“Hey Gooch! Will you get off my back or do I spell it out in English for you.”
Key matchup: The 6’4″ 201 lb. defender Oguchi Onyewu against the 6’7″ Czech striker, Jan Koller
Go to Soccerblog’s pre-match analysis
Update: Milan Baros is out of the game, so that is one striker the US does not have to czech up on. A gimpy John O’Brien will most likely be replaced by Clint Dempsey.
The way that the US will win is to run the legs off on the ageing, banged up Czech Republic team. Especially Pavel Nedved and the Czech defence. So DeMarcus Beasley, and Bobby Convey, have to run the defence wide, spread them out, and center or work their way into the box to take advantage of Brian McBride with his headers or flicks to get past Petr Cech at goal.
Landon Donovan can lay back a bit to provide another attacking option or to re-distribute the ball for another attack. Keep switching the point of attack through Claudio Reyna, and through the midfielders switching flanks, keeping the defence unsettled. DeMarcus Beasley will start on the right as he plays on that flank for PSV but he can also move to the left, his natural position. The corner kicks should see an active Carlos Bocanegra (6’1″) and Oguchi Onyewu (6’4″) sneak a header in through the impressive wingspan of Petr Cech, the 6’5″ goalkeeper who plays for EPL champions, Chelsea.
The US meets the Czech Republic today, 12 June in Gelsenkirchen at 6:00 PM German time (12 Noon EST). Coverage on ESPN 2, Univision, Setanta Sports if you are in a work abstinence mode.
Webcast on the PC available here for the subversive version of work abstinence.