Commentary
Switzerland-USA Men's Friendly Ratings
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, May 30, 2021
May 30 in St. Gallen
Switzerland 2 USA 1. Goals: Rodriguez 10, Zuber 63; Lletget 5.
The USA impressed with constant pressure on the Swiss backline, but its early lead lasted only five minutes and that pressure failed to create clear scoring chances. Switzerland -- No. 13 in FIFA's World Rankings and prepping for the European Championship -- equalized on a counterattack and came away the 2-1 victor.
USA Player Ratings
(1=low; 5=middle; 10=high.)
GOALKEEPER
Ethan Horvath made two big saves when Breel Embolo broke through early in the second half, one with his head and the other with his right hand. He did well with his feet on back passes under pressure. The first goal came on a cruel deflection off Reggie Cannon's foot and the second from close range after Sergino Dest's odd misplay.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6
Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL) 5/0 (25)
John Brooks could have a made a greater effort to interfere with Silvan Widmer's pass on the first Swiss goal. He got burned by Embolo on his 54th minute chance and two minutes later Brooks, after a mistimed tackle attempt on Haris Seferovic, jogged while Embolo sprinted to take his second shot denied by Horvath. Brooks' central partner Mark McKenzie faced fewer tests as right back Reggie Cannon was less adventurous than Sergino Dest on the left. When Cannon received a fine cross-field pass from Weston McKennie in the second half, his bad touch ruined the promising attack. Cannon did thread a nice pass to Gio Reyna, but was beaten by Steven Zuber to set up a golden chance for Remo Freuler, who shot high. Dest shot straight to the goalkeeper from close-range after a dazzling dribble into the box in the 35th minute. Dest, unlucky with the handball for the penalty kick that Ricardo Rodriguez squandered, deflected the ball to Zuber on the second Swiss goal.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
4
Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR) 15/0 (22)
3
John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER) 41/3 (28)
5
Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL) 3/0 (22)
4
Sergino Dest (Barcelona/ESP) 8/1 (20)
Sebastian Lletget gave the USA an early lead with his opportunistic strike from 10 yards. But he also shot wide twice and straight to the keeper once. Weston McKennie covered lots of ground and became more active in the attack late in the game. Jackson Yueill played mainly a defensive midfield role.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6
Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA) 22/6 (22)
5
Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes) 10/0 (24)
6
Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy) 21/7 (28)
Gio Reyna sent in the ball that led to the USA's goal and served as the USA's most dynamic playmaker. He created chances for Lletget and Brenden Aaronson in the first half and had a case for a penalty kick call when Zuber tripped him up shortly before being subbed in the 72nd minute. Aaronson assisted on Lletget's goal but was stifled by four Swiss fouls. Both Josh Sargent's chances came with difficult headers, one on which his balance failed him and the other wide from a narrow angle. Pressure from Sargent and the frontline made it difficult for the Swiss to play out of the back.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
7
Gio Reyna (Bor. Dortmund/GER) 5/2 (18)
5
Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER) 14/5 (21)
6
Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT) 5/2 (20)
SUBSTITUTES
The U.S. attack became less cohesive after the departure of Reyna and its best chance came when Tim Weah received a fine pass from McKennie but failed to evade Eray Cuemart's tackle. Seconds after coming on for Brooks, Tim Ream was placed an awkward situation after Dest's misplay that led to the Swiss winning goal, but defended well afterward.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
5
Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids) 28/2 (25)
5
Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG) 43/1 (33)
5
Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP) 5/0 (18)
5
Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys/SUI) 3/0 (25)
4
Tim Weah (Lille/FRA) 11/1 (21)
nr
DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR) 63/0 (27)
TRIVIA: The USA's all-time record against the Swiss is now: 1 win, 4 losses and 4 ties. The lone victory came in a 1-0 win in 2007 in Basel on a Michael Bradley goal.
NOTABLE: The USA's starting lineup had an average age of 23 years, 108 days
NEXT UP: The USA faces Honduras on Thursday in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
May 30 in St. Gallen
Switzerland 2 USA 1. Goals: Rodriguez 10, Zuber 63; Lletget 5.
Switzerland -- Sommer; Elvedi (Akanji, 46), Schaer, Rodriguez (Coemert, 69); Widmer, Zakaria, Xhaka, Benito (Freuler, 46); Embolo (Mehmedi, 68), Shaqiri (Zuber, 46), Seferovic (Fassnacht, 84).
USA -- Horvath; Cannon (Yedlin, 81), McKenzie, Brooks (Ream, 61), Dest; Yueill (Acosta, 61), McKennie, Lletget (Musah, 61); Reyna (Weah, 72), Sargent (Siebatcheu, 72), Aaronson.
Yellow cards: none. Red cards: none
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Switzerland/USA
Shots: 11/11
Shots on target: 5/5
Saves: 4/3
Corner Kicks:1/5
Fouls: 15/11
Offside: 3/1
Possession: 55%/45%
Looks like all our Earlier Comments have been "Cancelled"... So let's stick to Soccer...
Individually;
GK-Horvath (8) … Awesome as Usual for a US Keeper… Definitely TOOK IT for the Team, and was Willing to do Exactly the Same on Multiple occasions AFTER taking it in the Face(Contrast that with Cannon Turning his Back on the Shot)… Great Foot Work with the Ball… Best Player on the Field for US, so What’s New about our GK being our Best Player.??? NADA.!!! Ain’t that a Shame.!?!?!?
Dest (6) … Great Touch as Usual… Unfortunate that he had NO One ahead of him to Play With or Off… GB tried to fix it by moving Reyna to Left Front in the 2nd Half… Dest is just Awkward and Uncomfortable on the Left(Hand Ball and Back Heal towards Own Goal)…GB Would have been Better to move Dest to Rt Wing Back and Bring in Yedlin(-) to play Lt Back…. (If Yedlin wants a Starting Job… LEFT BACK IS OPEN… Just Stay Home on the Left Side and Let Dest Go Up the other side all day… Take One for the Team and Learn to Play Left Back/Hold down the Space Behind Pulisic, because we Know, CP is NOT coming Back to help)
(A little aside here) Cheap A$$ Handball call against Dest for PK… A Player who is Decelerating and only has his Arms OUT of Body Frame for Balance, (and Clearly has No INTENTION of Playing the Ball) Gets “PLAYED” by the Ball in the Penalty Area… This should NOT be a Direct Penalty Kick…
Once again, my Suggestion; UN-Intentional Hand/Arm Balls in the Box(anywhere)…INDIRECT FREE KICK.
Sorry for all the "Spacing" issues... I Copy/Pasted from iNotes... Not sure why it came out this way???
With Pulisic Destabilizing Defenses on the Left and Dest Destabilizing Defenses on the Right, the Team has Balance and Penetration from both Wings… Should be easy Picking for Lletget et al. in the Middle.
I would Pair Dest with Arriola(on the Rt Front) Arriola has Inexhaustible Energy and Desire, and is himself a Clever Player that would Combine Well with Dest AND get back to Cover for Dest when Needed.
Yedlin and Arriola would solve the Problem of the Center Backs getting Exposed Outside, as Brooks (4) and Ream(1) were Exposed out there… Brooks can Blame GB for Playing him on the Left… totally Out of Sync and Poor Distribution with his Left Foot… When I 1st saw Brooks, I thought, Eureka.!!! OUR Beckenbauer… Surging, Confident Runs up the Field… Composure on the Ball… NOW, a Shadow of himself.
We Don’t have Center Backs that are Capable of Playing Tiki-Taka… Brooks Used to be able, From Rt Ct Back… only other one was Geoff Cameron…(Hummm… Older experienced Player at the Back.??? Think about it GB.?!?!?)
Spending too much time in a fantasy capsule amigo?
BGame...Expand your Comment. What is the Fantasy.???
McKenSIE (5) did OK on Playing out of the Rt Ct Back… Marked OK… Just OK… Doesn’t Help, Doesn’t Hurt… If we are going to play with only One Offensive Minded Ct Back, should be Brooks on the Right and Anyone Else (BUT REAM) on the Left- I can’t believe Vickers, Palmer or Miazga aren’t able to hold down Left Ct Back
Cannon (0) See above Comments
Yueill (3) Blah…. Bland… NADA. Acosta (2) Even More BLAH… got to have McKenNIE here at Def Mid.
Lletget (8/4) 8 when he stays Inside and Pouches around the 18… 4 when he goes Outside.
@Santiago - think your assessment pretty spot on and agree with the GK sentiment as well -
Tim Ream - my LORD, just how awful was he? A 3 at best..... he was beat repeatedly.
The Only Reason Ream is on the Team, is because he has a Left Foot... I am NOT a Big Advocate of Players having to be Both Footed... But, a right Footed Center Back that can'T Play DEFENSIVELY on the Left, Has Baffled me for Years...With Ream's Limitations, we are Better Playing Someone else there(I'll Take Geoff Cameron, but it I think Beautiful Game, thinks that is a Fantasy) Cameron is a Leader, Captain at QPR this year... 90 minute Player in English Championship... MLS Best Xl last week... Watch the latest Highlites from his New Team FC Cincinnati... Even though they Lost, he is Leading the Defense and Commanding Organization...Some Leadership with all these Youngsters Running around would be Recommened.
Aaronson/Sargent (0) Same Players doing the Same thing... When I see Players(especially Aaronson and Sargent) Arguing with the Ref, Poor 1st Touches, Grabbing their Hair in Exasperation when something goes Wrong, Falling to the Ground on EVERY Contact, Jumping into Opponents LATE on Head Balls, Pounding the Ground; Then I Know the Team is TOO Immature for this Situation
Reyna (6) could be effective where McKenNIE was playing… Rt Inside Mid… Think of Him, Arriola and Dest Working on the Right Side.??? That would be real Tiki-Taka Pleasure to Watch.!!!
Yunus/Weah… (0) Embarrassed themselves.
Petok(-) Did he Touch the Ball.???
But “the Fish Stinks from the Head”....If you Play 3 Players OUT OF POSITION, due to the Weaknesses of the Other Players on the Roster; you will throw Them, and the Team, OUT of SYNC--- Would GB Play Pulisic on the Right Front, because Aaronson can only Play on the Left.??? NO; So why does he Play Brooks on the Left Ct Back, Dest on the Left Wing Back and McKenNie as Attacking Mid( Instead of Deeper Holding Mid)...If You take 3 of your BEST Players, and By playing them OUT OF POSITION, you Turn them into AVERAGE Players, who is to Blame.??? The Player or the Coach.???...So, While Tiki-Taka and GEGEN Pressing have come to the USMNT; the Heart of Fighting for America is Missing.!!!...The Team Lacks AMERICAN SPIRIT.!!!
Thank you for your comments Santi. I did not watch game, too busy watching my kid play in a tournament. Now that is quality, through my rose colored glasses. Enjoyed your commentary and logic. Your final deductions are no big surprise, right? Connecting the dots to a picture you have already imagined, no? If you are not a winner of silverware on big stages, or a finder and/or developer of undiscovered talent in soccer, at the club level, where you have the players and an academy full time, what is the likelyhood you become a winner on the world stage, having the players only part of the time? We have a kind of a tragic comedy of a race between the US and England to see who realizes they picked the wrong guy first. Many in England are convinced they will win the Euros, and maybe they should, but maybe again the sum of the parts will be more than the whole of the team they field, just like what you describe. Thank you SA and thank you Santi. Cheers!
Cheers Mate.!!!
I only watched the first half and only got to watch about 7 of our field players. Of those I saw only two displayed good fundamentals--good positioning and decision making. The contrast in those two areas between those two and the rest was amazing. Why can't coaches teach fundamentals in development--at least to the "elite" players?