Quite a few U.S. players had excellent games, and Benny's goal was a thing of beauty, but I do want to take a little time to highlight Rico Clark's contribution (and not only because I kind of called his ability to make an impact).
Rico's increased effectiveness is due partly to his continued maturity on the field. He's been a talented player for a while, but he's also gotten smarter about how he plays and he's kept his temper under control without putting out his competitive fire. All those elements are crucial to his improved game.
there was an interesting moment late in the game where rico had a great play to win the ball and made a nice run up the left flank. However, he ran out of real estate and was picked up by a Mexican defender. No US player came to support him. They were tired and didn't want to stretch themselves out. Rico turned and lost the ball. The camera showed him up close and he had a look that seemed to indicate he knew he made a mistake. In those situations he didn't need to streak up the flank and try to create, he needed to possess. Hopefully he keeps learning from these things and continues to improve.
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