Not only was Wednesday’s game against Holland an opportunity for Bob Bradley to see how his team performs a side that maintains possession as much as England, but it was also an opportunity for the English press to witness first hand what they thought of the United States team and what threat they will pose to England this summer.
Based on the majority of the reaction, the English media were not impressed. Here are some of their choice quotes:
“[USA] were about as dangerous as a baseball slugger trying to hit home runs with a toothpick,” John Etheridge, The Sun.
“On a night when Fabio Capello may have been seeking consolation, there was some to be found here in the shape of a limited performance by England’s first World Cup opponents, the USA,” Michael Walker, The Daily Mail.
“In 100 years the United States have never scored a competitive goal against the Dutch and looked unlikely to do so here,” Oliver Brown, The Daily Telegraph.
“USA manager Bob Bradley claims several of the Premier League’s foreign managers want his team to beat England in Rustenburg on June 12. On this evidence, they are going to be disappointed,” John Etheridge, The Sun.
“They’re united but America are in no state to hurt Fabio Capello’s England,” The Daily Mail.
“[The United States] looked desperately short of quality in Amsterdam, failing to wrest possession from Holland, and their decision-making was poor,” George Caulkin, The Times.
What do you think? Do you think the UK media reaction was harsh or realistic? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
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