On Sunday, the USMNT flew out to Brazil for the World Cup. They wrapped up the last of the send off series with a triumphant 2-1 win against Nigeria. This will be the United States’ 6th straight World Cup and the first with manager Jurgen Klinsmann. Over the last 3 and half years, the team has been groomed, tried and tested for the feats ahead of them. They have experienced tremendous highs but all of the positives are thrown out the window. Success of soccer in the United States will be judged on the performance in Brazil over the next few weeks.
The largely inexperienced US team will be going up against fierce competition in the Group of Death. Majority of players have never been to the World Cup. Only 6 of the 23 players have gone to a World Cup and only 4 have World Cup experience. 10 of the 23 players have fewer than 20 appearances for the national team side. Nothing can compare to a World Cup, no friendly or competition can substitute the magnitude. They will be facing world forces, Ghana, Germany, and Portugal. Each game has an abundance of story lines and each game looks to be a closely contested affair.
The US will open against familiar foes Ghana on Monday the 16th. The second game will be on Sunday, June 23rd against Portugal. The third and final game of group play will be on Thursday the 26th against Germany. A realistic expectation and goal for the United States is to advance out of group play. It’s a lofty goal and they are surely the underdogs in the group but that is just the way they like it. History has been shown that the USMNT performs best when counted out.
The underdog aspect may not have changed over the years but other things have. The US are traditionally a strong defensive team that provides stability. This time around, defense appears to be the team’s biggest liability. They are vastly inexperienced on the global stage. Apart from experience, the most important factor of a defense is cohesion. Over the last three years, the defense has been shuffled and changed many times. The current back four have only played a handful of games together. They definitely do not have enough time together to learn each others mannerisms and proper communication. Only two players on the defensive side have looked consistent enough to earn a start. Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson have earned spots in the starting 11. Matt Besler, DeMarcus Beasley, Timothy Chandler, DeAndre Yedlin, Omar Gonzalez have all looked suspect and out of sorts.
On the other hand, the offense is significantly more skilled than in recent years. Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Aron Johannsson all look like they can produce magic. This is an eager attack looking to create chances and score goals. As long as the midfield is providing quality service the US will score. Jozy has broken his goalless streak with 2 goals against Nigeria and now he looks like the Jozy of old. Although the pressure will be immense, Jozy has to score.
The World Cup has provided some of the greatest sports stories and moments. Great triumphs of both humanity and sport take place during the World Cup. The US had their fair share of moments throughout the years. Taking the pitch in 1990 and breaking a 40 year drought. In ’94 hosting the World Cup and debuting some of the greatest jerseys in all of sports. In ’02, the US defeated Portugal and advanced to the semifinals. In 2010, Landon Donovan scored the biggest goal in US Soccer History and advanced to the knockout stages. Who will step up and create the next great moment in US Soccer History?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
