The Best and Worst of the Opening Round

- Best SNL Character - Miguel Herrera

He looks and acts equal parts bully Nelson Muntz from the Simpsons and any of the numerous jubilant characters from the Chris Farley library.  Roger Bennet from Men in Blazers called him the Rob Ford of world football.  You don’t know wether to cower in fear or give him a bear hug.  He might be the most demonstrative man on earth, and lucky for Mexican fans most of that sideline emotion has been elation.  But what a job he’s done.  Mexico fired 3 managers in qualifying and Herrera (with some massive help from Graham Zusi) led Mexico to the Copa, and now into the 2nd round.  The internet loves him, and his it appears his players do as well.  One of my favorite scenes of the first round was Memo Ochoa, Mexico’s goalkeeper running all the way to midfield to celebrate, not with the goalscorer, but with his coach.

- Best Goal - Robin Van Persie’s diving header vs. Spain.  Tim Cahill vs. the Dutch was a very close 2nd.  I give a slight edge to RVP because of the creativity and invention of the goal.  It was both beautiful and brilliant.  If Cahill gets that same chance 100 more times he might not score it again - which is the beauty of it.

- Best Team - The best team has been the Netherlands.  They have mastered efficient soccer in the first round.  However, I still believe the best team is Germany.

- Best Fans - Columbia

When I watched the anthems and non-stop dance party during the Columbia/Greece match it made me wish I was Columbian.

- Best Performance - Suarez vs. England, Memo Ochoa vs. Brazil is a close second.  England desperately needed a point, Suarez was a month removed from knee surgery, he didn’t even play in Uruguay’s loss to Costa Rica, and he was facing 5 of his Liverpool  teammates in the English starting lineup.  Uruguay looked horrible without him, losing 3-1 to Costa Rica, but he almost single handedly beat England with 2 pure striker type goals.  You can have Messi, for me Suarez is the best goal scorer in the world right now.  Unfortunately, we won’t see another performance from him for a while.

Guillermo Ochoa is not the best goalkeeper in the world, but his performance against Brazil was one for the ages.  

- Best American - Jermaine Jones.  Even if he would not have scored against Portugal he was still the best player.  Dempsey has been incredible.  Omar was great against Germany.  Zusi has had some great moments.  But Jermaine Jones has been our best player.  Be encouraged America, our real best player, Michael Bradley, has had a nightmare tournament thus far, and we still survived the group of death.  Thanks mostly to Jermaine Jones.

  

- Biggest Tragedy - Croatia in the opener vs. Brazil.  

Croatia looked good, Brazil did not.  The PK awarded to Fred was the kind of dive that turns many American sports fans off to the game of soccer.  The Japanese ref made the worst homer call I’ve seen since Hoosiers.  I read one article which said that this Japanese referee spends most of his time officiating J--League matches in Japan where the games are not as intense ... and the players are more honest.  The third goal was an easy foul call at midfield where Brazil dispossessed Croatia which led to the goal.  An easy foul call, of course, unless there are 70,000 yellow clad fans right on top of you, and another 10 million waiting outside the gates.  I don’t think you could pay me enough to referee that match.  

- Worst Hacks - The eyeball test would have given the award to Honduras.  The numbers give the award to Uruguay.  Six yellows, one red, and of course Suarez, who received neither red nor yellow but won’t see the pitch for 4 months.

- Biggest Winner - Brazil.  Not the team, though they topped their group with 8 points, but the country.  Am I the only one who has been sitting in my living room wishing every day I was in Brazil.

- Biggest Losers - Suarez could win all of the worst categories so I will skip him (although maybe the biggest loser is Chiellini’s shoulder - bitten and eliminated all in the span of 30 minutes).  They have the best coach and their team looks great, but I have to say the Mexican fans might be the biggest losers of the tournament thus far.  They have headed south in droves and they have had a lot to cheer about.  But every restart by the opponents being greeted with 20,000 Mexican yelling “P#@%!” at the top of their lungs?  FIFA tried to fine the Mexican federation calling it a gay slur, which of course only made them yell it with more pride.  “Stay classy, Guadalajara.”

- Worst Idea - Qatar 2022.  I know it has nothing to do with the first round and it is still 8 years away but hasn’t watching the heat of Manaus, the beauty of Brazil, and the nation’s love for the game really made you think how horrible an idea Qatar 2022 is?

- Best Player (thus far) - Arjen Robben.  The pace and directness he plays with make everyone watching sit up every time he touches the ball.  

- Golden Boot (thus far) - Messi, Muller, Neymar - all tied with 4.  I put my money on Muller to repeat.

- Most Assists (thus far) - Juan Cuadrado (Columbia) and Daley Blind (Neth.) tied with 3.  As I used to say in high school, counting assists is for those who can’t score goals.  And then I went to college, and I started counting assists.

Feel free to add the list in the comments below.  What are your best and worst so far?

The (Slow) Evolution of Soccer in America

Forgive me if this post sounds a bit like it is being written by a crusader, but I consider myself to have been a part of the generation of U. S. soccer players and fans who have had to fight for the beautiful game.  It has not been easy being a soccer fan in the USA, but the persecution we experienced over the past few decades has only fueled our passion even more.  

There has not been a shortage of American youth soccer players for a long time.  Twenty five years ago, when I was playing U-12 soccer, the sport had the largest number of youth participants of any sport in this country (it is even more so now).  But I also grew up in an era where the first World Cup I watched, Mexico 1986, I watched in awe of Diego Maradona’s ability, but watched without a home team to support.  In fact, soccer fans in this country in 1986 hadn’t been able to support their home team in the World Cup since 1950.  We recorded every match we could on VHS because we knew that it would be the only soccer we would be able to watch on television for a long time.  We wore those tapes out.  My brother and I watched them for 4 years.  

My generation got excited about a group of amateurs who had no domestic league in which they could play professionally scratch and claw their way through qualification for the 1990 World Cup.  ESPN even televised some of those games, our home games almost exclusively being played in St. Louis at some complex which must have had a capacity of less than 2,000.  I’ll never forget Paul Caliguiri’s goal in Trinidad which sealed a 1-0 victory for the USA and qualified us for the tournament.  We were the epitome of “we’re just happy to be here” in Italy (we lost 5-1, 1-0, and 3-1).  We had no business being on the same pitch with most of those players. 

We hosted in 1994.  The bar was raised.  Our players were better.  We tied Switzerland in Detroit.  We then accomplished the unthinkable – beating Columbia 2-1, a team that Pele had picked to win the tournament.  Our loss to Romania didn’t matter – we advanced to the round of 16!  We lost to Brazil 1-0 but WOW.  It was a performance that gave us hope, and a performance that we could be proud of.  This was exactly what our country needed as Major League Soccer was birthed the next year.  I’ll never forget watching that first ever MLS match in 1996  and, as a 17 year old, beginning to dream about what could possibly be.  But just last week I had a 50 something year old casual sports fan ask me, “when do you think we will ever host the World Cup.”  I was a bit surprised by the wording of his question so I reminded him, “Well, since we hosted it in ’94, I don’t think we will get it again for a while.”  He was dumbfounded, “We hosted the World Cup in 1994?!”  

We have come a long way since then, so why is there still a sporting cultural anchor that the sport cannot seem to shed?  I recently heard a sports talk radio host say the words, “I can’t stand soccer.”  I’ve never heard a sports junkie media guys say “I hate tennis” (by the way, the USA is historically bad at tennis right now, especially on the men’s side), or “I hate golf”, or even “I hate NASCAR.”  But "I hate soccer" is still acceptable, even in the sporting biz, because it has been a common refrain of derision and disdain for a long, long time.  Most media folks get it. During this World Cup Colin Cowherd and Dan Patrick are stuck in.  ESPN, even in the midst of a crazy sports schedule (NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, US Open, MLB, College World Series), has gone all in with this World Cup.  ESPN doesn’t do things to drive culture, there is no money in that, they do things that reflect culture.  We are a soccer loving nation!

No, that’s not a typo.  And no, I’m not crazy.  We are a soccer loving nation.  Consider the evidence.  We have qualified for every World Cup since 1990, advancing out of the first round in ’94, ’02, and ’10.  English Premier League games are now shown live in our country, every one of them!  MLS has not just survived, but is thriving, and continuing to expand!  There are MLS players on 8 different teams in this tournament including Brazil (Julio Cesar - Toronto FC) and the scorer of arguably the best goal of the tournament thus far (Tim Cahil - NY Red Bulls).  The ratings for the World Cup, especially when you add the Spanish numbers, have been enormous.  Outside of the World Cup, it is still mostly a niche sport.  It is also much more popular among internationals living here, but the truth is that we are a nation of internationals - ignore them at your own peril (just ask Republicans).  

It has been slow growth, and will continue to be slow.  But it is undeniable that the statements “soccer will never catch on in the US”, and “we stink at soccer”, and “the MLS is not good soccer” are all statements made in ignorance.  Whatever happens tomorrow vs. Germany won’t change that fact that this tournament will be another nice boost for soccer in this country.  I can’t wait.  And even though it is a noon kickoff, I know America will be watching.

How Should We Feel?

The last 24 hours have been, for US soccer fans (and welcome aboard to everyone who has hopped onboard recently, the more the merrier) an emotional spin cycle no too dissimilar from a Gossip Girl episode.  From despair (Portugal goal in the 5th minute, Ghana was a fluke), to hope (we looked fantastic the remainder of the first half), to joy (Jermaine Jones!!!), to euphoria (via Clint Dempsey’s navel), to disbelief (we are going to advance with still one more group stage match to play), to shock (Ronaldo’s one good touch in 95 minutes).  

What is left is confusion - now what are we supposed to feel?  

What you need to know

1.  We are a better team than Portugal.  

Ronaldo was not at 100%, and FIFA world rankings mean nothing (Portugal was 4th in the world entering the tournament), but we were the superior team in this match.  People laughed at me when I said, before the tournament started, that this was called the “group of death” because we were in it.  Ghana looked the superior team on Monday, but we scored more goals than them.  We were the superior team last night - and most importantly, the boys on the pitch believed it as well, and it showed.  

2.  Jurgen Klinsmann has worked a masterpiece.  

I will say the same even if we don’t advance.  He has the boys fit, prepared, and confident.  He had a perfect game plan in Jozy’s absence vs. Portugal.  He has Fabian Johnson in a position that fits him perfectly as a defender who has liberty to run wild.  And oh by the way, he has assembled the squad perfectly.  Jermaine Jones has been the MVP of the tournament for the USA thus far (a player who Klinsmann has supported for a long time much to the dismay of many supporters), and Donovan has not been needed.  My brother asked me in the 85th minute last night, “where are all the people crying for Donovan now?"  My response was, “how does Jurgen say ‘bite me’ in German?”

3.  The tie breaker system.  

The first tie breaker is goal differential.  Number 2 is goals scored.  Third is head-to-head.  Pretty much the only way we don’t advance is if we lose to Germany and Ghana beats Portugal in a way that either a) Ghana has a better goal differential than us (currently we are +1 and they are -1) or if that is equal b) by the end of the day Ghana has more goals scored than us (currently we have scored 4 and they have scored 3).  Portugal would have to beat Ghana by 4 and us lose by 1 or more for them to advance.  If we tie or win, we are through.

So here are the scenarios for us going forward.  The good news and the bad news.  Bad news first:

The Bad News

1.  Ghana is really good - Ghana winning by 2 goals isn’t much of a stretch.

2.  Germany is really good - For my money, Germany is still the best team in the tournament.

3.  Portugal has little reason for optimism - The scenario which would allow them to advance is a bit outrageous and their World Footballer of the Year is hurt and is the kind of guy who looks out for #1 (my friend who was at the game last night told me that he yells for the ball every time they have it, and yells it is his teammates every time he doesn’t get it).  I could easily see a scene where Ghana scores a goal early and Portugal implodes.

The Good News

1.  We looked great against Portugal - Creative, confident, fast, organized, daring, resilient.  Geof Cameron's shank, and Tim Howard's uncharacteristic blunder which saw the ball go right between his hands and bounce of the post were the only 2 flaws in an otherwise perfect match.  

2.  Germany won’t be fighting to the death - The only way Germany doesn’t advance is if they lose to us and Ghana beats Portugal in a way that is combined more than 4 goals.  In fact, if the captains got together and shook hands and Dempsey told Lahm, “0-0 sounds good to us, how about you?” it would be a result that would be just fine with both sides.  If this game is 0-0 in the 70th minute you are going to see the most boring 20 minutes of soccer you have ever seen (unless, of course, you are an unobjective USA supporter and you would be thrilled with a draw).  

3.  The European teams aren’t taking too kindly to Brazil.  With the exception of the Netherlands, Belgium (drawn in the “group of life”), and France (we would have killed to have been in that group), and I would have said Germany until their tie vs. Ghana, European teams have given the appearance that the rules of the game are different in the southwestern quartersphere.  England, Portugal, Spain, Bosnia (though they are the best looking 0 pt. team in the tournament), Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, Russia - all have stuggled while teams from the Americas - Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia - have fared well.

4.  Jurgen assembled this team for this match - This team was assembled to beat Germany if it had to.  FIFA rigged the draw so that Jurgen would have to play Germany.  After the Portugal match Jurgen even accused FIFA of wanting the “big teams” to win by giving them an extra day of rest and a lighter travel schedule (his exact quote was, “They played yesterday. We played today. We played in the Amazon. They played in place where you don't have to travel so much. Things are set up for the big teams to move on.”)  This is why there are 4 players on our roster based in the Bundesliga.  We were hoping we wouldn’t need anything against Germany (and we were hoping they wouldn’t need any points against us either) but that’s not the case, but the good news is that we are prepared for it.

5.  This USA team is different than any other.  In our last 26 matches, dating back to mid 2013, the USMNT is 20 wins, 3 loses, and 3 draws.  Our only 3 losses were at Costa Rica in a qualifying match, vs. the Ukraine in Cyprus which fell right in the crux of their political turmoil, and a friendly away at Austria.  Many of the wins in that stretch are against sub-par opponents, but we have never consistently won matches that we are supposed to win.  And oh by the way, one of those wins is against Germany.  Granted, it was week after a Champions League final with included 2 German clubs and none of those players made the trip, but we never used to win those games.  

Bottom Line - We are going through.  We deserve it.  We will earn it.  And even if we don’t, we have lots of reasons to be proud.