Giles Barnes celebrates his stunning free kick to put Jamaica up 2-0.
John D. Halloran
The United States men’s national team lost to Jamaica in the Gold Cup semifinals 2-1 on Wednesday night in Atlanta, eliminating the squad’s hopes of bringing home back-to-back titles in the tournament.
Jamaica got off to an early lead in the contest, capitalizing on two set piece opportunities in the first half scored by MLS products Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes. Although the U.S. was able to bring the game back to a one-goal deficit with a goal from Michael Bradley just after the halftime break, the Americans were unable to find the equalizer and went down in defeat.
Here are three thoughts on the match.
The U.S. Didn’t Execute the Game Plan
There are several things that any good coach will remind his team of before a big game, namely, no fouls in dangerous positions, taking care of set pieces and managing the “five-minute moments”.
Against Jamaica on Wednesday, the U.S. failed in all three of these respects. They gave up repeated set pieces to the Jamaicans in dangerous positions—one of which led directly to a goal—and conceded the other goal on a long throw-in.
https://twitter.com/nwblackmon/status/623989400603611137
A “five-minute” moment, for those who may not know, is the five minutes of play at the beginning and end of each half, and the five minutes immediately following any big moment in the game. As the thinking goes, these are dangerous moments because, for various reasons (off-the-field distractions, emotional highs and lows, physical exhaustion), players are susceptible to a lack of concentration.
Against Jamaica, there was a wild set of events between the 27th and 33rd minutes which represented one of these five-minute moments that the U.S. failed to manage. To start off the sequence, John Brooks gave the ball away coming out of the back and, on the ensuing counterattack, Ventura Alvarado was caught giving his mark too much space in the box and Jamaica had an open shot from just outside the six-yard box.
In the next minute of play, the U.S. nearly scored, when Aron Johannsson closed down Jamaican goalkeeper Ryan Thompson on a back pass. Johannsson toe poked the ball away from Thompson and nearly directed the ball into the net in the process.
A minute after that, the U.S. once again looked to be on the front foot as a nice combination between Alejandro Bedoya and Fabian Johnson had Johnson dribbling towards Jamaica’s backline at speed. Johnson beat his man to the inside and fired, but Thompson parried away the blast.
Two minutes later, now in the 31st minute of play, Mattocks out jumped Brooks on what looked like a “routine” long throw-in. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan was caught in a slight moment of indecision and Mattocks’ flicked header drifted into the far corner to the net.
Seconds after conceding, when the U.S. needed a high level of concentration, a lost possession by Aron Johannsson had the U.S. scrambling once again. Kyle Beckerman was forced to foul just outside the box and although Guzan saved the initial set piece, he conceded another one himself when his distribution throw was adjudged to have occurred outside the area. Barnes lined up the free kick and buried it in the U.S. net.
The Americans never recovered and it was in that five-minute span that the game had slipped away.
Kyle Beckerman was excellent last month in Europe, but struggled at the Gold Cup.
The U.S. Needed More from its Veterans
Starting a midfield combination of Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, the U.S.’s most experienced players ran directly up the team’s spine. However, the trio didn’t do enough to bring the U.S. to victory.
Dempsey, whose goals earlier in the tournament carried the U.S., failed to make enough of an impact on Wednesday. While he did contribute on the scramble that resulted in the first American goal, Dempsey also lost possession on a number of promising counterattacks while trying to be too fancy with his touches.
Bradley was a workhorse, as usual, for the U.S. in the middle and scored the Americans lone goal. He was also a part of the U.S.’s most promising attacking combinations and nearly scored the equalized in the 57th minute with a hammered attempt that Thompson could only parry with his chest off the post and away from danger.
But in the final third, Bradley’s first touch and passing often failed him. It certainly may seem overly critical, but wearing the captain’s armband and clearly the emotional leader of the team, the U.S. needed one more big moment from Bradley—a moment they didn’t get. Bradley was also below average with his set piece deliveries, often unable to beat the near post man and trying silly Olimpicos when simple balls would do. He needs to be better in this area.
Beckerman also didn’t do enough. While the Real Salt Lake destroyer convinced many doubters last summer of his quality with a strong performance in the World Cup, he once again revealed his deficiencies against the competition in CONCACAF. In the 2014 World Cup, with the U.S. sitting back against superior teams, Beckerman’s soccer IQ made him a difference maker in shutting down opposing offenses. In the 2015 Gold Cup, and against Jamaica on Wednesday, the U.S. was on the front foot far more often, opening up large gaps in the U.S. midfield. Beckerman, who has never been fleet of foot, was exposed in this space and failed to provide the cover the U.S. defense needed, especially in the first half.
Thing is we knew Beckerman would suck against Jamaica. He's never good vs. them. Why didn't Klinsmann know? #USAvJAM
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) July 22, 2015
Much of the Criticism Misses the Mark
First, the bad. The U.S. crashed out of the Gold Cup in the semifinals and this was the first time that has happened in over a decade. This was also the first time the U.S. has ever lost to Jamaica at home and not winning the Gold Cup this summer will now force the U.S. into a playoff for a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup.
The last time the #USMNT didn't make the final of the Gold Cup was in 2003 when they lost their semifinal to Brazil in extra time
— Ryan Rosenblatt (@RyanRosenblatt) July 22, 2015
But there were still a number of positives to take away from the tournament and much of the immediate reaction to the U.S.’s loss missed the mark.
Many criticized Brooks and Guzan on the first Jamaica goal. However, losing a battle in the air on a throw-in traveling towards your own net is much different than losing one on a typical set piece. Brooks didn’t lose Mattocks on the play, nor was he caught ball watching. He was exactly where he should have been. Brooks stayed goal side of Mattocks and jumped with him as he should have. In the end, Mattocks got incredibly lucky to flick the ball over Brooks and on frame and if Brooks had attempted to beat Mattocks to the ball, he likely would have been caught completely out of position or had to foul Mattocks in the process.
Jul 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; United States goal keeper Brad Guzan (1) can’t make the save as Jamaica forward Giles Barnes (9) scores a goal in the first half during the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal match at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
As for Guzan, while he may have been caught slightly out on the play, the header went OFF THE POST and in. We can expect our goalkeepers to be great, but to expect them to save attempts that go off the post and in is a bit much.
Brooks’ partner in the back, Ventura Alvarado, also played fairly well on Wednesday. While some of that undoubtedly had to do with Jamaica’s early lead—after which they sat back defensively—it also opened the U.S. to the type of counterattacks in which Jamaica specializes. Alvarado did well in preventing and shutting down those counters and arguably put in his most complete performance of the entire tournament.
Alejandro Bedoya also looked bright in this Gold Cup, despite a slow start coming off an injury with his club, Nantes, and Fabian Johnson continued his impressive play. The U.S.—those poor five minutes in the first half aside—played one of its best games of the entire Gold Cup on Wednesday and could have easily equalized if Aron Johannsson had scored his open header from six yards out in the 50th minute.
While some will question head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, there’s not much he could have done differently. Yes, he could have benched Beckerman or gone with different choices at center back, but all in all, this was close to the best possible lineup he could have fielded. Injuries, the U-20 World Cup and club considerations limited his roster choices in many cases.
The #JurgenOut crowd may fire up for a few weeks, but barring a complete collapse over the next year or two, U.S. Soccer will not make a change before the 2018 World Cup.
John D. Halloran is a frequent writer for The Yanks Are Coming. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report and for American Soccer Now, among other places. He founded the soccer site American Touchline and is considered one of US Soccer’s preeminent minds on women’s soccer. He is also a state championship winning soccer coach. Follow him on Twitter @johndhalloran.