U.S. regroups before critical clash against Honduras

CHICAGO -- Ever since Bob Bradley took over as head coach of the U.S. men's national team, his mantra has been, "Be tough to play against." For the most part, Bradley has succeeded in imparting that mindset. Yet in Wednesday's 3-1 humbling at the hands of Costa Rica, the Americans were weak and timid, and recapturing that intense edge will be paramount in winning this Saturday's critical World Cup qualifier against Honduras.

Adam Davy/Empics

The U.S. must limit Wilson Palacios' influence in the middle of the field.

With only two days between games, the challenges for Bradley and the players are vast and varied. Honduras is rested and in form. They're also the last team to have beaten the U.S. at home in a World Cup qualifier and reportedly will have the majority of fans pulling for them at Chicago's Soldier Field.

For the Americans, recovering physically from Wednesday's match is crucial, but rebuilding the team's suddenly fragile psyche ranks at the top of the list.

"[The loss] is a test of so many things," Bradley told the assembled press after the Costa Rica match. "But I think we've worked hard in the past to be able to deal with tough moments, and that's what this is all about."

Bradley will likely start by reverting to a system that is more familiar to the players and plays to their strengths. As it turned out, the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium proved a dangerous venue in which to trot out a new 4-3-3 formation, especially given the inexperience that dotted the American side. The U.S. looked tentative and reluctant to pressure the opposition, especially in midfield. Fullbacks Marvell Wynne and DaMarcus Beasley were soon overwhelmed, with center backs Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra often pulled out of the center in a bid to provide cover since little help was coming from midfield. The result was a defense more misshapen than the Elephant Man.

But finding a midfield combination with more aggression to it -- the better to shield the backline -- could prove difficult, regardless of whether Bradley reverts to the 4-2-3-1 he used at the beginning of the Hexagonal, or the straight-up 4-4-2 that proved so effective against Trinidad & Tobago. With Michael Bradley suspended for Saturday's match because of an accumulation of yellow cards, the U.S. manager just doesn't have that many midfield options. Resident tough guy Pablo Mastroeni delivered a thoroughly forgettable performance against the Ticos. Jose Francisco Torres, for all of his skill on the ball, displayed none of the bite and defensive concentration needed to thrive in a central role.

All of this could mean a recall for Ricardo Clark, who blanketed Honduran captain Amado Guevara during Houston's 3-0 win over Toronto FC last weekend. While his distribution is at times suspect, the Dynamo midfielder's range is immense, and his fresh legs could come in handy, especially given the quick turnaround. Sacha Kljestan could also come in from the cold, although that pairing is short on the kind of experience a team needs in a World Cup qualifier. For Bradley, it's a problem with no easy answers.

The path is clearer with regard to the outside fullback positions, where Beasley and Wynne proved themselves incapable of preventing service from out wide. That cries out for two of Jonathan Bornstein, Jonathan Spector, or Frankie Hejduk (if healthy) to be included in Saturday's lineup.

Whatever combination Bradley throws out will need to stifle a Honduran attack led by the 33-year-old Guevara, whom the U.S. coach worked with during his former stint with the MetroStars.

"I know Amado as well as anyone, and he's still a very gifted player, capable on any day of making some very special plays," Bradley said last week.

Helping Guevara in the middle will be the physically imposing play of Wilson Palacios, although the suspension of Julio de Leon is a blow for the Catrachos. The Americans will also need to contend with forwards Carlos Costly and Carlos Pavon, whose pace and power tore Mexico apart back in April, although the Honduran press is of the opinion that head coach Reinaldo Rueda may start just one of those players. With the skillful Ramon Nunez also likely to be in the mix, the Catrachos have more than enough firepower to test the American defense, and their collective experience has them brimming with confidence. A win will see them catch up to the Americans in the Hexagonal standings, and deliver a huge psychological blow to their rivals.

"I think if you look at [Honduras'] games throughout qualifying, there's a realization on their end that this is a great opportunity for them," Bradley said.

It's an opportunity that appears to be growing by the day, especially as more American players are ruled out by injury. It was announced Thursday that forward Brian Ching will be unable to go Saturday because of the injured hamstring that kept him out of the Costa Rica game. Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey has been added to the roster. He gives the U.S. a capable stand-in, although throwing him into the mix seems to be asking a lot of the reigning MLS Player of the Month.

That puts even more responsibility onto the shoulders of Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey to spark the attack. And while the impulse is to pair Altidore and Donovan up top, it's clear that Donovan should return to the outside midfield position in which he thrived against Trinidad & Tobago in April. I've stated in the past that Donovan ought to play more centrally, but the last few games have shown that, at least at the international level, he looks more comfortable facing up to goal from wider positions. That suggests a two-striker alignment with Donovan and Dempsey supporting the attack from midfield.

"I like playing in that [left midfield] position," Donovan said before the Costa Rica match. "When the two forwards are playing well, it makes my job a lot easier. They get us some extra possessions and extra touches just by being physical and active. When that's the case, it frees me up to do what I'm good at, which is run at people and run through the midfield and make plays that way."

If Donovan can shake loose, maybe the U.S. can be tough to play against at both ends of the field and regain some of the swagger it lost Wednesday in Costa Rica.

"The reality is it's a game we're playing at home, and it's one we need to win," Donovan said. "That's our mindset."

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPNsoccernet. He also writes for Center Line soccer and can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com.