World Cup 2014: U.S. ready to play with the big boys
Just like that, the United States’ World Cup hopes were all over.
Despite the heartbreaking 2-1 loss in extra time to Belgium Tuesday night in the Round of 16, the future looks bright for the U.S. Whatever head coach Jurgen Klinsmann did throughout the last four years with this team, it’s working. And, the country has taken notice.
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After being written off following their World Cup draw that placed them in the “Group of Death” with the likes of Ghana, Portugal and Germany, the Americans simply fought through. They scored quick against Ghana, then rallied back against them to win 2-1, they had what can only be described as one of the most epic draws against Portugal, a match where the United States were merely seconds away from pulling one of the biggest upsets in U.S. soccer history, and held a strong German team to just one goal in a downpour in Recife.
There was reason to root for this U.S. World Cup team: they defined the American spirit, and people gravitated toward that. Team USA never gave up when the chips were against them, and as shown particularly in the match against Belgium, always went down swinging.
The issue with the U.S., which seems to be a continuous work-in-progress for Klinsmann and company, is the talent on the pitch. Despite having more heart and fight than any of their opponents throughout the tournament, the U.S. lacks the talent to close out matches and perform in the clutch. Sure, if it wasn’t for John Brooks’ header in the 86th minute against Ghana then the U.S. probably would’ve been home after losing to Germany.
If Jermaine Jones doesn’t make that rocket of a shot in the second half against Portugal and Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey don’t attack aggressively late in that same match, the U.S. might’ve lost to Portugal (as originally expected.)
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But with all of that said, if the U.S. backline wasn’t slow to respond to the numerous counter-attacks and if they were a bit more aggressive offensively, then we’re possibly talking about the U.S. having a more successful run throughout this World Cup.
There wasn’t enough talent on the pitch this time, although there was definitely more talent, and fight this year than in 2010 in South Africa. But the future seems very bright for the United States. DeAndre Yedlin proved himself even in just a few appearances and Julian Green gave the U.S. a preview of what he can do, scoring a goal in his first career World Cup touch.
All eyes will be on the upcoming 2016 U.S. Olympic team, made up primarily of the U-21 team to get a better evaluation of the team’s future going into the 2018 World Cup.
Yet, even with the heartbreaking loss, the U.S. did get a big win off of the pitch. Their performance helped build the United States as a soccer nation, and their run into the Round of 16 practically forced the country to stop whatever they were doing to root on the team. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing someone wearing something U.S.A. related.
Their dramatic run gave birth to a ton of new soccer fans in the country, especially the youth, something that could benefit the U.S. in the years to come.
The United States World Cup run began as emotionally charged as it ended. From the numerous qualifiers all the way through their loss in the Round of 16, the United States was always the underdog, always not expected to make it through. And what did they do in the end? They fought, they won, they proved a lot of people wrong, and brought together an entire nation.
Their World Cup run may have ended in Salvador against Belgium on Tuesday, however the Jurgen Klinsmann chapter of the USMNT has really just begun.