benaikey

After an inspired and valiant effort, the USA soccer team fell 3-2 yesterday to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. I must admit, I’m a cynic as far as soccer in America goes. It’s not one of our four major sports, and aside from gym class and “beehive soccer” played by children in elementary school, it’s hardly noticed at all. When was the last time you watched a MLS match? Even with David Beckham playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy, ratings haven’t improved. It’s not something most Americans really care about.

I digress. I didn’t think the USA had any business advancing instead of Italy in group play. If Italian player Andrea Dossena hadn’t scored an own goal to give Brazil their third goal, the United States would not have advanced – Italy would have. Or if Italy had scored a single goal against Brazil, they would have advanced due to the goal deficit tiebreaker.

But neither of these scenarios happened. The American team miraculously advanced. Again, I admit I had no faith in them. I thought the Spanish team, winners of 15 straight and having not lost in 35 straight, would be too much to handle. Shockingly enough, the Americans did it again, shutting out Spain 2-0 to advance to the finals.

I had mixed feelings before the rematch with Brazil. I know Brazil is always an international powerhouse and if you know nothing about soccer and you’re placing a bet, Brazil is your team. They’ve won 5 World Cups, more than any other nation (Italy has 4, Germany has 3). They’re also 13-1 all time against the USA. I almost wanted to believe in the American team. They lucked their way into the knockout round, but then proved they deserved to be there with the shutout of Spain.

Watching the game yesterday afternoon, I was surprised a little that the American team drew first blood only ten minutes in. But when Landon Donovan (hands-down the best American player – seriously, what’s he doing still in MLS instead of Champion’s League or something like that?) scored in the 27^th minute to give the Americans a 2-0 lead, I was downright shocked. I actually thought for a minute about the Miracle on Ice and this may be their similar moment for soccer.

Needless to say, it didn’t happen. The Brazilians scored nearly immediately after coming back from halftime, then twice in the final 16 minutes to tie and take the lead. They won 3-2 and took home the gold and their 3^rd Confederations Cup.

But what about the aftermath? As much of a pessimist I can be about American soccer and how it’s not valued in our culture, I can safely say after the performance they gave with their backs against the wall, the American team may have arrived. They will likely qualify for next year’s World Cup, and I think they can legitimately compete against the stronger teams of the world. After all, shutting out Spain and nearly defeating Brazil is no small feat. The coaching change to remove Bruce Arena and replace him with Bob Bradley was a brilliant move. Shortly after taking control, he led the Americans to victory in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Mexico 2-0 in the finals. He’s got this team inspired and out to prove their skills to the world.

I expect the Americans to win the 2009 Gold Cup when it starts this Saturday. They have a new sense of fighting spirit, and as defending champions and holders of home-field advantage, are the heavy favorites in my mind. I’ll be watching and supporting the American team in hopes that they have finally turned the corner in international soccer. This 4^th of July, take some time to support your country as they try to beat others at their own national pastime.

Share This

Excuse me if I seem cynical or unpatriotic for what I’m about to say. The US men’s soccer team had no business advancing in yesterday’s Confederation Cup. They had no business celebrating such a hollow victory. Here’s why.

First of all, Brazil did most of the work. They beat down on Italy 3-0 in yesterday’s match, which is one embarrassing beatdown as far as soccer is concerned. Then again, for Brazil, this is business as usual. They’re the 5^th ranked team in the world, and have previously won 5 World Cups, more than any other nation. Granted, Italy isn’t a slacker either. Ranked 4^th in the world, and defending World Cup champions, they really had no business giving up 3 goals in any match. And that own goal to make the third goal for Brazil was just shameful. Without that goal, USA would have had to beat Egypt by 4 goals instead of 3, so Italy effectively shot themselves in the foot. Did they forget to show up, just blindly assuming Egypt or the USA would just win 1-0 or draw? Looking back, that wasn’t a wise decision. They’ve got a lot of work to do before next year’s World Cup if they plan to defend.

It’s beyond me why USA soccer is always ranked so highly. Before I even get to the rankings, consider the fact that soccer has never been one of the major sports in this country. The “big 4” is composed of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. If a fifth sport would be added to the list, it would be NASCAR, the fastest growing sport in the country. Major League Soccer is hardly staying afloat, having to stoop so low as to lure away British superstar David Beckham to a team in Los Angeles to try to boost ratings. It hasn’t really worked. Most Americans just don’t care about soccer, and that includes me. Well, American soccer anyway.

There’s no competition, no fighting spirit in MLS. It’s downright boring. The players are likely overpaid, as most athletes are, and they don’t seem to love the game. International soccer, however, is another story entirely. I love World Cup and UEFA Cup soccer. The excitement of watching countries that feature soccer as their national pastime, the teams out there trying to win to bring home some pride for their nation – that’s what sports are really about. Not paychecks, not about the fans even. Sports are about pride, and that’s something team USA just doesn’t have or inspire.

Currently 14^th in the world, when was the last time this team did anything worthwhile? Let me refresh your memory of USA soccer. 2006, they were spanked by the Czech Republic, managed to tie Italy, and were humiliated by Ghana, a team that should have been an easy victory, not making it out of group play. Coach Bruce Arena lost his job over that sad attempt. To be fair, in 2002, they didn’t do half bad, advancing out of group play and eliminating Mexico before being beaten by the powerhouse Germany team. In 1998, team USA lost all three group matches and was ranked 32 out of the 32 participating teams. The 1994 World Cup was hosted in America, and the host team is automatically qualified, a practice I don’t believe in. You shouldn’t get a special entry for just hosting the tournament. I digress. The USA team survived group play, but was eliminated by Brazil in the next round. The previous World Cup, in 1990, had the Americans lose all three games in group play. You get the idea. USA soccer is a mediocre team that only advances by beating mediocre teams, as was the case in yesterday’s match against Egypt, ranked 40^th. It’s not a surprise that USA could score 3 goals against such a relatively weak team.

We’ll see next round how “good” USA soccer really is. In the semifinals, they’re set to face Spain, the highest ranked team in the world. Spain is on a roll, having won 15 straight international matches. That’s right, they won that many in a row. No draws in there, as is common in soccer. 15 straight wins. That’s impressive in any sport. If you ask me, team USA doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance. They’re all hopped up on adrenaline from a freak accident that let them slip by into the next round and the grim reality hasn’t set in yet. Spain is a much better team, and it will show.

This isn’t USA hockey at the 1980 Olympics. There will be no miracle. This isn’t even the World Cup yet and the US team is already getting cocky. Give it til next year in South Africa and you’ll see what I mean. I believe in miracles, but I don’t believe in USA soccer.

Share This