The US national team were forced to play a patient game against friendly hosts Cuba in Havana, but got strong attack contributions from unexpected sources after the break to grind out a 2-0 victory on Friday afternoon.
It was always going to be difficult for boss Jurgen Klinsmann to learn much from this contest, what with the game played on a carrot pitch against a game but outclassed opponent. So he went back to the basics and his charges escaped with a win.
Ethan Horvath (6.5) - Though he got some help from the woodwork, Horvath made three comfy saves and handled his area. The debutant also distributed well for the most part.
DeAndre Yedlin (5.5) - The Newcastle right back dug in for a handful of early defensive stops, but didn't contribute anything to the attack until near the end of his 45-minute shift.
Geoff Cameron (6.5) - It was a solid showing for Cameron, who had more work than one might have expected before kick off. In addition to pumping nine long balls up to the forwards, the Stoke City defender pitched in with four pass picks and a big area shot block midway through the second frame.
John Anthony Brooks (6) - The Hertha Berlin center back returned form injury with a decent half of work. Brooks was the strongest US defender over the opening half of the first period, but would experience a couple of hiccups on the ball before departing.
Fabian Johnson (5) - Not only was Johnson invisible in attack, but his mistakes facilitated many of Cuba's most dangerous rushes. The 'Gladbach ace did improve a good bit at the defensive end after the break.
Michael Bradley (6) - The crummy field changed Bradley's usual role, so he spent much of the game ably stepping into lanes and leading the US flank players.
Christian Pulisic (5) - In tandem with a couple of rough rides from Cuba tacklers, the bumpy turf seemed to unnerve Pulisic more than any other US player. He left at the break without ever causing too much trouble in attack.
Sacha Kljestan (6) - The Red Bulls playmaker kept the team moving forward when given the chance, aside from a couple of bad turnovers in the away end. When the US went to the "Route 1" attack, Kljestan's influence predictably waned.
Julian Green (7) - A took a while for the Bayern Munich prospect to dig his claws into the game, but he eventually provided much of the road side's danger in attack. Green was certainly not shy, taking on defenders and pulling the trigger on seven shot attempts. Five were on target, with the last two leading to the US goals.
Bobby Wood (5) - The Hamburg forward had success running off his strike partner's knockdowns and hold-up touches, but squandered some good chances after breaching the Cuba box.
Jozy Altidore (6) - With the attack slowed by the turf, his service never really showed up. However, Altidore was all too willing to play the long ball back to help teammates.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (6) - The coach's game plan was done no favor by the shoddy field, but he appropriately adjusted tactics and got the desired result in the end.
Subs:
Steve Birnbaum (6.5) - The D.C. United defender came on in the mood to defend aggressively, until he was knocked from the game by a high boot that drew blood and somehow went unpunished.
Timothy Chandler (7) - The Eintracht Frankfurt right back came on at the break, and immediately starting wreaking havoc in attack. After shipping a few crosses that went without a deserved fatal touch, Chandler helped set up Green's insurance tally with a lob feed to the the assist-maker.
Chris Wondolowski (7) - The San Jose striker entered a scoreless game at halftime, and filled his role to a tee. Wondo opened the scoring by pouncing on a rebound with a fine finish, and then cut a low feed through the goal mouth to tee up a tap-in for the second.
Jordan Morris (6) - The Seattle rookie star ably played a support role in the offense for 30 minutes, but never had a chance to truly shine.
Paul Arriola (6) - The Tijuana youngster completed all five of his passes, but was never in a real position to threaten the Cuba net.
Danny Williams (6) - It was never going to be easy for the central midfield sub to grab hold of an overly direct game in just 20 minutes of action.
