Gary Hershorn/Reuters A defensive formation employed by the United States limited the creative space enjoyed by Argentina’s Lionel Messi on Saturday night. From left, Timmy Chandler, Maurice Edu (7) and Jay DeMerit triple team the diminutive Messi in the second half of the teams’ 1-1 tie.
For the first 45 minutes of Saturday night’s 1-1 tie against Argentina, the United States national team seemed entirely focused on trying not to lose. Coach Bob Bradley opened the game with a defensive-minded 4-5-1 formation and placed 10 — and sometimes all 11 — players behind the ball as he tried to keep the dangerous Argentines off the scoreboard. The strategy worked for about 40 minutes, until Argentina’s Lionel Messi made a few nifty moves down the left flank and set up Esteban Cambiasso a few minutes before halftime. The Americans had all but ignored the offensive side of their game and were losing. Something had to change.
Something did. Bradley made two substitutions and — more important — shifted to a more aggressive 4-4-2 formation that instantly infused energy and ambition into the American attack. The United States responded with a gritty performance that pushed Argentina, ranked fourth in the world, to its limits.
Goal video of Argentina vs America:
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