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United States soccer does it again
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AP Photo/Paul Thomas
A lot of fans of soccer here in the United States may be thinking that there is a lot of upside from the Red, White and Blue making it to the championship game of the 2009 Confederations Cup before losing to Brazil in dramatic fashion.
But really, what has the United States done differently this time from any other uplifting win in a FIFA tournament?
The answer, of course, is nothing.
Fact: U.S.A. did beat the number-one ranked team in the world, according to the FIFA rankings, in Spain, 2-0, to advance to the finals of the Confederations Cup.
Also fact: U.S.A. beat Portugal (in group play) and Mexico (in Round 2) of the 2002 World Cup.
Even more fact: U.S.A. beat a heavily-favored Colombian team in group play of the 1994 World Cup.
These big wins are spaced out over a 15-year period, as previously mentioned in an article I wrote after the miraculous win over Spain -- which is still unbelievable to this day, despite the loss to Brazil in the finals.
This is all the more proof why the United States, while players come and go, the results remain the same. They are just like the Boston Red Sox (until breaking "The Curse of the Bambino" in 2004) or the Chicago Cubs (with their "Curse of the Billy Goat") in Major League Baseball: they will continue to get your hopes up, only to have them crash down in the end.
This is exactly what happened in the Brazil game on Sunday in South Africa. Even worse, it was played out as a microcosm for the two halves of the game.
In the first half (a microcosm of the United States' continuous shades of glory), goals by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan - who actually played leaps and bounds above his overrated ability - put the Americans up 2-0 going into the half.
For a second - and, by a second, I really mean about 90 seconds after the kickoff to the second half - there was this butterfly feeling in my stomach that the United States were going to pull off the improbable.
And that's when the microcosm of how the United States crushes all your hopes that they, too, can compete with the elites of the world.
But then Brazil decided to play soccer, instead of horsing around. Luis Fabiano took matters into his own hands, as he scored Brazil's first goal in the 46th minute. Twenty-seven minutes later (27 minutes off nonstop pressure in the face of US keeper Tim Howard by Brazil), he tallied the equalizer.
Ten minutes of ball possession by the Brazilians and then, they forced a corner. Now, I don't want to bring "I" into this piece, but it's almost impossible at this point. While watching the game, I see that in the 83rd minute, Brazil earned a corner kick.
I utter out, "How much you want to bet this is the go-ahead goal, right here?"
Boy do I wish I was a betting man. Blumer Elano put the corner in play. It went directly to the head of Lucio who buried it behind Howard and in for the third goal.
Fact: Brazil makes improbable comeback to ruin U.S. chance for glory at Confederations Cup in 2009.
Also fact: Germany manhandles U.S.A. in 2002 World Cup Quarterfinals after the Americans beat Portugal and Mexico in the earlier stages of the tournament.
Even more fact: Brazil downs the United States in 1994 after the United States advances into Round 2 for the first time.
Undeniable truth: United States was the sleeper team in 1998 and 2006 World Cups after good outings in the previous World Cup, only to be utterly embarrassed.
Take it to the bank: United States hasn't changed anything over the years -- just the faces.
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