Post-Game Reaction: USA 2, Ghana 1

Right Out the Gates

If you turned away to settle into your chair, you might have missed it. It was the start the United States needed against a Ghana team built to counter attack. Half a minute into the start of the game midfielder Jermaine Jones played a great ball to a cutting Clint Dempsey who maneuvered around his defender and struck a left footed shot just far enough away from the outstretched foot of the Ghanaian goalkeeper to hit the back post and then the back of the net. Just like that, the United States were on top and could allow themselves to play it a little safer in order to stop a fast moving Ghana team from countering. For a United States team playing by far its easiest match it will face as a member of the Group of Death, the often offensively inept American squad was injected with a much needed boost of confidence by captain Clint Dempsey, who now has more career World Cup goals (3) than Argentina’s Lionel Messi (2) and England’s Wayne Rooney (0) combined.

Struck by the Injury Bug

The American celebration was short lived however, when forward Jozy Altidore, in the 23rd minute, ran after a ball down the sideline and pulled up grabbing his hamstring. Strained hamstring seemed to be the consensus in the stadium, which could put the rest of Altidore’s World Cup in jeopardy, as he had to be stretchered off the field. For a striker who had just broken his scoring drought with two goals against Nigeria in the U.S.’s final World Cup warmup game, this could prove costly. Aron Johannsson came in for Altidore but proved himself to be more of a supporting forward than a primary one. In the roughly seventy minutes Johannsson was on the field he rarely touched the ball and seemed more interested setting himself up to get through balls in the air than seeking open space to demand the ball and setting up some kind of offensive attack. As a late game substitute, Johannsson has shown he can inject energy and goal scoring opportunities against a tired opposing defensive line, but in a starting role he proved that he was not quite ready to play the majority of the game. To be fair to him, it is a tough situation coming off the bench so early in a game with no opportunity to warm up, but even as the game progressed Johannsson never seemed to be able to get into any kind of groove. Should Altidore not be ready for the next game, I would expect to see Chris Wondolowski starting next to Dempsey at forward with Johannsson coming in as a substitute for Wondo around the 70th minute, should the United States need a goal.

I would be remiss to mention that the best option to replace an injured Jozy Altidore at forward would have been a certain Mr. Landon Donovan, who was surprisingly left off the World Cup roster despite a fantastic run of play for the United States during the Gold Cup in 2013 that saw him win the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards after racking up five goals and seven assists. However, a soccer sabbatical from the end to 2012 to the beginning of 2013 put him on U.S. National Team Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s bad side which, undoubtedly, led him to being left off the 2014 World Cup roster in favor of some players who, shall I say, are ethnically similar to Coach Klinsmann (i.e., German-Americans). It is merely poetic justice for Klinsmann and wretched irony for U.S. fans that Altidore go down at a time like this.

Not too long after Altidore was forced to leave, central defender Matt Besler pulled up on a play also grabbing his hamstring. Although Besler did manage to play the rest of the first half, he was subbed out for precautionary reasons before the start of the second. Left midfielder Alejandro Bedoya was continually grabbing his hip in pain throughout the second half until he was subbed out in the 77th minute, and the other central defender, Geoff Cameron, was seen limping and stretching his calf muscle throughout the second half.

Even Dempsey suffered a bloody nose after being kicked in the face on a header attempt. Dempsey managed to come back soon after but with a piece of cloth up his nose to prevent further bleeding, he no doubt had a tougher time breathing throughout the rest of the game.

Klinsmann has become known as a master subs-man since taking over the U.S. National team, inserting players off of the bench during games who almost immediately make an impact. The same can be said for two of the subs who came in for the second half. John Brooks, earning just his fifth cap for the U.S., came in at halftime for the injured Besler and wound up heading in the game winning goal in the 86th minute off of a corner courtesy of, who else, Graham Zusi, who entered the game less than ten minutes prior for the injured Bedoya.

Sloppy Play Up Front

Aside from the two goals scored during polar opposite times in the game, the United States had few if any other quality opportunities at goal. Play in the offensive end was very poor, which put even more pressure on an already weak American defense. Offensive midfielder Michael Bradley never made his mark in this game and terrible passing from him, Dempsey, and other U.S. midfielders/forwards gave Ghana every opportunity to run the counter attack in an attempt to try and tie the game. There were times when passes were overly complicated, as if trying to show off, and other times when they were just way off target. Remember, a bad turnover in the midfield four years ago in South Africa as a result of over-dribbling against Ghana was what cost the U.S. a trip to the quarterfinals. The United States needs to show more control in the midfield if they want to have any hope of scoring more often. The U.S. had possession of the ball only 41% of the time, only eight shots to Ghana’s twenty one, and only three corners compared to seven by Ghana.

Bradley also showed uncharacteristic immaturity during the end of the game. With the U.S. winning 2-1 he never seemed content on pushing the ball into the corner to waste time. Instead, he would make unnecessary passes which Ghana easily intercepted and used push the ball up and put more pressure on the American defense.

Defensive Issues

Starting two center defenders, Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron, with no World Cup experience, defense was expected to be a problem for the U.S. Ghana was given plenty of opportunities to score a tying goal throughout the game, but were either denied by the always reliable Tim Howard or let good chances go to waste. Ghana’s heading expert Asamoah Gyan was able to continually get free in the box against Cameron and was close on a number of occasions to putting the ball in the back of the net. Lack of communication between Cameron and Besler was also an issue and became even more of a problem once Brooks was subbed in.

Finally, on Ghana’s game tying goal, right defender Fabian Johnson turned his back and lost sight of a cutting Andre Ayew. Expecting Ayew to make a run to the corner, Johnson was caught off guard when the cutter ran into the box. Receiving a pass from Gyan, Ayew was one-on-one with the Howard and put the ball easily into the back of the net. One of the biggest rules of defense is to follow your man, not the ball. Johnson failed to do that and it almost cost the United States three points. Brooks also showed his inability on defense when he tried clearing a bouncing ball with the outside of his left foot on the edge of the 18-yard line. The ball glanced off his foot and into the penalty box where Gyan chased it down. Brooks was able to recover and draw a foul on an overly aggressive Gyan, but regardless of the result of the play, the ball had no business not being cleared out.

Defenders Brooks and Johnson both demonstrated great ability on the offensive end, with Brooks’ game winning goal and Johnson making constant runs down the right side and into the offensive box. However, both have a primary responsibility to defend, which they had clear problems doing in this game against Ghana.

What’s Next?

On Sunday the United States will travel deep into the humid Amazon to face a Portugal team embarrassed by Germany to the tune of 4 to 0. Portugal will look to get into a rhythm against the United States but will likely have to do it without their starting central defense. Pepe, who was red carded for tapping heads with Germany’s Thomas Muller after Muller fell to the ground in order to sell a Pepe foul, will serve his suspension against the Americans and Fabio Coentrao went down in the 65th minute with an apparent leg injury and had to be taken off on a stretcher.

However, for as long as the demigod known as Cristiano Ronaldo is suiting up for Portugal, they will have a chance to win. Ronaldo has the freedom to roam wherever he wants on the field and will likely be shadowed by Cameron and one other U.S. defender. Cameron is going to think guarding Gyan was like taking a kindergarten class compared to what he will face in Ronaldo. With a porous American defensive back line, Ronaldo and fellow forwards Hugo Almeida and Nani should have no issues getting the ball in the box. Tim Howard will have to be nothing short of spectacular, which he can be, in order to make up for the mistakes the American defense will make.

If the U.S. wants to stay in this game the defense needs the offense to hold on to the ball for longer than it did against Ghana. Giving Portugal 59% of the time of possession will lead to more goals than Ghana scored with that same amount of time on the ball. Fabian Johnson and DeMarcus Beasley will be asked to make offensive runs down the sidelines but need to be sure they can get back to provide help for their teammates against the likes of Ronaldo. The defense will have to work hard, which means maintaining control of the ball on offense will be pivotal in giving the defense some much needed time to rest.

Michael Bradley may be the key to this game if the Americans want to leave with at least a point. Bradley has to step up his game, control the midfield, and dictate where the ball goes. If he can distribute the ball correctly against a Portugal defense that will be 50% bench players then the United States can put some pressure on and limit the amount of time Ronaldo will spend in the offensive end.