Most of the grades aren't too bad following the US national teams' 0-0 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying draw at Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday night, but many of the players did put in rather uneven performances.
Not to sneeze at grabbing a point in Port of Spain, but the lingering effect from the match may be that the game could have been won with just a little bit more coming from some key guys.
As a periodic reminder, grades are given on a scale with "6" as an average mark. All ratings are relative to time played, so a 90-minute "7" is more impressive than one given for a 15-minute shift.
Starting XI:
Tim Howard (6.5) - The netminder racked up five saves, but none of the shots were threatening enough to make him sweat. Howard's calm distribution helped the team build a large possession edge after the break.
Michael Orozco (5) - The right back seemed on a short leash, and thus did not aid the flank attack on his side so much. At the back, Orozco was too often caught chasing the action on dangerous Soca rushes.
Geoff Cameron (6.5) - The Stoke City man notched a game-high seven pass interceptions, but was much more involved at both ends after the break. Cameron completed an impressive 11 positive passes in or into the attacking half during the second period.
Matt Besler (6.5) - Though he was one of two defenders split far too easily on a scary first-half run by Cordell Cato, the San Jose Earthquakes speedster, Besler was generally rock-solid. The Sporting KC defender only misfired on one pass, frightened the home 'keeper with a flashed restart header and piled up four pass picks.
Tim Ream (5.5) - The Fulham defender was the other culprit on the split-two incident mentioned above, but it was the only red mark from a decent first half. Ream had chalked up six strong lead passes up the wing within 25 minutes and ended the period with a half-dozen defensive stops that included him nearly getting knocked cold to clear a dangerous cross. Then, Joevin Jones switched to his wing for the second half and things rapidly went downhill until he was removed on 68 minutes.
Jermaine Jones (6) - The midfielder was active if a bit awry in the first half, but was quietly a key man in their performance turnaround after intermission. Mostly he did by incessantly showing for slow-build possession and mixing in a few incisive spark passes. A yellow card slightly dings his grade.
Michael Bradley (5) - Even when "The Bald Eagle" has an off night, there's plenty of good to note. Still, his passing measure was quite off, especially during the opening half-hour. There were several hesitations and late releases that stymied a rush. Defensively, Bradley was most useful in in the challenging half-hour that opened the game. With the opponents backed in and countering wide (not to mention the inclusion of Darlington Nagbe), Bradley was able to start providing some helpful passes over the final half-hour.
DeAndre Yedlin (5) - Every time the coach plays Yedlin up the wing, it's impossible not to notice how uncomfortable he is when tasked with taking a defender on the dribble. Of course, he still aids in a couple moments of excitement, but more is expected. His best defensive moment came on an acrobatic interception just across midfield that nearly sparked a threatening rush, which is maybe not a great thing. Next step in his development: grabbing the game by the horns.
Fabian Johnson (6) - The 'Gladbach ace was central to most of the good moves attempted in a weak first half for the offense and made several plays on the track-back before switching to left back for the last 22 minutes. And still, he only managed four positive run-of-play passes in the final third. He’s another guy who can certainly do more.
Gyasi Zardes (4) - On the plus side, Zardes caused confusion with his movement and added in a couple of nice link passes. Naturally, that pales in comparison to some timid all-around play and a few wasted chances to make something happen in the box. His header off the bar should have been the winner.
Jozy Altidore (6) - There certainly were a few extra-bouncy touches, and he strayed from the area too often to be a true goal threat, but Altidore also engineered some of the best chances of the night. Among his handful of fine crosses and through balls was the absolute gem of a set-up that Zardes squandered by hitting the woodwork.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (5.5) - We shouldn't have too much beef with the boss, as a draw is decent for Port of Spain and the Nats could have easily won this game. And yet, one could argue that the 4-4-2 flat lines kept the attack unorganized and offbeat. One might also postulate that the three points could have been had with the right side manned for victory. Frankly, Trinidad & Tobago switching Jones to the other flank at halftime might have actually helped the USMNT post that draw.
Subs:
Darlington Nagbe (6.5) - It was another pretty cool and confident sub shift for the newcomer. Nagbe may have been stationed wide, but he looked more useful when wandering into the tight spaces of central park.
Bobby Wood (-) - The Union Berlin forward came on late to do little more than complete a few simple possession passes.
