WASHINGTON – It was choppy, ragged and at times hard to watch. But the US national team conjured up a familiar sort of resilience to rally from a 1-0 deficit and down Peru 2-1 at RFK Stadium on Friday night, via two goals in nine second-half minutes from Jozy Altidore.
Does this win matter more than your average friendly? Certainly – that was clear from the USMNT's edgy run-up to the match, and the team's exuberant celebrations when Altidore's second finally pulled them in front.
Will the game tape give Mexico, the Yanks' CONCACAF Cup opponents, much reason for sleepless nights between now and Oct. 10? Probably not – here's three thoughts on why.
1) Cat and mouse
USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann speaks often of his team's quest for a “proactive” style, an assertive mentality that seeks to grab the game by the lapels and dictates terms. However, the German legend knows as well as anyone that there are times to sit back, sit deep or even park the bus, depending on circumstances.
A home friendly against the 48th-ranked team in the world is rarely one of those occasions. But thanks to a combination of clunky tactics and unfamiliar roles, that's exactly what happened in the first half. In an unexpected throwback to the Bob Bradley era, Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya were handed the keys to the US engine room in a plain-Jane 4-4-2 shape. Simplicity can be beautiful, but sharp communication and understanding was required from the central duo to maintain the proper balance.
With precious little game time together in this look, it was no great surprise that Jones and Bedoya rarely seemed to be on the same page, particularly when defending. Though Bedoya was nominally the more advanced of the two, he often drifted deep, allowing Peru's twin holding mids Josepmir Ballon and Carlos Lobaton time and space to pick up their heads and switch the angle of attack at will.
That was only one of several areas in which the hosts ceded the initiative to their guests, boosting Peru's confidence and encouraging their sizeable contingent of fans to roar. The possession stats were shockingly one-sided in their favor in the first half, reflecting a baffling – and dangerous – passivity. It took a more aggressive approach after the break to this one for the Yanks.
2) Hide and seek
In related news, there were all too many cases of Jones and his fellow midfielders – and sometimes even the center backs behind them – stepping forward with the ball at their feet and seeing, well, seeing not much in the way of passing options.
Though Altidore looked to drop deeper as the game wore on, there appeared to be little chemistry between him and his starting strike partner Bobby Wood, as their movements often did little to make life easier for teammates trying to build out of the back.
In a traditional 4-4-2, that can spell trouble, and it was unclear what patterns of play Klinsmann had laid out beforehand. Sometimes DeAndre Yedlin tried to pick the Peruvian locks in limited space along the right. But it was Gyasi Zardes on the left who made himself available most effectively, showing a savvy understanding of when to pinch and when to flare out to the touchline.
The LA Galaxy man would later set up Altidore's winner with a driven cross-shot into the goalmouth and was my man-of-the-match pick by a safe margin. Zardes has now climbed from USMNT up-and-comer to core squad member in less than a year's time and seems to have mastered the left-wing role that he looked so uncomfortable with even at club level not long ago.
3) Chop and change
Klinsmann had promised to use his substitutions liberally pregame, and he duly lived up to his reputation as a tinkerer on Friday, most notably along the backline, where seven different bodies occupied the four slots over the course of 90 minutes.
It's hard to see how many sound conclusions can be drawn from such a revolving personnel door, especially coming from a coach who this week stressed the value of his unstinting confidence in goalkeeper Brad Guzan. If stability and trust matters between the posts, why not also along the back four?
The upheaval also negatively affects individual attempts to make a positive impression. A few minutes before halftime, Peru broke loose on a counterattack and US center backs John Brooks and Omar Gonzalez stepped in unison to draw the offside flag – but right back Michael Orozco peeled off at sprint, keeping his mark onside as he tracked back. Either Orozco didn't see his teammates' decision, or he didn't trust the system, and it nearly cost the US a goal.
These are the small margins that will likely decide next month's clash with Mexico, and the USMNT can't afford to leave as much to chance as they did on Friday.
