View from overseas: US exit with lessons to learn and experience gained

Story by Andrew Rogers

Andrew Rogers
Surrey, UK (June 24, 2006) - The men's national team left Germany with many ifs, buts and maybe's. However, in the cold light of day they cannot have any complaints about their exit from the world's greatest show on earth.

There has been much conjecture over the team's hype, expectations and short comings, but in the wider scheme of the game and the nation's soccer history the US can be satisfied with their efforts.

The team though ranked 5th in the world and final 8 contenders in 2002, found itself in a group with three possible quarter finalists. On top of this they went into the tournament without Gibbs, Hejduk and a half fit O'Brien.

The expectation of a roster that consists of hardworking professionals at middle ranking Europeans clubs and products of a 10 year old professional league, should be that they are competitive and well organized, anything more is a bonus.

It is commendable that the side went into the tournament with respect and expectation, this in itself must be viewed as progress. Further more a true mark of the side's development would be to compare the performances against the 98 team.

This tells you the US soccer public should be satisfied the with team's performance. Another aspect of the side's maturity is its defense. The quality of the team in this area is impressive. The Czech's despite their possession had few chances.

Of the four shots they had on target, three went in! It took serious quality to break down the side and in reality the Czech couldn't produce this form in the real pressure games. Against Italy the US out shot the Azzuri 10-9 and had 54% of the possession with two men down for 45 mins.

Writing about grit and determination makes dramatic copy, but the fact is Arena's side controlled play when in possession and looked comfortable against the probable semi- finalists with only nine men. This is cast iron evidence of a good side.

Against the talented Ghanaians, the US played on equal terms. On another day it could have all been very different, but that is the very nature of football at any level at any time from U-9 girls in Wisconsin to Arsenal v Barcelona in the champion's league final.

There has been much talk about the team's lack of creative flair and incisiveness. If the States were Argentina, England or Italy et al, it would be fair to find fault in this respect but the top sides have all lacked cutting edge at times and in some cases even with top level strikers re: France 2002.

Creative geniuses are rare commodities among the world's elite. Rooney's and Totti's are at best cyclical products of fanatical football cultures.

US soccer does not have the pick of the athletes and is generally practiced in structured environments. These types of players are potentially decades away, that's just the way it is, there is no point in getting down about the system, with time and as the sports grows world class attacking talent will develop.

Another criticism that should be met with indifference is the squad's failure to advance from the group stages. England and Holland were not even at the big show in 1994 and 2002 respectively. The next step on the disappointment ladder is having convinced yourself your team is worthy of the trophy, is to fail abjectly.

At the next level you then have a talented side that does not perform, before you reach the point of no return in your soccer addiction. The team is then robbed by lesser lights, dodgy/corrupt refereeing and/or FIFA's version of Russian roulette, the dreaded, heart wrenching penalty shoot out.

The men's national team and of course the US soccer public have all of this to come. Spain, and Portugal have never picked up the title and England have only won it once. So in the US's short soccer history professionally and as potential contenders they have done well. Any notions of sweeping all before them in the world's game is decades away.

The World Cup is an excellent conduit to draw the wider public into the sport. The World Cup has been getting higher TV ratings than the NHL, only the NBA and MLB to go! However, even as a soccer purist I would like the NFL to remain sacrosanct, go Chiefs!!!!

Elsewhere, England with the inclusion of Carrick (something I advocated in this column 3 months ago) look promising, nearly all of the quarter finalists are capable of winning the tournament. A Germany v Brazil final still seems likely but it really is that close this time around.

World Cup Fever:

Acquaintance of the "fairer" sex: "Andrew, I feel we have become distant let's do something this evening."

AR "I'd love to hun but Ukraine are playing Tunisia and then France are taking on Togo. Let's touch base in mid July."

Andrew Rogers, contributes to USA Today, Gol TV and Four Four Two. He lives in Sunbury on Thames in England. Formerly the director of communications for the Long Island (N.Y.) Rough Riders, he is a UEFA 'B" license coach and plays semi-professionally with Spelthorne FC.