In the wake of the US National Team's 0-for-3 Copa América appearance, I find myself wondering whether Bob Bradley took the time to watch the Under-20's 6-1 World Cup defeat of Poland.

The badly beaten were flying high from a 1-0 win over Brazil until Freddy Adu and his eager teammates strutted around the field for 90 balletic minutes as if they were Ajax circa 1995. Wide open lanes and turf to burn were the reward for quick, smothering defense becoming flair-filled offense time and again. It's amazing how easy the game becomes when you're having fun by moving the ball around on a string with quick touches.

The victory not only put the team atop their group ahead of a Brazil finale, but it may have been the best technical performance I've ever seen a Red, White & Blue side put on at any level - and that was from a tourney side after a total dud against South Korea. I submit it as proof that the senior side can be more daring tactically, especially in games with no meaning... like on Thursday.

This was a very poor showing from a midfield running to far apart to capitalize on their strengths. Kyle Beckerman didn't seem sure where to be, Sacha Kljestan didn't seem sure what to do, Ricardo Clark tried to do too much and Justin Mapp was on his own page. The second half alteration helped, but it wasn't exactly anything Colombia had to strive to adapt to.

When the US did gain a threatening posture, Colombia was repeatedly let off with no punishment inflicted. Sure, the players could have executed better, but they were working with a game plan built for mediocrity all along. If the U-20's are cultured enough to go big, then so is the USMNT. It doesn't need to be Total Football specifically, but conservatism is never going to get us to the mountain top.

US Player Ratings
Brad Guzan (6) - Made a couple of good stops, is commanding on restarts and his distribution can be a real weapon. Still, he can improve his positioning and should add some hang time to some of those punts. Silly mistake gave the ref no choice but to call a penalty, then stepped up to knock it away, so I won't mark him down for that sequence.

Drew Moor (5) - Miserable first half, including losing the goal scorer. Played much better in the second half, even if his crosses weren't nearly as tempting as they were against Paraguay. He generally fronts his man well, so let's keep him on the learning curve for now. We certainly saw enough at Copa to place him low on the depth chart.

Danny Califf (6.5) - The skipper was caught out to lunch on the penalty play, but also made it to Guzan's rebound first. Other than that flub he was a physical, wise presence in a very green backline. His air game alone requires he continue to get chances in the US shirt. This grade could have nudged a tad higher were several smart long balls not hit a touch too hard for the runners.

Bobby Boswell (6) - Kept his area pretty quiet by not doing anything fancy. His no-nonsense approach and sticky marking meant he went unnoticed for long stretches - a good thing for a center back. It's hard to tell how well he distributes at this level because he kept things so simple, but for today there will be no mark down.

Heath Pearce (6) - He didn't really get chances to dazzle, but it was a solid outing for a guy who has waited so long to get a chance. Perhaps a 5.5 on accomplishment, I pulled Heath up to an average score because he didn't try to do too much to showcase himself, and let the game come to him. He was also harmed by receiving nine poor passes in the first half, but he only lost one and he only watched his man send one cross into the box. Colombia didn't even bother to wander into his corner most of the second half.

Ricardo Clark (5) - A big step down after some recent standout performances, this episode was the one where Ricardo doesn't move his legs. Far too grabby, far too indecisive on the ball, even a few crazy giveaways near the area - this one had it all in the wrong way. The worst part was his game dropped in the second half, when several of his teammates raised theirs.

Kyle Beckerman (4.5) - Other than some nice splitting balls forward, this was not the kind of show the young MLS veteran needed to put on. Positioning, tackling, flank distribution... all a mess. He probably could have even scored the late equalizer with a little effort to do something other than stand clearly offside for several seconds. I think there's more here, but we didn't see it on Thursday.

Sacha Kljestan (5.5) - A tale of two halves, to be sure. Sacha was much more comfortable in the middle after halftime. At least there, he has the type of game to make a difference even though he's not a true playmaker. Out wide, he's been a mess - but he's not the one who draws up the card, so blame is shared by Bradley here.

Justin Mapp (4) - It's maddening, ain't it? All the skills are there, but the focus is not. He failed make an effort to close down the crosser on Colombia's goal and short-circuited many a US build with lackadaisical touches. To his credit, he never stopped coming, but he needs a better plan.

Herculez Gomez (5) - When he got on the ball, Gomez showed some real deal wheels, but his handling in the build was so poor that the chance rarely came. He wasn't helped by the formation, but adjustments were never made.

Eddie Johnson (5) - This was the kind of display his detractors will celebrate, but it wasn't for a lack of effort off the ball, which was again excellent. However, his touch let him down several times and his hesitance approaching the area on the dribble was frustrating. I'm still not worried about Eddie, but this was a bad night.

Coach Bob Bradley (5) - Like many of his US outings, the machinations were good, just not so good as we need at the highest level. The subs and their timing was fine, but this wide top midfield set has got to go. It simply slows the team down, and every time he moves out of it, the ball movement suddenly becomes more crisp.

Subs:

Eddie Gaven (5.5) - Came on with the right ideas and had some moments, but wasn't quite able to make a real impact.

Charlie Davies (5.5) - See Eddie Gaven. As with the Crew man, there was enough to warrant more viewings.

Lee Nguyen (6) - Big-time hustle off the bench, exactly what you want from a sub. Looked dangerous several times, but like many other US attack prospects, often fails to produce a proper ending to good runs on the ball. Super play to harass a Colombia free runner late.

Greg Seltzer spends his free time playing pick-up soccer at Museumplein and riding around Amsterdam on his bike in search of the perfect döner. You can email him at gseltzer@americansoccerdaily.com