U.S. Men’s National Team v. Guatemala, Kansas City, 10.16.12

The U.S. men’s national team’s 3-1 home win over Guatemala was the performance U.S. fans have been waiting for in this semifinal round of World Cup qualifiers. The U.S. thoroughly outclassed their opponents, holding the ball for about 75% of the game, taking eight corner kicks to Guatemala’s one, and making many more dangerous crosses into the box than their overmatched opponents. The U.S. probably should have won by a wider margin. Herculez Gomez, for example, after a tough game in Antigua last Friday, easily could have had two assists last night, one on a ball into Eddie Johnson that Johnson scuffed and one on a deflected cross that Clint Dempsey couldn’t quite get a head onto.

The entire U.S. starting front six acquitted themselves well. (By the time U.S. subs started to come on in the 65^th minute, the game was well in hand.) Dempsey scored twice on classic Dempsey-type goals, the results of hustle and timely runs, both scored from about a yard out, one while sliding. Dempsey also had an assist after making a near-post run and flicking a header across goal to a wide-open Carlos Bocanegra, who pounded the shot home from close range. Michael Bradley had another solid game in the midfield—does he have any other kind these days?—that included a skillful chip over the keeper to put Dempsey’s second goal on a platter for him. Bradley worked well with fellow central midfielder Danny Williams, who was a virtual no-show last week in Antigua. Williams and Bradley were especially effective muscling opponents off the ball in the midfield, so that Guatemala never really had a chance to get things going.

Graham Zusi also had another good outing, looking comfortable on his club team’s home field, the sold-out Livestrong Sporting Park, probably the most visually appealing soccer stadium in the country. (I envy those U.S. fans in attendance last night.) Zusi and Eddie Johnson traded time on each wing in the midfield. Johnson looked very sure with the ball at his feet, seeming at times to be giving demonstrations on how to effectively use step-over moves to create space and send dangerous crosses into the box. After receiving a beautiful long ball from right back Steve Cherundolo in the 18^th minute, Johnson crossed from the right flank to assist on Dempsey’s first goal.

The ageless Cherundolo turned in another polished performance, but the U.S. backline otherwise kept this dominant team performance from being a complete one. The U.S. came out strong in this game but conceded an early goal off a counterattack that saw the U.S. central defenders Bocanegra and Geoff Cameron get caught flat-footed. Former MLS MVP Carlos Ruiz got in behind them and then coaxed Tim Howard into no-man’s land before using the outside of his foot to calmly finish. Bocanegra looked slow on the play and never had a hope of recovering once Ruiz had the ball at his feet. (And it should be noted that Ruiz is hardly in the prime of his career; he’s 33 and, as I understand it, is not now playing for any club team.)

Ruiz’s goal was more proof that the U.S.’s back line is far from settled. Bocanegra, remember, was forced to play left back last week against Antigua and Barbuda. (His giveaway in the 25^th minute led to Antigua and Barbuda’s only goal.) Michael Parkhurst played left back last night, and looked good defending though he did commit a couple of unforced turnovers. In any event, if the U.S. front six is to pressure the ball high up the field as they did against Guatemala, then the U.S. back four will have to communicate better, hold the line better, than it did on the Ruiz goal.

All the communication in the world, however, isn’t going to make Bocanegra more fleet of foot. It might be that Klinsmann again experiments pairing Cameron with Maurice Edu in central defense, as he did in the U.S. friendly victory against Mexico in August. It won’t be an easy call, though. Bocanegra typically captains the team and is a reliable, smart, tough, and, of course, experienced player, not to mention the fact that he’s a threat to score off set pieces. His goal last night was his 14^th, the most ever for a U.S. international defender.

In some important ways, last night’s victory was ideal in just about every way. The U.S. won convincingly, looked good doing it, and advanced to CONCACAF’s final round of qualifiers. But Ruiz’s goal will likely prevent U.S. defenders from getting too complacent. There is clearly much room for improvement. And even U.S. attackers and midfielders can’t, or shouldn’t, crow too much after last night’s win. The Guatemala defense on each of the three U.S. goals was deficient, particularly on Bocanegra’s goal. On that corner kick, Guatemala players set up in a zone defense and then remained screwed to the ground, looking like orange practice pylons painted blue as Zusi played his ball in, Dempsey ran to the near post, and Cameron and Bocanegra crashed the goal. Similarly, no one bothered to cover Dempsey on his run to the back post on the second U.S. score.

In short, while this Guatemala team has talent, it was not particularly competitive last night, a fact that game tape will amply show. After viewing that tape, U.S. players will not have to be told that teams like Honduras (who dropped eight goals on Canada yesterday) and Mexico will pose much tougher challenges for the U.S. when they meet in the final round. For now, though, U.S. players deserve a round of applause for getting through a reasonably tough semifinal group and for saving their best, and most attractive, game for last.