It's the morning after the United States came up just short against giants Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. It's the morning after the end of a tournament that saw the Americans go from depressingly poor performances to the heights of knocking of the best team in the world and taking the most storied team in history down to the final minutes. It's the morning after some perceived shift has taken place for the fortunes for the Unites States Men's National Team, and I feel it important to try and put the last few weeks in perspective.
Before it began, we all attempted to keep our expectations in check. The US was drawn into a ridiculous group, with two of the top five teams in the world and a generally underrated Egyptian side, so advancement to the semi-final rounds was a remote possibility of which most (if not all) of us could not conceive. I stated that two points from the group stage would satisfy me, as it would indicate a team with enough wherewithal and ability to earn two draws against a collection of three good teams. Perhaps those expectations were low, but Bob Bradley's team had not given us any reason to hope that they were capable of anything more; less-than-stellar play against Costa Rica and Honduras left many of us wondering if the Americans would get even a point in South Africa.
When the Yanks fell flat against Italy in the second half of their opening match (keeping in mind that they were a man down, of course) and were then throttled by a Brazil side scoring for fun, many of us threw in the towel on the 2009 Confederations Cup. Oh well, we thought, at least they received a wake up call about what it takes to compete at the highest levels of the internationals stage. Headin into the final group stage match with Egypt, we saw little hope of progressing, much less running roughshod over the African champions after they had just stunned Italy; yet, that's exactly what they did, and aided by a rampant Brazil and a terrible Italy in the other match of the day, squeaked through to the semi-finals. Zero points became three points, and while that exceeded my expectations, it came through one competitive match rather than two as I was hoping; believing it was possible that the US could beat Spain never even entered my mind. I assumed, like so many, that they would take their three points, lose to Spain, and head home.
And then they beat Spain. Impossible.
The performance against the European champions fulfilled all of the promise that so many of us thought this team held. Bob Bradley restored our faith, to a point, that he could get out of his boys something greater than the previous month had shown. Organized and committed, they played just as American teams must if they're going to have any shot against sides with superior talent; man for man Spain was vastly superior to the Americans by any reasonable measure, but as a team, the Yanks won out. The Yanks also proved that inferior talent doesn't mean lack of it, and several players stood out as stars. Watershed moment? Perhaps, but for most of us it was more about having our belief rewarded and our dissatisfaction with previous results justified. The Americans can play, and the victory over Spain proved it.
Whether or not it was a matter of a one-off fluke or an indication of the US turning a corner was another matter. After the shocking win over Spain, we barely had a chance to catch our breath before the tournament final on Sunday. Again, the odds were stacked against the Americans, and while a few more might have believed them capable of beating Brazil thanks to the Spain result, most had them crashing back to earth. The Brazilians thumped the US 3-0 in the group stage, and although the Yanks might have turned into a different team between that first meeting and the final, superior talent will usually win out.
In the end, that's exactly what happened. For one half in a FIFA tournament final, the United States once again played with the best in the world and bettered them, leading 2-0 at the break. The storm was gathering as soon as the second half kicked off, though, and Brazil took the game over completely. Ragged, tired, and simply spent after the effort of the past week, the American couldn't keep up with a motivated Brazil in the second half, and succumbed 2-3.
The loss was disappointing. Leading by two goals only to have the trophy snatched away hurts, no matter the excitement we feel even getting there. I, and I'm sure many other, are of two minds: we're over-the-top ecstatic that the team pulled themselves together and gave us a magical week that we could have never expected - but we're also, as passionate fans with an emotional investment, capable of analyzing the final in a way that leads to criticism. No one gets, or should get, a pass simply because the run to the final was unprecendented; call it unrealistic expectations if you must, but the nature of passion leads to calls for continued improvement. The United States is not as good as Brazil. Fine. But if the team is going to continue to improve, continue to reach the levels it did this week and do so in the World Cup, then complacency should never be allowed.
Still...
Proud and heartened doesn't begin to describe the way USMNT fans should feel today. We should be thrilled to have a team that is suddenly and unexpectedly coming together in a way that seemed impossible such a short time ago. We should be proud and heartened that so many of the young Americans on the field this week are now the focus of rampant transfer speculation. We should be proud and heartened that a team made up of middling European league players, Major League Soccer stars, and youngsters with no recent club playing time, not only defeated the number one ranked team in the world, but threatened to steal a trophy that so many believed they had no real chance of winning.
Hell of a week.
The future is tricky now. Expectations will be raised. Casual observers will now see any failure as proof that the team got lucky in South Africa, and that they're still not more than a big fish in a small pond masquerading as a decent soccer team. Those that wish to cut down either the USMNT or American soccer in general will look for any reason to suck away our belief, to steal away our excitement, and to kill our buzz.
It's a delicate balance. Expecting good consistent performances is one thing; suddenly believing that they are World Cup contenders or even shoe-ins for the knockout stages is another. Finding that perfect point, where demand that they play to their full abilities meets recognizing that it might not always be enough, is difficult.
I'm still trying to grasp it myself.
Now it's onto the Gold Cup, with only a few holdovers from the Confed Cup "A" team. It will seem like an utter letdown after the excitement of South Africa, but it is an important part of the program's evolution. The future of the team, and players that may fill in gaps on next year's World Cup squad, will be on display around the country.
But it's Azteca that we're truly focused on, as that's the game that will show if past week as just an ephemeral hot streak or a true indication of improvement. If ever the Americans had a chance to go to Mexico City and beat El Tri on their soil in a World Cup qualifier, it would seem that this would be the year.
And now I believe it can happen. I'm trying to maintain that perspective, and we have never won in Mexico City...
But Mexico? Who are they? WE BEAT SPAIN!
