That's More Like It

I guess the US likes home cooking. Here is Steve Goff on the win over T&T:

Three goals for Jozy Altidore. Three assists for Landon Donovan. And for the U.S. men's national soccer team, three more points in its continuing pursuit of a 2010 World Cup berth.

Altidore, 19, became the youngest player in U.S. history to record a hat trick as the Americans responded from a sub-par performance over the weekend and defeated Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0, Wednesday night before 27,959 at LP Field.

He staked the United States to a 13th-minute lead with a one-timer from six yards, blended power, precision and a clever touch in the 71st, and capped just his ninth international appearance with a shot from distance that slipped under a beleaguered goalkeeper in the 89th.

Four days after scoring during a second-half comeback that resulted in a 2-2 tie at El Salvador, Altidore kept the Americans (2-0-1) atop the six-nation standings and on pace to earn one of three automatic berths in next summer's 32-team tournament.

"Jozy is a player who obviously can hold the ball, but he also moves well," U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said. "He drifts from the side, he comes from different spots, and most of all, he is someone when he gets chances around the goal has an ability to finish."

Finishing? What a nice concept. Actually, Jozy's hat-trick, while nice, wasn't entirely deserved. The third goal resulted from a pretty weak effort by the T&T goalie. On the other hand, there was nothing weak about the second goal.

In general the US played well. Even Ching had a good moment or two. There still seems to be too much mis-communication out there, but Bradley was playing people in slightly unfamiliar spots (Beasley at left back, Donovan in left midfield, Bradley as attacking midfielder) and that might have had something to do with it.

It is still early days yet with this team, but we seem to be on the way for an easier World Cup qualification process. Still, I'd like to see this team become much stronger. I'm just not sure I'm seeing the right players on the field to become that stronger team.

We shall see.

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