While lashing Tim Ream, let’s examine the real U.S. problem

We shouldn’t be too surprised that the U.S. attack currently has all the potency of a spaghetti dinner.

First, there’s no Landon Donovan. Over the last few years, the U.S. attack is cut pretty much in half when Donovan hasn’t been around. His contributions to the U.S. effort have long been, in my opinion, routinely underrated. When he’s not around, the U.S. attack typically goes as stagnant as pond water.

Second, take a good look at the current pool of strikers. Four were listed for this pair of matches. Jozy Altidore was the bell cow, and that says a lot. (No disrespect intended; it is what it is.) He’s doing well in the Dutch Eredivisie, but his recent success represents only a small sample so far. Then there’s Juan Agudelo, a great prospect, but not much more at this point. There’s Teal Bunbury, who lives next door to Agudelo on Prospect Street, but in a lesser unit. Finally, there’s Edson Buddle, who plays in the German second tier for a team that most U.S. fans have never heard of.

A fearsome foursome, it isn’t.

(By the way, this isn’t analysis in hindsight. I said the same thing on two podcasts last week, the weekly SI.com podcast and one produced locally where I live along with veteran NBA scribe and longtime soccer supporter Marc Stein, Soccer Today.)

Oh, and let’s not forget that Tuesday’s U.S. attacking midfielder was Maurice Edu, a solid tackler and adequate passer, but a holding midfielder by trade and not someone who will ever be mistaken for a creative influence at the international level. (Remember, he was recently a U.S. experiment at center back.)

So, two goals in five games under Jurgen Klinsmann. That’s certainly not good enough. But looking at the current player pool, it shouldn’t be much of a shocker.

While you ponder the pool, g’head and have a gander at my U.S. player ratings last night, posted at SI.com. (Yes, Tim Ream got one of the lowest grades, a “3.” But he wasn’t the only one with such a low number. …)