You don’t call out the United States. Particularly in sports. Bulletin board material is such a no-no in North American sports, you would think it would be the same in Europe.
Apparently not. Slovenian midfielder, Andrej Komac, decided he would put a guarantee on the table. He said his side will defeat the United States Friday in their World Cup match. Now, the Americans are considered to be the favorites, but I don’t know how much faith I have in our side in international play. The game has certainly come a long way in the US, and it seems like our national program is making leaps and bounds. But, I don’t know if we are a team that can go out and win no matter what.
That being said, American athletes are some of the most pride-filled men and women you will ever meet. Putting that kind of guarantee out there is a dangerous move on Komac’s part. While soccer isn’t a sport that allows for serious retribution, see football or hockey, this should give the United States more than enough motivation to win tomorrow.
However, goaltender Tim Howard took the high road (sort of) when asked about the comments.Howard told the Associated Press, “I think talk is cheap. He’s got to stand toe to toe. And they’ve got to stand toe to toe with us for 90 minutes. And if he’s still standing, then I’ll take my hat off to him. But a lot of boxers talk, too, and they’re looking up at the lights. And the next thing they know, they’re trying to figure out how they got there.”
So, maybe Howard didn’t completely dodge the issue. But he didn’t turn around and call out his opponent either. By not buying into the war of words Howard showed he had a bit more class and confidence than his Euro counterpart. Of course, his boxing analogy certainly showed where his head is.
I also must give some credit to Komac. He didn’t belittle the United States, he simply asserted his confidence. So, I can’t be mad at that sentiment. However, if I was in his position, I would have avoided making any sort of comment until the match was decided.
Just my two cents, hopefully the Americans can come out and let Komac eat some crow Friday evening in South Africa.
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