If you want a little more robust look at the USMNT's 4-3 win over the Netherlands in Amsterdam, THIS is what you're looking for.
If you want totally subjective player ratings, with all the caveats and snark that come with it:
Then you're in the right spot!
GK: Brad Guzan (6): Produced a handful of pretty damn nice saves, and I can't fault him too much for the tire fire of a defense in front of him.
RB: Timothy Chandler (3): Occasionally useful on the overlap, but once again an inexcusable liability defensively:
CB: Ventura Alvarado (4): Got himself an education from one of the world's great goal poachers in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Does better defending up the field than he does in his own area, which is atypical of American central defenders.
CB: John Brooks (4): I bumped him up a notch for the late goal, which was both hilarious and well-earned. Brooks has a lot of potential, but is far too easily beaten in the air and is way, way too prone to ball-watching in the build-up. He also always loses the first physical contest of the game, every single time.
That said, he's been okay lately for the US. So let's chalk this one up as a blip.
LB: Brek Shea (4.5): Got forward well one time, but his touch let him down. Was asked to defend 1-v-2 for most of his outing, and fared predictably against that caliber of opposition on an island.
DM: Kyle Beckerman (6): Had one bad turnover late in the first half that led to a Dutch goal being called off. That was a big let-off. Otherwise he was his usual reliable self, and had one sequence of particular note:
Go back and look for it on the replay. Nobody else in the player pool produces that at this point.
CM: Alfredo Morales (4.5): Was missing in action, especially defensively. With Shea getting overrun at left back and no help forthcoming from the winger on that side (more on that in a minute), Morales needed to provide more coverage. He didn't, but his replacement did.
CM: Michael Bradley (8.5): Best player on the field. MLS has just ruined this guy's game.
LW: Gyasi Zardes (6): Exquisite goal, and could have had two more. His movement was more dangerous and dynamic than I'd expected of him, which lines up with what he showed last weekend vs. New England. His defensive recognition, however, is nil, and is a big reason why Shea was overrun.
RW: Fabian Johnson (6.5): Picked up another assist, and was better than Shea in reading combination play once he moved to left back. Probably the second-most important player on the roster.
CF: Aron Johannsson (4.5): Combined well once when he dropped deep, sending Shea through. But that was really about it. Most disappointing aspect was that his runs didn't put much pressure on the Oranje defense - he didn't pull them apart off the ball even a little.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (6.5): So is the 4-3-3 back? Because as fun as it looked today, let's remember it's been disastrous for the US in the past. And let's also note that this was a low-block 4-3-3, which invites pressure forward - and as such, the US gave up 27 shots. You don't get a lot of results when you concede that many looks.
But hey, they got one today! And Klinsmann did one thing very well: He put his best player in a position to succeed.
Subs:
CB: Michael Orozco (3): Had his worst game in US colors in quite some time, and struggled with basic positional requirements.
CM: Mix Diskerud (6): Wasn't a difference-maker in and of himself, but helped Bradley get more time on the ball, was always in position to help defensively, and was once again a reliable outlet in possession.
RW: DeAndre Yedlin (7): Uncontainable speed that he's harnessed and honed into a weapon. There's nothing particularly fancy about his game, but you don't need to be fancy when you run like the wind itself.
DM: Daniel Williams (6): Came in and immediately won the ball, then surged forward and helped create a chance. Then had three straight midfield turnovers, one of which led to an immediate Dutch turnover, which then turned into the Brooks goal. And then he had two more turnovers, and then he got a goal himself.
This was a productive and entertaining outing from Williams, who singled-handedly made the game about 800% more frenetic. Here's his heat map for the day:
I'll be surprised, however, if Klinsmann sees it as the type of performance that edges Williams past Beckerman in the pecking order ahead of the summer's Gold Cup.
CF: Bobby Wood (8): He was the game-changer, pushing the Netherlands defense back with his speed and aggression in his runs. He will never be a fan favorite because he will never be a clinical finisher, but it's pretty obvious why Klinsmann rates him. Wood made the game better for everybody around him.
F: Jordan Morris (7): Like Wood, he opens teams up with his speed and aggression. Unlike Wood he's looked to be a natural finisher in the past. We'll be seeing lots more of this kid in the future.
