Lost among the excitement of the Women’s World Cup as well as the controversy of the recent FIFA corruption allegations and the resigning of FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been the USMNT. With the Women’s World Cup just around the corner, many people have forgotten about how the Men’s National Team also have an upcoming tournament they are preparing for; the Gold Cup. With just about a month left for Jurgen Klinsmann to decide his roster for the upcoming tournament, every opportunity for the players to force their way into the Gold Cup roster is extremely important.
This afternoon, the U.S had a friendly match against a Dutch team that just last Summer finished in third place in the 2014 world Cup.According to the latest FIFA rankings, the Dutch powerhouse are one of the best in the world coming in at #6, while the U.S find themselves at #27. Going into the match, the U.S. had never beaten the Netherlands before, with their record against the dutch sitting at 0-0-4. Factor in that the this game was to be played on Dutch soil and many people would say that the United States wouldn’t have a chance at winning this game. However, the U.S had other plans, defeating the dutch side while making this arguably the most exciting game the U.S competed in since the World Cup fixtures.
Game Recap
The first half of the game was a fairly even contest. Both teams had very good chances but neither could get on the board until Netherlands striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar was able to find the back of the net off a header from a cross outside the box. The Dutch lead was short-lived however, as LA Galaxy striker Gyasi Zardes was able to score his first international goal off of a cross from midfielder Fabian Johnson. The United States were fortunate to go into halftime with the score 1-1 as the Dutch looked very dangerous every time they attacked, but keeper Brad Guzan was able to make some big saves to keep his team in the game.
The U.s started out very slow in the beginning of the second half and they were punished for it. Off of another cross outside the box, Huntelaar was able to score his second goal early in the second half. This was followed up by a shot just outside the 18 yard box by Huntelaar which deflected off of Dutch left-winger Memphis Depay and found the inside of the post, making it 3-1 in favor of the Netherlands. Despite being down, the U.S never gave up. They continued to claw their way back into the game, controlling more possession of the ball as well as continuing to create chances. Their hard work finally paid off when John Brooks was able to put home a low cross from Deandre Yedlin just outside the box. As time dwindled down the U.S kept pushing to get a late game equalizer. With just two minutes left of regulation, Danny Williams was able to get a shot off at the top of the 18 after a botched clearance of Michael Bradley’s corner kick. The shot deflected off of a Dutch defender and found it’s way into the back of the net making it 3-3. The U.S didn’t waste any time to take the lead as just moments later Bobby Wood was able to record his first international goal from the low ball cross off the foot of Jordan Morris, making the score 4-3. That’s all the goal scoring the U.S needed as they were able to hold that lead until the final whistle blew, picking up the victory.
3 Stars
3: John Brooks– Despite losing his mark on crosses which lead to Huntelaar’s goals, the young center back had some very good defensive plays as well as making a streaking run up the pitch to score a goal of his own. As he continues to learn by experience, John Brooks is a name you will be hearing for a long time wearing a U.S.A jersey.
2: Brad Guzan- Without the performance that Brrad Guzan turned in, the U.S could have very well been beaten by the Netherlands by multiple goals. This start was much needed by Guzan for his confidence as he ended his season with English Premier League club Aston Villa on a very low note.
3: Michael Bradley- The central midfielder wore the captain’s armband today and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. Bradley played a very good game, making key passes that unlocked the Dutch defense and lead to goals for both John Brooks and Bobby Wood.
What we learned
- Many young players played their first game against an opponent of high quality, these players were not intimidated by the hostile environment and were able to hold their own.
- The U.S showed character by battling back after going down 3-1 to such a skilled opposition.
- Many times when Klinsmann put substitutes in during previous games, the team lost it’s intensity and often conceded goals. This game the substitutes brought energy to the team and even raised the intensity of the game, and were a huge part of the comeback.
Up Next
The USMNT’s road trip doesn’t get any easier as next up they play the #1 ranked Germany. The U.S will need to play much better on the defensive side of the ball if they want to have a chance at getting a result out of the next match.
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