Kick-off - This should be a friendly international or is it a fashion show - both nations sporting their new away kits and several players wearing lurid boots in yellow, green, red or anything but black.
3' Arjen Robben jinks past Jonathan Bornstein in the box. The Chivas USA defender's looking nervous, understandably as Robben ran Frankie Hejduk ragged here six years ago.
10' Neither team has forged an opening yet, but the Dutch have had the lion's, or de leeuw's share of possession.
13' A crazy moment as Jose Torres tangles with Wesley Sneijder and the ball loops towards goal off the US midfielder's foot - a frantically backpedalling Tim Howard tips over to prevent an embarassing opener
17' Torres is lucky to escape the referee's book for taking Sneijder's legs away from him in center field
A lucklustre opening for the States so far with predictable passing being frequently intercepted and the formation appears rigid compared to the Dutch midfield who are switching positions.
Sneijder has dirtied Howard's gloves twice froi distance but the US keeper is on form tonight.
30' Robben is an irritant on the right, in the middle and now on the left flank, attacking Jonathan Spector.
Stuart Holden is bowled over in the middle by Nigel De Jong and stays down in pain. Torres is yellow-carded for his protests.
34' Torres releases his frustration with a long-distance effort that flies a yard over - at least someone is having a go.
DaMarcus Beasley replaces Holden - the stage is set for Bease to triumphally return to the Nats.
39' GOAL Disaster strikes as Sneijder wriggles into the box and Bornstein yanks him back, even though he's heading away from goal. The ref points to the spot and Dirk Kuyt sends Howard the wrong way.
45' Bornstein handles in the box accidentally - only a cruel ref would have blown up again for a PK. Bornstein must be praying for the half-time whistle after a torrid opener.
Half-time Maurice Edu replaces Torres and Robben the tormentor is off too, replaced by another dangerman - Klaas Jan Huntelaar of AC Milan.
50' Eljero Elia, Holland's livewire left winger, smuggles himself into the box to latch onto a long chip from Sneijder but Howard smothers at his feet
60' A big cheer from the Ajax-heavy crowd as former hero Rafael Van der Vaart replaces Nigel de Jong. The US remain bereft of ideas and Landon Donovan is struggling to impose himself.
62' Alejandro Bedoya comes on for Robbie Findley
64' A flowing US attack at last ends with Beasley scraping the ball across the face of the goal and Jozy Altidore sliding in at the far post but the ball ends up wide of the upright.
70' Heath Pearce comes on but it's Jay DeMerit who makes way, forcing a defensive reshuffle as Bornstein moves into the middle.
73' GOAL - Huntelaar fires on goal from the 18 and the ball deflects off the unlucky Bornstein to wrongfoot Howard and end up in the net.
76' Eddie Johnson replaces Donovan in an effort to inject some life into the ineffective US attack
82' Holland still look the likelier scorers as Van der Vaart lets rip and Howard pulls off a spectacular stretching save
86' Bornstein's night to forget is over as Clarence Goodson replaces him
88' GOAL Beasley curls in a free-kick and the unmarked Carlos Bocanegra does his trademark crashing of the box, ghosting in to nod past Maarten Stekelenburg.
90' The US, suddenly looking dangerous, win another set piece on the edge of the box but this time Beasley curls the ball into the goalie's arms.
Injury Time - The Dutch fail to clear a US corner and in the melee, Goodson scoops over the bar when he might have scored; it's all US pressure with the Dutch on the back foot, but surely too late to save the game. Stekelenburg dives to parry a 20-yard Altidore blast as the US finish a very disappointing night very strongly.
2:1
Kuyt (pen.) 40', Huntelaar 73', Bocanegra 88'
Netherlands - Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen (Vlaar 45'), Van Bronckhorst (Braafheid 67'), Van Bommel (Affelley 74'), Robben (Huntelaar 45'), De Jong (Van der Vaart 60'), Kuyt (Babel 81'), Sneijder, Elia
USA - Howard, Spector, Bocanegra, DeMerit (Pearce 70'), Bornstein (Goodson 86'), Bradley, Torres (Edu 45'), Findley (Bedoya 62'), Holden (Beasley 34'), Altidore, Donovan (Johnson 76')
Att: 46,630
-Sean O'Conor, Amsterdam
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3 comments:
if that was an american player who made the type of tackle de jong did on holden, straight red card no questions asked.
rage, i have to agree. bradley jr. makes that tackle and he's definitely in the book.
as for the new kit, i've viewed it favorably since i first saw the teaser photos in november, but seeing it on the players i'm not sure i like it anymore.
Have to agree about the previous comments. In looking at the replay in slow motion, De Jong is not even looking at the ball or the player which is at best conscious indifference to where his cleats end up while taking aim at the player.
Bradley was shown straight red for a less egregious tackle against spain and he got the ball first.
Regardless of the team, it was a dirty tackle and should have been a red card.
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