(Quick) post-match thoughts: USA v CRC

Had the good fortune to be able to catch Friday’s USA v CRC game in person at the Home Depot Center. A decidedly more pro-USA atmosphere than the last USA game I attended – the Gold Cup final against Mexico in Pasadena. Here’s a few thoughts:

– Edgar Castillo still looks shaky at left back. He didn’t perform very well against Mexico in Philadelphia, either. Given the USA’s lack of options at left back, I fully expect him to start against Belgium, however. On a positive note, Castillo had a few bright moments where he cut inside from the left wing, showing his speed and dribbling abilities. On a negative note, he mucked up a few crosses and looked generally off. Overall, I like Eric Lichaj as our left back – hope he recovers from his injury soon.

– Brek Shea is a beast. I thought he was the best player for the USA on the night – making great passes, decent crosses, and putting himself in good positions. I found myself wanting him to take players on 1 v 1 a little more – but his interplay with the rest of the team, especially Torres and Altidore, was excellent. Looking forward to seeing him and Dempsey on at the same time; I think they can really complement one another.

– Jozy Altidore is improving. He’s scoring in the Eredivisie (Dutch premier league) and his confidence showed with the USA. He’s still being asked to play the lone striker/target forward role – arguably not the best position for him to play, since I think he needs another forward to help create chances on goal – and I thought he did a very good job on Friday. The best I’ve seen from Jozy in a long time.

– Costa Rica is developing into the USA’s number-two rival in CONCACAF. Things got dirty fast in the second half, with lots of passion and emotion from both sides. For more on this, see my earlier post on the Yank-Tico rivalry.

That’s it for now; looking forward to seeing the USA back in action again on Tuesday.