USA eventually gave Philadelphia the farewell party it demanded and, in the second half at least, something for Fabio Capello to ponder.
But America must know that if they play as they did in the opening half, the champagne corks popping in Rustenburg will bear an English stamp.
A crowd of more than 50,000 gathered at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field to wish the USA safe passage to the World Cup.
With the barbecues fired and the beer flowing in the vast car parks it was all going so well until the referee blew his whistle. Thereafter Turkey went through their short-passing, quick-footed repertoire to leave American coach Bob Bradley with serious remedial work to do at half time.
The opening goal followed a blueprint available to Capello. Whipps Cross-born Colin Kazim-Richardson sliced open a pedestrian defence to set Arda Turan away in acres of space down the left, the kind of room Aaron Lennon or Theo Walcott will relish if offered in Rustenburg. Turan survived a scissored challenge from two defenders to crack the ball past Tim Howard in goal.
The same defence shortcomings exposed on Tuesday night during the 4-2 defeat to the Czech Republic were evident here. AC Milan stopper Oguchi Onyewu failed to make the starting line-up again following the patellar tendon rupture suffered last October. Carlos Bocanegra, who had minor surgery to correct a hernia three weeks ago, filled in at left back with Jay DeMerit and Clarence Goodson forming a flat-footed pairing at centre-back.
West Ham’s Jonathan Spector was routinely outpaced at right back, offering Capello potentially rich rewards down the left. The one threat presented in the first half came from Jozy Altidore, whose cross after breaking into the box down the right, narrowly escaped the outstretched boot of Landon Donovan.
The introduction of Jose Torres and Robbie Findlay after the break produced significant forward thrust. Guus Hiddink’s team were hardly busting a gut to defend their lead and as the hour approached the Americans found a way to release Donovan, who disguised his pass beautifully to pick out the advancing Altidore.
Not oven Altidore, who failed to score in 25 successive games for Hull, could miss that cherry. What little interest Turkey retained evaporated allowing Clint Dempsey to add a second and clip a post with the cake there to be iced in the closing minutes.
Read more about USA 2 - Turkey 1...
No comments:
Post a Comment