Regardless of what happens on Wednesday, this is a great moment for American soccer and it is a precious moment for the American soccer fan. Our national team is right there. We are at that moment where each step brings the summit that much closer. Every move is crucial. Every drop of sweat is precious. Every action must have a purpose. One man knows this more than anyone else on this planet, Bob Bradley.
In America, we love these moments. Ask any coach in any sport and they will tell you that there comes a moment when only they can see the goal, when only they can feel the result, and when only they sense victory. For me, that moment is now. It started in the ConFed Cup when our team of upstarts, yes I said our team, laid waste to everyone who got in their way. I don't care what the final score was, if you are a Dunga-coached Brazil - replete with Kaka' and a team of strong Brazilian players - you should win, no matter who you play. However, for 45 plus minutes, the United States of America had the most elemental soccer nation of all time on the ropes.
As much as I loved it, I also hated watching it come crashing down - make no mistake about it. If there was any doubt that Kaka' was not a pre-eminent soccer talent, it got erased that day. He picked that team up, put it on his back, and willed it to victory - bringing with it a bunch of players who a lot of people laughed at for not being Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, or Robinho. They out-underdogged the underdogs, no doubt about it. They survived our onslaught of raw talent and their veteran leadership won the day (Kaka', Lucio, Dunga - in that order). We knew we could win that game and yet it didn't happen.
The usual bitching about Coach Bob reared its ugly head. Let's be clear - there has never been a coach who is as capable as Bob Bradley to take this program to the next level. No other coach in the world knows these players and no other coach in the world knows how to push this program forward. Klinsmann, please - with all of his talent and out-side-of-the-box thinking he did nothing for Germany in the Euro. Eriksson? He worries about his hair more than his players. Arena? Doubtful, he built his reputation on players, not tactics. He is not the man to move our national team forward. Only Coach Bob has taken this team to new heights. He is a blue-eyed "all that" and a steel-gazed "bag of chips."
Our next step forward is on Wednesday, we all know this. It is coming. Like that third wave you see swelling up after everyone else took one of the first two; like that perfect sip of Coke with just the right amount of melted ice and sugary smoothness; like that girl at the wedding reception that you know wants to dance with you - and just you - we are right there. This, right now, is our moment.
Coach Bob knows it. I know it. We all know it.
USA 3 - Mexico 1
Taylor Walker
Kim Cloutier
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Comments (3) Add A Comment
You clearly are confident. In my opinion if the US actually goes into Stadio Azteca, and doesn't get 0-22-1 wrapped into their subconcious and comes out with a victory it would be a 1-0 result.
I would have to agree that the USMNT is better than the one Mexico will field on Wednesday but I think that mental challenge of going into Mexico and winning is just too much to overcome. Kind of like the problem they have at the Saprissa in Costa Rica.
J. HOVA: BROOKLYN
Brooklyn, NY
Total Comments (18063)
It'll be the game of the year, a great spectacle for us soccer fans, but 1 thing is bothering me (Aside of R. Marquez' injury), I can't get over the idea the american squad got togheter fully for the first time late monday in Miami and will be traveling on tuesday, comments?
Mister Fixxxer
San Antonio , TX
Total Comments (6)
Small note: Klinsmann did not coach the Germans in the Euro, Joachim Low did - I was referring to the 2006 World Cup and got carried away.
Burgundy
Baltimore , MD
Total Comments (263)
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