OK, so there's soooo much to discuss regarding this game, I think the best way to break it down is coaching vs. players. And both are to blame. Because that game should have been 4-1 or something close to it.
Coaching. You guys said it all. Everyone on twitter said it all. Klinsman played a 3-5-2 with a group of players not suited to playing it, and ill-prepared to play it. Especially against the best Mexico squad assembled in years. If you are going to play a 3-man backline, you must have a fast midfield. I mean elite fast. If not, they better Pirlo quality to keep up with the pace of play. Bradley is NOT that player. Jones doesn't play well with others. We'll get to that in a moment. That's a disaster right there. Both your holding midfielders can't play that system. It was evident very early, and JK stubbornly kept with it. That's why he sucks. It can't get anymore clear to ANYONE who knows a lick about soccer. Any apologist out there is a maroon and would be dead wrong. Any manager, after watching the first 20 minutes alone, gets out of that formation ASAP.
Players. Let's just break it down individually.
1. Bradley. I'll start here because his last 2.5 years in all competitions have showed a swift decline. When put in the proper system, he's still a good player. But, simply, he can't defend 1V1 anymore. He's actually quite good playing in space and anticipating, somehting he is allowed to do with a 4 defenders behind him. But he needs a quality 1V1 central player next to him to really shine. And, let me tell you right now, Jones is exactly NOT that player. Bradley gives the ball away much too easily these days. Part of me thinks his passing ability is significantly higher than his teammates' ability to use that ability. But then I see some of his giveaways last night and I have my doubts.
2. Jones. Here is another absolute. Jones does not link up well with teammates. He doesn't move the ball around. He misses open through balls, probably never even sees them. He refuses to make the easy quick touch pass to get the ball out of trouble and insists on beating a man with speed first and only then trying to find a teammate. That is such a disaster with a 3-man backline for so many reasons. His success in any match is dependent on everything noted above. If teams come with high pressure against us, he's a complete liability. An utter liability. If given room to move in space, he's good. He can scare defenses with direct speed, making wonderful central runs. If playing in close-quarters, he can't function.
3. Altidore. A step too late. That's the story. His ability to recognize the right run, the right pass, the right direction, to take a shot......it's all a step too late against better players. We saw it all night. Mexico defenders, on several occasions in the box, saw a lane Jozy could take that would free him, recognized it, and stepped in front. Jozy saw these lanes, but couldn't recognize and react fast enough. And really, I think that sums up his play. That, and his below average first touch, which doesn't help.
4. Wood, Pulisic. People talk all the time about whether the US missed out on it's Golden Generation. Now, we're not talking Belgium generation here, but it's a talking point none the less. Wood and Pulisic are the most promising players we've had in awhile. Both are attacking on a level few Americans have done previously. They both hold well, both play with speed and precision, both control the ball extremely well, both can play with others well. If these guys represent the future of USSoccer, then we never had a golden generation yet. These two are the type of players, if surrounded by 5-7 others of similar skills, would represent that generation. We have a central defender with Tot right now, Carter-Vickers that needs capped. NEEDS capped ASAP. Yedlin counts. Green counts as he's finally improving. Morris counts. Hyndman counts. Miazga probably counts. That's a hell of a future. These are the guys we need to play together to form the nucleus moving forward. For me, that group of players is MORE talented than that referred to as our supposed Golden Generation.
That's about enough for today. If the first half represented all that is wrong with the USMNT, the 2nd half showed what we should be. And like posed in the above paragraph, I think we can be so much more in short order. Time will tell if JK can do anything with that talent.