In this match it was really only the goalkeeping that kept them competitive. The U.S. lost the shots on target advantage 7 to 3 but were fortunate that Brad Guzan grabbed 6 saves. Guzan now has a save rate of 86% in the tournament and has shown why he is the #1 keeper for Jurgen Klinsmann.

Lineup Carousel

Speaking of our man Klinsmann, he continues to make significant changes to the lineup that ultimately inhibit the cohesiveness of the team. He reverted back to the 4-4-2 diamond formation for this match, a goal of which is to get his prized fullbacks involved in the offense, but they were never able to make their mark. As an example, the fullback pairing of Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler attempted 73 passes, while the U.S. center back pairing attempted 105. Klinsmann’s team continued to work the middle of the field as they got to the midfield. The central midfield combination of Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman attempted 80 passes completing 86%. The midfield shuttlers out wide attempted a combined 57 passes. The middle four deep players passed the ball 38% more often than the wide players. But as the team approached the final third is when they primarily went wide. They attempted an uncharacteristically high 20 crosses, which is their highest amount since the debacle at the Republic of Ireland. The performance was simply one that left everyone wondering and wanting.

Still, you get the feeling the U.S. was cruising and tinkering during the Group stage, but now understand there is another gear required over the next week and a half. The U.S. should have a relatively easy contest this coming Saturday and we’ll be able to see if the intensity and quality of play improves.