I apologized last night ahead of time for the slow day today, having been doing a videographer job all day long. I get back to my house for the first time since 6:00 this morning, and what news do I get? Oh, Ghana took down the USA for the second straight World Cup to hand the Americans elimination on a silver platter. Just what I wanted to hear.
Like I said, I didn't see this game. Therefore, it would be foolish of me to analyze it or make any conclusions about it. I'll have to see some highlights at some point. But my question is, will soccer ever get big in the States? Every time they have a chance to make a comeback with a magical World Cup run, they end up falling flat on their face. Maybe it just isn't meant to be. The USA is superior in a lot of things, a lot of sports; maybe soccer just wasn't meant to be for us. I don't know. What I do know, though, is that a much less experienced and -- most analysts agree -- less talented Ghana squad is advancing while the American fútbol players' golf season starts a little earlier than anticipated.
The U.S. needs to show to Brazil in 2014 with some defense... We have a bona fide star in Landon Donovan who seems to be head and shoulders above the competion... We also have some great pieces like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore, but we have no good defenders. Our best one, Oguchi Onyewu, wasn't even in the lineup in the Algeria and Ghana games. Can't explain that one. To top it all off Tim Howard had some lackluster performances after being praised so much after the England game. (Top 5 goalie in the world?)
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. has some great offensive pieces... now develop the D.
All that being said, the games were incredibly entertaining and even thought they didn't win it all i'd be willing to say that all the people who watched the U.S. this year will pretty damn excited come 2014.
I agree. 2014 is going to be very exciting. Most of this team is young and still will be in good shape to come back strong. Very promising signs, but still a disappointment to see their cup run end so soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd Onyewu was coming off a knee injury heading into this tournament. I don't know if that had anything to do with his absence in the last few games.
He played the entire england game, then nothing after that, which i find bizzare
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