If Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio watched Sunday's MLS playoffs, he probably came away just a little concerned after several U.S. national team players stepped up and showed well in big matches, all just days away from facing El Tri.
Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones and Jordan Morris all played key roles in helping their teams secure series victories in the conference semifinals, a development that had to bring a smile to U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann's face.
Altidore and Bradley were immense in Toronto FC's series win over New York City FC, which was capped off by Sunday's 5-0 thrashing of the Patrick Vieira's squad. Sebastian Giovinco stole the show with his hat trick, but Altidore and Bradley were just as important to TFC's two-leg destruction of NYCFC.
Altidore scored in his second-straight playoff match, carrying over the red-hot form he showed to close out the regular season into the playoffs. His goal Sunday gives him one in each of TFC's three playoff games so far, and a total of 13 goals in TFC's past 18 matches.
The U.S. striker has become a pivotal part of TFC's success, and has quieted the criticism that dogged him through his first year and a half since joining Toronto FC in a deal from Sunderland that included Jermain Defoe heading to England.
"He doesn't really deserve scrutiny," TFC coach Greg Vanney said. "(Altidore) was a player that's had some issues in terms of injury, and sometimes those aren't the player's fault. We've been able to work with him, and he's worked incredibly hard to get healthy, to find his form, and you can see what he's capable of doing, which is something we always knew he was going to be capable of doing."
"Even at the beginning of this year, he wasn't necessarily putting the ball in the back of the net, but he was vital to us, our getting results early in the year," Vanney continued. "Since he's come back, he's been just impossible for anyone to deal with, especially in one-on-one situations, or as a target forward. He's putting the ball in the back of the net. Having him out there has been huge and hopefully he can keep building on the momentum and use that in the coming weeks, and when he comes back to us."
Bradley wasn't criticized quite as harshly as Altidore in his first two years at TFC, but there were questions about whether he was worth his hefty price tag as one of the league's highest-paid players.
This year, Bradley made a shift over to more of a pure defensive midfield role and the move has helped him enjoy his best season in MLS. His importance to TFC has been magnified in the playoffs, as he has taken his game up a few notches in wins against Philadelphia and NYCFC.
"I think he's had a great season, and the last couple games in particular he's been off-the-charts good," Vanney said of Bradley. "The amount of ground he's covered, the way he's communicated and pushed different players onto different players, helping to really drive the pressure that we've been looking to put on NYC the last couple of games. His ability to cut off passes, read passes, break up plays, track back, recover, double down very good players like David Villa so that he wouldn't have any time.
"First and foremost, on the defensive side, he's been massive. In terms of what he's capable of doing on the ball, we've all seen those things over the years: his ability to pick out passes, drop balls in behind back lines, be incredibly composed in tight situations and get the team out of it."
"He's been extraordinarily efficient with the ball, kept it moving, getting us out of situations and finding his moments to choose balls that can open up a defense," the coach continued. "He has some great targets and he's very aware of where they are at all times."
The Colorado Rapids tandem of Howard and Jones also impressed Sunday, with Howard closing out Sunday's penalty shootout victory with a pair of saves to book Colorado's first trip to a conference final since its MLS Cup-winning season in 2010.
"I think it's been really what he's brought to the group from a leadership perspective when he set foot in the locker room," Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni said Sunday. "Obviously, for me, he's still one of the best keepers in the world. I think, week in and week out, he proves he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic this year in facilitating our attack from the back. It's just a real team presence, team guy, that wants to win more than anything else."
Much like Altidore and Bradley, Howard came under some criticism as being too expensive a player after being signed as the first multimillion dollar goalkeeper in MLS. For his part, Howard believes he has returned to MLS with the right attitude, and a hunger to win and prove he is worth the high price.
“You have two types of (designated players),” Howard told reporters Sunday. “You have the guys that come here to collect checks, and there’s been a lot of them, and I think you have a bunch of guys who are wholehearted, who want to put the team on their back and feel a part of the organization. That’s where I am, to be honest. It keeps me awake at night.”
Jones wasn't on the field for the penalty shootout, but gave everything he had in what was just his second match back from a serious knee injury that had sidelined him for almost four months. Jones played 83 minutes Sunday, showing his trademark engine and dangerous surges forward, before eventually fighting off cramps to give every last minute he could. In the end, he gave enough to help the Rapids progress to the Western Conference final.
Howard and Jones step up for Rapids
Sunday wasn't a perfect day for U.S. national team players by any means. Sacha Kljestan had a day to forget, battling through a bloody nose and failing to make his mark in the New York Red Bulls 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact. Major League Soccer's assist leader, and an MLS MVP finalist, Kljestan accepted his share of the blame for the Red Bulls losing the two-game series, and with the team managing just one goal after he had a penalty saved.
“It doesn’t have to do with tactics, it has to do with us making plays in big moments,” Kljestan said Sunday. “In the end, if I score my penalty, it's a very different conversation. Then we are back at even. Those types of plays make differences so that is why I feel like I let the team down because in my instance, the game is still there for us.”
Kljestan's poor showing was the exception for U.S. players on Sunday, which should bode well for the Americans as they prepare for the biggest game of the year on Friday against Mexico.
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