USA 4-3 Bosnia and Herzegovina

The United States Men's National Team defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo Wednesday in an international friendly on the power of a Jozy Altidore hat trick. Before I go into my observations I'd like to mention that yes, this was a friendly and yes, it wasn't a full Bosnia squad and yes, they made several subs at halftime. That being said, we didn't have our A-team either and we still put in a solid performance. It's just always good to have some perspective when analyzing friendlies. I'll start from the back:

• Tim Howard had a solid game, even though Bosnia still put three goals past him. He did extremely well to block the initial attempt on the first goal and the defense let him down (again) by not racing back to defend the goal line. Had a good diving save to deny a surefire Bosnia goal in the second half. Tim will be starting the WCQs barring injury.
• Brad Evans had another decently solid game at right back. Was pretty good defensively and got forward on occasion. Also had a nice piece of control to keep a pass in on the sideline late in the second half that surprised me. He'll be starting the next round of WCQs as well (and maybe beyond?).
• Geoff Cameron played at center back today and looked pretty good in my opinion except for keeping the striker for Bosnia onside for the first goal. He got a toe on a shot that could have been a goal in the first half as well. Going forward, I think he's a good option as a backup center back and I wouldn't cry if we had to use him there in a WCQ, but I would much rather see him in the midfield next to Michael Bradley like in the Panama game. He's such a valuable player because of his versatility.
• It was so good to see John (Anthony) Brooks playing in the waldo jersey, it's about time. He didn't have the greatest game by any means, getting beat for the last goal, but it was promising. He's only twenty and will be a staple of the USMNT for years to come. I still have Besler and Gonzalez as the top two in the pecking order but I wouldn't be surprised if Brooks makes one of them feel uneasy about their spot by the time Brazil rolls around next year.
• I've said it once and I'll say it again: Fabian Johnson NEEDS to be played in the midfield. He's a fantastic attacking player and had a great turn and assist to Jozy for his second goal. He just has a different quality about him than any other left-sided attacker we currently have at the moment. Leave him at left mid for the WCQs and put Beasley at left back where's he's done pretty well so far.
• It's safe to say this was not one of Jermaine Jones's best performances, he gave up possession several times and didn't track back like he can. Hopefully this was just an off day for him.
• Michael Bradley did what Michael Bradley does. Provided a fantastic ball to Altidore which led to EJ's goal and had a great little pass to Jozy for the nail in the coffin. The most important player on the USMNT.
• Alejandro Bedoya was dangerous down the right flank and proved his Gold Cup form wasn't a fluke. He's got bags of pace and I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks into Klinsy's WCQ roster.
• I really like what I saw of Mix Diskerud at the CAM spot. He should have been awarded a penalty in the first half and had some nice touches and passes around the box. I'm not really sure where he fits into the team whenever we shift to a 4-4-2 though.
• EJ had a really terrible first half, the first Bosnia goal was scored after he gave up possession right outside the box and he didn't look shart at all. And then of course he scored a sweaty goal in the second half. He works best as a super sub in my opinion.
• Jozy Altidore, what else can you really say other than he was absolutely brilliant. His finishing was world-class and his free kick was world-class. His holdup play was fantastic. Obvious choice for Man of the Match.
• Michael Parkhurst, Joe Corona, and Sacha Kljestan didn't really do too much to warrant lengthy discussion, though Kljestan had a nice one-touch pass to The General in the sequence leading up to Jozy's third goal.
• The biggest revelation of the night for me was Aron Johannson. He looked extremely dangerous, took people on (and beat them), had great technique, and made good runs. I honestly think he should be on the WCQ roster for these upcoming games as the second striker on the depth chart behind Jozy. A 4-4-2 with Aron and Jozy is extremely appealing.