The USA arrived at Craven Cottage undefeated since their exit from the World Cup finals last summer – a tournament that saw them get out of a very difficult group before losing to Belgium in the last 16. Nonetheless, an air of uneasiness hung around their camp.
Their coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, has become embroiled in a public dispute with the commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber, who criticised the German for his perceived disdain for the US domestic league. The issue came to boiling point when Garber went public with his frustration in a heated press conference last month. His criticism of Klinsmann was scathing.
Before kick-off against Colombia, Klinsmann refused to be drawn into speaking about the controversy.
“No we did not speak. We corresponded a couple of times with emails,” he said on Thursday. “I’m not giving you any insight on those ones.”
Klinsmann instead set the focus on the future of the US national team, and how his vision of marrying youth with experience was finally coming to fruition.
His ambition was in evidence in the line-up he sent out to face Colombia, with six players 25 or under including the Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore, who wore the captain’s armband. It would not have escaped Garber’s attention that only two of the starting XI play their football in MLS.
It was, however, los Cafeteros who seemed the most lively at the start of the game, as a mostly yellow-clad Craven Cottage crowd gave the game the feel of a home fixture for the Colombians.
Having overcome their own managerial woes – their Argentinian manager, José Pékerman, prevaricated over signing up for another stint following their most successful World Cup finals to date – Colombia had to do once again without their star striker, Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao, who was out with a calf injury.
Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez led the Colombians on to the field, becoming the country’s youngest captain. He was soon in the middle of the action, creating a chance for Aston Villa’s Carlos Sanchez, whose shot went wide.
After weathering the initial onslaught, the US found a bit more possession and a looped ball into the area was handled by the left-back Pablo Armero, giving the North Americans a penalty. It was converted, cooly, by Altidore.
The Colombians had more of the ball after the goal and Carlos Bacca was unlucky to see a shot bounce off the post in the 33rd minute. Klinsmann’s men seemed happy to let the Colombians keep the ball for the rest of the half; they rarely threatened, making the goalkeeper Brad Guzan one of the few spectators in the ground to be cheering for the USA.
The second half started more evenly, the teams sharing the initiative but the goalkeepers not being worked at all. On the hour, however, a Rodriguez pass sought out Teófilo Gutierrez. He was offside, but he was standing still in the middle of the area and that was enough to allow Bacca to pick up the ball and put it past Guzan.
The Polish referee, Szymon Marciniak, deemed Gutierrez not to be interfering with play and the goal stood.
Afterwards, Guzan’s goal came under siege – the keeper had to be lively to stop Armero and Gutierrez from doubling the Colombians’ lead in the 67th and 70th minutes.
The Colombian substitute Edwin Cardona looked lively after being introduced halfway through the half and and it was his cross that found Gutierrez in the area in the 87th minute. His looping header gave Colombia the lead.
The USA didn’t have a response and the Colombians finished the game on the front foot. In the end, it was the pace of los Cafeteros that made the difference. Klinsmann’s young team will take heart from having kept the side ranked third in the world at bay for 87 minutes.
