U.S. men's national team kicks off 2016 with 3-2 victory over Iceland
After a confounding 2015 in which the United States men's national team followed up a nine-game unbeaten streak by closing out the year with a 2-5-1 stretch, the Yanks opened 2016 in a more pleasing fashion with a late-won, 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Iceland on Sunday.
The Americans undid deficits twice with Jozy Altidore and Michael Orozco goals and claimed an 89th-minute winner through Steve Birnbaum. But the affair was largely perplexing with the U.S. trading good spells with ones when the Icelandic visitors managed to punch enormous holes in the defense.
Both teams were heavily diluted. The U.S. squad consisted almost entirely of its domestically based players, whose Major League Soccer seasons don't begin until March. Many of the January campers were really under-23 national team players who are being readied for a playoff with Colombia for a spot at the Summer Olympics in Brazil this summer. But the likes of veteran stars Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Altidore were also in the lineup.
Rising European power Iceland, likewise, was without stars Gylfi Sigurdsson, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Alfred Binbogason. As such, it was a fair matchup, which would produce a mostly even game.
When Iceland, which recently qualified for Euro 2016 for the first time in spite of a population of just 332,000, went ahead early on, this seemed unfair on the U.S. But when it didn't take a third lead in the second half, in spite of a handful of promising chances, it was Iceland that sold itself short.
In the pouring rain in Carson, Calif. and in front of a paltry crowd, a bad deflection off Orozco from a Kristinn Steindorsson left goalkeeper Luis Robles no chance in the 13th minute. (Incidentally, Steindorsson played for the Columbus Crew last season while Robles won his second U.S. cap seven years after his first.)
The Americans settled into the game after conceding that early goal and played better attacking soccer than they had in many months. The revelatory Lee Nguyen served a chip to an underwhelming Gyasi Zardes, whose header bounced over Iceland's goal. Then, in the 20th minute, a delicate through ball by Bradley into Altidore's path freed him up to equalize with a clean, left-footed chip.
Altidore was brought down on the verge of halftime on a breakaway into the open field, and his aggressor should perhaps have been sent off. But the game would remain 11-on-11. And just three minutes after the intermission, the guests would jump ahead again.
The U.S. went to sleep as Iceland took a quick free kick in its own half. Debutant Aron Sigurdarson ran off with the ball and hit a splendid swerving shot past Robles.
But just before the hour, the game would be evened up anew. Substitute Steve Birnbaum won a header and Orozco nodded home from up close on an Altidore cross after a corner wasn't cleared.
The exchanges thereafter would produce a flurry of chances for Iceland and then the Yanks. The latter would stage a full-on assault and would finally break through in the 89th minute when Bradley picked out Birnbaum with another sharp free kick.
The young D.C. United defender's forehead connected well with it and recorded his first national team goal.
It was a hopeful start to a big year for the Americans, who will not only hope to reach the Rio Olympics but also to advance to the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers and then begin that stage well in November. Meanwhile, the one-off 2016 Copa America Centenario, to be put on stateside, will be the biggest tournament staged here since the 1994 World Cup.
The Americans are far from the finished product. But it was a start.
Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.
