A bit more collected look at our soul-crushing loss
Now that I’ve screamed myself silly for a few hours, let’s take a more analytical look at the U.S.’ 2006 World Cup appearance than the knee-jerk stuff I did directly down the page.
While I stand by the stuff I wrote about Ghana there, commenter Kevin is absolutely correct. I couldn’t possibly blame the loss entirely on Ghana - who, despite my achings, played the same strategy that I would’ve played going down the stretch in the second half. (Well, besides the constant diving and faking. I hate that stuff.)
No, Ghana is not entirely to blame here. The U.S. laid an egg in an admittedly tough group. Playing one game of spirited soccer will not get you into the Round of 16 in a group like this. Much of the same ills that plagued the U.S. in their stinker against the Czechs were evident here today as well - no energy, inability to string together productive touches, role confusion. The onus for the first two are on the players. The last, and perhaps most important, is on Bruce Arena.
Landon Donovan, for all his poor play, wasn’t put in a position to succeed this Cup, never getting the full-on forward or full-on midfielder nod that he should have. Instead, Arena played him as withdrawn forward in a 4-5-1 set. Same goes for DeMarcus Beasley. For all of his attitude problems, Beasley didn’t seem to understand why he was on the right side against the Czechs or in the middle against Ghana.Beasley came up with a huge assist for the U.S. Donovan controlled the pace of the game very effectively against Italy. Other than that, those two U.S. stars were no-shows, and the U.S. - hailed and praised and hyped and lauded - went home thanks to tiny Ghana.
3 Responses to “ A bit more collected look at our soul-crushing loss”
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I don’t dispute much of what you say here, bud. But the game against The Checkmark Republishers of Some Former U.S.S.R Country has been devistating to the American soccer psyche. I ask why? A three-nil loss by a way-overranked speedy, short team to what could be the Miami Heat of the World Cup doesn’t seem like a good reason to me to cry foul about a decent team in a tough spot. I don’t defend the Ghana game too much, and I think we could have beaten Italy. But I mean, whatever. We’re like BronBron the first time around. We’ll be back, now that we’re serious, with a better finish in a similarly tough group before I turn 40.
Sorry about that tirade, but this is like the scandal that grew out of media, not out of the game itself.
[…] But, in the short term, the NBA’s lingering absence will no doubt be most effectively filled by the World Cup, which, despite a boring afternoon of action today, continues to entertain and surprise and destroy the spirits of men. Group of 16 action starts tomorrow afternoon with Germany v. Sweden at 11 and Argentina v. Mexico at 3. Sunday, the team I’m likely to root on now, England, will face Ecuador in the early match, and those pesky Polskis will take on their neighbors, the Netherlands. […]
Not harsh enough on Donovan. He didn’t make plays when it mattered……the blown half-volley in the first half, the horrible cross in the second half which all but crushed the team’s hope. If Henry, Zidane, Neved, or any other “world class” player is standing over that ball the goalie is thinking it could be a shot on goal or a dangerous cross……for Donovan the goalies aren’t concerned at all. I’m not giving Arena a pass……leaving Convey on the bench for so long (or when he did bring him in, it was for the most active player on the field), putting in a D-mid for Renya when it was obvious we needed more action in the offensive third, taking out Cherundolo when we are trailing instead of Bocanegra when Cherundolo is a better server of the ball, not putting Taylor Twellman (spelling?), who always seems like he is leading the MLS in scoring, on the team, using the final prep games to decide who the last player on the squad would be instead of building team chemistry, leaving McBride alone up top to create on his own instead of letting him be a finisher like he was at Fulham. I swear Arena saw Arsene Wegner and Arsenal play a one foward system all the way to the Champions League final and thought, oh my, I could see this working for our team. But back to Donovan……he didn’t show up on the biggest stage of his life and the fact that he’s going to be the next American wearing the armband makes me sick. (Not that I’m bitter or anything)