In early pre-World Cup qualifiers you don’t learn so much about the team as you hope to learn about individual players.  I think tonight we were actually able to learn a lot about some players and at least a couple of really key things about the team.

One key lesson about the team is if we encounter a team with a strong right sided attack we’re in trouble unless Bocanegra can play there and play well.  I’ve never been a fan of either Bornstein or Pearce and neither of them did anything to allay my fears about them.  Even if they weren’t defensive liabilities, they’re both so prone to give balls away that they’re going to kill us that way.

Maybe the biggest thing, and this is just my opinion, but Onyewu isn’t ready.  He may be physically strong enough to go, but that hasn’t translated into the mental aspect of being consciously and unconsciously sure that the tendon or ligament in question is going to hold up.  From my own experience recovering from a torn ACL, the mental hurdle you have to overcome playing in a full paced match is probably the hardest one to get over.

Those that I think helped their cause tonight?  I thought Holden was one of the best players on the field.  He was active all night and had a significant impact.  I thought Goodsen played well and made a case for going.  I also thought Rogers helped his cause tonight with a confident showing.

Those that didn’t do themselves any favors?  I was a pretty big fan of Kljestan’s several years ago, but he’s just not progressed like many had expected and hoped and I don’t think I’d have him on the plane.  If they could swing it, I would leave both Pearce and Bornstein at home.  I would also say that Eddie Johnson didn’t do enough for me to put him on the plane.  His might be the case that the other strikers were just better.

Not much else should be taken from the team’s performance.  As was noted during the broadcast, the team we’ll see for the next couple of friendlies will be completely different than what we saw tonight.  Several shots of the box seats confirmed the collective strength of the players that weren’t suited up for the game tonight.  Next up is Turkey Saturday night, and that squad will provide us with an idea of what the team can do in South Africa as the final 23 will be announced by Bob Bradley and his staff tomorrow.