The United States did all right in the World Cup, but has the team went out in the round of 16 again. Have they made any major strides over the past four years? By Steindy (talk) 21:31, 22 November 2013 (UTC) (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

To be a United States soccer fan is to have a thing for disappointment.

It’s not the anti-American kind of disappointment that comes from never having a thought or a dream of something better. That kind of ongoing, numbing disappointment is deadened over time, like a cook’s hands or the skin on a basketball player’s feet.

To be a United States soccer fan is a sharp disappointment — the pain much more like a coffee table to the shin or a stubbed toe. We can try to convince ourselves that this is the kind of agony that eventually builds character or teaches a lesson. Maybe it will. Maybe it will just hurt.

This disappointment is the kind of angry feeling. It takes a twinkle cackles of the heart of what makes you a fan. It takes desire, expectation, and faith in the first place, because you can’t be let down so hard when you don’t expect anything in the first place. It’s a tantalizing kind of feeling that comes from a team that, like the country it represents, just wouldn’t give up hope.

It would have been easier that way. If the team had not scored a late game-winner against Ghana, we’d all have an easy narrative, able to write the team and its German coach out of our consciousness for at least a while.

It would have been easier that way. If the team had not come back from a one-goal deficit to take a one-goal lead against Portugal, giving themselves a solid chance at getting out of the group of death.

It would have been easier that way. If a 19 year-old had just let me wallow in my losing misery and process and grieve for just a few minutes.

Instead, Julian Green came off the bench and scored a goal on his first touch of the World Cup, sending American fans roaring back into “we can do this” mode. The Bradleagles even had some real opportunities to tie it in the final five minutes sending American fans into a from a natural resignation that our team was out of it into a traumatic roller coaster of emotion that ended in the same place it started — with the Americans eliminated.

Eating waffles for breakfast? Keep an eye out for Michael Bradleagle, he's on the hunt (created by @MLSist) pic.twitter.com/CYis6s8quC

— The Best Soccer Show (@BestSoccerShow) July 1, 2014

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” ― Gloria Steinem

If you’re looking for other reasons to be pissed, try this one — Belgium was beatable. Actually, this is a year a fringe team without World Champion pedigree like the United States could have actually done something fun. The play has been wide-open, the goals have been plentiful, and very few defenses look anything close to impenetrable. Costa Rica is in the quarterfinals. So are German and Belgian teams the United States had a run at.

What about Landon Donovan? I respected Klinsmann’s decision to keep him off the team. Rumors of Donovan not being as fit and committed have surfaced since he was left off the team. I always assume that, as the coach, Jurgen must know something that I don’t. What I do know, though, is that Donovan has proven to be able to keep his composure through physically demanding settings and that his creativity would have been an improvement on Graham Zusi, Brad Davis, or Alejandro Bedoya.

For a United States team that needed a spark, Donovan could have helped keep other guys closer to their actual positions and possibly done better. I’m not second-guessing Klinsmann’s decision, but I think fans will always be left to wonder whether anything would be different had Landon been on the roster.

One thing I think Klinsmann has done is to speak whatever truth is the current truth. Fans and players live in the past. Jurgen seems to always be trying to get better for the future. Laurels are not rested on. There is no sense of entitlement any longer. Jurgen is speaking a truth, even if it’s pissing people off.

“I think they all went to their limits. They gave everything they had,” said Klinsmann after the game.

Maybe so. Maybe we did all right this time around. The United States advanced farther than England, Spain, and Portugal in this World Cup, which is saying something. Uncle Sam made it almost as far as he ever has in the modern era of soccer. So, why do I still feel like we missed such an opportunity? Why do I have this shitty knot in my stomach about it still, three days later?

Maybe this is what the progress of soccer in this country feels like.   

Clint Dempsey scored a spectacular goal for the United States on Monday. By Erik Drost, via Wikimedia Commons

The United States showed virtually zero ability to maintain possession of the ball and were dominated in nearly every phase of the game, but still managed to somehow beat Ghana 2-1 in their World Cup opener on Monday night.

Wearing their really good-looking red, white, and blue kits, the US team was buoyed by a first-minute goal from Clint Dempsey and a late goal from John Brooks, Jr. The game’s result was exactly what the United States needed. How they got there makes me skeptical.

The Good

The United States won the game. Clint Dempsey showed why he is still a world-class forward and the team found a way back into the lead just minutes after Ghana finally broke-through. Resiliency is something the Americans usually have and Monday was no different.

While the team was mostly outplayed through the midfield, Fabian Johnson looked really solid going from a defender into what looked like the USA’s most creative threat from the wing. Brooks might have looked better than Matt Besler after Besler went off with a hamstring injury at halftime and, for his part, Dempsey looked as effective as ever.

This team has been challenged to be in “uncomfortable” situations since Jurgen Klinsmann took over and the German head coach of the US Men’s National Team should be feeling pretty good about the decisions he’s made so far.

The Bad

Let’s not mince words. The midfield of the United States was bad against Ghana. Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman couldn’t connect on possession. Alejandro Bedoya showed flashes of greatness, but without nearby support. Jermaine Jones played a solid match, but it’s hard when both he and Beckerman are more like defenders on the pitch.

It was a game where, in the stead of a player like Bedoya or Beckerman, I did miss Landon Donovan. Donovan has always been cool and collected. While he wouldn’t have played the kind of defense that Beckerman or Jones do, his presence may have allowed the United States to have more possession and not have to work quite so hard chasing the Ghana players who ALWAYS seemed to have the ball.

Because they had two defensive midfielders on the pitch at the same time, the United States wasn’t able to maintain possession or give me any reason that a better team like Portugal or Germany won’t have their way against the USA.

The Ugly

In the win, the Americans took a few knocks. Jozy Altidore went straight to the ground after what looked like a torn hamstring in the first half. Pure strikers like Altidore are hard to come by, and the United States will do their best with (possibly) some combination of Aron Johansson and Chris Wondolowski at the position. Donovan is a more proven creator than Johansson or Wondo, so one of them will have to do some damage in the next two games to keep the “shoulda kept Landon” pundits from coming back out in full-force.

Also ugly was the high kick Dempsey took to the face in the first half. If it didn’t break his nose, it should have. In a World Cup that some Americans view as a cesspool of flopping and playacting, Dempsey  didn’t give his bloody nose any more than a second thought. The Texan got right up, got his treatment and never seemed to embellish even a little. The “man of the match” photo at the end of the game shows his nose huge and swollen.

Yeah, in light of yesterday, the players in this come off as entitled, short-sighted http://t.co/Il2GsmivFR

— Richard Whittall (@RWhittall) June 17, 2014

Uglier still is this article that The Score’s Richard Whittall tweeted a link to today. The article is from about a year ago, when the United States played Honduras and lost. It seems that at the time, there were a lot of players who were jumping off the proverbial bandwagon, even if they wouldn’t put their name to their comments. After reading the article, it would be stupid to wonder what’s behind Klinsmann’s tactics leading up to the tournament. I also wonder how many of  the anonymously quoted players are still on the roster.

Klinsmann would have got a pass from me no matter the outcome of this year’s World Cup. His willingness to not cow-tow to anyone or anything is something I respect a lot. Here’s something to think about — a quote from the Sporting News article from above about why Klinsmann, by design, fostered some confusion during the qualifying process and how players react to it.

“They all want the safety net. They want to always feel comfortable, but if you want to elevate the program to another level, you need to go to a phase of being uncomfortable out there and then deal with that,” he said.

Here’s to the United States being comfortable in an uncomfortable position for more than 180 more minutes this Summer.

Jürgen Klinsmann has rolled his dice. Tonight, we get an indication about whether his Landon Donovan decision will pay-off. By Nathan Forget, via Wikimedia Commons

A post I initially wrote last week for BigDSoccer.com — here are some thoughts about the opportunity that is in front of Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore today in the absence of Landon Donovan on the US men’s national soccer team.

It was a coaching decision that sent shockwaves throughout the entire United States. It didn’t happen in baseball, basketball, football, or even hockey. Instead the announcement was by the German coach of the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. Jurgen Klinsmann was letting the nation know, a week before his deadline, that the country’s greatest player would not be on the roster for the upcoming World Cup.

To put it simply, people were angry. One could argue that the fact that there is controversy this large surrounding US soccer is a victory for the sport’s development in this country over the past 20 years. But, at the age of 32, this was supposed to be Donovan’s swan song.

Donovan could have played an important part in Brazil, but he obviously didn’t meet whatever standard Klinsmann set. Instead of kowtowing to the pressure and notoriety that a legend like Donovan demands, Kinsmann made the tough decision to leave him off the team. Fans were not happy.

But instead of whining uselessly, I’m going to take this pre-World Cup time to be excited about the unknown possibility. Instead of the narrative being “Can Landon do it in his final World Cup?,” it’s “Who is going to step up?”

There are candidates. In warm-up matches, the triad of Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore have begun to work nicely together up front. Over the past few years under Klinsmann, the United States has gone from being relatively easy to defend to an offense that is much more dynamic and unpredictable — leading to more interesting soccer and better chances.

Dempsey has a good International resume. Altidore has played overseas for years as has Bradley, before returning to MLS this season.

Evolved Style?

Without Donovan’s leadership, there is a gap that the three players above have an opportunity to fill. Instead of being sad about Donovan’s absence, I’m eager to see what kind of a leader Bradley can be. Instead of going into Landon withdrawals, I am hopeful that Altidore can finally be the player US fans have always wanted him to be. Instead of hanging my head about Donovan’s absence, maybe other players can fill the gap of leadership, movement on the pitch, and style of play.

Instead of being sad, I’m on the edge of my seat to see if, finally, the United States’ style of play has actually evolved and to find out if they can sustain a better style over the course of at least three games.

Winning might not be everything

In the “Group of Death,” it’s possible that the United States could be clearly better than four years ago and still not make the knock-out round. Portugal, Germany, and Ghanaare that good. While it won’t be easy, I am going to TRY to be reasonable and not make snap judgments solely based on outcomes against three very good teams…

Opportunities

But, can you imagine what would happen if this team somehow found a way through their group? Think about the HUGE step forward it would be for the United States to, without Donovan, move to the knockout stage. It would be the single most successful World Cup in the country’s history. Players like Dempsey, Bradley, Altidore, Tim Howard, and others would join Donovan as household names for casual fans.

I said earlier that the sport has made huge growth in the past 20 years. Getting out of this deadly group could make an impact akin to the 1994 World Cup, making new fans and capitalizing on the burgeoning momentum MLS has gathered over the past five years.

Then again, if they fail miserably I think I’ll probably try to argue that you’ve got to risk big to win big. For his part, Jurgen Klinsmann — the man in charge — has already rolled his dice. We’ll wait a few weeks to see whether he’ll be coming back a hero or just crapped out.

Yesterday’s news was a bombshell. About a week before he had to, United States men’s national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann decided to announce the final 23 players who will be heading to Brazil this summer.

Landon Donovan’s name was not on the list. Donovan’s omission sent some into a tizzy, sarcastic remarks included.

Bruce Arena: if there are 23 players on this team better than Landon Donovan, then we are going to win the World Cup

— Scott Smith (@JasonSSmith1) May 23, 2014

Still fuming over no Landon Donovan. #MISTAKE

— Dude Perfect (@DudePerfect) May 23, 2014

That's some BS. How can kids be one step ahead of Landon Donovan. Pissed bra. pic.twitter.com/5KU9IzuWh1

— Edgar Iniguez (@edgargetactive) May 23, 2014

Robbie Keane: If I Were Landon Donovan … I'd Be PISSED!!! [VIDEO] #newslocker http://t.co/lAZqsoJfYH

— newslocker Gossip (@yourgossipnews) May 23, 2014

So pissed that Landon Donovan isn't going to be in the World Cup. ESPECIALLY since i bought the $150 World Cup jersey with his name on it

Others, mostly people who write about the USMNT, were more measured and had some other fun details.

Watching these #USMNT players stumble over their words about Landon Donovan's exclusion shows how shocking this announcement truly is.

— Adam Serrano (@LAGalaxyInsider) May 23, 2014

Klinsmann says that he didn't discuss the selection process with the leaders of the #USMNT. Didn't want them involved in personnel decisions

— Adam Serrano (@LAGalaxyInsider) May 23, 2014

Not writing on Donovan. Wrote this a year ago and not sure what I would change: http://t.co/dmS7ALwY2c

— Matthew Tomaszewicz (@shinguardian) May 23, 2014

Klinsmann’s job hasn’t ever been to keep the status quo, though, and by including players without the name Donovan, the head coach has opened the door for some others to step into a leadership role on the national team. His decision was certainly one that takes intestinal fortitude.

American soccer fans, in the absence of global domination, have latched onto the “we’re so much better than we used to be” story over the past 5-10 years, though the team hasn’t taken any big steps forward in that time. Klinsmann’s job is to help them get there — to take them from good to great. The move to take younger players over Donovan has its risks, but it also squashes any doubt about complacency as an excuse should this team falter.

In this case, the assurance of stability was not as strong as the desire to change and move forward. I think it will make for fascinating viewing this summer.

Here’s Klinsmann talking about leaving Donovan off the roster.

 

And Klinsmann taking a little longer during a press conference

To make the move Klinsmann made on the roster takes guts. By Steindy, (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Established Leaders

It’s not like the team has no experience. Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, and Clint Dempsey are all proven veterans of the team. Bradley, in particular, seems to be poised to have an outstanding World Cup this year. Howard wasn’t pleased with the Landon Donovan exclusion, calling the former national team captain one of the team’s best players.

No Landon Donovan? This is what Tim Howard had to say Monday: "If Landon is on the field he is one of our top one or two players." #USMNT

— Joe Lago (@joelago) May 22, 2014

Any way you slice, it, players like the polarizing Kyle Beckerman, the inconsistent Jozy Altidore or even **shudder** Jermaine Jones will have to play some kind of key role. Maybe Aron Johannsson or Julien Green get opportunities and do something cool.

Does this team really have that kind of depth?

While an easy argument to make is that not a lot of players on the roster are better than Donovan, there is something to be said for this team’s depth. In looking at the roster, there are a number of players who can play varying roles and in various formations. Klinsmann prefers players who are testing themselves in top European leagues, and his choices reflect that.

There is no question that Donovan’s absence will leave both a psychological and emotional gap for this team. That being said, I don’t think Klinsmann would be making this decision if he didn’t think that the other players on the team could fill that gap and then some. They have a little more than three weeks to figure it out.

It’s easy to have an instant opinion on this move, but let’s wait until the actual World Cup to judge this team, and Klinsmann’s move. Other teams have come in with more hype and fallen on their faces (1998, 2006). Maybe this year’s team could be the antithesis of that.

‘Bout to find out!

Maybe I’m mistaking depth for general world-class mediocrity… . I guess we’ll see come the World Cup. For now, I’m going to choose to see the glass half-full. For all you LA Galaxy fans who are upset, turn that frown upside down. Your best player is back and he’s probably going to be kind of motivated.

Also, people get hurt. Don’t forget that Donovan might be an injury away from being right back in the mix. In an event like the World Cup that is always steeped in drama, and for a player who has made his home in Los Angeles, that would truly be the Hollywood ending.

Speaking of Hollywood and Landon Donovan’s team, TMZ Sports caught up with Robbie Keane, who said he’d be pissed off if he were in Landon’s shoes.

Robbie Keane — If I Were Landon Donovan … I’D BE PISSED!!!

]]> https://www.fansmanship.com/the-time-to-judge-the-usmnt-world-cup-roster-is-not-now/feed/ 0 https://www.fansmanship.com/united-states-mens-soccer-facing-a-tough-hexagonal-opener-in-honduras/ https://www.fansmanship.com/united-states-mens-soccer-facing-a-tough-hexagonal-opener-in-honduras/#respond Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:41:05 +0000 http://www.fansmanship.com/?p=9258 It can’t be that bad, can it? The United States Men’s National Soccer Team is starting their hexagonal World Cup qualifying round on the road in San Pedro Sula, Honduras against one of the up-and-coming teams in CONCACAF — the Catrachos from Honduras. The game should be a good look at some new United States […]]]>

It can’t be that bad, can it?

The United States Men’s National Soccer Team is starting their hexagonal World Cup qualifying round on the road in San Pedro Sula, Honduras against one of the up-and-coming teams in CONCACAF — the Catrachos from Honduras. The game should be a good look at some new United States players and will give fans an idea about whether the US team has taken a step forward or backward over the last 4-8 years.

But the game is getting attention for other non-soccer related reasons. This Deadspin post describes a media member’s initial thoughts, arriving to “The World’s Most Violent City.”

Power Chicken. Greatest name ever. By Owen Main

As someone who has been to Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, I can vouch for the difficult task the United States team will face there. The stadium, which holds about 40,000 people, will be heavily secured, but the feeling for an opposing team will not be one of security. Hondurans love their soccer. Club Deportivo Marathon usually occupies the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, which is the largest stadium in Honduras.

Here are a few San Pedro Sula tips for visiting the city or going to a game:

On the way to the game, we ate at what must be the best restaurant name in the world: Power Chicken. It was kind of like KFC. They served fried chicken, along with other Americanized dishes, often with a Honduran kick or flavor. For fast food, it seemed pretty solid and for a pre-sporting event meal, it made a ton of sense. San Pedro Sula Tip: Power Chicken is Really Good.

The game I went to was a CONCACAF Champions League game and I went with a local. It was on something of a whim and me, being the sports junkie that I am, threw caution to the wind and decided that it was a great idea. The game itself didn’t even half-fill the Estadio Olimpico. Marathon hosted Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica. Both squads had a “Monster” as their mascot: Green vs. Purple. Driving up to the stadium, parking wasn’t exactly organized. There were some self-appointed directors of traffic. As we got out of his truck, our host gave the two “parking management” people a few lempiras to keep an eye out for his car. In the end, it worked. The car was in one piece when we returned, and the “parking attendants” who had got some money at the beginning got a little more on our way out. It probably totaled about $3, but apparently was well-worth it. San Pedro Sula Tip: If you’re going to go to a soccer match, it helps to pay the Parking Attendants. Even though they don’t look (and probably aren’t) official, you should give them some money and promise them more if your car ends up in one piece. Also, 4-wheel drive may be a good thing to have for the parking lot.

Estadio Olimpico. They just don’t make them like this anymore…. By Owen Main

At the game, I wanted a jersey. Marathon’s jersey was vertical stripes of green and darker green. I am 6’2” and weigh 230 pounds and they didn’t really have a jersey big enough for me. It was a little downer, but I put on the “XL” one anyway and swallowed my fat pride. San Pedro Sula tip: an XL shirt in San Pedro does not equal an XL in the US.

At the game, the only thing I could find was Pepsi or Coke. There was no bottled water. It was hot and muggy, I sweated through my shirt, and what I really needed was water. The closest thing to water was Powerade. San Pedro Sula tip: If you’re going to a soccer game, be ready to stay up late!

After the game, we went to a restaurant/bar. Salva Vida, a local brew, is the beer of choice for many Hondurans. Sometime around 11:00, the power went out. Not just in the bar — in the city. At least in that neighborhood. We sat, continued to hang at the bar. Our host ordered a beer by candlelight. About 10 minutes later, the power came back on. A fitting end to a sporting night unlike any you’ll find stateside. San Pedro Sula tip: If the power goes out, don’t panic. Sip your Salva Vida and it will come back on soon enough. Probably.

Home-Field Advantage Prediction: Strong

Game Prediction: 2-2

]]> https://www.fansmanship.com/united-states-mens-soccer-facing-a-tough-hexagonal-opener-in-honduras/feed/ 0