United States: 2
Jamaica: 0
Before anything else is said...We won the Hex! This, by no means, is an easy feat, but, at the end of the day, we did precisely what we needed to do. I look immediately to our home record: 5-0-0 with 0 goals against. It has been proven each and every qualifying cycle that the key to success in the Hex is success at home, the foundation upon which the campaign is built. Yes we did pick up some huge points on the road, including a grueling scoreless draw with Mexico in the vaunted Estadio Azteca, but we also looked totally inferior at times.
Even in the friendly confines of Sporting Park tonight there were instances, namely, the majority of the first half, where we didn't look like a team that deserved to be the 13th ranked team in the latest FIFA rankings. That we saw a change made in the midfield at half time was not a shock in the slightest. We looked utterly stagnant and incapable of stringing passes together in the first half. That we saw Landon Donovan depart is perhaps more of a shock, and I hope for Landon's sake that this doesn't invite any ugly press. Donovan was by no means effective in any way shape or form, but he was far from the worst player on the field. I thought for sure that Bedoya or Diskerud would give way ahead of the veteran Donovan. At the same time, however, Honduras had already beaten Costa Rica 1-0 so it gave Klinsmann even more room to experiment.
This will always be a glass half-full blog so enough with the negative. The second half was a completely different game than the first. The injection of hometown hero Graham Zusi and Edgar Castillo tipped the scales in the United States' favor. Bedoya began to prove his worth by getting into dangerous positions on the right wing. One such instance allowed him to set up Zusi's opening goal. Similarly, Edgar Castillo's ability to overlap on the left proved critical in creating opportunities behind the Jamaican defense. Cue Jozy Altidore for a routine finish.
(Sir) Ian Darke provided one of the most interesting stats of the night in the dying minutes: At just 23 years of age, Jozy Altidore, scorer of our second goal, is now tied for 6th all time in goals for the United States. One would have to assume that Jozy is several years away from his prime, and with good health, should demolish that record (somebody, somewhere knock on some wood). That theory alone should quell the talk that the United States lack a truly world-class striker. Sure Jozy is having a very difficult time transitioning to the English Premier League, but it is a long season, and the Sunderland forward will be rewarded for his efforts under the tutelage of new manager Gus Poyet. Jozy's ability to find the net will be the single most important factor in the US National Team's success in Brazil.
The underlying theme of the night should be that of celebration. In the big picture, however, these matches are just a means to and end: we need to find the team that is going to take us to the next level in Brazil next June. Tonight we looked like a very beatable team, especially when you consider the talent gap between a mediocre CONCACAF team like Jamaica, and the global powerhouses of Europe and South America. We certainly have our work cut out for us, but we the time and the manager for the job. It wasn't long ago that Klinsmann took a German team with extremely low expectations to a 3rd place finish in the World Cup. The USMNT did not play fantastic tonight, but they were able to get the proper result, a sign of a team in form.
The preparations for Panama start now. I hope to see a heavily rotated squad, one which will make or break the World Cup roster hopes for many of the fringe players in camp.
Man of the Match: This one is a toss up. I am tempted to give it to Jermaine Jones or Matt Besler, but it really belongs to Klinsmann for his second half substitutions.
On the Radar: Keep your eyes peeled for an appearance from Terrence Boyd. He is off to a hot start at Rapid Vienna, and Klinsmann will be keen to get the young striker some minutes.
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