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For me, the United States was tremendous in the second half and it was impressive how they were able to turn the game around. They looked second best most of the first half and Turkey were clearly out playing them. Turkey looked like they knew what they were doing while the U.S. looked like one of the teams that John Harkes played on.
In the past, some of the U.S. teams of old might have been dead and buried after that poor start – their confidence down and they’d be unable to get themselves back up. However, the team fought back, and the insertion of Steve Cherundolo, Jose Torres, and Michael Findley, seemed to have a lot to do with it. Torres is classy on the ball. Findley showed a burst of speed and some touch. Cherundolo has pace and a fight in him. But for me it came down to the three best players on Turkey, Turgay, Altintop, and Turan, versus the three best on the U.S. team, Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore. The U.S. prevailed because those three players stepped it up. In the beginning though, it was all Turgay, Altintop, and Turan. They looked like they were toying with the U.S. team, with backheels, deceptive cuts, turns, and driving at the U.S. team. Also, since Turkey is a team that’s not going to the World Cup, so they are as fit or as well prepared. So I think that the Turkey side got tired, and that had a lot to do with the way the U.S. was able to get back into the game. Altintop is coming off a long season with Bayern Munich, and came off with about twenty minutes left. I don’t think you can blame Ricardo Clark or Feilhaber. Clark was decent and Feilhaber was playing out wide, which I don’t think is his best position. Bob Bradley’s toughest decision might just come down to who he plays along side his son, Michael. Torres showed he deserves a shot, but again, I think Turkey at that stage was a bit tired. Still though, Torres was decisive and smooth, and a player who settles things down for the U.S. Jonathan Spector and Bornstein though were problematic, Borstein more so than Spector, who was a little bit shaky but someone should have been covering for him on the goal. Bornstein looked a little too hyped up and dove in on a few occasions. |