Having confidently beaten Miami FC in the league and staged an inspiring comeback to edge past Hartford in the Jagermeister Cup, it looked like Detroit City had turned a corner from their Spring slump. Then, Le Rouge travelled to Oakland and laid an egg in the aging Alameda Colosseum that pointed towards a continuing Summer swoon that caused them to drop yet another place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Detroit City didn’t manage a shot on goal until the 89th minute, a well-taken but weakly struck volley by defender Alex Villanueva. That paltry output came against the worst team in the Western Conference. The Oakland Roots jumped over two other struggling teams after their surprisingly easy 2-0 win over DCFC.
Danny Dichio has to be feeling the heat by now. Granted the team missed captain Stephen Carroll, winger Rhys Williams, and forward Ben Morris, but the team had a long winless run with all three playing regularly. The attack has lost its early season potency. Top scorer Darrin Smith has gone quiet and been substituted frequently. Loan signing Jordan Adebayo-Smith has disappeared from the roster. Dichio removed Connor Rutz at halftime after an ineffective forty-five minutes, replacing him with the equally ineffective Sebastian Guenzatti.
However, midfield is where games can be won or lost. DCFC has lost the midfield battle in nearly every game since late April. The likes of Ryan Williams, Jay Chapman, Dominic Gasso, Haruki Yamazaki, Marco Polisi, and Abdoulaye Diop have been tried in various combinations to little effect. They aren’t keeping possession or creating nearly enough opportunities for the forwards. They don’t cover enough ground and put in enough tackles to protect the back line. They have lost too many physical battles. Jeciel Cedeno, the man tasked with replacing Maxi Rodriguez, has not been up to the task. A brilliant goal against Miami aside, his production has been minimal.
Oakland, like so many previous opponents, eased past the midfield to get at the back three. The lack of presence gave Panos Armanakis plenty of time and space to line up his opening goal after 55 minutes. Too many DCFC players watched the play develop, but none stepped up to cover the Roots player. Polisi’s own goal in the 85th minute simply put a cap on a dismal performance.
Returning home to face Hartford this weekend, the team has to play with some desperation. They have fallen to sixth place in the Eastern Conference and both the two teams above them and below them have a game extra to play. DCFC is only four points above the line to make the playoffs. Whereas in April a home playoff game looked like a solid bet, just making the playoffs is in jeopardy if they continue to tumble down the table.
Pochettino Gets CONCACAFED
Welcome Mauricio Pochettino to CONCACAF! Where a foul is not a foul. A hand ball is not a hand ball. And, when you play at home, it’s really an away game. The new US manager received a full dose of what it’s like to represent the United States in the weirdness of CONCACAF. Mexico, supported by at least 70% of the crowd, dominated the Americans in a sold out NRG Stadium in Houston to win back-to-back CONCACAF Gold Cups.
It didn’t help Pochettino that many of his first choice players didn’t turn up due to injuries, Club World Cup commitments, or vacation requests. The players who did represent the national team did so with pride. He cannot fault his players for effort. Execution? Now, that’s another subject. They turned the ball over regularly and failed to escape their own half not just against Mexico, but in their mighty struggle against not so mighty Guatemala. That will be disheartening.
In the post-tournament analysis, it won’t be the blatant handling by Jorge Sanchez in the 66th minute that decided the game. It won’t be the numerous holds, pushes, and trips that Mexico’s defenders used to slow down US striker Patrick Agyemang that went unpunished. It will be the Americans’ inability to play the ball with the requisite skill and control it for longer spells that decided the game. The central midfield combination of Tyler Adams and Luca De La Torre played numerous passes straight to their opponents. It also seemed that any headed ball from an American defender went straight to a Mexican player. Too many turnovers put the US on the back foot for much of the game. Fix those things and the US has more of a chance.
Once basic ball possession can be maintained, then they can focus on the final product. That was lacking. Agyemang is a physical force. Now, he has to become a striker. He is moving to Derby County in the English Championship, joining Josh Sargent, Darryl Dike, Charlie Kelman, and Gold Cup teammate Damion Downs in the second tier of English football. He will have physical challenges like against Mexico, but he will have to hone his finishing skills or his chances of appearing for the US next summer will rely on injuries to players ahead of him.
Mexican boss Javier Aguirre can look at the Gold Cup as mission accomplished for Mexico. They now hold the Nations League and Gold Cup titles. With the exception of a disappointing 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in the group phase, Mexico won all their games by one goal. They were clinging on against the Dominican Republic and didn’t score prolifically against any opponent, still relying on 34 year old Raul Jimenez as their biggest threat.
At least in Edson Alvarez Mexico has an inspiring captain who can control the rhythm of a game at the heart of midfield, fitting that he scored the tournament winner. They also have twin tower defenders in Johan Vasquez and Cesar Montes who are ready to battle with big center forwards. Aguirre also had the benefit of being able to have his first choice team together for over a month. That preparation will come in handy when they gather next May to prepare for three World Cup group matches on home soil.
Pochettino has work to do. He now has what was essentially a B team that made a decent run in the Gold Cup to analyze. He will have to determine who from this group can move forward with the big names if and when they return. Defender Chris Richards was already considered a starter, but he emerged as a real leader in the Gold Cup. Matt Freese gave a competent performance in goal with an outstanding job against penalty kicks in the quarterfinal with Costa Rica. Malik Tillman, battered and bruised, finally gave a glimpse of his club form with the national team. Diego Luna fights with the grit that Pochettino loves. His disappointing performance in the final should not keep him off future rosters. Tyler Adams looked like he was carrying an injury and it told in his performances. He didn’t have his usual impact in midfield. There are going to be roster spots available to earn over the next eleven months. It will start with the September friendly games against South Korea and Japan.
