My requisite second viewing finally in the books, it's time to take the US Men's National Team to task for a Wembley performance against England that begs the question: is that really all there is?

Of course not, but it's hard to tell when we don't even bother to play to win. Time and again, the Americans would venture forward, only to settle for 2-3 attackers, the rest clearly reticent to so much as inch forward. I stopped counting neglected fill runs at about the 38th minute, and I was up to nine glaring cases.

It feels like I've said this a thousand times, but we are NEVER going to make the leap to the top level of international teams if we don't arrive with tactics that proudly proclaim "We can win!"

With Frank Lampard utterly invisible and Steven Gerrard busy flopping out wide, Owen Hargreaves singlehandedly dominated the middle of the park for over an hour. If that happens, for crying out loud, you're just not trying hard enough.

This ultra-conservative play is getting old in a quick fast hurry. When did we become Guatemala and when does it stop?

US Player Ratings
Tim Howard (5.5) - Timmy looked a bit flat-footed on a few occasions, but restart serves the quality of England's will do that to many keepers.

Steve Cherundolo (5.5) - Just a shade under my average grade during his 45, 'Dolo was in a lot of white shirts down his flank. Neither Ashley Cole nor Gerrard were given space to work, which became even more apparent after the Hannover 96 mainstay left the game. Sadly, he provided little on the overlap.

Oguchi Onyewu (5) - Generally, Gooch had a decent evening. But best I could tell, it was he who lost John Terry on England's double pick play opening strike and he definitely failed to slide over soon enough on the second goal. All in all, he'd probably say he's capable of playing better... and he'd be right.

Carlos Bocanegra (5) - Like his partner, most of Los' game was serviceable. And like his partner, he made a couple of glaring mistakes that put the US in unnecessary danger.

Heath Pearce (5.5) - Much like Cherundolo on the other flank, Pearce was able to shadow wing attacks fairly well. He was also clearly the most insistent and effective attack contributor of the US back six. Like Gooch, though, he needed to slide over quicker on the second goal. He also got dime turned by Jermain Defoe, but this can happen when a wide back is left trying to corral a super-quick forward that is allowed to receive the ball 10 meters from goal and no help is to be found.

Ricardo Clark (3.5) - I'm pretty sure this is the lowest USMNT player rating I've given here on ASD... can you say 'swinging gate'? I'm fully aware that he is capable of a much better showing, but I still can't help but wonder if quality European opponents are a bit beyond his culture level.

Michael Bradley (4.5) - He certainly didn't hasten a move to Everton on Wednesday night, yet I'm sure the Toffees are aware he is better than this somewhat vacant performance. As I've written several times, he is stunningly handcuffed by pop's tactics. Still, anyone familiar with his Heerenveen exploits this season could tell you he was a couple notches below normal against England.

Clint Dempsey (5) - Deuce tried to do what he could with some runs on and off the ball (plus a big time headed clearance of an England shot destined for goal), but he seemed just a bit leg-weary from Fulham's great escape when it came time to finish plays. Forgive a little point belaboring, as if it could be danced around; Dempsey was also not fully served by his Wednesday role. Call me crazy, but I say one day somebody's going to finally field Clint as a 4-3-3 right winger and he's going to BLOW. UP.

DaMarcus Beasley (4.5) - In all fairness, da Bease is not 100% fit. I wasn't even sure it was appropriate to grade him. All of those poorly hit restart serves convinced me I should.

Josh Wolff (4) - Clearly rusty, it was not a good night for Wolff. He did get marginally better as the game wore on, and finishing that chance just before his removal would have drawn some mighty forgiveness, but I think we all know he was in over his head in that role from the beginning. He has much better touch than he displayed, and yet probably wouldn't have troubled Rio anyway.

Eddie Johnson (5.5) - The artist formerly known as G.A.M. was another player out of match fitness, but he gave a decent account of himself. That was some bit of skill to turn on Pearce's sneaky cross with so much lefty mustard on it, and the near miss can officially be viewed as unfortunate. Clearly jazzed by playing at Wembley, EJ battled very hard against a pair of top notch defenders. Who knows? With even a modicom of support, he could have done rather well.

Coach Bob Bradley (0) - So wait... we go without top creator Landon Donovan, but the ultra-conservative empty bucket set is still the call? It's a friendly! Why are we playing afraid-ball in the first place?! And will we never throw anyone a curveball on our formation?! If not Wednesday, then when?!

Well, at least these somehow infallible tactics should work to better effect against our next opponent - for a while. Against anyone short of Argentina or Brazil, however, it's time to try unleashing the hounds. The opponents should be dizzy, not us.

The boss's refusal to try anything else but this one game plan is visibly harming the team. I mean, how much confidence can they possibly take the field with if their own coach doesn't show any in them. This is NOT 1988.

Subs:

Brad Guzan (6) - I heard 'oohs' after the save on Defoe. I swear I did. Did you hear them? It was as if 70,000 Brits collectively said "Ohhhhhh, THAT's the one Aston Villa wants."

Frankie Hejduk (4) - I'm not going to lambast Frankie for this, just can't do it. I could, but I won't.

Freddy Adu (5) - He came, he tried, it didn't work. Frankly, he should have been brought on earlier, and his arrival should have brought about a tactical switch. Seriously, what has happened to coach Bradley's initially impressive ability to make second half adjustments?

Eddie Lewis (6) - Eddinho came off the bench with more spring than Freddy did. The chipped goalmouth-traversing ball he played was about an inch short of sublime. David James surely had to sprain something getting a fingertip to it.

Maurice Edu (-)

Nate Jaqua (-)