From: andy@rocky.gte.com (Andrew Busa)
Subject: US Italy Notes
Organization: GTE Contel Federal Systems
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 15:27:36 GMT

Well I did manage to see the game yesterday.  I found a small Irish pub that
was willing to scan the skys to find it.  They found it pretty quickly and
I only missed a couple of minutes.

Unfortunately, there was no sound.

I realized right away that Steve Snow and Chris Henderson were not in the 
lineup.  It took me a little while to realize that Alexi Lalas was also
missing.  Chris Henderson has a sprained knee, as does Snow and Lalas broke
his foot.

The US started out the game extremely
 nervous.  I guess I can understand this,
it must be scary playing against players from Sampdoria, Inter, and Juventus when you have only played for your college team.

Names were on all the shirts.  Must be a new FIFA rule, I also noticed this
during the EC.

The US's lineup went something like this, Friedel, Imler, Burns, Huweiler, Rast
Reyna, Dayak, Jones, Washington, Alnutt and someone else I forget.

The US was not generating any built up attack.  They were still trying the long
punt from Friedel to Washington that worked well in qulifying but the italians
easily shut this down.  Melli somehow slipped through two US playes and shot
front the top of the area and Friedel saved it but unfortunately it came right
back to Melli and he calmly buried the ball in the corner from 12 yards.

10 Minutes later Albertini snuck by for a beautiful through ball and drilled
home the shot.  I was very impressed by the calmness of the Italians.

After this the US finnaly woke up.  Actually to be more precise, Claudio Reyna
woke up.  He started to take over in midfield and time and again he showed why  he is our best prospect ever (God I can't wait to see him beside Tab in the senior side)  He was working nice combos with Cobi Jones down the right flank but
after Cobi would do a nice job of beating his man and getting the cross over,
the italians were easily clearing the ball.  This is where Snow was the most 
missed.

The second half started the same way.  The US was pressing but not realy 
creating good scoring opportunities.  Joe-Max Moore came on for the US when
a strange play occured.  The TV camera swung away frm the action for a second
and the next thing I knew the US had an indirect free kick from 16 yards out.

Judging by the dumbfounded look on the keepers face, I think he may have very
well gone down in history as the first keeper to break FIFA new passback
rule.  Does anybody know for sure if this is what happen?  Anyway, Joe-Max
Moore hit the easiest of shots into the upper corner.  I couldn't figure out
what happened to the wall.  Its like both they and the goalie lined up on
the same side.  Of course I didn't care to much because going into the game
I was hoping that the US only lose by one because I still think that the 
second place team will be either Poland or the US.  Poland made it a little
tougher yesterday by winning by two but as long as Italy beats Poland and we
take care of business against Kuweit, it will come down to the last game.

The US had a couple of chances to even the score, most noteabley when Cobi
Jones beat two defenders and walked in to the area and shot from about 17
yards away.  The italian keeper just knocked it over the bar.

There were 18,000 people at the game, but boy did they look lost in that
stadium.

I unfortunaely have to travel early next week so I won't be able to see the
games but my heart and hopes will be with the US boys.

The two best players for the US were Cobi Jones and Reyna.  If they can keep
this up they will be noticed by the scouts and will hopefully be offered
a second division contract.

This is more important for Reyna I believe.  If he can get two years of solid
experience in, there should be a place for him in 1994 even though he will
only be 20 years old at that time.

Andy




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