More than 100 U.S. fans traveled to the World Cup qualifier in Mexico. The ones I ran into after the U.S. loss were mighty disappointed.
One fan found the U.S. effort so timid he challenged me to uncover the “fix.” He figured the Americans took a fall for $5 million. My thorough investigation – which entailed a nanosecond of considering the likelihood – proved his theory erroneous, to say the least.
In fact, the American display was nothing close to surprising. Though I hail fans for having high expectations of American soccer – we all should – I can’t conceive of a reason why we would expect the current U.S. team to outplay even a slumping Mexico at Azteca Stadium. This isn’t merely a case of the conditions, e.g. altitude. It’s a matter of what Bruce Arena really has – a team overly dependent on solid defense and world-class goalkeeping.
Blatantly absent from the team is the skill to maintain possession and dribblers who can unbalance an opponent.
Claudio Reyna missed the Mexico game, but so meager have his offensive contributions been that Arena and others have taken to applauding his defensive game. That’s like being satisfied with your Rolex because it makes a good paperweight.
It isn’t Arena’s fault that America’s most promising playmaker chose a career in Germany and Scotland, where the attacking inventiveness his nation so dearly needed from him was never likely to be encouraged. Or that promising attackers Josh Wolff and Clint Mathis are injured.
So the American Hexagonal heroes are central defender Jeff Agoos and goalkeeper Kasey Keller – and the human road block Tony Sanneh starts every game because most CONCACAF opponents can’t cope with him.
The Mexico game reminds us how limited such a formula is.
by Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla