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USA's 1-0 win over England back in the 50's? Or the win over Brasil in the Gold Cup final back in '98? The 3-2 win over Portugal or the 2-0 win over Mexico in the '06 World Cup? Or tonight's 2-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals? What marks the greatest win in the history of US Soccer (for the men, at least)? Before we answer that, let's take a quick look back at tonight's stunning upset...
So just how did the USA manage to win just their second game ever against a team ranked #1 in the world (the US had been 1-7-1, the tie coming last summer against Argentina)? First, a brilliant move by Bob Bradley to bring back Carlos Bocanegra, the team's captain, but play him as a left back instead of his customary central defense position. The move took pressure off of Bocanegra---less up-and-down pounding on his tender hamstring that has kept him out of every game since the Honduras win earlier this month---and allowed the Onyewu/DeMerit partnership continue to thrive. As a group, the back 4 (Spector/DeMerit/Onyewu/Bocanegra) kept a high line that (1) kept pressure on dangerous Spanish strike-duo Fernando Torres and David Villa, denying them time and space (both on and off the ball), and (2) forced Torres and Villa offsides (7 times). They then withstood Spain's pressure late, where the best team in the world threw everything (including the kitchen sink) at the Americans.
All the credit in the world has to be given to 'keeper Tim Howard, who made 8 saves---most of the of the "spectactular" variety. Equal credit needs to be given to Bocanegra, Gooch Onyewu (especially), DeMerit, and Ricardo Clark , who (bravely, at times) stood in and blocked numerous shots (Spain outshot the US 29-9, 8-2 on goal (both US shots on goal ended up in the back of the net)).
Both US goals came as the result of terrific, absolutely beautiful ball movement on the counterattack. On the first, an up-tempo exchange between Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, back to Dempsey, and finally setting up Jozy Altidore, covered nearly 70 yards before Altidore muscled off Villareal teammate Joan Capdevilla, then muscled the ball past Iker Casillas. On the second, substitute Benny Feilhaber did a great job to maintain possession, setting up Landon Donovan on the right for a cross...a poor play by Spain right back Sergio Ramos (losing his awareness of Dempsey's location) allowed Dempsey to toe-poke home the insurance goal.
A brilliantly coached game by Bob Bradley---Davies pairing with Altidore; Bocanegra, DeMerit, and Onyewu starting on the backline; the defensive scheme; the substitutions... everything went perfectly for the senior Bradley. Feilhaber came on for Davies (a great move with a 1-goal lead...take off a forward, but not losing the offensive mindset) and created the second goal...Casey came on for Altidore with fresh legs, and did a decent job holding up the ball late...
As for a player of the game? There is definitely no way to single out a single player---the win came from every position on the field. If you have to narrow it down? Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore. Howard stood on his head, making his biggest saves with the score still only 1-0, while Altidore terrorized his Villareal teammates and La Liga opponents straight from the opening whistle. Quite possibly the best game Altidore has ever played for the national team, while greatness (especially against a #1-ranked team---think back to Argentina at Giants Stadium) is becoming Tim Howard's norm.
Spanish streaks coming to an end in this one... 35 games unbeaten, 15 consecutive wins, and 451 minutes without conceding a goal. To put this in perspective, the last goal Spain allowed was against Turkey back on April 1st... Even more impressive, the last time Spain lost...November 2006, just after the last World Cup, to Romania.
The only thing not in the US' favor tonight...yet another red card (3 this tournament alone). Michael Bradley's dismissal late was certainly harsh, and he will definitely be missed against Brazil or South Africa on Sunday.
So which US win is the biggest? Tonight. Why? No other win has ever put the US in the final of a FIFA event---this will be the US' first final appearance in anything other than the Gold Cup.
Pro "sports analysts" in America (and I use that term loosely, for some) will surely begin to ask and debate... Was this win a fluke? Does this mean that the US has finally arrived on the world soccer stage? Simple answers? This was definitely no fluke---this was the US with every player playing up to their potential, both as an individual and as a team. As for arriving on the world soccer stage? The US is still the 14th-ranked team in the world, not a shabby place to begin with. This is a team that could've easily advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup in Germany in '06, a team that's displaced Mexico as the top team in CONCACAF. Sure, we're not a top European or South American team. Sure, soccer will continue to be a joke in the eyes of far too many Americans (including plenty of these "professional" sports analysts). But the US arrived on the world soccer stage long before beat top-ranked Spain tonight...long before tying top-ranked Argentina last summer...long before a quarterfinal run in 2006. The US really showed we belong back in 1994, when the Americans held there own and hosted one hell of a World Cup.
And now, in other news...
---French midfielder Franck Ribery's agent has said that the Bayern Munich star would like a move to Real Madrid. With Madrid's move for David Villa falling apart, this would certainly help Perez (Madrid president) get over that hangover...while dealing yet another blow to Manchester United, who saw Ribery as a possible replacement for Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
---Rumors are linking Real Madrid and Spain 'keeper Iker Casillas with a move to Manchester United. While Casillas would continue the tradition of having one of the world's top 'keepers at Old Trafford (Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Saar, etc), this deal is hard to fathom. Casillas was born just outside of Madrid, joined Real's youth academy early on, and made his first team debut at just 16. Being only 28 (and still just hitting his prime), it's hard to see him anywhere besides the Bernabeu.
---Red Bulls centerback Mike Petke has been suspended an additional 2 games by MLS for his conduct against Toronto (sent off for verbally abusing an official), this in addition to his automatic suspension for last weekend's game against Seattle. While the MLS making an example of Petke is a bold move, the MLS isn't doing anything about the bigger issue---absolutely awful officiating this season. Line up referees who can call a decent game, players won't go off the reservation.
USA's 1-0 win over England back in the 50's? Or the win over Brasil in the Gold Cup final back in '98? The 3-2 win over Portugal or the 2-0 win over Mexico in the '06 World Cup? Or tonight's 2-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals? What marks the greatest win in the history of US Soccer (for the men, at least)? Before we answer that, let's take a quick look back at tonight's stunning upset...
So just how did the USA manage to win just their second game ever against a team ranked #1 in the world (the US had been 1-7-1, the tie coming last summer against Argentina)? First, a brilliant move by Bob Bradley to bring back Carlos Bocanegra, the team's captain, but play him as a left back instead of his customary central defense position. The move took pressure off of Bocanegra---less up-and-down pounding on his tender hamstring that has kept him out of every game since the Honduras win earlier this month---and allowed the Onyewu/DeMerit partnership continue to thrive. As a group, the back 4 (Spector/DeMerit/Onyewu/Bocanegra) kept a high line that (1) kept pressure on dangerous Spanish strike-duo Fernando Torres and David Villa, denying them time and space (both on and off the ball), and (2) forced Torres and Villa offsides (7 times). They then withstood Spain's pressure late, where the best team in the world threw everything (including the kitchen sink) at the Americans.
All the credit in the world has to be given to 'keeper Tim Howard, who made 8 saves---most of the of the "spectactular" variety. Equal credit needs to be given to Bocanegra, Gooch Onyewu (especially), DeMerit, and Ricardo Clark , who (bravely, at times) stood in and blocked numerous shots (Spain outshot the US 29-9, 8-2 on goal (both US shots on goal ended up in the back of the net)).
Both US goals came as the result of terrific, absolutely beautiful ball movement on the counterattack. On the first, an up-tempo exchange between Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, back to Dempsey, and finally setting up Jozy Altidore, covered nearly 70 yards before Altidore muscled off Villareal teammate Joan Capdevilla, then muscled the ball past Iker Casillas. On the second, substitute Benny Feilhaber did a great job to maintain possession, setting up Landon Donovan on the right for a cross...a poor play by Spain right back Sergio Ramos (losing his awareness of Dempsey's location) allowed Dempsey to toe-poke home the insurance goal.
A brilliantly coached game by Bob Bradley---Davies pairing with Altidore; Bocanegra, DeMerit, and Onyewu starting on the backline; the defensive scheme; the substitutions... everything went perfectly for the senior Bradley. Feilhaber came on for Davies (a great move with a 1-goal lead...take off a forward, but not losing the offensive mindset) and created the second goal...Casey came on for Altidore with fresh legs, and did a decent job holding up the ball late...
As for a player of the game? There is definitely no way to single out a single player---the win came from every position on the field. If you have to narrow it down? Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore. Howard stood on his head, making his biggest saves with the score still only 1-0, while Altidore terrorized his Villareal teammates and La Liga opponents straight from the opening whistle. Quite possibly the best game Altidore has ever played for the national team, while greatness (especially against a #1-ranked team---think back to Argentina at Giants Stadium) is becoming Tim Howard's norm.
Spanish streaks coming to an end in this one... 35 games unbeaten, 15 consecutive wins, and 451 minutes without conceding a goal. To put this in perspective, the last goal Spain allowed was against Turkey back on April 1st... Even more impressive, the last time Spain lost...November 2006, just after the last World Cup, to Romania.
The only thing not in the US' favor tonight...yet another red card (3 this tournament alone). Michael Bradley's dismissal late was certainly harsh, and he will definitely be missed against Brazil or South Africa on Sunday.
So which US win is the biggest? Tonight. Why? No other win has ever put the US in the final of a FIFA event---this will be the US' first final appearance in anything other than the Gold Cup.
Pro "sports analysts" in America (and I use that term loosely, for some) will surely begin to ask and debate... Was this win a fluke? Does this mean that the US has finally arrived on the world soccer stage? Simple answers? This was definitely no fluke---this was the US with every player playing up to their potential, both as an individual and as a team. As for arriving on the world soccer stage? The US is still the 14th-ranked team in the world, not a shabby place to begin with. This is a team that could've easily advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup in Germany in '06, a team that's displaced Mexico as the top team in CONCACAF. Sure, we're not a top European or South American team. Sure, soccer will continue to be a joke in the eyes of far too many Americans (including plenty of these "professional" sports analysts). But the US arrived on the world soccer stage long before beat top-ranked Spain tonight...long before tying top-ranked Argentina last summer...long before a quarterfinal run in 2006. The US really showed we belong back in 1994, when the Americans held there own and hosted one hell of a World Cup.
And now, in other news...
---French midfielder Franck Ribery's agent has said that the Bayern Munich star would like a move to Real Madrid. With Madrid's move for David Villa falling apart, this would certainly help Perez (Madrid president) get over that hangover...while dealing yet another blow to Manchester United, who saw Ribery as a possible replacement for Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
---Rumors are linking Real Madrid and Spain 'keeper Iker Casillas with a move to Manchester United. While Casillas would continue the tradition of having one of the world's top 'keepers at Old Trafford (Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Saar, etc), this deal is hard to fathom. Casillas was born just outside of Madrid, joined Real's youth academy early on, and made his first team debut at just 16. Being only 28 (and still just hitting his prime), it's hard to see him anywhere besides the Bernabeu.
---Red Bulls centerback Mike Petke has been suspended an additional 2 games by MLS for his conduct against Toronto (sent off for verbally abusing an official), this in addition to his automatic suspension for last weekend's game against Seattle. While the MLS making an example of Petke is a bold move, the MLS isn't doing anything about the bigger issue---absolutely awful officiating this season. Line up referees who can call a decent game, players won't go off the reservation.
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