June 13, 2006
U.S. loss in the World Cup
Shortly before the United States started its game vs. the Czech Republic yesterday, I told Lamont, "I don't have a lot of confidence in this team."
What was my pessimism based on? A few stray wisps and tendrils and impressions:
- Anemic U.S. performances in friendlies leading up to the World Cup.
- Hearing that the Czech Republic was formidable.
- Even to an extent the Nike commercial featuring former French star Eric Cantona, where he says in fractured English, "America, the world no longer looks forward to playing you." Well, he speaks over highlight films of the U.S. playing, and while Landon Donovan is shown scoring various goals, he looks like a pixie. Granted, a very skilled pixie, but not one able to take on tall Central or Eastern European rivals.
Well, the United States got spanked 3-0 and looked dreadful. Watching the game, I said, "There's a lot of tall, skilled, fearsome, committed U.S. players, and they are all in the NBA."
An e-mail arrived from my friend Mark Moran in Thailand:
God, the carnage. We have NO offense. Brings me back to the 70's and 80's when I played and the US was a joke. Or maybe the Czech Republic is that good. Back to the drawing boards. Those guys were just on a whole other level.Italy? Geez. Someone get a gun and get it over with.
We need a playmaker/striker...
I replied, "YES why oh why didn't they take Taylor Twellman (Univ Md star who would at least have run and attacked ???)?" Now that I think about it, Freddy Adu might do better than the group we have over in Germany now.
Then I remembered, Lamont did a fantastic graphic for the Baltimore Sun showing how the U.S. had a height disadvantage against the Czechs. (See below.) No one else in the entire world of sports media correctly forecast this problem, as I can tell. Take a look:
On the field, it was dramatic to see how tiny the United States looked. It looked worse on TV than the graphic even depicts. DeMarcus Beasley, Donovan, Steve Cherundolo, Claudio Reyna, Bobby Convey -- tiny, tiny, tiny.
Mark Moran wrote me back:
Great graphic, and yes, the physical build was not a point lost on me as I perused the waiflike characters on our side. Beasley looks like he's 12 years old. I just don't understand how we can't yield at least one cocky bad ass striker out of the tens of thousands of kids playing little league in the US. That Eddie Johnson dude seemed like he was the only one who wanted a piece of the action. Let's rally around him and light a fire under his ass.You know, I think that until a great striker gets all the hype that football, basketball, and baseball premadonnas get, we'll forever field teams that perform like the current one.
Well, I'm going to watch now for a great upset somewhere in this tournament before the final game because Brazil is certain to win in the end. That Ronaldino guy was a marvel to watch the last time I saw him.
Supposedly U.S. Coach Bruce Arenas will shake up his lineup before Saturday's game vs. Italy (see the Washington Post, Changes Ahead for U.S. Team Lineup, Arena Says), but his comments don't sound very specific. I think he is as stunned as his players, and that's not good.
We need a little more Avery Johnson here. The Dallas Mavericks coach gets in front of the media after every game (even the blowouts) and announces, "We are not satisfied," and then makes some brilliant changes to nullify his opponent. U.S. soccer could use similar leadership -- and some NBA big bodies to boot.
