USMNT vs Canada Review

If you managed to watch the entire match against the Canadians, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. If you are reading this review on last night’s game, you are probably not expecting a lengthy piece. At least we can all look ahead to next week’s game against Honduras instead of dwelling on last night’s scoreless draw against our northern neighbors.

The scoreless draw marks the U.S.’s second straight draw against the Reds and their 16th unbeaten game against them. Who ever said there was a rivalry between the two countries was definitely not talking about their soccer teams. Last night’s match showed no signs of sparks or spirit.

On the bright side, five players earned their first cap for the U.S.: Tony Beltran, Matt Besler, Justin Morrow, Will Bruin, and Alfredo Morales. Three of which are defenders and with time may grow into the national team.

Although no player was a standout in the match, there were a couple players who had a few bright moments including Benny Feilhaber, who made a difference as a second-half sub, and Omar Gonzalez, who takes my pick as the player who showed the most consistency during the game.

The Reds focused most of their emphasis this game on securing their backline. The Canadians must have had a wake-up call after being defeated last weekend by a Danish B-team. The player who stood out most last night was not an American but instead playing for the other team. As usual Dwayne DeRosario was Canada’s biggest threat to the U.S. and came close to netting in a goal, but U.S. goalkeeper Johnson was able to stop his shot.

The stars and stripes enter the final round of World Cup qualifying next Wednesday in an away match featuring the U.S. A-team in a game that could not in anyway be as dull as last night’s match.

My prediction of the names of players who may possibly be joining the veteran players in San Pedro Sula are: Eddie Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Grahman Zusi, Juan Agudelo, and Omar Gonzalez.