Re: [nas] US v Cuba [R]

Well, Ives seems to think LD had a pretty good match, too. 

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/09/usa-1-cuba-0-th.html

"There were the memorable performances, like the ones delivered by Tim 
Howard and Landon Donovan, as well as forgettable performances, such as 
the ones by DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu."

Not sure I'd go so far as to call it memorable, but I don't think he 
disappeared.

I agree w Phil that he is there to create, and that for whatever reason, 
the creating failed.  Perhaps he really does need to be up front, but 
with Dempsey in such a funk, who's there to deliver?  Cue Adu, I 
suppose.  I think the remaining matches in this phase are going to be 
the more telling ones.  I can't imagine BB will not call in Adu and 
Jozy, and that we'll get to see something closer to the '10 attack.

P B wrote:
> LD's teammates aren't immune from criticism, but after we've only 
> mustered six shot attempts in an entire game against Cuba, it's tough 
> to escape the conclusion that our chief creator has failed in his job. 
> We had only three shots inside their box, and the goal was a scrappy 
> play by our forwards that followed 25 minutes without a single shot.
>
> At the risk of beating a dead horse, the coach isn't immune from 
> criticism, either. In LD's last 16 caps, I believe that he hasn't 
> scored a single goal from live play (I count one direct free kick plus 
> a bunch of penalties). And this is indisputably our best finisher ... 
> we need to get him on the receiving end of scoring chances.
>
> P
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: mike b <howlingdogtheory@nc.rr.com>
>
>  And made a handful of of incisive passes in the second half,
> including several into the box only to have someone flub the chance.  I
> agree we lack ideas up front, but I think the poor touch of Beasley and
> Ching are more to blame than any failure of LD.  In fact, had Beasley
> played like the Beasley we know, it would have been 3 or 4-0. 
>
> The thing that strikes me most about these away CONCACAF matches is that
> between the conditions and 11 men behind the ball defenses, it doesn't
> really resemble the 'real' game.
>

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