It's just a friendly. But it was a damn fun one, and it's not like Germany fielded a team of drunk orange cones. There were two sides out there trying to win the damn game, and the better one did.
Here's my full analysis: CLICKY!
And now for the player ratings from Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Germans in Cologne:
GK: Brad Guzan (7.5): Came up big once in the first half and - incredibly - didn't have all that much to do in the second 45. Was calm and assured in his distribution as well.
LB: Fabian Johnson (6): Was kind of a non-descript 45 minutes from a guy who's been dynamic in the past. But "non-descript" was important, since the US needed additional solidity on the right flank after Germany's torrid opening. Completed 15 of his 16 passes on the day.
CB: John Brooks (7): Hung on for dear life (like everyone else) in the first 30, using his athleticism to put out fires all over the back line. For the final hour he was indomitable, and had a big hand in this:
CB: Ventura Alvarado (4): Continues to hit bumps in the road as he gets up to international speed, and was caught in two minds on the German goal. Doesn't read the game as quickly as Brooks.
RB: Timmy Chandler (4): Like Alvarado, he just didn't see the danger on the first goal. Watch him kind of tentatively shuffle toward the danger zone:
Had a much better second half playing primarily as a right back. Which may be telling.
DM: Danny Williams (5.5): The "1" in the 4-1-3-2 is the most important job on the field, and the toughest. Williams was overrun several times - especially when his wide midfielders got pulled out to the touchline - but generally did well in recovery. He also cut down on the needless turnovers that plagued him against the Netherlands.
CM: Michael Bradley (8.5): Continues to be the best US player, and was quite honestly the best player on the field for either team today.
LM: Mix Diskerud (6.5): Incredibly well-taken goal, with sublime control and an even better finish. More promising still was the instinct to even get into that spot in the first place, which hasn't always been there. I docked him a point, however, for getting roasted on the German goal.
RM: Gyasi Zardes (6.5): This was an experiment I liked. Zardes still isn't a midfielder, but he was the only guy played out of position today, which means there's a good structure in which to evaluate his strengths and weaknesses. Then for the second half, he was moved to his natural spot up top.
He also showed better defensive awareness than he did last Friday vs. Holland, and this about sums it up:
FWD: Aron Johannsson (5.5): Had a slick backheel in a build-up that Zardes maybe should have finished, and got into good spots to help in possession. But he was never really dangerous.
FWD: Juan Agudelo (4.5): I wanted to see more swag. Didn't seem willing to try the kind of stuff he usually pulls off on the regular whenever he gets an opening.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (9): I love the 4-1-3-2, I love that the structure gives Bradley multiple targets to choose from, I love that the only positional experiment made sense, I loved that the team weathered an early storm and improved, and I love that we've stopped leaking second-half goals.
This was the best game the USMNT have played under Jurgen. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come, and not just a false positive because it's a friendly.
Subs:
RM: DeAndre Yedlin (7.5): Put Jonas Hector into the torture chamber and didn't let him out.
DM: Kyle Beckerman (7): Makes the game so much easier for everybody around him. Completed 31 of 34 passes and didn't break a sweat.
RB: Brad Evans (7.5): Allowed nothing down his side and got the game-winning assist.
LM: Alfredo Morales (3): Ran a lot, but completed only two of the eight passes he attempted after coming on. And it's not like they were high-degree-of-difficulty passes. Weird performance from a guy who's shown better in the past.
FWD: Bobby Wood (7.5): Touched the ball three times. One was a golazo, and the other two were missed passes. Wood won't score many better goals than that, but his real value comes in how he opens up the field with the speed and aggression of his runs.
FWD: Jordan Morris (7): No fear, and no touch necessary to affect the game. Also almost made my heart stop with that shot he took right after coming on:
