1. First and foremost, it was good to see the U.S. start
2016 with a win. After what can only be classified as a disappointing finish to
2015, it's important for the U.S. to turn the page and start fresh. The 3-2
win, during which we twice came from behind, was far from perfect, but a win
just the same.
2. The U.S. certainly outplayed their European opponents
dominating in virtually every statistical category (Corners 8-2, Shots 16-6,
Possession 62-38), but despite not having the bulk of the chances, Iceland was still
very dangerous. If not for some poor finishing, Iceland could have easily
walked away with a 5-3 win. I'd like to point fingers at the defense for sloppy
play, but I'll temper that noting that the defense also scored the tying and
winning goals. Still, the first Iceland goal - while a result of a lucky deflection -
was also a result of ball-watching. And the second goal came as a result of a
heady play by Iceland in generating a quick re-start, but also showed a lack of
communication and organization along the U.S. backline (it also involved a
brilliant finish by Aron Sigurdson). Granted, this was a group that hasn't played
together before and it's the January camp when not everyone's at their fittest,
but I still didn't think it was great performance from a defensive standpoint.
3. Offensively, on the other hand, Steve Birnbaum is a
beast. Hard to believe he only scored two goals with no assists in his first two MLS seasons with DC United. Guess it pays to
play with guys like Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley.
4. While there weren't a ton of head-turning performances
on Sunday, one guy who definitely stood out was youngster Jerome Kiesewetter.
Playing on the right wing in place of Ethan Finlay, Kiesewetter was dangerous
throughout his appearance forcing corners and drawing fouls including the one
that set up Bradley's free kick delivery for Birnbaum's winner. We didn't see a
ton from him defensively, but I wouldn't mind seeing him get a start in place
of Finlay on the wing against Canada on Friday just to see what he can do.
5. I find Jermaine Jones to be an immensely frustrating
player. I'm not saying he doesn't bring any value, because he does, but with
that comes a lot of "anti-value". Yes, he started the play that led to Altidore's
goal, and he obviously is viewed as a leader in the clubhouse in some capacity, but he sends so
many 'what-were-you-thinking' passes and mis-hits a lot of balls. And he also
plays a bit recklessly (understatement). And maybe I see it because I'm tired of Jermaine Jones
so I'm looking for him to fail, but I really just feel like he's just not the answer for
the U.S. any more. That said, from what I could see Jones did
outplay his replacement Tony Tchani by a large margin. Tchani, who entered the
game in the 71st minute was largely a non-factor.
6. I feel like Ethan Finlay has the skillset to be a
contributor at the National Team level, but I don't know that it's as a
starter. He's obviously got pace, and is dangerous taking players on, but I
almost wonder if he wouldn't have been better suited to fill the role
Kiesewetter did against Iceland as an influx of pace late in a match. We've
seen DeAndre Yedlin shine in that role and Finlay is a slower, but more skilled
version of Yedlin as a winger. I don't know that he helped his standing a ton
with his performance yesterday, but I think he at least deserves more looks.
7. Here's my grades for the U.S. Players:
Jozy Altidore - Altidore scored the first U.S. goal and
his initial service set up Orozco's equalizer, but Jozy's first touch betrayed
him more than a couple of times as the preseason rust certainly showed. - B
Gyasi Zardes - Missed a free header when his attempt from
close range bounced over the bar, and was involved in Altidore's goal, but
beyond that he wasn't much of a factor. - C
Lee Nguyen - Nguyen was effective as a playmaker and his
ability to create chances showed well even if the execution wasn't in midseason
form. - B-
Michael Bradley - Bradley tallied a pair of assists and
turned in his typical steady performance on the offensive end. He's now moved
ahead of Claudio Reyna on the U.S.'s all-time assist list. - B+
Jermaine Jones - Did a nice job to start the sequence
that led to Altidore's goal, but I still question his passing accuracy and
decision making sometimes. - C
Ethan Finlay - Finlay was certainly active, but not particulary
effective. I think he warrants future looks, but his composure with the ball
let him down on a couple occasions yesterday. - C-
Kellyn Acosta - Aside from being guilty of ball-watching
on the opening goal, Acosta turned in a steady performance at left back, which
- should be noted - is not his natural position. His versatility should serve him
well in the future and now that he has the first game jitters out from under
his belt, I think he shows great promise. - C+
Matt Besler - Struggled with positioning/communication as
the back line looked to be in trouble almost every time Iceland threatened.
Yes, there were new faces back there, but Besler could have done better taking charge. - C-
Michael Orozco - Scored the equalizer and showed his versatility playing centrally and wide right, but like Besler,
he shares some of the blame for an unimpressive defensive showing for the U.S.
backline. - C
Brad Evans - I thought he looked slow, but speed has
never really been Evans' strong suit. That said, I would've like to see him
push into the attack more. - C
Luis Robles - Had no chance on either of Iceland's goals,
and didn't do anything to hurt his chances moving forward. - B
Steve Birnbaum - Made up for any defensive lapses with an
assist and a goal. That said, struggled with communication and positioning, but
some of that can be chalked up to inexperience and a lack of time together with Matt Besler. - C+
Darlington Nagbe - I love what Nagbe brings to the table,
but he missed scoring chance when he opted to go with the outside of his right
foot on a volley instead of hitting it with his left. Also picked up a yellow
card for a bad tackle. Pinched in a lot, and as was pointed out during the
broadcast, may be miscast as a wide player. - C+
Tony Tchani - I don't feel like Tchani looked comfortable
out there, and he was more or less a non-factor after coming on for Jones. - C-
Jerome Kiesewetter - By far the more impressive debutante
for the U.S., Kiesewetter used his speed effectively and was consistently a
danger running down the flank after coming on for Finlay. - A-
Jordan Morris - Wasn't put in a position to show off his
speed, but forced the defense to at least take notice of him. - C+
Overall Grade - Considering it was the first match of the
year and that there were new faces, and players out of position, it was a
satisfying result. That said, there are certainly things to work on, and we'll
see how they are addressed for Friday's showdown with Canada. - C+
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