So there's this guy named Jozy Altidore

In a crazy game in Sarajevo, the USMNT went down 2-0 to the Bosnians before scoring four unanswered goals.  Dzeko put one in late to make in 4-3.  The Bosnians are good.  Top of their WC qualifying group.  13th ranked in FIFA.  Haven't lost at home in three years.  This was an impressive win.

US opened with a 4-2-3-1 and looked sluggish.  Bosnia had the run of play, but as I say the US looked sluggish, not outmatched or dominated like some press accounts suggested.  Brooks was literally pushed out of the way on the first goal and Bosnia was offside.  Diskerud was denied a clear penalty in the box.  At halftime we switched to a 4-4-2 and looked much better.  Bosnia made four subs, but that's more excuse than analysis.  Our LCB was making his first international appearance, so take that.  More on him in a minute.

Altidore showed what everybody who knows what they're talking about has been saying for years: once he learns to manage his physical tools, and plays with discipline, he is an absolute monster.  His three goals were all terrific, and he had a beauty of an assist on the other.  He may have a huge EPL season, assuming he can tolerate all the shameless fouling.  Bradley also played wonderfully, once he had room to move in the 4-4-2.  Howard made a nice one-handed save.  Jermaine Jones was terrible.  He's a good player.  Just horribly inconsistent for the Nats. 

The new guys, John Anthony Brooks and Aron Johannsson, were very good.  JAB is lanky, fast, smooth on the ball, and avoids stupid fouls.  He got caught sleeping at the end, but Dzeko's really good and JAB's twenty years old.  AJ's quick and clever with the ball; he creates chances out of nothing and menaces the defense.  It's one game, but JAB just looks like he's going to be the second-best CB by next summer, behind Besler.  He just has it.  And AJ will score or create goals.  No question.  Sky's the limit for these two.  They're on the team because of Klinsmann.  Who I doubted for a very long time.  And was wrong about.

Next match: against Costa Rica away.  We haven't won there in something like twenty years.  But JK's crew looks like they could win anywhere against anyone, outside of the very best teams in the world.  This 2013 USMNT is better than some of the big Euros, like England and France (both of whom, admittedly, are on a down cycle).  Some decent luck next summer could make Brazil a World Cup to remember.

And one final thing: for every US win, people feel the need to offer caveats.  Minnows.  B-teams.  Friendlies.  Those caveats start to mean less once the team has won twelve games in row.  Which they now have.

FF