U.S.A. falls 3-1 to Denmark

Things got off to a great start for the Americans as Jeff Cunningham scored his first International goal in the first half and took that lead into the break. Unfortunately, the back four had a total break down to start the second half and conceded 3 goals in the first 9 minutes to put the game away. This match will most likely be remembered for the debut appearance by Edgar Castillo who got about 30 minutes as a left sided midfielder.

Honestly, I don't know what to say about this match. Most of the players on the field were anonymous for the majority of the match and the strikers were completely non existent except for Cunningham's steal and finish which was handled with aplomb. Really the only thing that stood out was the complete failure of the U.S. back line to mark their men for a short stretch in the second half. The overall level of play by the U.S. team was not good enough and it was almost shocking how sloppy they were at times. There is the obvious excuse that a lot of these players hadn't played together but they are all professionals and they still should be able to connect on simple plays and make simple traps. That was just not the case today.

For the second straight game it was clear that the Americans rely on Landon Donovan far too much and his absence makes the United States a very ordinary side. It really is a shame that the U.S. was not able to field a full team for these two games because this was a good opportunity to build momentum heading into the World Cup. Instead, it was an opportunity to see some new faces and build depth. And what of Edgar Castillo you ask? He really didn't have much of a chance to do anything but he looks very quick and comfortable on the ball. Expect to see more of him during the January camp at the Home Depot Center.