a draw against England. With Slovenia beating Algeria and taking the
lead in Group C, however, the U.S. now faces an almost must-win.
There were a lot of eyes on the U.S. and England match because it
was the dream pairing, but in this second match, there is more pressure
on the U.S. They are the better team, and Bob Bradley is going
to need to take an aggressive game plan into this match so the U.S. can
take advantage of its strengths against Slovenia.
Here are the three keys for the U.S.
1. Possession
The U.S. must keep possession of the ball in this game. When they have
the ball, they can then dictate the flow and the pace of the match.
Against England, the U.S. gave the ball away in midfield, and the
forwards did not hold the ball up to allow players to get up the field
and penetrate England's backline. The U.S. is better man for man than
Slovenia, and this is where a good team must beat their opponent.
2. Forwards
As mentioned, Jozy Altidore and Robert Findley did a
decent job against England, but they must step up their game. They need
to hold the ball and help build the attack. Most importantly, Altidore and Findley need to create more chances. They have to get after Slovenia's
defense and get the U.S. into dangerous areas on the field. Altidore also
has to put away his chances. He had a free header in the first half
against England and the great run in the second half, but neither
amounted to anything. One of those two opportunities has to be a goal!
3. Tim Howard
It appears that his injury will not limit him and he will start against
Slovenia. This is vital to the U.S.'s chances of getting through to the
next round. Howard is playing some of the best soccer of his career,
and he made two great saves against England. He is the leader in the
back, and he is very vocal in how he directs the backline. The U.S.
needs him on the field at all times.
