Okay, so the United States didn’t get the win today, even though it was pretty clear to everyone but Koman Coulibaly that they had scored the go-ahead goal in the 86th minute. However, many people are missing the bigger picture; the U.S. is still in great position to move on to the next round. Sure, they only have two points, but with all the parody in Group C, they still control their own destiny. With a win against Algeria, the U.S. will move on, regardless of what happens in the England vs. Slovenia game. The only reason that a tie was unacceptable going into today’s game is because everyone thought England was going to pick up three points against little Algeria. After England’s nil-nil snorefest with Algeria, every team but Algeria has the capability of propelling themselves into the knockout round without help from another team. So, before we start grilling Mr. Coulibaly for his mistake (because trust me, I think the rest of the world can pick up the slack for us), let’s remember the more important thing; we did enough today to assure ourselves of moving on with a win against Algeria. In the long run, that’s all that matters.
While on the topic, here’s another thing. The late game foul call was not the sole reason that the U.S. didn’t win the game today. Go back to the first half, when Slovenia somehow snuck not one, but two, goals past the U.S. defense, and there lies why they didn’t win the game. Here’s what I don’t understand; if the U.S. has the ability to play like they did in the second half, then why don’t they start playing that way…oh…I don’t know…when the game starts? Instead of trying to rely on their supposed superior athletic talent to carry them to a win, maybe they should play with the tenacity of a team that is down 2-0 for the entire game. If they did that, then their superior athletic talent would actually show up, and they would run away with games against teams like Slovenia and Algeria.
If the U.S. does manage to move on the knockout round, they may have a better chance of moving on further than most people would have thought when the World Cup started. Serbia’s 1-0 win over Germany created as much parody in Group D as there is in Group C, with three teams (Germany, Ghana, Serbia) sitting atop the group lead with three points. My prediction is that after tomorrow, Ghana will be alone at the top with six points (they play Australia tomorrow), but the Germany vs. Ghana game next week will be very important concerning the final standings. If the U.S. finishes second in their group, they may very well have a rematch with the Black Stars of Ghana; a game that is much more winnable for the U.S. than a game against Germany.
I feel that this post was very short, so if you’re looking for a little more substance when you sit down to read, I’m am sorry. However, if you would like to converse about U.S. soccer, the World Cup in general, or anything else sports related that is on your mind, leave me a comment in the comments section or shoot me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Also, thank you to all of you who joined the fan page on Facebook.
– K. Becks
it doesn't matter that the U.S. didn't play well in the first half, they were still robbed of a victory.
I understand that the call essentially robbed them of the win. However, if they would not have let in the two goals in the first half (against a team, by the way, that didn't show much offense in their first game against Algeria), then they wouldn't have needed that third goal to get the win.
I do understand what you are saying, and you are right. I'm just trying to look at it from a different angle.