US Men's National Team beats Trinidad 2-0 in 2007 Gold Cup

Gold Cup

Group A Action

US vs. Trinidad and Tobago

Carson, California

June 9, 2007

 

The US
guaranteed themselves a spot in the quarterfinals of 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup with
a 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago
on Saturday. Although the win came
against a very weak T&T team, the fans at Carson
California saw a much better performance
from the US
than their opening game against Guatemala. Bob Bradley fielded an entirely new lineup
against T&T with the exception of Hamburger SV’s Benny Feilhaber who received
his second straight start in the tournament.
The Americans played with a lot more patience and character as the
younger US selections
proved that the national pool is more competitive than ever. Goals from Brian Ching and Eddy Johnson were both
easy tap-ins from beautiful runs by Justin Mapp and Landon Donovan
respectively. Kasey Keller got another
shutout and is one game shy from his 100th cap for the US. The US
will play their final group match against El
Salvador on Tuesday, June 12. Although the Americans have already advanced,
Bob Bradley could use Tuesday’s match to experiment and look for new
combinations within the US
roster.

 

Player Selection Analysis:

Justin Mapp

- Plays his club football with the Chicago Fire.

- Very impressed by Justin Mapp’s play on the left
wing. – Very composed and patient in his game.

- Great job mixing up his game attacking down the sideline
and through the middle.

- Was involved in the first goal for the US
when he made a nice run down the left, beating a defender and patiently
crossing the ball to Brian Ching for an easy tap in.

- Caused all kinds of problems for the Trinidad
defense by consistently attacking and providing great crosses from the left.

- Interestingly enough, switched to the right side for a small
portion of the first half.

- Possibly more versatile than Beasley?

- Is Demarcus Beasley’s starting role in jeopardy?

Ricardo Clark

-
Plays his club football with the Houston Dynamo

-
Was not involved nearly enough in the first for a
central midfielder.

- Quite
possible that Clark plays more of a defensive role in
the central midfield.

-
Would have liked to see him more active and help the US
switch the ball horizontally to change their point of attack.

-
Has a great first touch that gets him into open spaces
quickly.

-
Got more involved in the 2nd half.

-
Look to see more from Clark as I
expect Bradley to give him more starts.

Brian Ching

-
Not new to the international scene.

-
Also plays his club football with the Houston Dynamo.

-
Great job in holding the ball up top to allow the US
to attack in numbers.

-
His size and physical play allows Ching to be very
effective in helping the US
build their attack patiently.

-
Calm, composed decision making allowed midfielders to
keep up with play and make overlapping runs, penetrating the Trinidad
defense.

-
Physically punishes defenders by challenging every ball
in the air.

Steve Ralston

-
Good job attacking.

-
A little slow in transitioning from offense to defense.

-
An average performance for Ralston.

-
Definitely did not solidify his starting position.

Eddie Johnson

-
Had a quiet game although he scored the second goal.

-
Not sure if he was on the same page as Ching, Mapp and
Ralston.

-
Johnson’s chemistry with the other players on the pitch
was very questionable.

-
Left the game with a minor knee injury.

Langdon Donovan

-
Became the US Men’s all-time points leader with an
assist to Eddie Johnson in the 53rd minute.

-
Great work ethic.
He is aware that there is much more competition within the US Men’s
national team selection pool.

-
Donovan will need to continue to work hard to maintain
his starting role with the US.