On the surface, a 0-0 tie against Guatemala would seem to be a disappointing result -- although one has to bear in mind that Guatemala brought a very defensive gameplan which consisted of packing the midfield and getting bodies behind the ball in an effort to stymie the U.S. offense.

When teams play this style and force the U.S. to carry the game to them, it's always going to cause the U.S. problems due to the U.S. preference for counterattacking and over-reliance on attacking down the flanks. That said, here are my thoughts on the game:

1. The inevitable charge that is going to be laid at Bob Bradley's feet after this game is his inability to devise a scheme to break down a team that comes with the primary mindset of defending. The same critics will probably say that the tactical genius of a foreign coach would bring this to the table (although presumably they haven't watched Steve McClaren coach), and there's some truth to this. However, the real issue is not a question of X and Os, although obviously we could do with less of those forlorn long balls into the Guatemalan penalty area, but the fact that the U.S. just doesn't have that many players with the ability and flair to break down a team that bunkers behind the ball as Guatemala did. Until the U.S. develops more players of that creative ilk, it'll be an ongoing problem.

2. The left back spot -- the troublesome left back spot rears its ugly head again for the U.S. Jonathan Spector was the latest trialist at the revolving-door spot and while solid, was nothing spectacular. The thing with Spector is that he "looks" the part -- he has good size, speed and good technique. The problem is he offers absolutely nothing going forward and with the Guatemala team intent on defending, it was impossible to glean any type of insight into Spector's defensive capabilities.

With Carlos Bocanegra often looking unconvincing when forced into duty at left back and the promising Jonathan Bornstein hurt, it's astounding that the U.S. continues to ignore Kansas City's Jose Burciaga Jr. At least give the man a chance, he has a rocket shot from range, is naturally left-footed, adequate defensively and offers some offensive options down the left.

The other thing the U.S. should maybe consider is moving DaMarcus Beasley to left back. Before you call me crazy, here's why: First of all, Beasley's offensive game hasn't really improved the last few years -- if anything he's gone backward offensively. Having said that, he still retains a tremendous work ethic on the field and is very tenacious defensively. When you combine his athleticism with the fact that for a defender, he'd have tremendous offensive capabilities, you could be looking at a world-class left back. Considering that players such as Manchester United's Patrice Evra and Portuguese international Miguel were former wingers who moved into defense, a switch for Beasley would be worth experimenting with. Yes, the Eddie Lewis at left-back experiment failed, but Beasley is a far superior defensive player to Lewis.

3. Eddie Johnson. Ironically, the Guatemala game was one of Johnson's better efforts for the U.S. lately, but that's still not saying much. He's clearly out of form and has been for a long time and is lacking confidence. Frankly, until he starts scoring goals again regularly at club level he shouldn't be in the national team squad, let alone the starting lineup. International games are generally not the medium afforded to struggling strikers to regain their touch. Does the U.S. have better options at forward? Who knows, but we'll never find out while Johnson keeps getting numerous chances to work out the "kinks" in his game.

4. The new kids, Jay DeMerit and Frank Simek. Given Guatemala's lack of interest in attacking, it's impossible to assess either of the two defensive debutants since they had virtually nothing to do. A word to the wise for Frank Simek though -- that long ball style works well in the English Championship, but aimlessly punting ball after ball from just over the halfway line into the Guatemala box isn't the best way to mount a challenge to Steve Cherundolo.