In a match that saw many regulars out of the lineup and several newcomers getting a chance to shine, the United States fizzled out against Slovakia in Bratislava. It was a match, under normal circumstances, you would expect the Yankees to win. Then again, injuries to several key players over the past few months have forced Bob Bradley to play under anything but normal circumstances.
Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu, and Jay DeMerit are all out of the lineup for extended periods with injuries. Landon Donovan was off on Saturday, combining efforts with football’s glamour boy, David Beckham, in attempts to power the Los Angeles Galaxy to an MLS title. Bob Bradley was missing plenty of star-power from his usual lineup, but that provided him the opportunity to look at several World Cup hopefuls.
Unfortunately, no one really impressed. Conor Casey did a solid job holding the ball up front. Eddie Johnson continued to disappoint at a national level, and Jeff Cunningham showed that he’s probably better off sticking with the MLS. Dax McCarty did a decent job replacing Clint Dempsey in the midfield. Clarence Goodson struggled in the back, but kept himself from harms way with his athleticism.
Bob Bradley gets one more chance to watch his team in live action in 2009 when the Americans take on Denmark on Wednesday.
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