2009 Confederations Cup - U.S. Soccer Team
U.S. Advances to Second Round, Faces Spain
Somehow, someway, the national team advanced past the group stage of the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. team secured the second spot in the group by virtue of their 3-0 win over Egypt and Brazil’s 3-0 win over Italy.
The fact that the Americans won the game is impressive in itself, but the way the Americans won is the true story.
Americans Turn in a Terrible Start to the Tournament
Leading up to the game, many pundits and fans thought advancing to the second round would be an impossible task for the Americans. After all, they’d have to beat a thus-far impressive Egypt squad by a three goal differential and have the world-champion Italians score three fewer goals than the U.S. in a loss to Brazil.
No problem.
Somehow, someway, the Americans did it - with a little help. The Americans’ win, combined with the 3-0 Brazil triumph over Italy, pushed the U.S. through to the second round.
After numerous line changes and poor personnel moves for which head coach Bob Bradley has recently received deafening criticism as of late, the American team pulled the coach off the hot-seat with a critic-hushing, brilliantly played win.
The win is a tremendous win for the U.S. that could not have come at a better time. Through the first two games of the tournament the Americans looked incapable of competing on any sort of high level.
They blew a 1-0 lead against Italy in the first game and after a red card left them a man down they played flat, losing 1-2. In their second match, the Americans were swept aside rather easily by Brazil, 0-3.
Their lack of confidence was evident to even the most casual fan, their skill sets no longer included the basics like trapping and passing, their coach looked inept, and they lacked any scoring threat whatsoever.
The team’s supposed veterans looked like rookies, the rookies looked like rookies and suddenly the team’s chances for the 2010 World Cup - the one that is supposed to vindicate the Americans for their 2006 showing – look miserable.
The Pieces Weren't Fitting
Many fans were left wondering why Bradley refused to acknowledge that his pieces weren’t fitting. Some speculated that players were getting playing time and roster spots because of perception and reputation.
Players such as Clint Dempsey, DeMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley and Josey Altidore who currently play overseas have not lived up to expectations. However, all - with exception to Beasley - enjoy a starting spot.
New players to team such as Conor Casey, Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein have looked lost at times as well.
All has not been bad as far as the roster goes, however. Benny Feilhaber has stepped into the center-mid role quite admirable. He is one of the few U.S. players who is comfortable attacking with the ball at his feet. He creates and can also score if the opportunity rises.
Ricardo Clark has played himself into the starters conversation with his physical play as a holding center-mid and Brad Guzan played quite well in place of veteran Tim Howard.
In the absence of captain Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu has stepped into the center-back position and played some of the best soccer of his national team career. He has played so well, that Bradley should give though to moving Bocanegra to left-back, which he plays for his club team in France.
Jay Demerit and Jonathan Spector have also displayed terrific play in the absence of right-back Frankie Hedjuk. So well, Bradley might also consider significant playing time for either in next years World Cup.
Americans Score Three Against Egypt
Charlie Davies received the nod at forward against Egypt and returned the favor by scoring the U.S. first goal scored from the field in the tournament and notching a 1-0 lead.
The second goal, scored by Bradley, came on a beautiful sequence of passes between he and Landon Donovan – who once again proved that the U.S. chances live and die with him.
The third goal came off a Spector-cross and a Dempsey header. The emotion and general relief was evident on Dempsey’s face after the goal as his subsequent scream and reaction said it all.
The awe was also apparent on the faces of the Egyptians who routinely argued with the ref after poor acting skills failed to yield a foul call.
In Egypt’s first game they lost to Brazil 3-4 on a last second penalty-kick. However, the game proved they were capable of playing with the top. If the loss to Brazil was a proving point, then their 1-0 defeat of Italy was the cementing of their arrival.
Though it came as a shock to the rest of the world, the impressive showing came as no surprise to the home-crowd Africans, as they’ve watched Egypt win the Africa Cup two years running.
However, the clock struck midnight for the Cinderella-Egyptians as the U.S. took their glass slipper crushed it.
U.S. Draws Spain
Up next for the American is another seemingly impossible test as they draw Spain, the number one ranked team in the world.
The 2009 Confederations Cup was a fastball right to the dome of the national team, fans and critics.
However, if the Americans draw off their win and gain confidence, Bradley can fine-tune the right line up and the U.S. gives a decent showing against the best team in the world (key factor in determining the success/fail rate of this tournament), then the men can keep their held high no matter the result.
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