Friday, February 3rd was a momentous day for Chattanooga soccer history as the United States Men’s Soccer Team took on Jamaica in a friendly. The UMNT scored a goal in the second half, and it was a beautiful display of passing technique. The video can be viewed here: http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/video/jordan-morri...
As a die-hard soccer fan, I wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to see the team play in my very own hometown, and viewing the match from the front row masked the effects of the 30-degree weather. 18,000 fans filled Finley Stadium chanting "I believe that we will win!" I couldn’t believe that I was only a few feet from Michael Bradley, Zusi, Evans, and Altidore! Even though I was star-struck, I was still very critical of Bruce Arena (the second-time around coach). This was his last chance to prove himself before the World Cup Qualifying matches in just several short weeks, and he failed to impress in terms of offensive plays.
Sebastian Lletget was the star to watch of the night as he tried to prove himself in the full 90 minutes of the game as both a wide left runner and center player. He was able to adjust to positioning well and made great runs with Jorge Villafana to produce some of the brightest moments of the first half. Lletget is a player that seems to have a very fluid playing position, which makes him an apt consideration for the UMNT future line-up in the World Cup Qualifying games.
Jorge Vaillafana played one of the most important positions needed on the UMNT: the people’s left back. He did it justice and clearly impressed the full 90 minutes with his crossing ability on both ends of the field. Benny Feilhaber brought some of his skill back to the field as well, showcasing his gift of playmaking. He is the one who made the play to get an egg in UMNT’s basket with his quick one-twos. He passed with grace to Jordan Morris whom put the ball into the net for the night. Feilhaber’s first half left him with 5 dribbles completed, 6 duels won, and 5 recoveries.
Although the U.S. dominated on the field, there were a couple of slip-ups defensively, where Jamaican strikers found space. The one goal lead didn’t make fans any less nervous, but the U.S. was definitely creating more confidence with their six shots on goal versus Jamaica’s two. These preliminary games are a sure-sign of hope of the USMNT on the road to Russia in 2018.
The next games for the USMNT are set for March 24th vs. Honduras and March 28th vs. Panama. Hopefully, the U.S. can pull off another victory to get us one step closer to making soccer history around the world.
