Lineup for Ghana match

Here's two lineups for the US against Ghana. First is my preference, and second is what I think Arena will do.

My lineup
GK - Keller
D - Cherundolo, Onyewu, Conrad, Convey
M - Donovan, Reyna, Beasley, Dempsey
F - Johnson, McBride

This is really a 3-5-2, but I know Convey has played left back often in his career, including a few minutes before he came out on Saturday. Offense needs to come from everywhere, with attacking depth on both sides. Hell, I'd love to see Chris Albright get a chance at right back.

Predicted actual lineup
GK - Keller
D - Cherundolo, Onyewu, Conrad, Bocanegra
M - Donovan, Reyna, O'Brien, Beasley, Dempsey
F - McBride

This will be a 4-5-1 and hopefully O'Brien is fit enough to fill Mastroeni's role at defensive midfield.

UPDATE: (8:06AM, gameday)
GK - Keller
D - Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Lewis, Conrad
M - Donovan, Reyna, Beasley, Dempsey
F - McBride

A 5-4-1? I guess Lewis could be a midfielder. We'll see Bruce...we'll see...

USA 1 : 1 Italy

Well, that was a little more pleasant. Of course, I was drunk and I watched the game at around 1:30 am. At the time the two US sendings-off seemed like the greatest crime in human history. Now I'm a little more understanding. My collected take on the red cards:

• De Rossi - Warranted. But in a game in which I didn't have a rooting interest, I could see it as a yellow.
• Mastroeni - Yellow card every day of the week. Complete makeup call for the early expulsion of De Rossi.
  
• Pope - 1st foul was a solid yellow. 2nd was more questionable, and I don't think it should be a booking on a player carrying a card in the game.

Those fouls overshadowed a tough-played match for both sides. The US offense was functioning more smoothly that in the first game. Even though they couldn't find a goal themselves, it was promising.

Looking ahead to Ghana, the red cards will make Bruce Arena's lineup a little trickier, and I'll take my crack at that in a seperate post.

USA 0 : 3 Czech Republic

Well, that was a pretty lame way to spend two hours. Before I get to the game, I should badmouth the people I watched it with, since I really doubt they're reading this: I get it. You're probably some sort of Europeans and thus incredibly sophisticated when it comes to soccer. That doesn't mean you need to be jerks and laugh when the US makes a mistake or when Marcela Balboa says something dumb. There are plenty of "pubs" and "crack dens" in Chicago, and I'm sure they get ESPN2. Feel free to take your business elsewhere and leave me to my NUTV. I'll be watching the Ghana game at home, I think.

As far as the US team was concerned, I understand that it's hard to keep your chin up after letting in a quick goal. That doesn't really explain why no one on the team ran to the ball at all for 90 minutes. Even Claudio Reyna's near miss couldn't liven things up.

I thought the biggest problem, however, was not morale but the starting lineup. Arena didn't put out anyone to attack from the right side. I like Bobby Convey as much as anyone, but he and DaMarcus Beasley play the same position; don't need them both at once. Clint Dempsey at right mid or Chris Albright at right back would have given a balance to our anemic attack. It would have stretched the Czech back line and opened up the middle for McBride, Donovan and Reyna.

And if you knew how much I hate Clint Dempsey, you would understand how serious I think this mistake was. If we don't have offensive success against Italy, and these guys don't see time, it will be a major statement about how little confidence Bruce Arena has in them.