Thursday, June 22, 2006

Ghana 2 USA 1

I knew we were in trouble when Ghana lined up Malcolm-Jamal Warner at striker. He was wearing his post-Theo Huxtable dreadlocks, but he wasn't fooling me.

Star power was what The US team sorely lacked during this World Cup. Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley, who showed so much youth and promise in 2002, were not up to the task four years later. Save one play, Beasley was completely useless. Donovan showed flashes of brilliance, which made his overall lack of impact that much more maddening.

There will be a lot of focus on the penalty kick awarded to Ghana in the 45th minute. Yes, it was about the worst call I've ever seen in any sport. It made the famous
Denkinger blown call in the 1985 World Series look like a bang-bang play. If Ghana converting that penalty didn't forever put a stake in the heart of the concept of a "Soccer God" nothing will.

But we needed to win the match, not tie it. Some will argue* it changed the complexion of the game. It may well have. Unfortunately, we never showed enough offense during The Cup to be able to assume we had another goal in us.

Although it does highlight the disproportionate effect the refs have on a soccer match. When there are only three goals scored in a game, and one is gift from the ref, you have a problem -- an all too common problem.

The US team goes home having underachieved. We were never threat to win it all, but we were good enough for the second round and didn't reach it. 2002 was a great success, and 2006 was a moderate failure.

Here's hoping we get some creative, attacking players in 2010 and finally give the world the shock US soccer has been gunning for, for what has become a couple decades.


*Coach Arena and most of the analysts say the penalty kick was the key play in the match, although they also all admit it was the US team and good competition that ultimately did the US team in.

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