Once again the US national team showed signs of the Klinsmann influence during the second match of the German’s reign and once again they exhibited signs that the old ways have not been completely flushed out of the system. For the first half hour, they passed and moved and aggressively regained possession when it was lost. They created opportunities, the best one of which was fluffed by Landon Donovan who failed to test the goalkeeper when put through.
After the first half hour, the intensity dropped noticeably and they allowed Costa Rica back in the game. Once the second half started the field began to tilt more into the Ticos favor. Suddenly, the visitors took the lead, though not without a fierce last stand by Tim Howard. The Everton goalkeeper spent much of the night as an interested onlooker, making just one save at the end of the first half and having only a bit more to do in the second.
One calamity was all it took to hand Juergen Klinsmann his first loss as the USA manager. Then, it was like the previous regime and the team had to find a way to come from behind. They put forth a furious rally, but created no serious shooting chances and only a long range drive from Jose Torres forced a save. In the end, it was a negative result from a mixed performance.
Here are my ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 meaning don’t come back and 10 equal to a world class performance.
Tim Howard: He had only one save in the first half, but was under more pressure in the second. He made a stunning save before being beaten by Rodney Wallace on the rebound for the goal. 7
Timmy Chandler: Chandler finally won his 3rd cap, but didn’t stand out. He didn’t get forward enough, but defended well. He’ll certainly play more and maybe in midfield against Belgium. 6
Edgar Castillo: Again, he looked unsure, perhaps due to a lack of familiarity with his colleagues. For every good pass he made, there was a poor ball that gave away possession. He’s also very lightweight and easily pushed around. And, as in the Mexico game, the cross that led to Costa Rica’s goal came from his position. 4
Carlos Bocanegra: He gave another solid performance, but was lost at sea when the Ticos scored. The entire back four looked out of sync in the second half. He’s the leader. That’s on him. 4
Michael Orozco: He gave an undistinguished performance. With two youngsters playing in the wide positions, Clarence Goodson would have been a better choice here. He didn’t make any stunning errors, but like Bocanegra got completely lost on the move that led to the goal. 4
Maurice Edu: The Rangers man started like a house on fire. He completely dominated the first 30 minutes, moving side to side behind Jose Torres and Landon Donovan, sweeping up any attempt Costa Rica made to try and get out of their end. After that, he faded badly. Perhaps Klinsmann overworked him in the buildup. He can’t possibly go 90 minutes in Brussels. 5
Jose Torres: This may have been as good as it gets from Torres. He cut open the Costa Rican defense with some great passes during that torrid opening spell and remained composed on the ball throughout. However, his influence waned after the Ticos started to send two men after him and no help arrived. 6
Brek Shea: For some reason, he was unwilling to charge to the goal line and cross the ball, preferring to cut inside. That didn’t work, but he didn’t try anything else. This was a young player learning on the job. 5
Robbie Rogers: Rogers had minimal influence, even early on. Like Shea, he refused to go wide and cross the ball. Why? The result was that he was the first player subbed out. 4
Landon Donovan: He squandered the best chances in the first half, not even getting his shots on goal. His corner kicks were poor and other free kicks lacked accuracy. He also didn’t get close enough to Jozy Altidore in the penalty area to offer a second striking option. 5
Jozy Altidore: He showed good hold-up play and worked harder than he normally does to get into good areas. However, a center forward should be trying to work the opposing goalkeeper and he didn’t do that in this game. He had no shots. 5
Sacha Kljestan: After a good start with Anderlecht, he was rewarded with about a half hour and remained on the fringes of the action. He had a few deft touches, but his late free kick was thumped low and hard into the wall. 5
Juan Agudelo: The eighteen year old gave a hard working shift after coming on for Altidore, but ultimately didn’t create any goal scoring chances. It would be interesting to see the two strikers together. His pace and physical tools did unsettle the opposition, which is good. 6
Jurgen Klinsmann: With the team struggling to start the second half, he only made one change and left the likes of Jonathan Spector and Clarence Goodson on the bench when Maurice Edu and Michael Orozco should have come out. Perhaps, this would have been a good game to try Altidore and Agudelo together. For a friendly with the chance to make six subs, he only made two in a tiring team. 4
*******Source: www.ussoccer.com