As the days blur together into weeks…I still miss soccer. I realize there’s much more important things going on and I hope everyone is being smart and staying healthy. But I’m gonna keep watching somehow and writing as long as people are reading it.

Me on Saturday mornings without soccer

To get my footy fix I’ve turned to classic USMNT games available various places online (footballia.net, YouTube, Twitch, etc.). It had also been a while since I had graded a game and I was getting the itch. Combine those two urges and the end result is this article.

The first point I’d like to make is that Slovenia wasn’t terrible despite the fact that they are Slovenia. Their Elo rating before the US match was 1712. For reference, the US’ current Elo rating is 1727 (after the loss to Canada in October we were at 1697 btw 😬).

I guess what I’m trying to say is that a draw with Slovenia isn’t as bad as it sounds. Still, I daydream about the day when the US pulls a Germany – curb stomps the poor guys 4-0 and moves on to the next game.

If you haven’t read one of these before click here for an explanation of the grading system.

Here’s the lineup the US started the game with:

Completed Grades

Ratings Guide

15+ Excellent game 9-14 Played well to very well 5-8 Solid 0-4 Not great, Bob Below 0 My expectations for Bill and Ted 3 (I’m 100% watching it though)

*The Adjusted Total uses the Elo formula to take into account opponent and competition factors.*

MOTM – Michael Bradley (+12)

Bradley was the best player on the field for the US and it wasn’t difficult to see it. In the first half the US was flat and created very little in the attacking third. The moments of danger that were created were Bradley’s doing. At times he’d pick up the ball from the center back, play a pass forward, and then cover so much ground that he was the best forward option for the guy he just passed to. Example:

This game was Bradley played in his best role imo; an all-action 8. In the first half he was paired with Jose Torres and during the second he had two midfielders around him in Maurice Edu and Benny Feilhaber. Bradley covered a ton of ground all game and was much better with the ball than his midfield teammates (except for Benny – Feilhaber was almost too good with the ball for the players he was playing with).

Look at that ball. 😍

If Bradley is hitting that ball to Charlie Davies 😢 maybe something comes of this…but it was to Findley and nothing threatening develops. Bradley also did a good job winning the ball and driving the play forward. He would pop the ball loose or pick up the ball in midfield and that would allow the team to advance in a dangerous manner. This is back when Bradley was more aggressive and a bit of a card risk.

This is the moment Gregg Berhalter fell in love with Michael Bradley 😂

Oh. He also scored the game tying goal on a nice finish and late run into the box. Good game, Mike.

Other Positive Performances

Jozy Altidore (+10)

Jozy was a man child. I watched him rag doll Joan Capdevila in the 2009 Confederations Cup a few days ago and again in this game he’s just a different beast out there.

I’m willing to donate my hamstrings to you, Jozy. I don’t use them much and if we could get one more good stretch out of you for the 2022 WC and qualifying run that’d be great. DMs are open. 😂

He has such great touch for a big guy. He’s a creative passer and he’s got a heavy shot. How he didn’t make it in Europe is a mystery to me. Altidore is also the best US forward I’ve seen at turning a defender and suddenly being in on goal. Like it or not…he’s still our best option there 11 years later.

Landon Donovan (+8)

Donovan was invisible offensively in the first half and I think the most to blame for Slovenia’s first goal. He turned it around in the second half. Sure, the Slovenian defender screwed up to let Donovan in on goal, but he finished it and got the team back into the game. He was also much more aggressive taking defenders on in the second half than he was in the first.

I know no one wants to get hit in the face, but I’d be disappointed in my keeper if I was a Slovenian fan on this one. If he leaned forward instead of flinching back he might have saved it.

Jay Demerit (+6)

Jay Demerit to Slovenian forwards

Frankly, a +6 isn’t that great. It’s barely an above average game based on the other games I’ve done, but I really enjoyed watching Demerit in this game. He’s not classy. He’s not going to make a little move and step by you before playing a cultured pass. But if I had to come up with a motto for Jay it would be something like, “YOU AIN’T SCORIN’ ON ME YOU MF-ER!”

Demerit looks like he just lost the other half of his bottle and wants to fight you in the alley. I enjoyed watching him clear balls into the 34th row and knock dudes over.

Did you see a counter attack happen here? Nope.

Not as Good

Maurice Edu (-3)

This was odd for me. In my memory all I saw was Edu getting screwed out of his goal at the end of the game. Edu was rough on the ball when he came in though. He subbed on for Torres at halftime and within five minutes did this:

Howard saw it and was able to rescue it, but that could have been 3-1/game over. Edu did stay back, cover ground, and allow Bradley to get forward more, but it’s tough to give out points for general team strategy.

*SIGH*

I don’t even know what to say about this call. I was mad then. I got angry all over again watching the game 11 years later. What a terrible call. 🤬

Oguchi Onyewu (-2)

I don’t know how many people remember this, but Onyewu had done his ACL in October of 2009 and had only begun playing again in April. That’s a seven month recovery period for a major injury and Onyewu was not the same guy I had just watched against Spain from a year earlier. He kept everyone onside for the second goal in the 42′ and had nearly given up a goal by losing his man on a set piece in the 22′. The passing wasn’t anything to write home about either. I loved Gooch, but this wasn’t his game.

Jose Torres (-2)

I actually kinda liked what I saw from Torres in the first half, but it just wasn’t working for him. He was noticeably more skillful with the ball than most everyone else, but he was responsible for giving the ball away to Slovenia on multiple occasions. Weirdly, I think Torres would be a better fit with today’s team under Berhalter than he was back in 2010.

The Rest of 2010 WC

Since there’s not much else to do these days I think I’ll watch and grade the rest of the 2010 US World Cup games. I’ll go back and do the England game next. I hope everyone is staying healthy and away from people. God bless.

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