CONCACAF Thursday

Has Jozy Arrived On The International Scene?

One word: WOW! That's what I repeated over and over last night as I watched both Trinidad & Tobago as well as Mexico get completely run off the pitch in their respective matches. Hats off to the U.S. as well as Honduras by taking advantage of their home fields and putting their games away with relative ease. Nicely done, but there's still a long way to go before the 3 spots are clinched and the 4th plays the 5th-place CONMEBOL squad for the final World Cup birth. Let's go w/ my top observations from Matchday 3:

1. Jozy - Obviously the story of the night in the region. Have we witnessed the birth of the next (first) great traditional forward for the U.S.? The signs point to yes, but remember, we all said the same thing about Eddie Johnson just a few years ago. However, according to several sources, Altidore is much more mature and doesn't have any of the off-field baggage Johnson has. So, let's temper our enthusiasm for now, but I think we've just seen the beginning from this kid. That 2nd goal he scored was world-class, wasn't it?

2. Landon Donovan - I think playing wide in the International game is his best position. He tends to disappear and gets marked out easier when in the middle. The flank gives him more space in which to operate, and he knew when to pinch inside to help and when to attack the flank. Partnered well with Beasley last night, maybe even raising DMB's game a little bit. These 2 close friends push each other, which will hopefully help DaMarcus break out of his funk. Donovan's 3 assists could easily have been 4 or 5 with just a little better finishing.

3. U.S. ' 4-4-2 Formation- Yep, it worked. Donovan said in the post-game interview that he felt the 4 midfielders had more room to operate and could utilize the space better. At times last night, the Americans seemed to be coming at T&T in waves, not allowing them out of their own end. The 1-touch passing wasn't perfect but better than in each of the previous WCQ's against Mexico and El Salvador. The 2 big targets up top in Ching and Altidore meant that T&T essentially had to keep their entire back 4 in their own half of the field, reducing the numbers they could throw forward. A pro coach told me last night he wasn't sure this formation could work against European teams because of their ability to possess the ball better, but I think this style works fine against CONCACAF opponents. Let's qualify first and then worry about 2010.

4. Brian Ching - The man redeems himself after an awful showing Saturday night. Partnered well w/ Altidore and they seemed to be on the same page despite not having played together before (at least I don't think they have). Held the ball well and also took on defenders. Seemed to have a confidence we haven't seen from him in a while. Beautiful run on Jozy's 2nd goal where he drew defenders to him and opened up the space for Altidore to run into. Well-played, Sir!

5. U.S. crowd - Hats off to you guys. I didn't think they would draw more than 20k for a Wednesday night game, but nearly 28k showed up and were noisy. The energy feeds the U.S. team and they seemed charged up from the beginning last night. Gotta love the way Frankie Hejduk goes bonkers after the game and makes sure to include the fans in his post-game celebrations. The guy is pure class, and you'll notice the U.S. players seem to follow his lead after the game.

6. Mexico Will Still Qualify - Yes, even after last night's debacle on the road, they WILL be on the field when the games kick off in South Africa. Granted, there is no way in hell Sven is still the coach (I think he gets fired within the next week), but they'll find a way to get in. Walsh and I were talking last night about the "magic number" of points a team will probably need to qualify. We both agreed on 15 (although Pat is leaning more toward 14). If that's the case, do you really see El Tri losing a game at home? If they win all 5, that's 15 points right there. Even if they lose 1 or draw one, they'll have 12 or 14 and should be able to win in at least San Salvador and/or Trinidad. Of the final 7 games, they have 1 tough road opponent (Costa Rica). They have too much talent and pride not to get in.

7. Honduras Is For Real - They lost in Costa Rica (almost everyone does), got a point on the road against T&T (nearly won it), and absolutely humiliated Mexico last night. And they did it without their best player in David Suazo. I've said repeatedly this is their best team in quite some time. Their defending can be a bit scary at times, but they have a number of offensive players who make the opposition afraid of throwing too many numbers into the attack. I don't think they'll win the Hexagonal, but a 2nd place finish wouldn't be a stunner.

8. Trinidad and Tobago Need An Identity - They looked scared and intimidated last night. Yes, the U.S. played well and overwhelmed the Soca Warriors, but the team seemed to give up midway through the 1st half and sleepwalked the rest of it. This team has some talent, as it has several players in the upper English divisions. They got a point on the road against El Salvador but should have had 3 when they held a 2-0 fairly late. Showed courage coming back to draw against Honduras at home on Saturday, but with tough road games at Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico, they need to get at least 2 points from those if they want to finish in the top 4.

That's it for today, folks. Look for something from Pat in the next day or so, and as always, thanks for reading!