Is this the Real Life? Is this just fantasy?

Clint Dempsey seals the biggest victory in US soccer history

Am I dreaming? Was that the same US team on the field that got manhandled by Italy and Brazil?  Ever since the Egypt game, when the stars aligned and rewarded Sam’s Army with a matchup against the world’s best, and most dominant, team of late, I have felt as though my life had become one long, wonderful dream.  The unlikelihoods of the situation are mind-boggling.  Start with the fact that the US had to score 3 goals against the team that was coming off beating Italy, and holding them scoreless.  Add to that the fact that US seemed to have forgotten that they goals can come from the run of play instead of depending on Donovan’s penalty kicks or Onyewu’s long throws.  Then consider that the US also needed Italy to beat Brazil 3-0. While everyone knows Brazil is capable of that score line, few expected the Italians to allow it, considering they are a notoriously defensive minded squad.  The rest is history as Charlie Davies, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and the rest of the squad came out and brought the game to the Pharoahs, finally looking like a team that knew how to possess and attack.  I would have been happy with the result even if Brazil had not done us the favor of knocking out the Italians.

So we made it.  We reached the semifinals of a tournament I didn’t think we could. Congratulations Bob Bradley, you’ve silenced your critics for now.  Great job boys, go out there and give it your all against the Spaniards, no one will fault you for falling to a clearly superior team that hasn’t lost since 2006.  Not only that, but their recent form has been intimidating, having gone unbeaten in 35 consecutive matches.  Up until today, they had conceded only 1 goal in 2009, and only 3 since winning Euro in June 2008.  They were, and arguably still are, the best team in the world.  Their starting roster against the US was comprised of 10 guys that played in the Champions League this season, the lone outlier being David Villa, perhaps their best player and a target of big money clubs from Madrid to London.  The US starting 11 had only 1 player from a team that played in Champions League, Jozy Altidore, but he never saw the field in European competition.  This was truly David vs. Goliath, except in this case David had lost his sling.

The way the US started the game set the tone, they came out with energy, passion, and, could it be, attacking flair?  Davies almost set the game on fire with his bicycle kick, Dempsey had a great shot that went wide, and the Spaniards were reeling.  I was impressed by the way the US broke up the Spanish possession.  They allowed them to play out wide, preferring to stay compact and not allow interior passing.  They showed that they learned something from the way Brazil broke them apart, and the fixed it.  I like what Bradley did with this lineup, leaving Davies in (a well-earned start for the youngster), and pushing Bocanegra to Left Back.  That defensive line of Spector, Onyewu, Demerit and Boca looks good on paper, and performed well as a unit.  It gives me hope that by mixing in Hejduk (who is the heart of the team when he plays), Bornstein, and Cherundolo the team will be solid and deep on the back line by 2010.  Its unfortunate that Bradley won’t be in for the final, he will be hard to replace.  And his sending off raises another concern; in 4 games at this Confederations Cup, the US has had 3 players sent off.  That is the kind of disadvantage that we cannot afford to put ourselves at.  Clark’s tackle against Italy was sloppy and unnecessary, and Kljestan’s was worse.  Sasha proved to me in that moment that he does not deserve minutes, let alone starts.  The conventional wisdom that the players getting time with their clubs and considered “in form” needs to disappear.  Its summer, no one has played a game for the club for at least a month, and Kljestan plays in MLS. No offense to the league, it has made great strides since it was born, but someone training with a major European club (Adu) or playing in Mexico (Torres) is seeing far superior competition than anyone in MLS.  I hope Bradley (Papa) takes his son’s absence in the final as a chance to see what Torres can do as an attacking central midfielder.  I would like to see an identical lineup, with Torres replace the suspended Bradley.  Let Dempsey and Donovan use the speed on the sides, and put Torres in the middle to distribute out to them and up to Altidore and Davies.

As you may have noticed from my last US article, I’m not a huge Clint Dempsey fan, but I’ve got to admit that his goals in the last two games have really impressed me.  He literally had to fight off his Egyptian defender just to get a touch on his first goal, and against Spain he looked dangerous from the start.  My only criticism, and it typically applies to Donovan as well, is that the team needs the same effort from these two on defense as they got on offense against Spain.  Today, I was impressed by Donovan on both sides of the field; he showed energy and tenacity and “showed up” in the big game.  He pressured the ball when Spain’s defenders were possessing, and managed the attack from his wing spot.  For me, Dempsey still needs to show that kind of effort on defense.  Once he scored, I saw him jogging back, on the wrong side of the ball, giving Spain tons of time on the wing.  His contribution of offense is undeniable, but we cannot afford to give a team like Spain time and space to attack, especially late in games when we’re defending a lead.

These are minor things, however, and I don’t want to detract from the greatest victory in US soccer history.  Before today, the US was 1-7-1 against FIFA #1’s.  The lone victory came against Brazil in 1998, and the draw came against Argentina last summer in New Jersey.  Despite being outshot 28-9, the US got a huge lift from Tim Howard and took advantage of their opportunities: they recorded only 2 shots on goal, scoring both.  In terms of USA athletics victories, this one must go down in the record books.  Perhaps not on the level of the Miracle on Ice because it isn’t the Olympics or a World Cup, the achievements of this team over the past few week are astonishing.  While a rematch with Brazil looms, assuming the Samba Kings continue their hot form against host South Africa, the US will enter the rematch brimming with confidence and optimism, qualities that seemed lost and gone forever less than a week ago.  Perhaps the unlikelihoods will continue and I can continue to live in my current dream state, but no matter what happens I have renewed faith in the US and coach Bob. GO USA!!

~ by Nate Rosenbloom on June 24, 2009.