US rallies for Haiti draw

Published 7/11/2009 8:48:30 PM by Shane Barrow from soccermogul

With the group well in hand coach Bob Bradley rolled out a very inexperienced US squad to face Haiti Saturday night. Six US players made their first start ever in national team colors. Haiti had everything to play for as they needed a result to move on into the Gold Cup quarterfinals.

The Americans started brightly and in only the 5th minute they had their lead as Stuart Holden slotted a perfect ball to the onrushing Davy Arnaud who put it past the Haiti keeper and into the net. The US created more chances through the first half, the best being a Holden strike off the crossbar, but in the end it was 1-0 at the half.

Haiti came out on the front foot after halftime and struck quickly as Leonel Saint Preaux spun Jay Heaps in the corner and put a high cross into the American box. US keeper Luis Robles didnt handle it well at all and it fell over his head to the back post where Sirin Vaniel knocked it home for the tying goal. Just four minutes later Haiti would have their lead as once again they beat the US down the right side. A poor clearance went straight to Mones Chery in the center mid where he took a touch and fired a wonderful volley that went into the upper left corner from 30 yards out.

At that point Haiti went into a shell and completely stopped any attacking soccer at all, dropping deep. It was typical South/Central American style as every foul turned into a major production where the player laid on the turf and had to be stretchered off. If they just would have continue playing after the second goal they would have probably seen the game out as winners. Instead the defensive tactics and time wasting would come back to punish them.

The US was allowed to attack in waves as Haiti rarely crossed midfield over the last 30 minutes of play. The problem with the US game though was the total lack of wing play. Nobody out wide to beat a Haiti defender. The crosses that did come were from bad angles and were usually cut off by the first defender. The tying goal would come thought and it was much deserved. Stuart Holden picked up a loose ball outside the Haiti box and rifled the tying goal into the net to earn the 2-2 draw.

The US wins Group B with the result and the draw was enough to see Haiti through as the 3rd place team. Honduras finished 2nd in the group after blasting Grenada 4-0.

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