I could get used to this. After years and years of waiting for the United States men's soccer team to beat an elite opponent, I finally got my wish. And boy, does it feel good. Going into Wednesday's game against Spain in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa, the United States was a big time underdog. Rightfully so, I might add. The Spanish club had come in having gone unbeaten in 35 straight matches, including 15 straight victories. They probably have 5 of the 30 best players in the world, and their depth is mind-boggling. A United States victory not only would have been a surprise, it would have sent shockwaves around the world.
Well, hello there, world; allow me to introduce us.
That there is Tim, he's our goalkeeper. Standing just in front of him are Carlos, Jay, Oguchi (we just call him "Gooch"), and Jonathan (Spector, not Bornstein). The next wave will present to you Landon, Michael, Ricardo, and Clint. Up top you'll notice our friends Jozy and Charlie. Coming a bit late to the party will be Benny, Conor, and Jonathan (Bornstein, not Spector). Thanks for the congratulations on doing something none of you could do since November 2006: beat Spain.
This wasn't a fluke. Anyone who watched the game knows that the U.S. defended INCREDIBLY well, took their opportunities when they came, and didn't make the kind of mistakes that'd beat themselves. In short, the Yanks played exactly how they needed to play in order to have a chance. Speaking of chances, Spain had a ton of them throughout the match. It seemed like every time I looked up, Fernando Torres or David Villa had the ball on his foot in the box. Either that or Xavi was attacking and making plays. But here came Gooch (Onyewu) or Carlos (Bocanegra) sliding in to stop the chance. The defense was beyond terrific. After being out with an injury for the previous games this tournament, Bocanegra returned with a great game, and looked sharp alongside Jay DeMerit, who's earned his stripes (and hopefully a starting spot for the forseeable future) with his play in South Africa.
When Jozy Altidore scored in the 25th minute, I was excited, but also realistic. Spain was still going to get their opportunities, so I wasn't quite ready to put my chest out too far. But then when Clint Dempsey took the ball away from Ramos and scored in the 73rd minute, all of a sudden things got serious. It really looked like we were going to win the game, whereas earlier it appeared as if we might win the game. Unreal. When the final whistle blew, I sat there in disbelief, asking my buddy if that really just happened.
It did.
After shrugging off the haters with an appearance in the semifinals of a major international tournament following a bit of flair (3-0 win over Egypt) and a bit of luck (Brazil's 3-0 win over Italy), the United States men's soccer team silenced them for a long while with Wednesday's win over Spain. The tournament finals are Sunday, and we'll play the winner of Thursday's game between Brazil and South Africa. At this point, I don't even care who we play (though I'd prefer South Africa); having seen this team come together and play like grown men for four games has been all the reward I need.
But if you guys want to go ahead and bring home the trophy, I won't be mad at that, either. Good job, Sams, way to represent those 50 stars and 13 stripes with pride. The pride has now been shifted to your fan base, and we can't wait to welcome you home after a highly successful showing in South Africa...which also happens to be the site of next summer's World Cup. Just saying.
~~ Lank
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