Dear Diary: US Men’s National Team @ Trinidad and Tobago

Constable Echelon

“Trinidad? It’s me, Tobago. I’m through pretending. I just can’t do it alone.”

And a nation was born.

The US travel to T&T HUH! DYN-O-MITE!…sorry lost my train of thought. Ahem, travel to T&T (deep breath) for a little CONCACAF Group 1 semifinal World Cup qualifying action. As we get closer to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa we will need fewer and fewer clarifying descriptors regarding the specific type of action we are about to witness (read: this game = not terribly important).

History in Trinidad & Tobago for the US Men’s National team. This is where the US clinched qualification for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. I remember the subsequent issue of “Soccer America” (a periodical to which I am sure I was the only subscriber in 1990) came with a centerfold diagramming the play that resulted in the US goal. It came off a throw in as I recall. Wikipedia informs me it was from that good Irish lad Paul Caliguiri. They also refer to it as “The Goal Heard Round the World”, a designation which I readily dispute.

Back in 2008 the US is already through to the final round of qualifying, where T&T really needs points to leapfrog Guatemala.

“Hey, you a fan of the Harry Potter series?”
“Dude are you kidding? I guatemala!”

Just wrote that shit. Just. Wrote. That.

Fuck you.

After the jump we’ll get the starting elevens and my diary. Of which you have already read the best parts.

A non-representative fan of Trinidad & Tobago.

Live from Port-of-Spain!

ESPN opens with a shot of the Bodyshaping set. No, hold on. That’s Trinidad & Tobago. The announcers refer to it as a tourist destination. Get the fuck out of town! A Caribbean island?

A pan of the stands reveals a handful of T&T fans wearing gold viking hats. Good to see Flavor of Love in syndication. Behold world: America!

John Harkes and JP Dellacamera on the call for ESPN. JPDC has the sort of name I like to pause before saying and then rush through. John Harkes and (beat) JPDellacamera. My spanish is rusty, but doesn’t Dellacamera roughly translate to “of the camera”? If so, this shit is in his blood. JPDC looks vaguely like Seth Rogan’s dad from Knocked Up. Also if the paused DVR is any indication the sexual tension in the booth is palpable. Moving on.

US lineup

GK Brad Guzan
D Heath Pearce, (Don’t call me Jesse) Orozco, Califf, Frankie Hejduk
M DaMarcus Beasley, Torres, Freddie Adu, Maurice Edu, Kljestan
F (Constable Echelon is really gay for) Jozy Altidore

So yes, the US is enjoying their already qualified status and running out the kids. 4-5-1 with Adu as the underneath forward. If I didn’t type their first name I don’t know it. And I’m not looking it up. Play your way into recognition, boys.

Trinidad & Tobago

GK Ince
D A. Edwards, Lawrence, Thomas, Spann
M Daniel, Dwight (I’m 300 years old) Yorke, Latapy, Birchall, C. Edwards
F Jason (This is really my last name) Scotland

Not to get all Jean Marie Le Pen here, but if you knew nothing and were asked to pick out the American lineup from these two sets of last names, what would you go with?

The US National anthem…on STEEL DRUMS! Gotta love that. Brad Guzan looks like he ignored advice and drank the water. Trinidad and Tobago’s lineup reveals one short guy standing next to one really tall guy and one cracker.

4th minute: Dangerous set piece opportunity for T&T here after a silly foul from Torres. T&T moving left to right on your blog dial. Wicked cross whipped in from just outside the 18 which Guzan parries away. Ball bounces around and US is lucky to clear.

Come to think of it Torres I believe has some dual citizenship situation with the US and Mexico. His start here is important because he is now officially off limits to Mexico. Finally, it’s the US that catches a break!

5th: After some buildup from Kljestan, who bears a fleeting resemblance to Adrien Brody, the US wins a corner. Beasley swings it in, and over everyone for a goal kick.

82 degrees in Port-of-Spain tonight, feels like 98.

8th: Corner for T&T, which yields half a chance on the back post. Goal kick US.

10th: Birchall has a crack from 30 that tests Guzan. The US has yet to settle in here. Showing their youth.

12th: US gets a promising free kick in T&T’s end, which is meekly crossed right into the defense by Kljestan.

14th: Corner for the US set up by a Frankie Hejduk run. Freddy Adu hammers it into the near post defense, and then settles the rebound magically but can’t do anything with his second cross.

17th: Pearce can’t hold off Scotland and concedes a corner. Sloppy defense from US but T&T’s Thomas send it over the bar from the six. That’s two crosses dealt with very poorly.

Despite the oppressive heat it’s actually the US in white. Someone needs to tell T&T about their home uni option. But maybe “feels like 98″ is not that hot for them. I don’t know.

20th: Beasley explodes down the left flank and delivers a quality cross that deflects to Hejduk. T&T regroups to close him down. Good to see DaMarcus’s pace intact.

25th: Scotland has an ambitious look under duress at an angle from the 18, and forces a save from Guzan.

26th: Beasley is behind the defense on a nice pass from Altidore, but the linesman incorrectly rules offside.

Every close up on Heath Pearce reveals a wild eyed maniac. He looks like he thinks there are assassins in the stands gunning for him. Weird.

31st: Jozy Altidore chalks up a bad looking foul on Yorke. His second such infraction of the game. Yellow card in his future? God that was an awful band.

35th: Corner for the US. T&T is forced to sub after a calf injury to Thomas (the guy who missed their point blank chance). More nothing. Freddy Adu follows with a bad foul on Latapy to thwart the counter. The crowd screams for a deserved yellow, but the ref denies.

37th: Jose Torres has a look from 30 that he sends over following some nifty dribbling from Adu.

41st: Nice buildup up the right middle from the US that eventually springs Hejduk for a cross that he sends directly to the goalie. T&T counters dangerously, but is thwarted before a chance can materialize.

44th: Maurice Edu can really settle a ball in traffic well. Both teams look content to get to the half 0-0.

45th: This Carlos Edwards character for T&T has nice pace. Him and Beasley are fun to watch on the flank.

45+: Jason Scotland finds himself clear at the top of the 18 but pushes it wide right. And it’s the half.

Half time thoughts: T&T is getting their chances off of sloppy play in the US midfield. Michael Bradley would make this an entirely different game. The US can’t really possess at all in the middle. The best opportunities for the US are coming from runs up the sides from Hejduk and Beasley. The problem is that Hejduk can’t really deliver a solid cross, and Beasley can’t seem to shake Edwards just yet. T&T have had the better chances.

47th: Torres puts Altidore through and he finishes, but is ruled offside. The replay disputes this ruling. That’s two. US going left to right on your blog dial.

52nd: Altidore looks like he has a little Eddie Johnson disease. He doesn’t quite have international speed.

54th: Again the ball is bouncing around in the US box, but Scotland clumsily pushes it wide. Poor poor stuff. Guzan is justifiably incensed.

58th: Carlos Edwards streaks down the right side but there is no one to get on the end of his cross.

59th: Heath Pearce, who spent his halftime freebasing cocaine to keep his high up, probes up the left side and sends a ball across that rolls invitingly through the T&T box, but T&T corrals it.

61st: GOAL Birchall dribbles up the middle, plays it to Latapy who finds Edwards on the right. Edwards puts on a beautiful display before crossing back to Latapy wide open at the 12. Latapy sends the volley off of Brad Guzan’s outstretched hand, off the post, off Guzan, and in. Deserved goal for T&T. Edwards is the best player on the pitch. Trinidad & Tobago 1 – US 0

64th: T&T not content to rest. Immediately back on the attack. Latapy misses left after a nice cross from Scotland. Latapy is 40 years old, the announcers keep reminding me. A goal is just what this game needed. Let’s see if the US can regroup.

66th: Freddy Adu tries a sweeping left footed shot from the 18 that goes wide. Stern John comes on for Jason Scotland. That’s two subs for T&T. Will they bunker down?

69th: Charlie Davies on for Freddy Adu, who doesn’t look too pleased to be coming out.

70th: US possessing now in T&T’s third. Jozy Altidore forces a US corner. Beasley sends it in, but there is a foul charged to the US.

Looking up Carlos Edwards, he is on a three month loan from Sunderland at Wolverhampton right now in the Championship.

75th: GOAL Brute strength from the US. Maurice Edu muscles a ball through the T&T defense that finds Altidore. Altidore muscles a cross to Charlie Davies who has no option from point blank other than the back of the net. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be. Trinidad & Tobago 1 – US 1

76th: Russell Latapy is subbed out, and that’s Trinidad’s allotment.

77th: Carlos Edwards settles a cross from the just on Highland (sp?), forces a deflection and a corner.

78th: On the corner there is jostling and the referee awards T&T a penalty. Hmmm. Replay shows it was deserved. Altidore was tugging on his jersey and brought him down. Dwight Yorke to take the kick.

79th: GOAL Dwight Yorke converts. The most accomplished player in the stadium delivers. Put a hole in the net even. Trinidad & Tobago 2 – US 1

81st: Pearce earns a virtual corner for the US by drawing a foul. Beasley sends it in to no avail. The US has looked impotent on set pieces all day.

83rd: Beasley picks out Kljestan on the back post off of a free kick. Sends it back across to Altidore who chokes on the empty net. Needed that. Nice to see the US threaten off of a set piece at least.

86th: T&T is keeping nine men behind the ball and now Birchall is writhing on the grass after a foul.

88th: Chris Rolfe on for Heath Pearce, who looks to have come down.

90th: US pressing. But no one can get on the end of a Szetela cross. Szetela came on there for someone. Missed it.

90+: Nothing. And game.

Game thoughts: Deserved win for Trinidad & Tobago. Couple that with Guatemala dropping a shocker to Cuba and it was a dream night for them. All of a sudden they are three points clear in second place with a home game vs. Cuba to finish things off. Guatemala on the other hand has to travel to Colorado, win, and get help. Not likely. For the US, pretty much uninspired across the board. When your best player is a sub (Charlie Davies), that’s not good. The defense looked unsure and shaky, and the midfield was simply ineffective. Maurice Edu was particularly frustrating. In the moments he asserted himself he looked better than the game, but far too often he got lost. Carlos Edwards for Trinidad & Tobago on the other hand was a revelation. Albeit against weak competition. He’s quite a player. The good news for the US? This game didn’t matter.

Tags: Soccer, US Soccer