Brad and Bradley Lead the Way for U.S. vs. Panama

STARTERS

Brad Guzan: Guzan has generally impressed for the U.S., and this was an even better performance than usual. There was nothing he could do on Blas Perez’s opener, and aside from that, he was absolutely outstanding against Panama. It started with a sharp reaction save from Ventura Alvarado’s accidental own-goal effort. After a series of solid stops throughout the first half, he saved the game for the Americans in the 75th minute, denying a swift Panamanian counter with a big left hand. The drop-off between Tim Howard and Guzan is just about non-existent these days. Rating: 7

Timothy Chandler: Whew. Once upon a time—2013 against Honduras, to be specific—on an oppressively hot day in San Pedro Sula, Timmy Chandler turned in one of the worst performances the U.S. national team has ever seen. This, on another very hot day, was scarcely better. Some will call for Chandler’s head. They’ll say he should never play for the U.S. again. I am not one of those people. What I am, though, is a man with a simple enough message for Jurgen Klinsmann: never, ever play Timmy “Frosty the Snowman” Chandler on a hot day. Just don’t do it. There are plenty of serviceable right backs. The U.S. does not need a puddle in that position anytime the thermometer moves above 85 degrees. Rating: 2.5

Ventura Alvarado: The young Mexican-American got off to a shaky start, nearly scoring an own goal via a deflected corner. Minutes later, his night got far worse, where he did his best Statue of Liberty impression while marking a Panamanian forward, who then squared for Perez to score. After that, Alvarado looked much better, delivering a series of important challenges, highlighted by a crisp slide tackle in the 89th minute after Frosty Chandler lost his man down the right flank. In sum, he’s got potential, but he needs to stay sharp for 90 minutes, which sounds a lot like the fellow youngster who played next to him in the middle. Rating: 5

John Brooks: As hinted in the previous section, Brooks was quite up and down in a performance that felt a lot like most of his games in a U.S. shirt. There was the good (a series of strong clearing headers), the bad (dodgy marking on Panama’s goal), and the great, an outrageous recovery slide tackle that looked like a certain red card when he left his feet and ended with a squeaky clean dispossession. Brooks needs a few long sessions at the Matt Besler School of Sound Defending, but goodness does he have potential. Rating: 5.5

Fabian Johnson: Johnson has the kind of effortless “cool” factor that we all strive for in our daily lives, and he brought that swagger with him into this relentlessly physical encounter. Need a huge block on the line to keep Panama from jumping out to an early lead? Johnson’s there. How about some classy dribbling and passes to get out of trouble? Johnson has that, too. It wasn’t his most dynamic game in attack, but it was a very solid showing from start to finish. Rating: 6

Kyle Beckerman: Beckerman is usually excellent in a U.S. shirt, but he didn’t quite have it tonight. A few too many passes went astray, and he wasn’t his typically reliable screen in front of the back four. A late left-footed blast from distance went close, but the better option was probably a pass to a streaking Michael Bradley. Rating: 5

Alejandro Bedoya: Time and time again, the U.S. is just better with this guy on the field. In his first game in two months following a knee issue picked up at Nantes, Bedoya delivered a vintage well-rounded performance, contributing all over the field before he was withdrawn for Aron Johannsson. His sharp assist to Bradley helped level the score, and his composed passing and tough defending was a boon to the U.S. throughout. He also could have drawn a red card at the end of his surging run late in the first half. Welcome back, Mr. Bedoya. Rating: 7

Alfredo Morales: Morales didn’t do a whole lot that stood out, which, to be honest, is a common enough critique on his game. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but in this encounter, the U.S. needed more from him in possession. The halftime hook for DeAndre Yedlin was a bit harsh, but not wholly undeserved. Rating: 5

Michael Bradley: Bradley is playing at such a high level these days that it’s almost jarring when he misplaces a pass. He did that against Panama a few more times than usual, but that should do little to overshadow his excellent goal and general contributions to the U.S. attack. And to this observer, his fitness can be downright majestic. Watch the U.S. players as the clock ticks toward the last ten minutes. Count how many times you see a player make a genuine sprint. Chances are, MB90 makes more than the rest of team combined, even the subs—yes, we’re looking at you and that brutal late trackback, Clint Dempsey. Rating: 7.5

Gyasi Zardes: The L.A. Galaxy striker didn’t deliver any decisive moments, but even with that said, it’s not hard to see why Klinsmann rates him so highly. His athleticism and energy are welcome additions to the U.S. side, and on another night he may have drawn a penalty off his club teammate Jaime Penedo. Rating: 5.5

Chris Wondolowski: Wondo didn’t offer a ton in terms of hold-up play—he rarely does—but there were enough quality touches to warrant his staying on the field beyond halftime. The lovely dinked through ball to Bedoya stands out, and for that alone, he stands as an unlucky victim of Klinsmann’s halftime changes. With that said, it’s hard to argue that the Dempsey substitute didn’t improve the U.S.’s performance. Rating: 5.5

SUBSTITUTES

Clint Dempsey: These days, Dempsey is a player defined more by bright standalone moments than consistent 90-minute impact, and we saw more of that against Panama. He faded out of the game at times, but his outrageous pass to Bedoya was crucial in the U.S. goal, and his nifty back heel to set Bradley off on the counter in the 64th minute provided another reminder of just how much skill he has. Rating: 6

DeAndre Yedlin: Yedlin is a once-in-a-generation athlete, and he flew all over the field in his 45 minutes. He wasn’t able to contribute any moments of magic to the attack, but he was immense in slowing Panama down, especially on a late recovery sprint to bail out Chandler down the U.S. right. Rating: 6

Aron Johannsson: Johannsson made a few dangerous darting runs, but he wasn’t on the field for quite long enough to get himself a truly dangerous chance in front of goal. Rating: Incomplete

THE COACH

Jurgen Klinsmann: In front of a brilliant pro-U.S. crowd in Kansas City, the U.S. was not remotely good enough… again. The U.S. was heavily outshot for the third straight game. The Yanks got away with it against Honduras and Haiti, and escaped with a draw against Panama. But play this way against Costa Rica or Mexico, and the U.S. can expect not just a loss, but an embarrassment. Rating: 4 

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Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Follow him on Twitter and let him know what you think.