A very poor U.S. team lost 3-1 to Honduras tonight, and the performance asked more questions than they answered.
Because this was not an official FIFA international weekend, none of the U.S. stars like Landon Donovan and Tim Howard played. Instead this second-string U.S. team was comprised of MLS players and they were completely outplayed by Honduras.
It did not help matters that Jimmy Conrad, the U.S. captain for this match, was sent off after only 17 minutes for his second yellow card of the game.
“Now we’re forced to chase the game,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “At this point, that’s a big task for this group. I thought our passing was poor. Some passes that could’ve been played on the ground ended up in guys’ chests.”
Asked what he took away from the match: Bradley replied:
“The starting point for the game in January is always assessing players. Seeing them in a good game, a tough game, gives you the opportunity to find out what guys are all about. It gives you an indication as to where they might fit in as you move things forward. So we take a lot from it.”
This was the first of five planned U.S. warmups ahead of the World Cup. Most U.S. regulars will also miss the Feb. 24 game against El Salvador at Tampa. But Bradley should have a relatively full-strength roster for the March 3 match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam, the last game before he picks his 23-man roster
