Look at how bad the USMNT's defending was in the loss to Costa Rica

Published Dec. 9, 2016 1:06 p.m. ET

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Aaron West

The USMNT's 4-0 loss to Costa Rica on Tuesday was basically a 90-minute showcase on how not to defend and how not to show up for a World Cup qualifier. Costa Rica opened the scoring in the 44th minute, but they were sliced apart time and time again by the Ticos, and the result could have been even worse. Here's every goal from a rough night for the boys in red, white and blue.

First, an exhibition in why closing down players on the ball and getting touch-tight with your man in the box is important:

Then, this perfect illustration of how quickly a back four can fall apart. Let's not skip past the fantastic ball from Bryan Ruiz, either.

It was a day to forget for World Cup hero John Brooks, as he was mercilessly trolled by Costa Rica's attackers all night, and then Joel Campbell strode onto the pitch to really lay on the Tico torture.

Finally, it was a perfect snapshot of how a back line shouldn't look, and an acute case of, "oh dang, we probably should've tracked that runner, huh?" as Campbell completed his brace.

The US's defensive organization against Costa Rica was nonexistent, the individual defending was fictitious, and the effort was an insult to the word abysmal. In short, it was an omni-shambles.

There's a lot of work to be done before the Honduras match in March when World Cup qualifying resumes.

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