On to Beijing!

After missing the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the United States sealed its bid to Beijing with a convincing 3-0 win versus Canada tonight. Dominating play throughout, they were every bit as good as the result indicated. Winning two and drawing one, the group stage consisted of a lot of "good result, but . . . " matches. For me, there was no "but" tonight.

I cannot think of a single player of the eleven who disappointed me tonight. Defensively, the US did not have a lot to deal with but played well. Seitz was not tested. Wynn looked dangerous coming forward and was equal to any challenge at the back. Sturgis did not affect the match as much, but was solid throughout. Orosco again impressed, admittedly without being pressured often, and Jonathon Spector, while probably not in top form by his standards, was a presence the US had been missing in its back four.

Controlling possession throughout, the midfield won this game for the US. Holden was again his active self, causing Canada trouble throughout. Maurice Edu showed everyone (hopefully Nowak fits in this group) that he plays far too well as a holding midfielder to move him to center back. Sasha Kljestan played well in possession and got his name in the book with a rare "during the run of play" goal. McCarthy's play was what we've become accustomed to seeing the past week and a half. He won a lot of balls in the middle and showed moments of class in possession. What can you say about Freddie Adu's performance in this tournament as a whole and tonight specifically. Anyone who has wrote him off as a bust in relation to the hype surrounding his debut at age 14 needs to take notice of how his current form.

With Nowak playing only one true striker, I am regretting my earlier paragraph decisions. Jose played fairly well; he did some nice things, but I still feel like we are not getting everything out of him. Though he was praised by the commentators for his defensive pressure, I still see a player who quits on a lot of chances and seems to choose when he wants to be that player we are all so excited about. I feel like a may be hyper critical of Jose because my expectations are so high, but there are some things the 18 year old needs to do before he can perform at a Real Madrid or Manchester United level.

Player Ratings:

Seitz--6

Wynn--7

Spector--7

Orosco--6

Sturgis--6

Holden--7

Edu--7

McCarthy--6

Kljestan--7

Adu--9

Altidore--6

Man of the Match: Freddie Adu