Goals: Denmark—Bendtner 33’, 83', 90'+1; USA—Altidore 19’ - Johannsson 66’
Recap: Ninety minutes of international football saw Denmark defeat the United States 3-2 on Wednesday.
Comical errors highlighted the first half. A mistimed bounce off a Timothy Chandler cross allowed Jozy Altidore to open the affair in the 19th minute. Goalkeeper Stephan Andersen did little to protect his near post. Denmark would respond in the form of an unmarked Nicklas Bendtner just 14 minutes later.
Despite looking the more dominant side in the second half, the hosts conceded in the 66th minute. A confident finish from Aron Johannsson gifted the United States a 2-1 lead, but the Yanks would collapse in typical fashion. A second-half brace from Bendtner sealed the 3-2 victory for Denmark.
Key Moment: Much like he did at the 2014 World Cup, John Brooks had the opportunity to find a timely goal for the United States. Except this time, the German-American's attempt at a stoppage-time equalizer finished wide of the post.
Man of the Match: Christian Eriksen proved to be the most technically gifted man on the pitch in Denmark, but Bendtner's impact on the match cannot be denied.
Lesson Learned: Five years into the Jurgen Klinsmann tenure and the U.S. are yet to have an identity. Unless, of course, struggling as the match progresses and conceding in the second half can be considered an "identity." Disjointed, sloppy, lethargic and a myriad of other synonyms can describe the Yanks' performance on Wednesday. Admittedly, that's typically the case in international friendlies, but the U.S. are turning it into the norm. Outside of a 2-0 victory over Panama, the national team has looked pedestrian against the likes of Colombia, Ireland and a Chilean B team. The 2015 Gold Cup is just four months away. Costa Rica are ascending and Mexico are resurgent under Miguel Herrera. The pressure is mounting on Klinsmann and his team.
Up Next: Denmark battle France on Mar. 29, while the United States travel to Zurich to face Switzerland on Mar. 31.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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