Goaltending helped net USA big tie in opener

It has been said that England would win the World Cup if American starting goalkeeper Tim Howard was manning the pipes for the Three Lions – I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. 

For a day and a game, the difference in ability in one key position was the difference in the United States’ great result with England in each team’s opening match, a 1-1 draw.

English fans will rue the decision by national team coach Fabio Capello to start Robert Green in net over an ailing David James (knee injury) and Birmingham City keeper Joe Hart – a player that was awarded with a place on the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year in the English Premier League last season. Green’s costly gaff in the 40th minute – a Bill Buckner-esque moment – when he fumbled the soft left-footed shot by U.S. midfielder Clint Dempsey into his net allowed the under-dog Yanks to tie the score after Steven Gerrard had given England a flying start by scoring in the fourth minute.

Was James too hurt to play or did Capello feel Green was the best player? The obvious question has to be asked of the highest national team coach in the world – a man that makes $9 million, twice the figure of the next closest coach. Truth be told, there were a couple of questionable decisions by Capello as the Italian also started James Milner, who supposedly was sick before the game and had to come off in the 30th minute. Emile Heskey, who provided the assist on a pretty one-two give-and-go for Gerrard’s goal, was also virtually invisible throughout much of the match.

However, the U.S.’s defense deserved much credit for stifling several of the most potent poachers in the world. Steve Cherundolo was sensational on the right side of the defense, letting nothing slip by him. While making fewer of his traditional runs forward, he was terrific in slowing down both Shaun Wright-Phillips (Milner’s sub) and Ashley Cole, England’s left back. Additionally, Oguchi Onyewu, whose health and fitness had been tested and questioned following his long layoff from a knee tendon tear in October, looked back to form providing a great physical presence in the middle. Onyewu was key in stifling Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney throughout.

Of course Timmy terrific was man-of-the-match caliber as per usual – without a doubt the Men’s National Team’s best player. When the U.S. had breakdowns often on the wide right side, Howard was brilliant. In the first half he broke up a low cross from Aaron Lennon and in the process got a two-footed challenge from Heskey right in his lower side for his effort – a play that should have been whistled for a yellow card and left Howard sprawling on the ground for a couple of minutes. But true to his position, Howard toughed it out and was huge in the second half. In the first five minutes Lennon tested him again from close range, but Howard parried the ball away. He then stopped a dipping and diving rocket from Lampard in the 62nd minute, and made another reaction save on a close range shot from Wright-Phillips in the 75th minute. 

England certainly carried the play, as evidenced by their dramatic advantage in percentage of possession – 57 to 43 – shots – 18-12 – and corners – 8 to 4. In fact, when Gerrard scored, it looked as though England might run away with the game exposing the center of defense (a real sore spot for the U.S. during recent friendlies) when Ricardo Clark let the English center mid in behind and Gerrard made no doubt of the finish. But there were no more mistakes from the defense from there out.

The U.S. attack was fleeting, and often looked more like they were playing hot potato with the ball instead of settling down, knocking it around, and looking for better attacking options. Michael Bradley was guilty of this more often than not, but his job on the defensive end certainly outweighed any mistakes he made on offense as Lampard and Gerrard were hardly heard from most of the match.

Jozy Altidore was solid, and nearly left his footprint on the game with a stunning run that nearly resulted in the game-winner. In the 64th minute, Altidore was released down the left side, outmuscled Jamie Carragher for the ball then blew by him before firing a shot low that Green actually made a very good stop on deflecting it off the post. 

Overall, little to complain about as a U.S. supporter, as a very positive result against a very difficult first opponent, which sets the MNT up well for a good run in the group with their two easiest matches of the tournament still to play. Should be interesting to see how Slovenia and Algeria do tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m., as the U.S. plays Slovenia on Friday at 10 a.m.