Modern Day Miracle Pt. 2
June 24th 2009 21:47
I never imagined I'd be posting about soccer, let alone multiple times in a matter of days. Soccer is a game I never played and never really liked, but team USA's incredible run through the Confederations Cup demands my attention and appreciation.
In shocking upset fashion, Team USA knocked out world #1 ranked Spain 2-0 in Wednesday's semifinal of the tournament, snapping Spain's 15 match win streak and 35 match unbeaten streak in international competition. To describe this as a typical upset would be a terrible understatement. That's the most accurate portrait I can paint to capture the magnitude of this result.
Here's the thing with this USA team. When there are no expectations, the team thrives. As an underdog, it thrives. Case in point: a surprise run to the final 8 in the 2002 World Cup which seemed to put the team back on the map. Fast forward to 2006. Ranked as high as 5th in the world before the World Cup, and considered one of the world's best teams, the US suddenly found itself under pressure from elevated expectations. The result? An 0-1-2 showing in Group E (nicknamed the Group of Death), and early exit from the Cup.
Placed in a group with Italy, Brazil, and Egypt at this year's Confederations Cup, expectations and hope were again depressed. Two years of continual disappointment dictated this. A gritty, if unsuccessful, performance in group play, couple with some fortunate circumstances, allowed the US to escape another very competitive group of teams.
The US rode a tidal wave of momentum into the semis against Spain and the familiar stage was set. The US, clearly overmatched in talent, played careful and disciplined defense for a complete 90 minutes. Spain dominated possession and spent most of the game in American territory, firing deflected shot after deflected shot toward keeper Tim Howard. The US defenders were tireless in throwing their bodies in front of Spain's tries in order to make Howard's job easier.
The US didn't go for the big play; the team just played within itself and stuck to its gameplan in clogging up the front of Spain's net. The US had only 4 shots all game, but was very opportunistic, capitalizing on its chances to score twice. Howard himself was brilliant, stopping 6 shots, a few of which were game-savers. With all the time Spain spent weaving in and out of US players, it was clear to me that it was momentum--not talent-- that propelled the Americans ahead. Spain is clearly a better team, one of the best. But the United States is earning a reputation as a giant killer on the world soccer scene.
I'm not going to be greedy. I don't want the US to be one of the best teams in the world. I think its clear that this team is better when they are overmatched, counted out, and have nobody believing, hoping, or expecting it. America, keep the expectations low, and the success will come.
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