I’d say I was fine with Clark being in the squad, but he clearly should have been Edu’s backup as our destroyer. Edu is less cavalier with the ball, has a much better first touch, is stronger, and scores from set pieces. Clark might cover a bit more ground and has a harder shot, but his dynamism is in part because he careens around the field recklessly. Sometimes less is more, and Edu is definitely the smarter player.

Having an extra sub would have been extremely useful as we chased the game, because we were clearly dead on our feet. It would have been even better if we’d have started Dempsey up front and let Feilhaber come into midfield. It’s not just about adding more guile and skill; it’s about adding Feilhaber’s fresher legs to our midfield over the course of a full game.

My reaction at the moment is that Bradley chose a good squad of 23, but mismanaged them. That, and the poor starts, were our problems. On the other hand, I think going out in OT in the Round of 16 is a pretty accurate reflection of our team. We’re top 16; we’re not top 8.