Joy and Sadness

The US qualified for the World Cup over the weekend. Evidently, it was a thoroughly exiciting affair, with end-to-end action. Despite the significance of the match, few in the US watched it. Why? Because the Honduran Soccer Federation sold the rights to MediaNet, who broadcast the game exclusively on closed-circuit TV. It was very retro.

To see the game, you had to call your local pub and see if the owner decided a soccer game was worth forking over a closed-circuit fee. If you were lucky enough to get the game in your town, you'd still have to pay an exorbitant cover charge ($20 in my area). That's a little steep for my tastes, and I was certain the US would lose anyway. Honduras was undefeated at home, and their roster boasts more European pedigree than any other roster in the Hex. Wilson Palacios starts for Spurs; Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa start for Wigan; Edgar Alvarez starts for Bari in Serie A; and superstar David Suazo is at legendary Inter Milan.

When did Honduras become so international? Soccer is the only truly global sport. While the tiny Central American country would be considered a "minnow," those of us that see them regularly know better. In fact, few of the Central American squads are truly minnows. It may only be a country of 8 million people, but only 11 are required for a soccer team. With so much money available to top soccer talent, every Honduran kid plays the game, so it stands to reason that the national team would be as seasoned as any in the region. Yes, the US team has improved, but so has every other team. So a win on their home soil is quite an accomplishment.

For some odd reason, Bob Bradley sat Jozy Altidore in favor of Conor Casey. Casey is a lumbering striker in the mold of Carsten Jancker. I've never actually seen Casey score. But score he did. Twice!

Honduras scored first. Early in the second half, they beat Tim Howard off a restart, and the stadium erupted (according to reports, because, of course, the game wasn't on American TV). The US fought back. Onyewu sent a long ball into the box. Charlie Davies flicked the ball to Casey about six yards out. Casey outleapt the keeper and headed it home. 1-1. Then Donovan sprung Casey a few minutes later with a perfect thru-ball. Casey again beat the keeper. 2-1. To the utter frustration of the home crowd, Donovan put the US up 3-1 on a curling free kick about 24 yards out.

Honduras did have their chances, though. They scored another goal but could not get the equalizer. In the 87th minute, Stuart Holden was called for a handball in the US's box. Penalty kick - Honduras. But Carlos Pavon sent the kick sailing over the crossbar! Final score 3-2 US. I don't care that Honduras is the 449th ranked team in FIFA (actual ranking #42). They're good competition for the US, and it's damn hard to win in their stadium. Honduras desperately needed this game for their own World Cup berth. Now they need the US to beat Costa Rica on Wednesday, and I do hope that happens. Not just because I want the US to continue winning, but also because Honduras should advance. Their fans did not throw bags of nails, bricks, and urine at the Americans after the game. They did the unthinkable - they actually applauded the fine effort. That's the type of sportsmanship that's so rare in any country.

Now all the Bob Bradley haters are running for cover. He beat a quality Honduran side and secured a spot in the World Cup, with one game to spare. Not too shabby. The problem is that his team does not play pretty. They struggle for possession. They get beat regularly on defense. But, somehow, they score. Bob is blessed with perhaps the most offensively gifted squad in years. He's also without a true center midfielder. And the team is woefully thin at fullback. So what can we expect next summer in South Africa?

It all depends on the draw (December 4th). Eight teams will be seeded (including South Africa, the host country). Historically, the US fares poorly against European and African teams. The US should hope to be grouped with a South American and Asian team. Every group will have at least one European squad. An ideal group would feature something like Italy (the seeded squad), Paraguay, and Korea. More likely, the US will draw something like France, Netherlands, and Ivory Coast. Three ugly losses.