Compelling Soccer

The story of Saturday night's road victory over Honduras, outside of the US locking up it's sixth straight World Cup appearance, was the surprise star of the match Conor Casey. How big of a surprise was Casey's heroics? For starters, if you polled media people or US fans, he probably would have been deemed least likely player to start the game outside of Brad Guzan and maybe Robbie Rogers. Then when you combine that with the situation, supposed difficulty of the game, the stakes and his perceived skill level and you have one of the most unlikely performances in US soccer history.

Looking back, I'm not entirely sure what Bob Bradley's process was in making the call to start Casey. My initial thought was that he intended to save Jozy Altidore, who risked suspension on yellow card accumulation, for the potential do or die game against Costa Rica Wednesday. It fit in line with the conservative thought process that said the US was unlikely to emerge from Honduras with three points. I don't like it, but I understand it. However, from his post game comments from USsoccer.com, Bradley seems to tell a different tale:

“Conor has played very well in Major League Soccer lately. His movement and ability to hold the ball and bring people into the game has been good. We just felt the fact that he’s been playing regularly and the quality that he brings would be important at the beginning of the game. He was very brave to go into the play that led to the first goal. On the second goal he did well to time his run, took the pass and finished it very well. He’s been in good form and we’ve been pleased we’ve gotten him into the mix, and tonight was a big night for him.”

If that's his reasoning, then my doubts about him are not going away any time soon. I don't care how good Casey has been in MLS; it's not any substitute for Premiership time. If he were replacing a striker whom we know little of on the international stage, then sure, I might be able to buy it. But Altidore is not an unknown quantity at this point. Friendlies are where you pull this stuff, not games before you have qualification sewn up.

Now, that doesn't mean Bradley's being truthful. He could have sat Altidore because of the yellow situation, but spun a different reason after the move worked out. However, Bradley's critics are not going to think well of that type of reasoning.

Regardless, what's done is done and it's time to move forward. The natural question is, where does Conor Casey fit in with the US team now; has his role changed? And should he be seen as a legitimate starting option from here on out?

The answer to the first question is yes. The answer to the second question is absolutely, positively, no way in hell.

I'm not going to take anything away from Casey's brace. The first goal was fluky, but I'm not sure any other player on the US team manages to put it in. You do something positive no one else can, then it's a point for you. The second goal was set up because of a great Landon Donovan pass, but as Benny Feilhaber proved later, a one on one chance with the goalie does not always equal a goal. Casey deserves credit for finishing the chances and for setting up the free kick that resulted in the third goal as well. Whether or not it was the right call to make in the first place, Casey was one of the better US players Saturday.

However, that alone does not mean Casey suddenly jumps ahead of Jozy Altidore.

I'm not sure why this is a question at this point. Altidore was universally considered the better player on Saturday at 10 PM. Two goals in a huge game is very nice, but they should not be enough to put Casey ahead. In baseball if you have a backup for Albert Pujols hit 4 home runs in a game that Pujols sits in, he doesn't replace Pujols the next day. So I'm very perplexed when I see people saying "how can you sit Casey after he scores two goals?" on places like the Soccer By Ives comments. The answer is "very easily" because he's not the better player.

Now, Casey's performance might have vaulted him over the other players for the third spot for now. He should have probably surpassed Brian Ching before hand anyway, but this should be one of the final nails in Ching's national team career. (For the record, I heard lots of shocked groans when the bar found out Casey was starting, but most of the people I talked to, save one, also said "at least it's not Ching.") I also think well of Kenny Cooper, but Casey might be a more useful player for the Nats in the here and now. I hope Cooper gets a chance, maybe even Wednesday night to try and match. But again, I have no qualms if for now Bradley prefers Casey over Cooper.

However, there shouldn't be any debate as to the US starters right now. The forwards read Davies and Altidore. They have the most talent and they've shown more than any other forward on the International level than anyone else in the conversation. One game, no matter how impressive the result was, could make up the miles of ground that the top pairing had on the competition for their spots.