needs a breather in the same time zone for a week. This game seemed the perfect time to give him that because his Saturday struggles weren't for a lack of effort.

Maurice Edu (5.5) - As with Pearce, we had half A and half B with the newest Rangers midfielder... only in the opposite direction. He was quite influential in the opening 45, including a deft lob entry feed that Brian Ching failed to corral adequately. We also learned that he can execute a perfectly-weighted through ball from the seat of his pants. However, after the break I found myself wondering why he was lunging for loose balls and passes instead of moving his feet... another jet-lag victim that needs a rest?

Clint Dempsey (6) - Deuce seemed the only attacker capable of stirring the drink in the first half, and capped it off with a lashed finish - always a big boost in a 1-0 game. It was a solid outing for a guy who's struggled a bit this summer.

DaMarcus Beasley (4) - I love Da Bease, but this was just bad. And yet, I have to question the wisdom of running a guy for 90 minutes before his club coach has. He is still essentially recovering from an injury, at least in a form sense. As with Bradley, this seemed a match where we could handle it without him starting. The close result doesn't really change my mind on this, either.

Landon Donovan (5.5) - Is it just me or has Donovan been having a lot of passes, shots and crosses blocked directly off his foot lately? I dragged his mark up a bit because of the unusual amount of tracking back he did for a "support striker" - and it was needed.

Brian Ching (4.5) - His hold up work was passable, but certainly not done with the precision we'd expect from a certain other Brian. The more troubling thing was he bungled a pair of chances in a game where the U.S. didn't create many.

Coach Bob Bradley (5.5) - I know what you're thinking: "What's this, now?". Heaven help me, I love in-game wrinkles, and the boss' decision to switch up wingback lanes was sheer genius. I'm not sure Cuba ever caught up to Pearce suddenly adding a new lane to USMNT traffic flow. It reminded me of the early days of his tenure, back when I was often very excited by maneuvers he'd make at halftime... now if we can just see some flexibility in the opening game plans. But hey, even though his some pre-game decisions were second-guessable, let's be positive.

Subs:

Sacha Kljestan (6) - He brought energy, as one might expect.

Soccer365 reporter Greg Seltzer blogs daily over at No Short Corners.

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