Tim Howard looked ready to burst into flames as his defense crumbled at the slightest hint of pressure.
2 minutes +: Benny Feilhaber in a momentary lapse of reason plays a perfect cross to Semih Senturk with the game barely 2 minutes old. Senturk flashes a beautiful cross that Howard manages with fingertips to keep away from Tuncay Sanli.
4 minutes +: The US defense backpedals as Tuncay gets the ball in midfield and the Stoke City forward has acres of space to lay a pass to Senturk. The winger lurking on the left runs forward and then passes the ball across the goalmouth to the arriving Tuncay in perfect position to score but he is off by inches.
9 minutes +: Hamit Altintop gets the ball from Tuncay’s backheel as the US defense backpedals again allowing the Bayern Munich midfielder to come to the edge of the box, as five US defenders close down on him. Altintop tries to finesse a shot past Howard which to the relief of every US supporter flashes wide.
With every defender drawn to him like flies Altintop went for a low percentage shot as Tuncay and Kazim Kazim were open because no one was left to mark them. Howard went ballistic and rightly so. It was shambolic.
13 minutes +: The indefatigable Tuncay, now a many headed Hydra receives a short pass from Emre and then threads a beautiful pass past Jonathan Spector to Arda Turan who cuts in as Spector tries to recover. Turan’s shot flashes over Howard. Another close call.
25 minutes +: Jonathan Spector is the beneficiary of a Turkish mishit into midfield. The West Ham defender takes off Emmanuel Eboue fashion pushing the ball deeper into Turkish territory as the US pour in men. He gets picked off the ball at the edge of the box and the Turks mount a counterattack.
The US are caught in disarray with virtually no one in the backfield as Turan gets the ball. Spector smelling danger chugs back almost 70 yards in vain with Bradley in tow. Turan, quick as a flash positions himself before the two players converge on him and slides the ball past Howard to give Turkey the lead. The four actors have differing emotions. Turan’s face festooned with joy, Spector looking nonplussed, Michael Bradley tight lipped, and Howard shaking his head in disbelief.
38 minutes +: Spector whiffs on a long ball with Turan once again getting better of the US right back and cutting in. Luckily, there is no one to latch onto his cross. The Turks are now smelling blood and Spector is offal.
39 minutes +: Tuncay the magnificent fronts Bradley and takes off on the right with the coach’s son trailing him and then lays a shot which gets a tiny deflection of a diving Goodson. The ball looks dangerously like going in before ballooning over to the roof of the goal.
42 minutes +: The US has its best chance as Altidore picks up the ball on the right flank and in a nifty display of ball skill and spatial awareness lays a cross that is just beyond the reach of the sliding Dempsey.
44 minutes +: The Turks in a familiar routine by now attack through Altintop as the backpedaling US get caught again. Turan goes for glory but shoots straight to Howard.
Spector was woeful. Bocanegra was a non factor. Michael Bradley had a granite visage and nothing else. It was a forgettable display. One wishes there was a Men in Black erasure of memory.