Hank Edelman
Upper Saddle River, N.J.
Kasey Keller 7 – Made key saves including the turning point in the game on the breakaway. Should have been an 8 except for bad luck on the goal.
Steve Cherundolo 6 – Nice cross and decent composure on the ball. Deserves more chances to play.
Eddie Pope 5 – Some good positioning but clearly lost a lot of steam in the second half. Beaten too often on headers and lucky the officials had all the offside calls right.
Cory Gibbs 5 – Struggled with proper location but some decent man marking.
Carlos Bocanegra 5 – Good mid game ball control and involvement but got lost in the last 15-20 minutes. Could have cost us even more.
Pablo Mastroeni 7 – Lots of hard work and effective distribution after early jitters. Obviously ran out of gas, but big difference once he was gone.
Landon Donovan 7 û Provided control of midfield with calm and did everything Reyna does plus gives us better offense in the ô#10ö role. One big negative – should have scored easily in wide open situation.
DaMarcus Beasley 6 – Strange game for DmB. Some bright spots but too many poor touches and lack of his usual dogged help on defense.
Eddie Lewis 6.5 – One of his better games. Great goal. Too slow to pull the trigger on crosses that could have been dangerous if played more quickly.
Eddie Johnson 7 – Showed well and got into open spaces to help with US dominance of the ball for the majority of the game. Had an easy goal but we miss a lot of easy goals (see LD) and he made the most of it.
Brian McBride 4 – DidnÆt seem to be on the field for the first 25 minutes and then often seemed lost when off the ball. Seemed out of sync this time out.
Clint Dempsey 5 – Never got into the flow and did not match PabloÆs feel for the game.
Chris Albright 3 – Running around in circles and several poor touches in a short time. Really strange spot for him and it showed.
Greg Berhalter NR – Just too brief to judge fairly.
For a game we dominated against a team with a weak midfield and little cohesion, we should have done better. The heat affected the Europeans and lack of conditioning for MLS players didnÆt help. Happy with the win. Lots of improvement possible and needed for the rest of the Hex.
Jonathan Schwartz
Reisterstown Md.
Keller: 9 out of 10 He was my Man of the Match. He owned the box. He bailed out the defense several times on headed crosses and the Fitzpatrick breakaway. If he had posted a shutout he would have gotten a 10. He is still a great 'keeper.
Cherundolo 8 out of 10 Great cross for the first goal. Most of the T&T attacks came up the middle or the left due to Cherundolo's work on the right.
Gibbs 7 out of 10 The best thing you can say about a defender is that the match commentators hardly mentioned his name. That meant he did not make very many mistakes.
Pope 6 out of 10 Solid effort. A couple of dodgy moments and his diminished speed is beginning to show. I am not sure he will be in the first XI by the time we reach Germany.
Bocanegra 7 out of 10 Very solid defensively and did well going forward. He may be the best left back and center back on the roster.
Lewis 7 out of 10 GREAT GOAL!!! He got caught in possession a few times going forward. Needs to get crosses in quicker.
Mastroeni: 7 out of 10 Good work rate. Protected the back four and made some critical tackles. He did not make many telling passes going forward.
Donovan: 8 out of 10 Seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. Lead by example. His strong performances at the top of the diamond in midfield may force Reyna to have to play as a holding midfielder.
Beasley: 7 out of 10 Very dangerous at times. Missing at other times. I expect him to be the most dangerous player on the pitch and he wasn't.
McBride 5 out of 10 He is at the mercy of good crosses and he was not able to get on the end of any. Disappeared for long stretches. Worked hard, but should do better.
Johnson 8 out of 10: Looked to tire badly as the match went on. However, he is a striker and he scored a goal. 'Nuf sed.
Chris Keeney
Senior Director of Sales
Real Salt Lake
Major League Soccer
Keller- 8 Saved the game
Cherundolo- 5
Pope- 5
Gibbs- 4 Off pace, out muscled too often
Bocanegra- 5 Outflanked on goal
Mastroeni- 7 Controlled midfield, threats mounted when he left
Lewis- 5 Quality goal but too many wasted cutbacks
Beasley- 4 Had keeper stranded and wasted chance. Expected much more from him overall
Donovan- 6
Johnson- 7 A mature game for young guy. Linked w/ teammates well and made smart choices.
McBride- 4 Been a quiet year
Dempsey- 5
Albright- 4 Shaky
Berhalter- NR
Camera angle and harsh shadows made it very difficult to recognize players quickly enough. Saw some good balls but missed who served them.
Andrew King
Morrisville, Pa.
Keller-8 (got a bit unlucky on the goal and perhaps should have managed the
cross but was usual stellar self
Pope-7 (Steady Eddie, managed Yorke and most situations)
Gibbs-5 (solid)
Cherundolo 6 (reasonable defense, served the cross for goal #1)
Bocanegra 6 (getting better all the time)
Mastroeni-5
Beasley-7 (caused a lot of problems for T and T defense)
Lewis-8 (got a big goal; solid all around)
Donovan -4 (disappeared for much of the match)
McBride 4 (pretty quiet)
Johnson 7 (First goal set the tone, was problematic for Rojas, faded toward the end)
Ken Walker
Tunkhannock, Pa.
Keller – 7 – made key saves early & to preserve the lead on breakaway, marshaled defense most of time; tough goal allowed on cross
Bocanegra – 5 – was controlling his side of the field and supporting Lewis well until allowed Eve completely free to cross that was a goal
Gibbs – 5 – solid and unspectacular – got outmuscled a few times, especially late
Pope – 6 – some poorly sprayed clearances but controlled field well and in great position to support beaten teammates
Cherundolo – 6 – good support and control of his side; was occasionally out muscled; cross for Johnson's goal outstanding
Mastroeni – 6 started very strong, disappeared for last 15 minutes of 1st half; 2nd half good control of MF until ran out of gas
Donovan – 8 – once team mates started getting him the ball, controlled flow of game; pass to Lewis for 2nd goal superb; some very nice 1 – 2s
Beasley – 5 – worked hard but seemed out of sorts on right, was more effective as he drifted later to middle and even to left
Lewis 6 – good control of his side, excellent crossing; sometimes too much dribbling; finish for goal world class
McBride – 6 – disappeared for long stretches; team mates didn't get him the ball where he could do damage; created some opportunities
Johnson – 6 – goal was outstanding finish for strong work to get free; seemed to be relying on pure speed too much which didn't work against fast T&T defenders
Dempsey – 4 – once others slowed down, he seemed to get ''frantic'' and was not a positive for control; great chance to get experience at this level
Berhalter & Albright – NR – neither one seemed to be near the ball the time they were on the field (admittedly a short time)
LEO PEREZ
San Antonio, Texas
Kasey Keller–5 Misplayed or plainly misses clutching the scoring ball by TnT
Eddie Pope–5 Not in top physical shape–but understandably still good
Carlos Bocanegra–6 All-around good play
S Cherundolo—6 Great cross for Johnson scoring header
Corey Gibbs—5 Misplayed a few headers
Eddie Lewis—6 Steady not flashy but great kick for score
D Beasley—- 5 Kind of disappeared for quite a few minutes
Landon Donovan– 6 Outstanding leadership and playmaker
Pablo Mastroeni–5 Looked out of sorts–like tired and sluggish
Brian McBride–6 Still great at getting his head on the ball lacked finishing though
Eddie Johnson–7 Great score off his head–did what he had to do–SCORE
GOD BLESS all of you—USMNT–great game
Mike Muschick
Via email
Clearly, Keller and Pablo!
Brandt.Guelig
Via email
Keller 7 key saves gave usa chance to increase the lead
Cherundolo 6 not really tested on def, good in help to the offense
Pope 5 parts of the game looked like 31 yr old
Gibbs 5 breakaway by Fitzpatrick – saved by Keller's play
Bocanegra 5 decent game in club position, let T&T guy by to score consolation goal
Beasley 5 solid game, not as effective as previous usa games
Mastroeni 7 very good game as the holding mid
Donovan 5 not bad, but it'd be nice to have Reyna & Donovan in mid
McBride 4 won a few headers, but not (by far) one of his better games
Johnson 7 scored a goal he should have (nice def by T&T) & worked very hard off the ball
Subs:
Dempsey 5 not bad for a 2nd game
Albright 5 Ok
Berhalter agree w/ Mr. Woitalla NR
Anthony Calabrese
Via email
7 Kasey Keller (keeper)
3 Steve Cherundolo (right back)
4 Eddie Pope (central defender)
4 Cory Gibbs (central defender)
4 Carlos Bocanegra (left back)
4 DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder)
7 Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder)
6 Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder)
7 Eddie Lewis (left midfielder)
3 Brian McBride (forward)
7 Eddie Johnson (forward)
SUBS:
5 Clint Dempsey (defensive midfielder)
4 Chris Albright (left midfielder)
nr Gregg Berhalter (central defender)
Chris Osmond
West Seneca, NY
Starters
Keller: 6 Other than soft goal on cross, saved US on breakaway that could have changed the game dynamics
Cherundolo 6 Nice cross. Showing increased confidence on the ball.
Pope 5 Taught he looked tired. Would have started Berhalter.
Gibbs 6 I would rather see Carlos inside and Gibbs outside defending.
Bocanegra 3 Is English soccer ruining him? To many woeful direct balls in the box.
Beasley 4 Here the same critique, applies great pressure on ball; however, his final passes too inconsistent.
Donovan 6.5 Wish he run at the defense more. Passing was good, but needs to be more consistent.
Lewis 6.5 I think Mathis is the better overall player, but wow, what a goal.
Mastroeni 6.5 He is a great holding midfielder.
McBride 3.5 Brian is starting to look clumsy to me. Let's give Twellman or Eskandarian a try.
Johnson 6 Great goal, but his passing at times worries me.
Subs
Dempsey 6 I am not worried now if Mastroeni gets hurt.
Albright 3 Played so good against Jamaica. Not today.
Berhalter NR To short of time to evaluate.
I hope you like my comments.
Miles Baker
Oakton, VA
STARTERS:
6 Kasey Keller (keeper) — Friedel who? Keller still has it: right places, right times – I don't fault him for the goal… (and he's managed to hold on to his American accent)
7 Steve Cherundolo (right back) — defends well for his size – that assist alone is worth a high rating
5 Eddie Pope (central defender) — solid, but would like more passing / less clearing
6 Cory Gibbs (central defender) — didn't take much notice of him in MLS last season, but this guy definitely deserves more National starts! Future looks bright.
5 Carlos Bocanegra (left back) — relatively quiet, but I wouldn't want to have to get past him…
6 DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder) — They must be doing something to him in Holland: I didn't know he had a right foot!! I wanted to see a goal outta Beas.
7 Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder) — good day – that goal would've been sweet
5 Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder) — capable of a MUCH better game
6 Eddie Lewis (left midfielder) — not a bad finish, nothing spectacular though
2 Brian McBride (forward) — he played?? oh yeah, he got knocked down once… bring on Ching!
7 Eddie Johnson (forward) — big time goal, good use of chances. I'm looking forward to more!!
SUBS:
5 Clint Dempsey (defensive midfielder) — exciting potential … DEFENSIVE?? but he has some punch! not ready vs. MEX though
0 Chris Albright (left midfielder) — UGH … WHERE'S THE BUG SPRAY????
nr Gregg Berhalter (central defender)
Albright was at fault for T&T's goal. He lost it in midfield by trying to dribble THROUGH an opponent, (at least) chases the resulting pass down, but just STANDS there as they make a give & go around him on their way to goal. This is the BEST our Nation has to offer?? I think not…
I see Bocanegra was mentioned in today's ''Daily'' as the defender unable to stop Eve, but he was just left to do clean up from a player who shouldn't have been on the field. THIS IS FINAL QUALIFICATION!! The Bruce want to test out Albright's defensive transformation at the national level NOW?? Leave that to the closed-door U20 or college opponent scrimmages… How does he get these opportunities? Who said ''Yeah well, he didn't live up to his offensive potential, but we need to keep him in the national spotlight. Hey, let's see if he's better as a defender!''
I'm sick of the hype & chances given to Albright. As an avid United fan, my happiness of off-loading Albright has only been eclipsed by 4 Championships. (& maybe the departure of AJ Wood)
Steve
Via email
STARTERS:
5.5 Kasey Keller (keeper) A couple of great saves and one big error.
6 Steve Cherundolo (right back) Very impressive game. Very accurate passing
5 Eddie Pope (central defender)
5 Cory Gibbs (central defender)
5 Carlos Bocanegra (left back)
Allowed a lot of good crosses to fall to the heads of the strikers. But until the end executed the trap well and shut down T&T speedy strikers. The breakdown at the end is hard to fault playing on the road in those conditions.
4.5 DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder)
Had a couple of great touches but I didn't feel like I was seeing the same player who is tearing it up in Holland.
7 Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder) His ability to dominate the middle against York was one of the keys of the game.
5.5 Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder) His assist to Lewis was a beauty. Was a good, but not spectacular central mid. But was a good Capitan and led the team to a win.
6 Eddie Lewis (left midfielder) Great goal and great game.
3 Brian McBride (forward) I know that Brian has the talent, the experience and those intangibles but his games over the last year for club/country has really gone down. The issue though is that there isn't any one else better than him to play up front with Ed Johnson right now.
7 Eddie Johnson (forward) He has a mixture of size, strength, quickness, agility, great attitude and physical talent that no other American striker has ever had. He has been a revelation for the US National Team and he is a pleasure to watch.
SUBS:
5.5 Clint Dempsey (defensive midfielder)
Looked very comfortable out there playing. Showed again that he can play at this level.
4 Chris Albright (left midfielder)
Didn't do a great job of absorbing T&T's pressure at the end of the game.
nr Gregg Berhalter (central defender
Michael Carlston
Via email
STARTERS:
7 Kasey Keller (keeper)
5 Steve Cherundolo (right back)
6 Eddie Pope (central defender)
5 Cory Gibbs (central defender)
5 Carlos Bocanegra (left back)
6 DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder)
6 Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder)
6 Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder)
4 Eddie Lewis (left midfielder)
4 Brian McBride (forward)
7 Eddie Johnson (forward)
Jon Wright
Chicago
STARTERS:
5 Kasey Keller (keeper)- Nice positioning throughout the game. The save on the break away was a game saver, but the goal was disappointing. I expect Keller to not be beat low.
7 Steve Cherundolo (right back) A great job going forward. His cross to Eddie was world class and his hustle in the second half allowed us to maintain possession. His defense was solid throughout.
3 Eddie Pope (central defender) Eddie was beaten in the air a lot, knocked off the ball in both halves.
3 Cory Gibbs (central defender) Cory lost the ball in our half a couple of times and lost many aerial duels.
4 Carlos Bocanegra (left back) He was beaten on the left a few times throughout the game, but did win a few air duels. He should have done better on the T&T goal.
5 DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder) DaMarcus had nice defensive work, held possession in the midfield, and worked well with Landon. Beasley should have done better in the second half when he was given the ball and space.
7 Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder) Nice work defensively, and distributed the ball well.
7 Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder) Landon worked the ball through the midfield well, and created some scoring opportunities for others in both halves. His second half shot was low and hard, but he should have finished it
6 Eddie Lewis (left midfielder) A nice shot after EJ and Landon had set him up. He had a few nice crosses and passes, but still is knocked off the ball too easily
2 Brian McBride (forward) Brian was a non factor. He won a few air balls, but appeared to tire tremendously in the second half
7 Eddie Johnson (forward) A great goal scored. I would like to see Eddie develop a better first touch and maybe create a few opportunities for himself throughout the game
SUBS:
5 Clint Dempsey (defensive midfielder) Nice hustle and no mistakes
3 Chris Albright (left midfielder) Appeared out of sync.
nr Gregg Berhalter (central defender)
Paul Russo Stone
Via email
Kasey Keller (keeper) 6
Steve Cherundolo (right back) 5
Eddie Pope (central defender) 5
Cory Gibbs (central defender) 5
Carlos Bocanegra (left back) 5
DaMarcus Beasley (right midfielder) 5
Pablo Mastroeni (defensive midfielder) 6
Landon Donovan (offensive midfielder) 7
Eddie Lewis (left midfielder) 7
Brian McBride (forward) 2
Eddie Johnson (forward) 8
SUBS:
Clint Dempsey (defensive midfielder) 5
Chris Albright (left midfielder) 5
Gregg Berhalter (central defender) —
Matt
Via email
Keller – 8
Cherundolo – 8
Pope – 7
Gibbs – 7
Bocanegra – 7
Beasley – 7
Mastroeni – 7
Donovan – 7
Lewis – 6
Johnson – 8
McBride – 7
Albright – 4
Berhalter – NR
Dempsey – 6