The numbers have been staggering — people want to watch. That’s all we have to do. Go out there and try to win. America loves winners, we know that. So if we can keep winning and keep playing well, the rest of it will take care of itself…. We’re getting closer. It takes time, some of these countries have been playing the game 100 years longer than we have. We need to keep producing young talent, clearly we’ve shown we can.
I’ll freely and openly admit to believing there was NO WAY- none whatsoever- the US Men’s National Team would be anything but three and out in this World Cup. With Ghana, Portugal, AND Germany in their group, I was convinced they’d go 0-3 and come home with their tails between their legs. No matter how I puzzled it out, the draw was about as damaging to American hopes as you could imagine. Well, not as bad as being grouped with Spain, Germany, and Brazil…but pretty close.
No matter what else I take away from this World Cup, I’m beyond proud of the US team’s showing…and for proving me wrong. On the largest stage in the world, US soccer held its own again some of the best teams in the world. It would have been nice to make it past the round of 16; but for a blown Chris Wondolowski tap-in we would’ve defeated Belgium in regulation time and moved into the quarterfinals. Unlike some other world powers who failed to show up and were kicked to the curb early (e.g.- Italy, Spain, Portugal, and England), the US played well, if somewhat unevenly. When the chips were down and they needed something extra, the Americans consistently found it. If nothing else, they were arguably the most courageous team in the tournament. They were also by far the least likely to dive gratuitously. This isn’t a compliment I toss around lightly, but the Americans played the game the way it’s meant to be played. If you don’t understand what I’m referring to, watch a replay of the Uruguay-Italy match. The only thing missing was a 10-meter diving platform and a tetanus shot.
Photos: All 16 of Tim Howard's saves from the World Cup match with Belgium http://t.co/Pz7FoRVUqG pic.twitter.com/SWKjzeh1se
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 2, 2014
To think that the US could have won the World Cup this year would have been an exercise in fantasy. US Soccer has yet to reach the level of Germany, France, or Brazil…but it’s getting closer. The talent gap is still wide, but what American players lack in natural ability they make up for with toughness and a collective refusal to give up. Soccer is a game in which the best team doesn’t always win; one mistake can determine a winner, and bad luck knows no favorites. Belgium was clearly the superior team Tuesday. They controlled the majority of possession, they dictated the pace of play…and yet the end of regulation time found the teams in a scoreless draw after Wondolowski’s missed tap-in in the final moments. The US played up to the level of its competition; it could be argued that Belgium did the opposite.
If not for Tim Howard, there’s no telling how bad the carnage would have been- but that’s the nature of the game. His 16 saves- the most since FIFA began keeping save statistics a half-century ago- meant the US had a legitimate shot to win. Sometimes one person- in this case a goalkeeper- performing heroically can inspire a team to slay a giant. The US almost did that to Portugal, Germany, and Belgium. Perhaps in 2018 we’ll be able to take the “almost” out of that equation; the future really does look that bright. This year’s US team was young and inexperienced; one really has to wonder what things will look like when they return with some experience and maturity in 2018.
It was gratifying to witness and experience the degree of excitement and passion the World Cup brought out in American fans. For perhaps the first time, our passion for the game equalled any other nation. As a former goalkeeper and coach, I remember well a time when soccer was a fringe sport engaged in largely by homesick foreigners and Americans who were too small or unskilled to play “real” football. When the US hosted the World Cup in 1994, there wasn’t even an American professional league; Major League Soccer (MLS) wasn’t born until 1996. The level of the professional game in the US isn’t close to on par with European leagues, but the gap is closing. MLS has become a viable alternative for players looking to flee the madness and hysteria surrounding the game in Europe. All one has to do is attend a Timbers game at Providence Park here in Portland or a Sounders game in Seattle to understand that passion for the game is no longer the property of Europe or South Americ. We just don’t need the razor wire and the armed policemen necessary in other parts of the world. (I’ve never been more frightened for my safety than I was at a Chelsea-Manchester United match in the mid-80s…and I’ve lived and worked in three war zones.)
The time will come when the US will compete on level terms with the world’s traditional soccer powers. I believe the world knows that time is coming, and I can only hope we’ll see US players hoisting the World Cup in triumph during my lifetime. I’d take that over a Vikings Super Bowl victory any day.
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN…IN 2018!!
