The young-ish fans draped in American flags led their fellow yanks in songs and general merrymaking throughout the entire match. Standing was required. Sitting was for half-time. The Sam's Army group did their best to replicate a European environment. It was cool.
Unfortunately, the product on the field left much to be desired. Sure, the US won in workmanlike fashion. Yet, apart from a few moments of brilliance from Dempsey and Howard, the US team was as boring as a Bob Bradley hair-cut.
The US began the match with most of their regular starters. Altidore and Juan Agudelo started at striker. Dempsey, Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and Donovan led the midfield. And Bocanegra, newcomer Tim Ream, Clarence Goodson, and Cherundolo were the back 4 in front of Tim Howard. The US pressured early, wanting that opening goal. It didn't take long.
Donovan did what he does best, sending a pin-point pass to Altidore in the box in the 17th minute. From a sharp angle, Altidore spun around and sent a low-hard shot near post. The goalie, perhaps surprised by the accuracy of the shot from such an acute angle, mishandled the ball. It slipped behind him for a 1-0 US lead. Altidore had a difficult season in Europe, and he celebrated this fine goal accordingly. When the ball hit the back of the net, Ford Field erupted. The stadium was not-quite half-full, but the decibel level, especially in our section, was deafening. This confirmed my belief that a goal in soccer is one of the truly special moments in sports, especially experienced in person.
The US then took their foot off the gas. Canada maintained the lionshare of possession for the rest of the 1st half and into the 2nd. They had several dangerous chances, including a blistering shot from distance by Dwayne DeRosario. Howard extended fully to his left but missed the ball. Luckily it curved inches outside the far post. Howard had a few choice words for his defense after that shot.
The second half started with more of the same - extended possession by Canada. The US went many minutes between shots. Donovan and Dempsey were silent.
Around the 60th minute, the US retook control of the match. Both Donovan and Dempsey suddenly became much more involved. The US had a number of chances inside the box, and it seemed only a matter of time before the US scored another. While Canada had some quality attacking players, their defense and, especially, goalie were lacking.
In the 62nd minute, Altidore sent a cross through the box that found Dempsey far post. From a sharp angle, Dempsey volleyed the shot into the back of the net. Unlike Altidore, Dempsey celebrated with less verve, likely due to his 12 goals in England. He had a stellar season in England and probably expected to score at least one against Canada.
Against weakish competition like Canada, players like Dempsey and Howard really stand out. They're the only European-based players to excel at their respective clubs. In the field, Dempsey has that innate ability to do something special at any moment. While Donovan may be the most polished field player for the nats, it's Dempsey who has become the most dangerous. Fulham did him wonders.
After the US's second goal, Canada ramped up their attack. Howard made a handful of world-class saves to prevent a last-minute nail-biter. After the match, the teams shook hands and exchanged jerseys. The US players then saluted the fans, with Dempsey leading the charge. He pointed to each section, Hulk Hogan-style. The fans loved it and gave the US players rock-star treatment.
While it's nice to beat up on Sidney Crosby's home country, this game did leave a bit to be desired. It came on the heels of a 4-0 drubbing by Spain. While that Spain match was a friendly, it did illustrate the disparity in skill between the two teams. With Bob Bradley at the helm, I expect the US to follow much the same path they did four years ago. They'll likely battle with Mexico for first place in the Hex. That will get them into the World Cup, where they will get bounced from their group, unless they get a favorable draw like in 2010.
The sad truth is that the US is not close to challenging for a World Cup title. They're not elite. Nor are they on the next tier. The US hovers with the vast sea of middling soccer countries. They have the ability to occasionally pull out a shocking upset but are usually bounced in the early rounds of the major tournaments.
During the 80s, when the US started producing players that could actually play the game professionally, we all thought "it's only a matter of time." It's clear now that the time frame we're looking at is decades or centuries. It's not just a case of producing great athletes. The elite countries possess a soccer culture that doesn't exist in the US. It may never exist. Most American kids don't dream of starring for the soccer team. The other sports are more popular. Yet, I never thought I'd see an American soccer player hold court over a stadium like Clint Dempsey did last night. I imagine that's the same in every stadium across this country. The US team has made strides in popularity. If they can slowly win a permanent role in the nation's sports consciousness, perhaps they'll draw the athletes to take them to the next tier.
Until then, we'll have to be content with 4-0 losses to Spain and 2-0 wins over Canada.
No comments:
Post a Comment