Monday morning. Bullets of rain are pounding on the pavement. There is a certain gloominess lingering around that I can’t shake off. I’m not superstitious by any means, but I’m searching for a sign of good luck. Something that will tell me it will be okay.
I was most anticipating World Cup Day 5. To those who are not supporters of the USMNT may not understand the string of emotions attached to this match. Ghana had knocked out the Americans in the last two World Cups. Needless to say, we waited four years to close an old chapter. In one word: redemption.
Clint Dempsey’s goal after 29 seconds broke the mental barrier. It eased our nerves. Whatever happens we weren’t going down without a fight. USA may not be the most technical or skillful team, but their best quality is playing with their hearts out no matter the circumstances. The opposition could sense this fighting spirit and they weren’t going to make it easy for us. USA had suffered setbacks with Jozy Altidore and Matt Besler’s hamstring injuries and Clint Dempsey’s broken nose. Ghana were countlessly bombarding the left flank, USA were exhausted due to the humidity, and Ayew’s equalizer was inevitable. Through all of this we managed to pull off a miracle with John Brooks’ game-winning header assisted by Graham Zusi who were both second-half substitutions.
Although there are those who will argue that USA didn’t deserve to win and Ghana were far superior in terms of play, this shouldn’t take away from what the US have accomplished. From Day 1 of taking the reigns of U.S. Soccer, Jürgen Klinsmann has emphasized the need to adapt to uncomfortable situations. When the defense was continuously being tested, the team collectively worked together to confront it. Besler and Jermaine Jones supported DaMarcus Beasley from oncoming threats, Kyle Beckerman put his body on the line, and USA remained organized while absorbing tremendous pressure. Jones was often criticized for being rash, Beckerman’s work-rate would go unnoticed, and Brooks was considered too inexperienced. Throughout the course of Klinsmann’s tenure, people were often skeptical of his methods. They were quick to point out the flaws in his decision-making, but in reality Jürgen’s thought process hasn’t failed us yet. Not only is this indicative of our progress, but it is a true testament to the team chemistry USMNT are building for the future. They faced adversity and came out on top.
Winning one game against Ghana doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to Portugal or Germany. However, this one game holds much more significance. We have faith. We have an increase in morale. We have come this far. Emerging out of the Group of Death alive would exceed my expectations.
The rain had finally stopped. Smoky, black clouds wisped around the sky, but I could finally see the blue peek through.
"We have a great spirit and fight until the last minute. It was a grind but it was a wonderful one at the end of the day.” - Jürgen Klinsmann
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| Via USA Today |
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| Via Getty Images |
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| Via Getty Images |
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| Via Nike |
Written by: Goral Patel
I would argue against "Building for the future" World Cups are precious and cannot be used as training grounds for a number of reasons. The odds of less than 50% of these players being there in 4 years is high and the odds of a manager staying on another 4 is also high. With the WC you have to take your best shot.
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