US vs. Canada- Preview

It is time to put this past weekend in the rearview mirror and to move onto matters of greater importance. Those matters being, the start of the Gold Cup and the matchup with Canada on Tuesday evening.

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The U.S. must bounce back quickly and not let the Spain result hinder their Gold Cup ambitions; goalkeeper Tim Howard is confident his team can do so stating, 

“If we let one decision rock the whole boat, then we're not much of a team. This is a strong team and we're strong willed. I think you'll see the right mentality again on Tuesday."  

A strong will is something that will be needed against Canada as they cannot be considered a pushover. Canadian head coach, Stephen Hart, has selected a squad that can present some problems for the U.S. Coach Hart is confident in his bunch saying, 

“I think we've picked a balanced squad, I also like the fact that there's some young players that will be given the opportunity to prove themselves in the camp and to push the other players for selection.”

Canada’s squad is lead by MLS veteran and current New York Red Bull midfielder, Dwayne De Rosario, but there is more to this Canadian squad besides the aforementioned veteran. Canada has a bunch of talented players such as Atiba Hutchinson of PSV, Will Johnson of Real Salt Lake, Julian De Guzman of Toronto FC and Simeon Jackson of Norwich City FC, who can all present problems for the U.S. team. Coach Bradley will not let the U.S. underestimate the Canadians, which he reiterated after Saturday's loss to Spain,  

“(Canada is) a team that we have a lot of respect for, a team that comes into this Gold Cup feeling confident. They've had some good results in the last six months, and so we understand that the first game of any tournament is always a tough one, and we expect a real difficult game against a rival.”

Now lets discuss a few key points that the US team will need to address...

1. Who should the U.S. start in the center of the midfield?

I think this is pretty much a no brainer after watching the performance from this weekend. Michael Bradley clearly needs to be on the pitch for the U.S. to perform at its best. Bradley's presence was immediately felt upon his entrance into the game against Spain as he was able to provide stability and a purpose to a U.S. midfield that was no where to be found before his entrance.  

Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones did little to solidify themselves as a worthy starter but if I had to pick one of the two to start alongside Bradley it would have to be Jones. Jones has the ability to be a tenacious presence in the middle, which is something that will be needed against a talented Canadian midfield.

2. Can the U.S. backline come together to provide a clean sheet?

With Bocanegra and Cherundolo being on the pitch from the start the U.S. backline is already greatly improved. The question is who will fill the other two slots and can this foursome be a cohesive unit? Most likely these spots will be filled by Onyewu and Bornstein. The foursome of Dolo, Gooch, Boca, and Bornstein has provided the U.S. with good results in the past and the tandem of Boca and Gooch appears to be the best option in the center of defense. These four will have their hands full with the likes of De Rosario, Hutchinson, and Jackson, who are all polished players with great skill.  It is imperative that the U.S. backline steps it up and sets a tone for how this Gold Cup is going to be played.

3. Can the U.S. frontline exploit the weak defense of Canada?

I am going to come right out and say it, it’s time for Jozy to wake up and get his act together. The Canadian defense is by no means the strong point of their team, in fact it is probably their biggest weakness. Therefore, Jozy needs to step it up and impose his will on the Canadian backline. Everyone is aware of what Jozy is capable of bringing to the U.S. attack, a physical and talented forward, who can hold up the ball when needed or run at defenders to create goal-scoring chances, but it's time for him to prove it because everyone is definitely sick of talking about it. 

It should be interesting to see if Bradley goes with two up top or decides to play five in the midfield. I think Bradley should stick to his guns and come out with his accustomed 4-4-2 with the youngster Agudelo starting alongside of Jozy. Agudelo showed a bit of what he is capable of against Spain and I believe he can only play better with the likes of Bradley, Donovan, and Dempsey all on the field to provide him with good service. 

Prediction: 2-1 US. The US get off to a slow start and concede early, but goals from Dempsey (run of play) and Bocanegra (set piece) lead the Yanks to victory.

Here is a video of yesterday's training session and some comments from the players...