Hello. My name is Jason, and last night I paid twenty American dollars to get into a crowded bar and watch a crappy satellite feed of the United States playing Honduras in World Cup qualifying.
It was worth every penny.
It helps that the US beat Honduras 3-2 and punched their World Cup ticket, of course. I'm not sure how well spent the twenty dollars (and gas) would have been had the game not turned out the way I'd hoped, but I'm glad it's now a moot point.
I would be easy for me go crazy with the superlatives, gush over a wonderful second half American performance and crow about the win as if I was a member of the team. There were fantastic moments from more than one Yank last night, and several players are deserving of praise.
For one, Conor F**king Casey.
That was his name in the bar last night, both before (as in "Conor F**king Casey?) and after (as in CONOR F**KING CASEY!) he scored his unlikely brace. Casey (or Kersey rather, for anyone who watched the CCTV feed) beat the Honduran keeper on a 50/50 ball to score the first, one of the uglier goals you'll see (we didn't care), and then took a through pass from Landon Donovan and calmly slotted one home for the second. To call it "unexpected" would be the understatement of the century.
What made me happy, aside from the beer and camaraderie in the bar, was the fight the Americans showed. It wasn't a perfect match by any means, and perhaps they should have left Honduras with one point rather than three; a little luck came into play when Carlos Pavon missed a penalty. Still, I don't hesitate at all to say that the US deserved to win that game. They were the better team on the night, and were victimized by two questionable calls for the Honduran goals (the second goal was especially galling; it looked clearly offside to me). Landon Donovan stepped up in a big moment and executed a beautiful free kick. The defense was solid for most of the night, and the Americans never looked overwhelmed in a hostile environment.
Credit Bob Bradley for setting his team out to take the chance to qualify when it came. Credit Bradley for knowing that Conor Casey had something to contribute. Credit Bradley for getting the United States into the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time, his one and only job.
And hey, if they beat Costa Rica on Wednesday, they'll win the Hex. That would be a nice little cherry to put atop the sundae.
That's about all I can muster this morning, but there's a chance I'll be back later with some more thoughts. The Match Fit USA Soccer Show today (1 PM ET) should be interesting, since I have no voice, and I highly suggest you tune in. I'm not sure the Black Cloud can even be a downer today.
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