The United States opened up Gold Cup group play against their neighbors to the north Canada on Tuesday with a two goal victory. The starting strike force of Agudelo and Altidore proved dangerous, with the two making good runs at the top and getting open for their midfield supporters. Timmy Howard came up huge again to preserve a shutout, something that must have felt good coming off the poor showing against World Cup holders Spain.
Jozy struck first in the fourteenth minute, to the delight of Detroit soccer fans, taking one touch to settle a Donovan pass, and only a second touch to power his shot under keeper Lars Hirschfeld at the near post. Failing to score first has been a major source of frustration for Bob Bradley and his squad over the past year, so it was good to see how the US could hold the advantage.
Thankfully, the second half saw another goal for the red, white, and blue; this one from one of its biggest superstars: Clint Dempsey. Deuce slid home a cross from the Man of the Match, Altidore, to put the Canadians away. Looks like the Texan's stock continues to climb as he is anticipated to draw interest from Champions League level clubs in Europe this offseason.
The only dangerous threats the Canadians mounted were snuffed out by the US' #1 between the posts. An acrobatic save and constant stability in the eighty-fifth minute aided Howard in preserving his clean sheet for the Americans. The United States played a much better game to open the competition and campaign to re-establish their dominance as the power of North American soccer.
Granted, the passing could have been tighter and the bulk of the offense was being facilitated by a few too many long balls instead of short-sided, one-touch passing. The center of the midfield still looks to be evolving with Bradley and Jones dropping deep to ensure the safe passage of possession from the defense to the strike force. The backline will continue to be a carousel of players that will look to solidify their international experience, but they'll have a few more quizzes before a big time exam against Mexico in the later rounds of play.
Photo Credit: Paul Sancya/AP
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