GET THE FORMATION RIGHT AND THE REST FOLLOWS:

How the USA coped with the Catrachos (Ridge Mahoney, Jun 8, 2009 , Soccer America Daily)

Had the Americans played as dismally on the flanks as they had in Costa Rica they would have been overrun, as Pavon and Texas product Ramon Nunez repeatedly attacked the corners, and right back Mauricio Sabillion got forward on occasion as well. Costly, too, popped up out wide as well as in the middle, and the confidence and quickness the Hondurans displayed did break open the U.S. back line after they opened the scoring, and again in the final minutes after they fell behind.

In between, however, the Americans regained security in midfield and battened down the flanks. Central mids Pablo Mastroeni and Ricardo Clark shifted from side-to-side to close down space and get in tackles, but were seldom needed near the touchline, as outside backs Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector doggedly kept their inside positions and rarely allowed opponents to get behind them for a clear serve.

High balls and crosses launched by the Hondurans from midfield seldom troubled center backs Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra, who on more than a few occasions headed clearances right to teammates, which forced Honduras immediately to defend. When the U.S. lost possession, aside from Clint Dempsey's unforgivable gaffe on his own side of the halfway line, usually Honduras started from deep in its own part of the field.

Mastroeni and Clark were dependable enough defensively, but with Landon Donovan and Dempsey seldom able to hit final balls that forwards Jozy Altidore and Conor Casey could turn into shots, the U.S. edge in possession wasn't amounting to much. Balls from deeper positions, such as the one that Onyewu played into the penalty area, where Honduran defender Mario Beata brushed it with his left arm, caused more problems.

After Benny Feilhaber replaced Mastroeni for the second half, midfield play opened up.

Playing the ball into the middle from slightly deeper is the point.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 8, 2009 7:34 AM