It's a Bird, It's a Plane, no It's Juan Agudelo
When the USMNT beat South Africa -- a team they should have beat anyway -- on a late Juan Agudelo goal, I thought that people were going a little too crazy over Juan Agudelo. “He’s the future,” they said. “The goal was amazing,” they claimed. “He’s the better than Jozy,” they began whispering. It was as if people were making him out into some sort of super heroic soccer star. I thought that Agudelo was decent, but he was far more Clark Kent than Superman. Well after playing a friendly against Chile -- a team that tore through the group stages of the 2010 World Cup -- I am putting down the kryptonite and climbing aboard the Agudelo bandwagon.
The commissioner Bob Bradley has not had a team look this prepared at the beginning of a game since he coached the Metro Stars in MLS. The squad took it to Chile, dominating the attack in the first half. Sean Franklin looked like everything I had hoped he would be. Getting forward, not being beaten down the flank, clearing the ball well, and sending several well timed crosses into the box. The team could have shut down a very potent Chilean defense if not for a defensive gaffe, which was only due to a great pass, that completely split the defenders, forced Sean Johnson off his line, and left a Chilean striker in a position that I could have scored from.
But just as all hope was lost, as the night dusk settled over Los Angeles, the wunderkind Juan Agudelo came striding to the rescue. He split the defense with his dribbling, faked a pass, and was tripped (okay so the defender did get the ball first, but he also got Agudelo’s shins, so give him credit for a well executed flop) in the penalty area. And there he was again, late in the game; it was our hero, our Superman, our Captain America. His super powers were his first touch, an insane dribbling ability, and a bit of theatrics.
Then the Robin to his Batman --or perhaps the Batman to his Superman-- Teal Bunbury (sorry Canada) stepped to the line and buried the penalty shot. Game tied. Suddenly with about twenty-minutes left the game was not over. There was a shot. There was an opportunity for the US to go ahead, but Agudelo pushed off of his defenders with brute strength --and as we all know a superhero is not allowed to do this to mere mortals-- and was called for a penalty of his own.
I now believe in Agudelo. If he doesn’t start against Egypt in February Bob Bradley will have some ‘splainin to do. Sure he still needs to work on using his smaller frame to get off of his defenders instead of trying to bull his way around them, but the kid is for real.
Jozy Altidore better be careful, because the striking hot hype which was once all him is about to be transferred.
