Worth Pointing Out

I've been meaning to weigh in on the USA-Italy match in the Confederations Cup more thoroughly, but with the Brazil match starting shortly, I'll be brief. First, I think Oguchi Onyewu may have had one of his best matches in a US uniform. He was rock solid in the back, even without his usual defensive partner, and it makes me think he should only sign very short-term contracts so he's looking for a new club more often. He did get wrong-footed on the second goal, but that struck me as more of a tough break than an actual mistake.

Second, I've often said that the only thing Landon Donovan does exceptionally well is run in straight lines with the ball at his feet, but I have to say that when he did it against the Azzurri, he did it very well, coming close to creating two goals for teammates in the first half.

Third, I know that teams watch tapes of games in preparation, and that the draw against Italy in the 2006 World Cup is considered a great effort for the US, but I think maybe Ricardo Clark took a bit too much from Pablo Mastroeni's performance in that match.

Finally, I don't hate Giuseppe Rossi. I just don't. Then again, I'm a Jersey-born Italian, too, so maybe there's some sort of solidarity in that.