Today, Canada easily took care of business versus Carlos Ruiz and Guatemala, while the US let Panama stay in the game but got the result the States needed. Canada and the US will now face each other in the semis on Thursday. Canada faces its biggest challenge of the tournament, due to the athleticism of the US and based on the recent on-field slump the Great White North has had versus its southern neighbors. Likewise, the US faces its biggest challenge, and if they aren't able to convert possession and penetration into goals, and if their defense lapses like it did today, then DeRo and Company will be in the finals.
Of course, we Houstonians are quite aware that it will be Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching versus Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad. Here's hoping that Clark and Ching get to start the game for the US. DeRo and Onstad are near locks for their side.
And Ching should start. He played about 10 minutes (which includes a long stoppage time) at the close of today's Panama match, and didn't contribute much at that point. However, he's been a consistently solid asset on the field the previous games. Twellman didn't bring much to the table today, even though he played nearly the whole game. He squandered opportunities and wasn't able to link up well with his 'mates to generate other opportunities -- But, in fairness, many people squandered opportunities.
Twellman had about three looks and got nothing out of it. Landon had two chances that came to naught, including one in the opening minutes, but at least he did get the PK. Towards the end of the game (and mere moments before being subbed off for Ching in the 84th), Dempsey had the ball in front of the goal as a gift from Donovan, but Clint went for the razzle-dazzle and got stripped of the ball. Nice Cruyff, but braggadocio doesn't win games, goals do.
Not long after Dempsey fails to give us that insurance, we let Panama halve our lead when three defenders clustered around the Panamanian attacker and all three ignored the open passing lanes that the attacker could turn into. That sort of clustering is pure amateurism. I always tell my kids (or at least the defenders*) that the defenders have to be the smartest kids on the field. They can't get caught daydreaming and can't allow themselves to be hypnotized into ball-watching. Once a forward has a defender on him (and especially if there is a second defender providing support), then you have to look for the other threats and shut down those avenues. Today we had three defenders in a circle around the Panamanian. None of them were looking at anything other than the ball, and none had even put themselves in a supporting position for the first defender on that one attacker. All were drawn to the ball like moths to the flame. A quick touch by the forward got the ball into space, and he was able to finish the shot. Rookie mistakes can sink this team if they're not careful.
Thankfully, they're aware of this.
A final gripe: Donovan needs to take some of his off time to practice his PKs. This is the third PK he's taken in this tourney, and it's the third one that was poor. His first one versus El Salvador was saved (but was retaken). His next two (one vs El Sal and the other today vs Panama) were soft, and would have been easily saved if the GK had fallen in the right direction -- or if the GK had waited to move until after the ball began its painfully slow roll toward the goal line. Taking a soft shot so close to the goal limits your probability of success to 50% max. The goalie makes the save if he guesses correctly, left or right. We need more kicks like Stuart Holden's from the MLS Cup. With his, which was a scorcher that went into the upper 90, the goalkeeper would have to (1) guess right AND (2) be supernaturally athletic. That definitely leans the probability back in the kicker's favor.
Spamalot
My wife and I went to see Spamalot this evening. It was an amusing show, although a lot of it I had seen a thousand times in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The new stuff was particularly funny.
But there is a Dynamo connection, of course! I saw Wade Barrett at the event. (I think this bio is a little outdated.) He exited the building right in front of us after the show. When I saw him, I blurted out "So, Dom let's you guys out?" (Clever, huh?) Wade politely laughed and replied that Dom does so every now and then. My wife brought up that it was good that the US won that afternoon, and Wade agreed, but lamented that the late Panamanian goal made the final moments too stressful.
(Oh, and my sister, who has been to all of one Dynamo game, needed only that one game to get the "Dale Dynamo" chant in her head. She said that had she seen Wade (I told her about him; she'd never know who he -- or any Dynamo -- was on her own), she would've bounced up and down right next to him, shouting "Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spamaaaa, SpamaLAHHHHT!" She has an odd sense of humor.)
It's nice to know we have a cultured crew with the Dynamo, attending the arts around town. Of course, that's assuming Spamalot counts as culture, or art for that matter.
But it is nice to see the guys enjoying the benefits of the hometown for as long as their careers have them here. Hopefully they leave Houston with some pleasant memories of the New York of the Southwest.
Speaking of the local attractions, I wonder if Ching saw the article in the Chronicle about how one can surf at Galveston? I hope not. I think Texas surfing pales to that found in Hawaii.
* Note: I tell my forwards that they have to be the most creative people on the field, and the biggest risk-takers. I don't let them know that defenders have higher IQs than they do.
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