It sure looked hot on TV, but the Americans’ effort was so flagging that the third goal seemed

June 3, 2009, 9:40 pm

World Cup Qualifying: Costa Rica 3, U.S. 1

By Jack Bell AND Andrew Das

Coverage of the United States national team’s World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica.

Update | Postgame, 12:03 a.m. AD: Well, unless you’re Costa Rican, you probably wish you had those two hours back. In hindsight, we all probably knew it was over in the second minute, and we can agree it absolutely was in the 13th.

As bad as those first two goals were, the third — by Herrera in the 69th minute — was downright embarassing for the U.S. A wide-open player (Centeno, I think) controls the ball in the area and, despite no apparent concern on the part of the U.S. defenders, pushes it away from the goal to another open player (Herrera) on the wing. A tiring Bradley wanders over for a look, but is quickly rounded by Herrera as he cuts back inside. Sacha Kljestan fails to engage (”He looks exhausted,” John Harkes says on ESPN, noting that Kljestan came on only 20 minutes earlier) and suddenly it’s 3-0. Wow. Tim Howard played well when he had a chance, but he probably deserved an apology from his team last night.

It sure looked hot on TV, but the Americans’ effort was so flagging that the third goal seemed to break Harkes. “I’m upset,” he muttered in the 71st minute. Three minutes later Jozy Altidore, who looked about as good as a player can after not playing for two months, drove a cross into the area. Unfortunately the two U.S. players in position to put a head on it at the spot didn’t even lean in, and a charging defender leapt in to knock it clear.

Landon Donovan scored on a PK in injury time after Onyewu was yanked down on a throw-in, but spoiling the shutout barely qualifies as a highlight. The goal felt like a solo homer in the ninth inning of a 14-3 loss.

The upside for the U.S. coming out of tonight? I’m open to suggestions.

The downside? Michael Bradley picked up a yellow card that will keep him out of Saturday’s game against Honduras, and Costa Rica’s 3 points pushed them over the U.S. and into first place in the group standings. Those standings now look like this (everyone has played three games except last night’s teams, who have played four):

Costa Rica 9
United States 7
Honduras 4
Mexico 3
El Salvador 2
T & T 2

Update | Halftime Andrew Das checking in: Game plans go out the window when you give up a goal in the first two minutes, and they come into question when you give up two before 15 minutes have been played.

Bob Bradley’s wishing that DeMarcus Beasley can become a solution at left back won’t make it so. It was his too-easy giveaway (which forced his slashing attempt at a clearance seconds later) that set up Costa Rica’s first goal. Alvaro Saborio’s shot would have beaten any goalkeeper, but he never would have taken it if either of the two players in position to stop it (Mastroeni and Torres) had bailed out Beasley by sticking a foot in.

Beasley may have all the tools to play left back, but he needs to actually do the job to get the plan to work. Remember, he was burned for the second goal in El Salvador, a mistake that was largely forgotten when the U.S. rallied for a 2-2 tie. The problem is that when Beasley has bad touches, or sends all his passes back to Howard or to Bocanegra in the middle, it takes Torres (and by extension Altidore when he’s up front on that side) out of the game as well.

Bradley’s experimental back line was burned on the other side in the 13th minute, when Oguchi Onyewu let himself get pulled all the way to the sideline and a quick give and go left him and Marvell Wynne apparently covering the same man — the one who had just slipped a pass into the clear. Again, a great finish and no chance for Howard.

The early goals gave way to some American pushes (but no real chances) in the final 20 minutes of the half, but that’s hardly surprising. Costa Rica certainly has every reason to pull back on the reins a little and protect the 3 points, which would leapfrog them over the United States in the Concacaf standings.

The U.S. salvaged a point in a tough spot in San Salvador in March, but they may have dug themselves an even bigger hole tonight.

Pregame Here are the 11 players chosen by Bob Bradley to start in Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica in San José:

Goalkeeper Tim Howard (Everton/England)

Defenders DeMarcus Beasley (Rangers/Scotland) Carlos Bocanegra (Stade Rennais/France), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege/Belgium), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC/M.L.S.)

Midfielders José Francisco Torres (Pachuca/Mexico), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado/M.L.S.), Clint Dempsey (Fulham/England)

Forwards Landon Donovan (Los Angeles/M.L.S.), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal/Spain)

Substitutes Goalkeeper Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/England); defenders Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA/M.L.S.) and Jay DeMerit (Watford/England); midfielders Freddy Adu (Benfica/Portugal), Ricardo Clark (Houston/M.L.S.) and Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA/M.L.S.); forward Charlie Davies (Hammarby/Sweden)

Note: Brian Ching (Houston/M.L.S.) did not dress because of a hamstring injury