11.19.14
ASN Morning Read: Dublin Debacle Demoralizes Fans
The United States men's national team ended its 2014 campaign with a resounding whimper, falling 4-1 to a depleted Irish side. We have many reactions, player ratings, and other news.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
November 19, 2014
8:27 AM
Right: "Jurgen Klinsmann's men played with a shocking indifference for the first 35 minutes or so, fell behind Ireland early, and never managed to compete with the No. 61 team in the world. The Americans looked disorganized, indifferent, and overmatched throughout the contest, losing 4-1 to Ireland's B team."
Also: "Exhausted from conceding so many late goals this year, the Americans decided to allow an early goal. Fear not: They gave up two late ones, as well."
Looking forward?: The bigger issue for the U.S. right now has nothing to do with growing pains and more to do with answering the question: How do you handle success? Nine of the 11 U.S. starters on Tuesday were on the World Cup team. They were the players who struggled the most, not the youngest guys. “We had some guys who were at the World Cup today, and we weren’t there,” said forward Jozy Altidore, who served as captain in the absence of Clint Dempsey. “We weren’t there in a lot of places on the field. It’s growing pains, but for some of the older guys it’s unacceptable, including myself. Those kinds of things can’t happen.”
“We just didn’t come to play today,” Altidore added later. “And it’s been a trend the past few games.”
Maybe you'd like to rate the players?
It could be worse. A hugely popular coach could be calling out your league. Oh wait, that happened. Arsene Wenger on MLS: "You have two steps. Being completely at the top finishes when you are 34 at the latest. After that, you have different leagues like the MLS and the Indian league. I encourage players to play as long as possible if they really love it."
Diskerud to MLS? Maurice Edu staying with the Union? Amobi Okugo on the move.
FWIW, we never thought this was a good idea:
