Ugh. It was fun going to the match even though it played out about as expected as this Mexico squad was the most connected and possessing team all tournament. They're just better soccer players. They're skillful, they anticipate well and win almost every second ball, and they're quick. Jimenez finish on their first goal looked pretty great from my nosebleed seats.
USA showed exactly as they showed all tournament but vs a better team than they had faced all tournament.
Agyemang looked too slow and disinterested on every ball played to him. I think he has good hold up play at times but doesn't look hungry enough on the runs he should be making. He needs to be a dog and go win some of those balls where he looks like he's jogging.
Berhalter and Freeman probably shouldn't have been in the squad. Freeman isn't skilled enough and makes bad decisions. Berhalter makes too many bad decisions.
LDTL and Luna are skilled enough and make quick enough decisions and quick turns to be really useful midfielders. I think Luna played his way onto the WC 26 man roster during this tournament even though the final today was not his best.
Tillman played his worst game of the tournament.
Adams was not great all tournament long. Hopefully he's just not yet 100% because he's late and reckless on too many challenges and not making the best passing decisions. Doesn't look quick out there anymore.
The few times this squad was interested in keeping possession instead of playing kickball up the pitch, they're too slow to switch or recirculate, never skip a pass or make the big switch, and just take forever with too much predictability which invited pressure and giveaways. They can't break lines and keep possession. When pressure arrives, they can only panic and send it. Really ugly disconnected soccer and bad tactical awareness like they've never played together.
Richards is our best center back, but really he's outstanding in the air. Got his head in multiple attacking set pieces this tournament but also had some great defensive clearance headers. I think there was one tonight where he had time and space to drop a ball with chest so we could keep possession but he just loves his head so much and didn't have a plan and just headed it to Mexico, but that was just one decision. I'll allow it.
Arfsten might be the only left back in our pool besides Jedi that will make the overlapping runs and get some crosses in the attack transitions, so I want him to be good, but he can be a liability defensively and that's not acceptable. Who's our back up left back next summer? Vines? bello? Arfsten?