More player ratings, even more conservative than the others we saw:
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/player-ratings-u-s-vs-canada/
The Starters (on a scale of 1-10)
Tim Howard: The Everton goalkeeper had so little to do for the first two-thirds of the match he could have been reclining on a hammock between the goalposts and it wouldn’t have made much difference. Late in the proceedings, however, when Canada got its act together and organized some coordinated attacks, Howard bravely rose to the challenge. His sprawling save of Ali Gerba’s 70th-minute blast was a wonder to behold, and he outdid himself 15 minutes later with two point-blank saves that denied Canadian attackers perched on the U.S. doorstep. “I almost clapped,” said Canada’s coach, Stephen Hart. Rating: 7.5
Carlos Bocanegra: The U.S. captain missed an easy scoring chance in the 12th minute, deflecting a Michael Bradley shot wide even though he was unmarked right in front of goal, but he otherwise enjoyed an uneventful match. On the positive side, he helped his team post a shutout. But his unwillingness (or inability) to push forward in the attack may prove to be a shortcoming against stronger competition. Rating: 5.5
Clarence Goodson: Despite being guilty of two bad giveaways that led to Canadian counterattacks, Goodson was for the most part a steadying influence in the center of the defense. Unlike Oguchi Onyewu, who started against Spain, Goodson rarely wandered into bad positions and always kept his head. Speaking of heads, Goodson nodded away a dangerous cross in the 90th minute, ensuring that the Americans kept a clean sheet. Rating: 6
Tim Ream: Coach Bob Bradley surprised quite a few people by benching Onyewu and starting the 23-year-old Ream, but the Red Bulls defender didn’t disappoint in his first meaningful match for the national team. He played a conservative game, maintained his composure and linked up well with his midfielders. All in all, a solid performance and something to build on. Rating: 6
Steve Cherundolo: The Canadian wing Josh Simpson spun Cherundolo around in the second minute, and it looked as though the Hannover fullback would be in for a long evening. As it turns out, he wasn’t. Simpson never really threatened again, and Cherundolo deserves credit for shoring up his side of the field. That said, Cherundolo’s crosses left much to be desired; he delivered a handful of lousy balls that defused significant scoring chances. Rating 5.5
Clint Dempsey: Even though the angle was sharp and it was on his left foot, Dempsey’s sliding stab at Jozy Altidore’s 61st-minute cross flew into the back of the net and gave the U.S. a commanding 2-0 lead. The strike was a beauty to behold, the kind of play that nobody else on the field could have made. Dempsey showed once again that he is a difference maker, an attack-minded player who is often rewarded for his audacity. Rating: 7
Michael Bradley: For a split-second, the angry, undisciplined Michael Bradley of years gone by reappeared on Tuesday night. It was in the 50th minute, and Cherundolo had just been called for a foul. The ball landed at Bradley’s feet and even though he was standing right in front of the referee, Bradley kicked the ball away from a Canadian player. The ref immediately brandished a yellow card, and American fans groaned in unison. Was this sequence a sign of things to come? Or was it just a momentary glitch? Yellow card aside, Bradley enjoyed another solid performance in the center of the field, including a brilliant long-range pass to Altidore that should have led to a goal. Rating: 7
Jermaine Jones: Jones’s first few touches against Canada were dreadful, and after five minutes or so it looked as if he was on his way to a second straight disappointing performance. But then something happened. A light switch went off, perhaps. Or maybe the German-born Jones just grew comfortable alongside Bradley. Whatever the catalyst, Jones turned in his first great performance for the national team. Patrolling the center, he anticipated Canadian attacks and turned them back; he switched the point of attack with pinpoint crosses; and he showed the verve and venom that have made him such an influential player for Blackburn Rovers. Is a partnership beginning to form between Bradley and Jones? American supporters have their fingers crossed. Rating: 7.5
Landon Donovan: Last night was a mixed bag for Donovan. Though aggressive and attack-minded in the first half, he all but disappeared in the second. And while the 29-year-old Donovan delivered a handful of dangerous corner kicks, he also sent in a few that were abysmal. Is Donovan still recovering from the illness that kept him out of the Spain match? Or was last night’s ho-hum showing a continuation of the subpar form he showed against Paraguay and Argentina in March? Either way, he needs to do better. Rating: 5.5
Juan Agudelo: Good things are going to come to this 18-year-old striker – you can just feel it. Agudelo didn’t score, but he did everything else a forward is supposed to do. For starters, he consistently tracked back on defense, at one point tackling his Red Bulls teammate Dwayne De Rosario from behind in a sequence that led to a U.S. counterattack. He also worked his way into good positions repeatedly during his 64 minutes. In fact, Agudelo nearly scored on the Altidore cross that Dempsey poked into the net. A very encouraging performance. Rating: 7
Jozy Altidore: Altidore’s goal was a total fluke; after looking at multiple replays, it’s hard to see how goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld failed to stop it. But if the 14th-minute score helps Altidore break out of his prolonged slump, the U.S.’s prospects in the Gold Cup just got a little better. To his credit – and unlike his limp effort against Spain on Saturday – Altidore competed hard during his 73 minutes. He didn’t always look comfortable on the ball, but the low, hard cross that produced Dempsey’s goal was picture-perfect. Rating: 7
The Substitutes
Chris Wondolowski: The San Jose Earthquakes striker entered the fray shortly after the United States took a two-goal lead and really didn’t have much to do. Rating: Incomplete
Sacha Kljestan: Kljestan came on to help kill the game, an uneventful run out. Rating: Incomplete
Maurice Edu: See above. Rating: Incomplete
Corner kick: Were you encouraged to see how the team bounced back after the one-sided loss to Spain? Share your thoughts in the comments.
