Reviewing the United States Men’s National Soccer team’s 2014 season
With a whimper that was a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Ireland in an international friendly, 2014 essentially came to an end for the United States Men’s National Team. While some US Soccer news could trickle out over the next several weeks, the USMNT will not again take the pitch for a meaningful match this year. Your biggest concern regarding this country’s national team before January arrives is whether or not somebody bought you a US Soccer “Bomb Pop” jersey for Christmas.
2014 was a roller coaster year in many ways for US Soccer. American soccer fans were flying high following the US dominating CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, but that the USMNT had been placed in the tournament’s “Group of Death” had many, myself included, believing that the US would go three-and-out in the competition.
That, of course, was not the case. The US avenged previous losses to what has been an unexpected rival, they played to a hard-fought draw versus Portugal, and the US then gave Belgium more of a fight than many expected to see from the Jurgen Klinsmann Army.
Speaking of Mr. Klinsmann, the man tasked with leading US Soccer into 2015 and (hopefully) beyond kicks off this piece.
2014 US Soccer Year in Review
5. Klinsmann versus MLS
It is the feud nobody was asking for and one that nobody outside of those who live in a soccer bubble know about, and yet it won’t go away. Klinsmann, when speaking about Americans like Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, stated that it would be his preference as US Soccer czar for the country’s top players to feature in top-flight leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga rather than for them to accept big paydays from Major League Soccer teams. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, as would any person in his position who felt that his league had been insulted, stepped up to defend the quality of the North American top-flight. No big deal, right?
If only.
After sparring with one another via the press, Klinsmann and Garber took to, of all things, email to at the very least discuss their mindsets. Fans, meanwhile, have used this supposed soccer slap-fight to spark Internet discussions regarding the quality of MLS and of US Soccer, not to mention talk about everybody’s favorite subject — promotion and relegation. It is Klinsmann who looks the worse of the two heading into the Thanksgiving day holiday.
His teams closed out 2014 with disappointing performances.
4. The Ballad of Landon Donovan: Part I
Klinsmann made national sports headlines when he stunned soccer experts from around the world by leaving US Soccer legend Landon Donovan off of his final World Cup roster. Donovan, a polarizing figure among some in the US fan base for a variety of reasons, has had a shaky relationship with Klinsmann over the years, and the veteran who should be a 2014 MLS MVP candidate was not awarded with an opportunity to participate in world football’s biggest party one last time.
The decision came largely out of nowhere, as Donovan had been a USMNT mainstay (when he wasn’t taking sabbaticals) who, to those of us on the outside, had a squad spot reserved for him months in advance of Klinsmann’s announcement. Klinsmann telling Donovan to make his own travel arrangements for Brazil was the beginning of the “Klinsmann vs. MLS” battle, it was discussed on national sports talk radio shows that often otherwise ignore soccer, and it may have been a mistake.
We’ll never know how far the US would have advance in the 2014 World Cup had Donovan been able to contribute.
3. Not Ghana happen again
The 2006 World Cup, 2010 World Cup and the 2013 U-20 World Cup all had one thing in common: Ghana eliminating the United States from those tournaments. US Soccer finally put that trend to bed this past summer, opening the World Cup in thrilling fashion.
Clint Dempsey opened the scoring with a goal that occurred in the first 30 seconds of play, one of the quickest goals in World Cup history. Andre Ayew hit the US for an equalizer nine minutes from time, a goal that created nightmare visions in the minds of American supporters fearing the worst. John Brooks would have none of it, however, delivering the header of his life in the 86th minute to propel the US to a win that helped them advance past the group stages of the tournament.
2. The Ballad of Landon Donovan: Part II
Donovan being left off of the USMNT World Cup squad is a decision that will be discussed among fans and journalists for years after the US Soccer legend plays in his last competitive match, a game that will take place at some point over the next few weeks. Donovan announced earlier this year that he will call time on his playing days once his LA Galaxy duties for the current MLS campaign are finished, and he has already featured for the USMNT for the final time.
It’s easy for one to be cynical about Donovan. There was, at times, a perception that he was sometimes a “me over team” player. Donovan, in the eyes of some, took the easy way out in being a MLS star rather than trying to establish himself as a great player in one of the best leagues on the planet. What shouldn’t be ignored as he prepares to play in his last club contests is that Donovan is the greatest American footballer in history, and he deserves to be recognized as such.
1.The World Cup run
It’s cliche and also true to say that soccer grows in popularity in the United States with each passing year. That has never, to date, been as true as it was in June 2014. Bars and restaurants around the US were packed with fans wanting to watch midweek matches that didn’t even involve the USMNT. The US was, of course, the country’s most beloved sports team during the World Cup, but the bigger overall story was that soccer was the undisputed top sport in the US for roughly three or so weeks.
National morning talk shows opened with World Cup updates. Sports programming that wasn’t all-in on the competition was invisible. Goalkeeper Tim Howard became an icon in the US for his performance in the loss to Belgium when he produced 16 saves, a World Cup record that likely won’t be broken anytime soon. TV ratings for live soccer matches airing in the country were smashed.
The early days of the summer of 2014 were special for American soccer fans. Anybody out there who still believes that this country wouldn’t fill US football stadiums for World Cup games is either out of touch with the situation or they are merely in denial.
We’re available in 2022, FIFA, if you have a change of heart.
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