This was an impressive display of Bruce adjusting tactics to suit the venue and situation. I'm sure they've been practicing this formation for a while, only to bust it out when Mexico wasn't expecting it. I won't exactly call it Belichickian but it was ballsy and seemed to work (not just the result but the eye test too).I never thought I would be disappointed at only getting a single point at the Azteca, but here we are...
The players who exceeded my expectations tonight were Acosta and Tim Ream. Ream is a very good CB on a team with two great CBs (Brooks and Cameron) and two more who aren't bad (Omar and Orozco), so I'm glad that he's working to be a passable FB while also serving as a decent sub for Cameron's role when needed. If he proves to be a capable LB at this level, we can do a lot more with FJ.
Arena was called in to a particular job and has done it well. The away game to Panama you might argue we could have won, but after a few scares there I was happy with a point as well. Tonight might have been the first time he's outperformed expectations; he'll have another chance to do so on 9/1 vs Costa Rica. But the essential needs remain the same: win at Honduras in September and/or vs Panama in October, or we're vulnerable to being in a situation where we need help.In the grand scheme of things, it's an excellent result, and qualifying is looking probable without too much stress.