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I’m busy transcribing an interview you’ll see here tomorrow, but a few readers wanted to know why I had not posted any comments about the US MNT v Brazil game. I responded that there really isn’t much to say about a friendly game, so from the blog perspective, my time was better spent elsewhere. I told him that I thought the boys played pretty well all things considered, the big question in these games being ‘how hard did Brazil really try?’

That we will never know, which is why unless I go to the game, or there evolves some momentous event or dire need to comment, I usually don’t write too much about it, save a few words for the weekly Barometer. There are enough blogs, I continued, that catering to the games and players, and moreover do a fine job at it. Those most obviously written by the professional soccer beat writers. Ives Galarcep does the best job overall with his blog, while Steve Goff is the best reporier with a blog. Goff gives almost no commentary, holding true to the objective reporter; Ives lets it fly a bit more. There is great worth in both methods.

I went on to then write a bit about what I took from the game, and figured, well, as several people asked for it, I might as well throw this up while I wait for a few queries to come back to me. I try to look down the road in these circumstances, not relishing in or rehashing game notes. What’s left is after the jump…

Clint has a knack for the goal. You have to like that, but I’m not convinced he is a forward. He is like a bigger, stronger (and slower) Landon, and neither of them seem to be perfect for their positions within the US roster and strategy. I’m not sure what to do there - clearly you want both those guys on the field where they can get the most touches. You have to like Bradley and Feilhaber in the middle, and I would ultimately still call for a perfect striker, so that puts Landon on a wing across from Beasley, and Clint floating between Bradley and a striker to be named later.

I would like nothing more than that to be Eddie Johnson, but he has shown no on-the-ball skills. If you force me to choose someone, I guess Ching wins the consolation prize. I just trust him more to be in the right spot. Wolff looked as good as he ever has on Sunday, but he is not a down the road guy, which is the one aspect I’ll never understand about some of the roster call-ups (yeah yeah yeah, experience rubs off on the young guys, whatever). My single biggest worry for 2010 is that no striker will rise from the pack of mediocrity, but there is still time.

Defense: I want to see a game in which all the EPL kids - Simek, DeMerit, etc - are given the reins for a whole game. Bocanegra looked pretty solid this weekend. I have never been his biggest fan, but he cleaned up like a good sweeper should against the craftiest players on the planet. Carlos also has that knack for being in the right place at the right time; corner kicks just seem to find him. The fact that he has worn the captain’s armband of late, only strengthens my belief that his spot is not up for grabs.

But everyone else on the back line? I’m hoping Onyewu is just an all-star in a slump, with my most recent theory being he may be too slow to mark anybody that isn’t an aging Borgetti. But I haven’t given up hope on my favorite player (due to the fact that he reminds me of myself out there, give or take about 20-30 pounds of muscle). All things being equal, I prefer a big, scary back line, that isn’t afraid of cards. Presently however, ’scary’ is not a word that comes to mind for the US MNT. The fact that Gooch isn’t getting big contract offers from clubs goes to show a lot of people are not sure what to make of him.

I’m not saying the back line we have come to expect is wrong, I just want to see the other guys get a real chance so I can form an opinion, even if that opinion is based on games that don’t matter at all.

There are only two games scheduled for the duration of 2007: Oct 17 v Switzerland and Nov 17 v South Africa (not yet confirmed). Hopefully we get one or two late additions. If there is one thing I can say definitively about international friendlies, it’s that the US MNT should be playing as many as is humanly possible.