US-Norway postgame

Match reports here, here, and here.

One interesting thing about the US is that we tend to play pretty closely to our opponents. We lose narrowly to Brazil, and we can only get by Grenada 2-0. So 5-0 really is quite something, even if it was against an understrength Norway side.

And wow were they ever understrength. I know they were out of season and all, but the Norwegians were frankly terrible. Look at the how much space Twellman was in as the cross came over for the first goal. You could have parked a Cessna in the gap between those defenders.

Really the big factor in this game was the field. The Norwegians were not fit enough to compete on the wide field of the Home Despot (sic, it's my little joke) Center, and the US was doing an excellent job of switching the point of attack to players in space on the far side. Hejduk was in acres of space on every play in the first 15 minutes before anyone bothered to mark him. Putting an extra player on him helped, but it left the Norwegian midfield stretched and gave the Americans plenty of room to operate.

And operate they did. The biggest thing to like about this game was the following ratio: 24 shots, 13 on target and 5 goals. Those are nice numbers against a team that sought to sit back and defend.

It was a big day for Twellman, obviously. So too for Dempsey, whose spot at inside right seems to be ideal for him. He was equally comfortable going outside to the wing and cutting into the center. He was also doing a lot of the playmaking, coming back and receiving the ball from the back four. More and more, I think he will be an essential member of our Cup squad: energetic off the bench, able to play anywhere at midfield or attack.

Dunivant also looked good. One or two misplaced passes, and a little uncomfortable when put under pressure, but overall a very nice debut, and one in which he was very useful going forward, a key factor if he's going to be the US's left back. Good performances too for Pope, Conrad, Hejduk, Noonan, and I think Zavagnin.

On one hand, you don't want to get hyperbolic about a result in a meaningless friendly. On the other hand, 5-0 was flattering to the Norwegians; at the very least (the uncalled hand ball and the wrongly disallowed Dempsey goal) it could have been seven. Good stuff, and a nice antidote to the Canada game.