Bittersweet is the first word that comes to most fans’ minds when describing Sunday’s US National Team’s 3-2 loss to Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup Final. If you are a dedicated fan of US Soccer, this defeat left you with a bad taste in your mouth. After my generation’s “miracle on grass” last week against Spain, I kept telling people (mainly my Father) the US had played their best game of the tournament. I was convinced the US could not come up with back-to-back upsets. There was no chance the football gods, let alone angry Europeans, would have permitted the US another win due to the cataclysmic effects it would have on the footballing world order. Even the numbers told me their odds weren’t good. Going into Sunday, the US was 2-7-1 against top 10 teams and 1-13 against Brazil.
But there we were, 45 minutes in the books and the US was once again dominating a top team. We witnessed pure beauty in a 40 yard cross into the box by Jonathan Spector finished off with a slight redirecting kiss by Clint Dempsey. Seventeen minutes later, the US doubled their lead on a well paced counter attack started and completed by Landon Donovan. Brazil seemed speechless. I was in awe of seeing history in the making - or so I thought. All they needed was to hold Brazil back for 45 minutes more – not an easy task. We all know what happened from there. The US defense ran out of gas (and out of luck). They allowed too much space to the relentless Brazilian midfield and they couldn’t hold the ball – keeping possession only 41% of the time. In the final moments of the match, the Brazilians looked as if they were playing monkey in the middle with school children.
We were left with the stunned faces of Tim Howard and Donovan, the tears of Dempsey, and the trophy in the hands of Brazil. Also, we were left with varying thoughts from the US. For coach Bob Bradley, making the final was a great result for US Soccer – not to mention it saved his job. As manager of the US team, his objective is to utilize and evaluate the large player pool, albeit thin of world-class talent, and put the best working product on the field. Furthermore, his job is to foster the development of the National Team’s players by exposing them to international competition. After the match on Sunday, Bradley said he was: “Extremely proud. We continue to try to move ourselves forward. Playing these kinds of games only helps, but it still feels pretty lousy to let this one get away.” Using the results of the Confederations Cup as a stepping-stone to the development of US Soccer on the road to international respect is part of his job description and Bob Bradley should be commended for his leadership. He made the right adjustments to the lineup after the embarrassing first match against the Brazilians in the group stage.
However, my heart broke for the likes of Dempsey and Donovan. Not because they left everything they had on the pitch, but because they didn’t care about this match being a monitor for respect. Donovan’s summation of the loss illustrates the entire team's feelings: “We’re at the point where we don’t want respect, we want to win. There’s no guarantee that we ever get back to a final game like this so it’s disappointing.” The statement is where the players break with the US media coverage. Sure, it was great to see widespread media coverage of the US team but the players didn't need the media to believe in themselves and their abilities to compete at the highest level. The media, along with a lot of Americans, are still playing catch-up to this idea that the US is now a world-player in global football. After the victory over Spain, the majority of the media stuck to one plotline: will this victory make soccer matter in America? While I was thrilled and taken aback at the amount of support I saw in the streets and bars of New York this past weekend – the gist is soccer did not need to truly matter in America for the men to go out and beat Brazil. For them, it was the thrill of playing in a final on the world stage.
To reach a FIFA final is something all professional (and amateur) soccer players dream about. The media focused too much, I thought, on how our country and the world views US Soccer. For me, the story was the heroic effort 11 men put forth after being counted out of the tournament before entering their third match. The entire team, with a little luck, took the field each game and played a style of soccer our country has never witnessed before. The entire team played with purpose, grit, and courage – a brand only true fans and commentators dreamed the US could play. In the end, the boys ran out of energy 45 minutes too early. A bittersweet ending. A bad, but memorable taste, that I hope lingers with the nucleus of this team until they can compete in the World Cup next summer - and once again, shock the world.
Extra Shots:
The Wolrdwide Soccer Leader? by Dan Levy - The Sporting Blog
In Soccer, U.S. Still Battling Uphill by Stephan Fatsis - Sports Illustrated
US Men's Soccer Team Hopes to Stay Relevant by John Powers - The Boston Globe
Please feel free to leave your comments below. Just click the "Comments" link.
But there we were, 45 minutes in the books and the US was once again dominating a top team. We witnessed pure beauty in a 40 yard cross into the box by Jonathan Spector finished off with a slight redirecting kiss by Clint Dempsey. Seventeen minutes later, the US doubled their lead on a well paced counter attack started and completed by Landon Donovan. Brazil seemed speechless. I was in awe of seeing history in the making - or so I thought. All they needed was to hold Brazil back for 45 minutes more – not an easy task. We all know what happened from there. The US defense ran out of gas (and out of luck). They allowed too much space to the relentless Brazilian midfield and they couldn’t hold the ball – keeping possession only 41% of the time. In the final moments of the match, the Brazilians looked as if they were playing monkey in the middle with school children.
We were left with the stunned faces of Tim Howard and Donovan, the tears of Dempsey, and the trophy in the hands of Brazil. Also, we were left with varying thoughts from the US. For coach Bob Bradley, making the final was a great result for US Soccer – not to mention it saved his job. As manager of the US team, his objective is to utilize and evaluate the large player pool, albeit thin of world-class talent, and put the best working product on the field. Furthermore, his job is to foster the development of the National Team’s players by exposing them to international competition. After the match on Sunday, Bradley said he was: “Extremely proud. We continue to try to move ourselves forward. Playing these kinds of games only helps, but it still feels pretty lousy to let this one get away.” Using the results of the Confederations Cup as a stepping-stone to the development of US Soccer on the road to international respect is part of his job description and Bob Bradley should be commended for his leadership. He made the right adjustments to the lineup after the embarrassing first match against the Brazilians in the group stage.
However, my heart broke for the likes of Dempsey and Donovan. Not because they left everything they had on the pitch, but because they didn’t care about this match being a monitor for respect. Donovan’s summation of the loss illustrates the entire team's feelings: “We’re at the point where we don’t want respect, we want to win. There’s no guarantee that we ever get back to a final game like this so it’s disappointing.” The statement is where the players break with the US media coverage. Sure, it was great to see widespread media coverage of the US team but the players didn't need the media to believe in themselves and their abilities to compete at the highest level. The media, along with a lot of Americans, are still playing catch-up to this idea that the US is now a world-player in global football. After the victory over Spain, the majority of the media stuck to one plotline: will this victory make soccer matter in America? While I was thrilled and taken aback at the amount of support I saw in the streets and bars of New York this past weekend – the gist is soccer did not need to truly matter in America for the men to go out and beat Brazil. For them, it was the thrill of playing in a final on the world stage.
To reach a FIFA final is something all professional (and amateur) soccer players dream about. The media focused too much, I thought, on how our country and the world views US Soccer. For me, the story was the heroic effort 11 men put forth after being counted out of the tournament before entering their third match. The entire team, with a little luck, took the field each game and played a style of soccer our country has never witnessed before. The entire team played with purpose, grit, and courage – a brand only true fans and commentators dreamed the US could play. In the end, the boys ran out of energy 45 minutes too early. A bittersweet ending. A bad, but memorable taste, that I hope lingers with the nucleus of this team until they can compete in the World Cup next summer - and once again, shock the world.
Extra Shots:
The Wolrdwide Soccer Leader? by Dan Levy - The Sporting Blog
In Soccer, U.S. Still Battling Uphill by Stephan Fatsis - Sports Illustrated
US Men's Soccer Team Hopes to Stay Relevant by John Powers - The Boston Globe
Please feel free to leave your comments below. Just click the "Comments" link.
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