I sit here, two days removed from the crescendo of the USA v. England IV (1776! 1812! 1950! 2010!) emotionally spent yet surprisingly relaxed. It's over, finally, and we can all push forward having lived through the traumatic experience. Because it was, markedly, traumatic; for us Americans, the buildup, the nerves, the debilitating fear that our boys simply wouldn't show up and all the good-natured trash talk done would go over like the amusing ramblings of the village idiot.
And for our English friends, the result, and the crushing gaff by Robert Green, could only be more traumatic had it happened in the knockout rounds. My sense was that many of England's fans, at least the ones communicating via social media, were legitimately nervous, slightly unnerved by the big talk coming from some quarters, and fearful that their team was once again primed to disappoint. Capello brought a new sheen of confidence that covered up some insecurities, but ultimately the players were the same. Masters of underwhelming with style.
In the end, the final score failed to capture the energy put into the match on both sides, be it from the players or the fans; it wasn't a letdown necessarily, though I expect there are many causal/new soccer fans who are mystified with all of the positive feelings coming from a draw. The aftermath has included statements to that effect from American sportswriters, and a blog post or two explaining the beauty of the draw for perplexed minds. Only they shouldn't be so perplexed; it wasn't that long ago that college football still allowed games to end in ties, a situation that seemed palatable for the multiple decades it existed. I suppose a portion of college football fanatics (which I was, and in some ways still am) would argue that overtime has made things "better", but I'm not really sure that's true.
The New York Post cheekily called the draw a "win" (causing some of the denser observers to whiff on the point being made), a feeling I shared on Saturday. I can't help that my relief was exhibited as a mild joy. No, it wasn't a landmark win, but it wasn't a crushing loss either; if confidence can be built through a draw in which your only goal is a gift, that's the one that can do it. And really, considering England's favorite status and my own insecurities as a fan of the U.S., that's all I had originally wanted.
The final score fairly reflected the balance of play, I authoritatively say sitting atop Mt. Stars and Stripes, though the American goal was obviously a stroke of luck. Had Green not muffed Dempsey's bouncing shot, it's certain I'd be singing a different tune, lamenting missed chances (ahem, Jozy) and questioning Bradley's choices. It's possible we could all still work up the energy to criticize, and there's no doubt at least some of it would be valid.
But what we learned is actually heartening enough to give me reason to skip the hand-wringing. Onyewu seems strong enough. The defense on the whole is...okay. Dempsey and Donovan appear engaged and sharp. Bradley has options with the Slovenes coming up, options he has no reason not to introduce. The only question at the moment is Tim Howard's status.
In light of the draw, which leaves me a touch could even though I understand the value of the point, the best news of the weekend was that Twitter didn't explode.
Perhaps something looking forward to Slovenia a bit later.
