A few thoughts: 1. This isn't supposed to be some sort of shout out to Hat's postgame reports, but I wasn't a fan of the anthem. I don't know why we insist on individual singers instead of the world cup style, because it literally never sounds better. 2. I can't really say much about how good Scotland is, but that was an extremely impressive performance. Our midfield was elite. 3. I've said this many times, and I'll say it again. Michael Bradley is extremely underrated. He's often the best player on the field in both international and club play. I expect him to be at a major club in the near future. 4. Good to see Donovan have a big game. Can't wait for him to score number 50. 5. Jose Torres showed a lot in the midfield, and I like him on free kicks as well. If he continues to be consistent, he should be a permanent starter. 6. I would still love to see improved finishing from the forwards. That's been a problem for a while. I think Boyd could be big in front of goal, but we still need to see some better finishing. 7. I'm interested to see where Dempsey plays when he gets back into the starting lineup. Hopefully we are able to effectively utilize his goal scoring ability. 8. I'm concerned about the age of our team. If not much changes, we'll be bringing an old team to Brazil. That could turn out poorly. 9. I like the jerseys. Like IP, I hate the sash. 10. All in all, it was a great start to this next set of games. A big test is coming up on Wednesday. I'm interested to see what style of play we bring.
I disagree on the age thing. We are actually a nice mix of early to mid 20's and about 30. We also have younger players on the depth chart that will likely be worked in over the next 2 years.
I've always thought Michael Bradley was steady and dependable. Starting to show more flashes of brilliance now. That goal last night, you won't see better in Euro. Becoming a very well-rounded MF. Forwards are just so raw. Very athletic, less technical. Same with Altidore. Still young there, so they have room to grow. I like to see Dempsey playing out front. I've always wished Donovan had been more committed to playing in Europe. Not sure it'll ever be quite appreciated how good he is, even though he's widely regarded as the best American outfield player.
We certainly have some younger guys we can mix in, but we need to see more consistency from a lot of guys. I'm pretty worried about the thought of starting two 35 year old defenders in the upcoming World Cup. There are quite a few young guys who may very well be playing, but nobody has surpassed them so far. Donovan and Dempsey will be in their 30's, too. Jermaine Jones will also be getting up there, although I'm not as concerned about replacing him.
I'm growing less and less concerned as time progresses about a 31-year old Dempsey and 32-year old Donovan. The defense always needed an overhaul this cycle, and it's certainly still a work in progress. Fabian is a keeper, but if Chandler doesn't come back, we're in the market for a right back, and none of the auditions at CB have blown anybody away. It'll be interesting to see how this develops between now and this time next year.
