US Olympic Soccer Reminder

[PTS]

For those of you that haven't followed yet, and it's understandable since the media barely covers this team, Team USA beat Japan 1-0 on Thursday and picked up a 2-2 draw against the "almighty" Netherlands on Sunday. The Dutch team fields starters from Real Madrid, Liverpool, Valencia and so on. They were supposed to cruise past the "lowly" USA.

 

Nobody was giving Team USA a chance at the Olympics including the Dutch coach who said he wasn't concerned about the Americans because "they don't really have any good players."

 

So after falling behind 15 minutes into the game, Team USA adjusted and plain-and-simply dominated the rest of the game. USA scored two quick goals in the second half and Holland needed an iffy call right at the top of the American box to score the equalizer with 30 seconds left in stoppage. It was most unfortunate as we were was just seconds away from making the quaterfinals. They were head and shoulders better than the Dutch, and to make matters worse, Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley will miss the next game against Nigeria with two yellows. Adu was phenominal in this game.

 

Team USA is still on top of the group thanks to tiebreakers and they only need a tie to advance into the quarters. If they win their group, they could have a pretty good shot at medalling.

 

Wednesday at 5am vs. Nigeria on USA Network (or Olympic Soccer Channel HD if you have it).

 

That day is coming when USA wins a big soccer tournament and the rest of the world will be besides itself in anger. I can't wait.

[Cugalabanza]

For those of you that haven't followed yet, and it's understandable since the media barely covers this team, Team USA beat Japan 1-0 on Thursday and picked up a 2-2 draw against the "almighty" Netherlands on Sunday. The Dutch team fields starters from Real Madrid, Liverpool, Valencia and so on. They were supposed to cruise past the "lowly" USA.

 

Nobody was giving Team USA a chance at the Olympics including the Dutch coach who said he wasn't concerned about the Americans because "they don't really have any good players."

 

So after falling behind 15 minutes into the game, Team USA adjusted and plain-and-simply dominated the rest of the game. USA scored two quick goals in the second half and Holland needed an iffy call right at the top of the American box to score the equalizer with 30 seconds left in stoppage. It was most unfortunate as we were was just seconds away from making the quaterfinals. They were head and shoulders better than the Dutch, and to make matters worse, Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley will miss the next game against Nigeria with two yellows. Adu was phenominal in this game.

 

Team USA is still on top of the group thanks to tiebreakers and they only need a tie to advance into the quarters. If they win their group, they could have a pretty good shot at medalling.

 

Wednesday at 5am vs. Nigeria on USA Network (or Olympic Soccer Channel HD if you have it).

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

I missed the Netherlands game and I had to kick myself. I saw the Japan game, which was kind of a dud--USA was lucky to come away with 3 points.

 

Too bad about the suspensions (especially Adu, who is a joy to watch). Nigeria will be very tough.

[EZC-Boston]

I can't believe they lost to the Netherlands, had the game in their hands, no reason to foul when they did. Very frustrating.

[KD in CA]

That day is coming when USA wins a big soccer tournament and the rest of the world will be besides itself in anger. I can't wait.

 

I'm not a big soccer fan, but, me neither.

[Turn Down For Watkins]

For those of you that haven't followed yet, and it's understandable since the media barely covers this team, Team USA beat Japan 1-0 on Thursday and picked up a 2-2 draw against the "almighty" Netherlands on Sunday. The Dutch team fields starters from Real Madrid, Liverpool, Valencia and so on. They were supposed to cruise past the "lowly" USA.

 

Nobody was giving Team USA a chance at the Olympics including the Dutch coach who said he wasn't concerned about the Americans because "they don't really have any good players."

 

So after falling behind 15 minutes into the game, Team USA adjusted and plain-and-simply dominated the rest of the game. USA scored two quick goals in the second half and Holland needed an iffy call right at the top of the American box to score the equalizer with 30 seconds left in stoppage. It was most unfortunate as we were was just seconds away from making the quaterfinals. They were head and shoulders better than the Dutch, and to make matters worse, Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley will miss the next game against Nigeria with two yellows. Adu was phenominal in this game.

 

Team USA is still on top of the group thanks to tiebreakers and they only need a tie to advance into the quarters. If they win their group, they could have a pretty good shot at medalling.

 

Wednesday at 5am vs. Nigeria on USA Network (or Olympic Soccer Channel HD if you have it).

 

That day is coming when USA wins a big soccer tournament and the rest of the world will be besides itself in anger. I can't wait.

Soccer sucks!

[Cugalabanza]

I mock what I don't understand in the hope that others will think I'm cool!

[LongLiveRalph]

I missed the Netherlands game and I had to kick myself. I saw the Japan game, which was kind of a dud--USA was lucky to come away with 3 points.

 

I didn't see the Dutch game either, but USA was awful against Japan. Very lucky to win, and very lucky that the ref decided not to penalize the US for a clear take down in the penalty box at the end. The ref had a horrible game too.

 

The USA will likey have trouble against Nigeria without Adu's creativity and Bradley's midfield tackling and distribution. Nigeria is always solid in the U-17 tournaments and likely has some very explosive players. Go USA!

[LongLiveRalph]

I didn't see the Dutch game either, but USA was awful against Japan. Very lucky to win, and very lucky that the ref decided not to penalize the US for a clear take down in the penalty box at the end. The ref had a horrible game too.

 

The USA will likey have trouble against Nigeria without Adu's creativity and Bradley's midfield tackling and distribution. Nigeria is always solid in the U-17 tournaments and likely has some very explosive players. Go USA!

 

They definitely missed Adu and Bradley, went down 2-1 to Nigeria. The US had a man ejected in just the 3rd minute, which pretty much sealed their fate. Down 2-0, they scored on a late PK to make it 2-1, and had a header hit the post in injury time...

 

It was a typical US performance in a big soccer event. Play like crap and barely beat the team you're supposed to beat...Play great and nearly upset one of the tournament favorites, earning a tie...And then lay an egg in the game you only need to tie to advance. You can't get a red card 3 minutes into a knockout game.

[KD in CA]

They definitely missed Adu and Bradley, went down 2-1 to Nigeria. The US had a man ejected in just the 3rd minute, which pretty much sealed their fate. Down 2-0, they scored on a late PK to make it 2-1, and had a header hit the post in injury time...

 

It was a typical US performance in a big soccer event. Play like crap and barely beat the team you're supposed to beat...Play great and nearly upset one of the tournament favorites, earning a tie...And then lay an egg in the game you only need to tie to advance. You can't get a red card 3 minutes into a knockout game.

 

So they are 1-1-1. Does that mean they are out of the tourney?

[olivier in france]

So they are 1-1-1. Does that mean they are out of the tourney?

 

yes they are.

[LongLiveRalph]

So they are 1-1-1. Does that mean they are out of the tourney?

 

Two from each group advance, Netherlands and Nigeria went 2-0-1.

[PTS]

That red card, which I don't think was as bad as Marcelo Balbao made it out to me, killed the US. IMO: That's a very harsh red to give three minutes into any game. I think USA would have been more than capable of winning, let alone tying, this game had that never happened. Despite the red, they should have went through anyway but as a LongLiveRalph said, this is typical USA soccer. Always at the brink of doing great things only to lay an egg when it matters most.

 

I think the biggest error made in this tournament was taking Adu out of the Dutch game with 10 minutes to go. He was phenomenal that game and leaving him in there would have sealed the deal for advancing.

 

Holland got lucky but most traditional soccer powers always find a way to get the job done. They played like crap this tournament and needed an iffy penalty kick to beat Japan today which is what officially knocked USA out. I was watching some of this game and Japan had at least five great chances to score in the second half including a crossbar. The Dutch owe their survival to their keeper because he keep them in it against the US and Japan.

 

That being said, the USMNT will be looking pretty good in the years to come. There are a lot of kids on this Oympic team that I would say are much further along that most of the current National Team players. They could surely make some noise if they get a good draw for the WC in South Africa but I think 2014 might be the year where the rest of the world starts to worry about US soccer for good, especially with the upcoming talent in the vastly improving youth teams.

[LongLiveRalph]

That red card, which I don't think was as bad as Marcelo Balbao made it out to me, killed the US. IMO: That's a very harsh red to give three minutes into any game. I think USA would have been more than capable of winning, let alone tying, this game had that never happened. Despite the red, they should have went through anyway but as a LongLiveRalph said, this is typical USA soccer. Always at the brink of doing great things only to lay an egg when it matters most.

 

Yeah, it's tough to watch a ref insert himself into the game that early. A yellow and a stern warning could've done the trick. Either way, it was irresponsible of Orozco to swing his elbow like that. Every player in the world is going to make a meal of it if they feel an elbow come at them. The Nigerian made it look bad, but it was not debateable that Orozco elbowed him. Idiot.

 

That being said, the USMNT will be looking pretty good in the years to come. There are a lot of kids on this Oympic team that I would say are much further along that most of the current National Team players. They could surely make some noise if they get a good draw for the WC in South Africa but I think 2014 might be the year where the rest of the world starts to worry about US soccer for good, especially with the upcoming talent in the vastly improving youth teams.

 

Didn't USA lose in the semi's and play for the bronze medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympics? That team looked strong and the program seemed to be in good shape following that Olympic performance, and the full national team's play in World Cup 2002. Things have fallen off since then.

[PTS]

Didn't USA lose in the semi's and play for the bronze medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympics? That team looked strong and the program seemed to be in good shape following that Olympic performance, and the full national team's play in World Cup 2002. Things have fallen off since then.

You're definitely right, the US should have been a major player by now. That being said, the quality of the youth behind guys like Donovan and Beasley wasn't nearly as good in the early 2000s as it is now. There was clearly a generation gap and let's face it, out of all those 2002 guys that performed well, many of them have turned into giant busts.

 

I don't think that will happen this time around because of the sheer number of quality players in the pipeline at the U23, U20 and U17 level. That's why I think it will take at least one more World Cup for this country to become dangerous at soccer, unless guys like Beasley, Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey really step it up. EJ has to be the biggest disappointment, he was one of the best players I've ever seen wear the Stars and Stripes when he first broke out during 2006 WC Qualifying when basically every major European team was drooling over him. Now he's fallen into an abyss with lazy play but he's still young enough to get his head screwed back on.

 

Let's not forget about coaching, which I think is the biggest thing holding back US soccer. They need to get a world-class coach who can turn these raw but skilled players into a great team.