:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14418841/170145324.0.jpg)
The United States pulled off a 2-1 win over Jamaica at The Office on Friday night, relying on the late-match heroics of Brad Evans - of all people - to take down the Reggae Boyzz and move up in the CONCACAF Hexagonal table. With that win, the Yanks are in a very good position going into a pair of home matches against Panama and Honduras, which will be key in determining whether or not they will finish in automatic qualifying places for Brazil 2014.
The first thing that comes to mind after watching that victory is that Jozy Altidore is on a scoring streak. He scored against Germany and now he's scored against Jamaica, too. After having gone the entire Jurgen Klinsmann era without scoring a goal from open play, he's now done it in back to back games. Does this mean he is ready to take the role of the primary goal scorer of the Yanks? We won't know for some time, but it certainly looks that way.
The second is that this national team showed an ability to respond to adversity that perhaps we hadn't realized it had previously. The United States has played well late in friendlies, but tonight we saw the Nats get equalized, and then turn around and find a winner regardless. The Jamaican's scored a late goal, and instead of capitulating and accepting the draw, the Yanks found the winner. That, if nothing else, is incredibly encouraging.
Brad Evans' goal was one that should go down in U.S. National Team history as one of the greats. He was falling down, and basically his idea seemed to be to put it as close to on net as possible, because he was desperate. In most cases, that ball would fly wide, or be blocked. Instead, he curled it inside the far post.
There are many questions as to whether or not Brad Evans deserves to be the starting right-back in the United States' national team. You cannot question that he saved the States on Friday night, and that, if nothing else, gives him the right to appear in the team for the foreseeable future.
The Yanks will be in action again on Tuesday the 11th against Panama.