Onderwerp: [U21] USA vs Lithuania

Friendly Match

The United States



#37

vs

Lithuania



#33

Friday's friendly presents an excellent opportunity for the US to not only gain ranking points but also take them away from a serious rival for a top 32 spot.

Lithuania are paced by every announcer's favorite player, Euzebijus Gadliauskis, who's name, oddly enough, is pronounced exactly as it looks. The 20yr old sensation has 8 goals in 11 national team appearances and looks to be a difference maker.

The United States have been getting good contributions throughout the lineup this season having taken 7 possible points out of 9. Yet the draw against poorly ranked Slovenia last week left many fans disappointed.

If they are to turn things around they'll need more from Antoine Winslow who did not have the best of games.

"I can do better," admitted the player, "My passing was off, particularly in the first half, it's a part of my game I need to improve on."

Despite suffering a recent rough patch, the tenacious midfielder is already being talked about as the finest midfielder of his generation. Certainly as he goes, so go the yanks.

Sorry for the delay in getting this up. This match is scheduled for 18:29 Sokker time, early Friday afternoon here on the east coast.

Go HERE to watch.

Go U21!!

The random is just kidding with the US teams recently ...

ouch, thanks for that Mario but nothing random about that ass whipping. I'm going to try to make some kind of explanation/apology in the USA Association forum.

http://online.sokker.org/federation.php?ID_federation=4

ow.. :(

that's what I said, totally ruined the taste of my breakfast :(

Awful result for such a statistically even match. Tough luck Uriah.

The negative here is I no longer think top 32 is reasonable for the next WC draw, the positive is that you are playing only friendlies and have time to work out the kinks. I haven't watched the match yet, but hopefully I can soon.

Thanks fla, I appreciate that but I think the stats were flattering, this wasn't an even game. I'm hoping to turn this around, I think I understand what the mistakes were here, I went into some of it in the USA Association (you should apply for that btw).

We can still get a top 32, it will just take a good long streak of solid results and I certainly can't repeat this kind of performance.

I know that it is not fair enough to make a report after the game cause scouting is difficult thing and you have to guess many things before the match .. On the other hand , i think that if you want to help improvement and you do not want to cause problems , reports after the match would be very useful , that's why i sent you pm mate before this post :)

I watched the match (like every match of USA) and i would like to say some things about that match .

First of all i saw many times one defender to "break" your offside trap and let through balls and that's a clear advantage for the striker when this defender is right back or left back .. Most of times this defender was Barton (left back) . Probably this happened cause of the low playmaking skill or tactical discipline (when player is recently transfered) !!

When the ball was one click upper the center (attack) i saw that their defense was one click lower Bottoms and Yarbrough . I think that this is very bad because they receive the ball and they have to pass their defender head-to-head which is very difficult ... My opinion is that it would be useful to put higher strikers and wingers cause with their playmaking skill they are staying on the defense line (playmaking 7or higher , sure that Yarbrough has it , i apologise if Bottoms doesn't have it) and they have to face defenders with a better angle .
So cause of that , midfielders Bredar - Maurin - Upton who were lower that their mids, couldn't pass through balls to Bottoms and good passes to Yarbrough .. Your defense was on high position so i think that you could put your mids one click higher as striker and winger :)

One click below the center (defense) , Yarbrough and Bottoms were very very low and when defensive midfielders were "stealing" ball they were trying to find them and that was very bad for the attacking development !! Winger and striker i think that should stay high and the ball should pass your mid line and then a good pass to winger or striker !!

Form of Shelton didn't help him and he had a very bad day instead of Lunkstas who did a great performance :(

I just wrote "bad" things , there are many things that you did great .

I do not know if i am right of wrong and i would like to discuss with everyone who want it . No offence to Uriah , i know that he is a good manager and he will do his best :)

Thanks in advance !!

Thanks jimidos, very astute observations. Real classy of you to ask me before posting as well, not necessary but class nonetheless, your thoughts are welcome here any time as far as I'm concerned.

I'm going to respond in detail in a PM as my policy is not to discuss tactics on the public forum.

But generally speaking you nailed a lot of stuff, that tactic was a train wreck overall, most of the problems I realize and won't be repeating, but there's some things you mentioned that hadn't occurred to me and I will definitely be giving some consideration going forward.

I'm going to respond in detail in a PM as my policy is not to discuss tactics on the public forum.

thank you mate :)

most of the problems I realize and won't be repeating

I am sure 100% and that's the point :)