Who says the U.S. can’t get a result? A tie was all the U.S. needed to win U.S. Cup ’95, and it got it after surviving a late Colombian flurry.
Ah, the goalless draw. Supposedly the scourge of soccer, it rings like a death knell every time the subject is brought up in America.
The final match of U.S. Cup ’95 ended scoreless, after some American fans booed and whistled a U.S. team determined to hold onto the point that assured it of the tournament championship. Tied 0-0, the U.S. eased back on the throttle a notch, sapped by a resolute Colombian defense and hot, humid conditions reminiscent of those endured at World Cup ’94.
A national TV audience and those 36,126 fans filling most of Rutgers University’s facility obviously wanted the spectacular, not the practical. The U.S. did create a fair number of scoring chances, including two in the final minutes when it was supposedly killing the game, yet it won the tournament by thwarting Colombia on those infrequent occasions it threatened.
The match didn’t lack for drama. Colombia nearly snatched away the game and the tournament in the final seconds.
Jorge Bermudez’s header from near the edge of the box, targeted for an unoccupied upper corner, instead glanced off the forehead of Mike Burns. The final whistle blew as the ball bounced harmlessly away, and for the second time in three years, the home team claimed the Waterford crystal piece that is awarded to the U.S. Cup champion.
True, the Colombian and Mexican coaches constantly reminded everyone they were preparing for Copa America, and Nigeria arrived amid a coaching upheaval with none of its defensive shortcomings solved.
“We’re lacking some order and seriousness, and we’re lacking creativity up front,” said Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez. “We’re not ready right now.”
Some fans seemed disgruntled at U.S. conservative tactics late in the match, ignoring two fine chances created by the U.S. when the Colombian defense relaxed. Many others, though, cheered and waved flags at the final whistle in acknowledgment of two wins and one tie gained against three World Cup opponents.
“It was important that we played intelligently,” said head coach Steve Sampson, after admitting a win would have been much more satisfying. “We didn’t buy into the fact the crowd was booing us or whistling, to try to get us to play forward. That was the proper tactic at the right moment.”
Chances, but no early goal
The U.S. had struck in the 11th minute against Nigeria and stunned Mexico in the third minute while scoring seven goals in its first two games. At U.S. Cup ’95, at least, the traditional “settling-in” period was forsaken for early pressure, which produced excellent chances against Colombia but not goals.
Claudio Reyna’s immaculate touches — first-time flicks, delicate taps — knit together a U.S. attack that consistently conjured up thoughtful sequences of passes and runs. But Frank Klopas and Eric Wynalda couldn’t quite provide the killer touch against Colombian keeper Rene Higuita, who made just three saves.
Thomas Dooley nearly got the U.S. another early goal when Klopas crossed a ball John Harkes had sent up the wing, heading over from eight yards after knifing into the penalty area. Harkes, playing in his home state and serving as team captain for the first time, covered prodigious amounts of ground on the flank and repeatedly pierced Colombia’s defense with crisp passes.
And there can be no plausible reason to deny the U.S. a penalty in the 15th minute. Wynalda broke past Manuel Fernandez on the right side of the box and fell heavily when the defender missed the ball with his tackle but clearly crunched Wynalda’s ankle.
Play on. Steve Sampson jumped off the bench, and also cleared the advertising signboards to berate Salvadoran referee Raul Rodriguez. Other U.S. members howled abuse at the linesman, who had a clear view of the play yet did nothing.
Harkes lifted a corner kick in the 20th minute that found Alexi Lalas, but again, a header went over the crossbar.
A pair of UCLA products turned in important defensive plays late in the half. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel provided a dramatic end to the first 45 minutes by reaching down with his left hand to push away a sharp downward header from Nibor Arboleda, who had snuck in at Friedel’s right-hand post.
“To be quite honest, I thought I should have come out and caught the cross,” said Friedel, whom Sampson anointed as the No. 1 keeper during his postgame comments. “That could have made the save a heck of a lot easier.”
Friedel’s reaction save of Arboleda’s header came just a few minutes after a less-praised, but no less critical intervention by Paul Caligiuri. Colombia countered quickly from a U.S. corner and the 31-year-old defender raced back to kick away a ball meant for Jhon Gomez. Caligiuri’s tackle prevented a three-on-two Colombia break, with two of those three being Carlos Valderrama and Freddy Rincon.
Dooley got into Valderrama early and often, denying him the luxury of turning by making slide tackles timed just as the ball approached Valderrama’s feet.
The Colombian maestro, aside from a few of his immaculately weighted touches, troubled the U.S. defense far less than did Rincon. They began the match lined up on opposite flanks, as usual, but about midway through the first half, both set up on the left side, with Rincon the more advanced.
Deployed in this manner they are able to conjure a most effective form of through ball: Delivered by Valderrama straight up the field, usually on the ground, for Rincon to redirect forward with a glancing touch, or nick past a defender to dribble. Colombia used this method effectively during World Cup qualifying and in the World Cup itself.
Crunching tackles by Lalas and Marcelo Balboa, aided by Dooley’s pressure on Valderrama, blunted most of those efforts. But as Reyna and Dooley began to fade early in the second half — both would be substituted — Colombia began to dominate the midfield.
Colombia rallies late
Rincon, somewhat less inclined to dribble for most of the match, unleashed a mazy run that left Caligiuri dusted and Balboa floundering. Dooley reached his low centering ball with a foot, then kicked it away. The respite was brief.
Valderrama fed sub Freddy Leon for a dipping shot Friedel had to punch away, then swung over a corner kick that fell to Hernan Gaviria. His wild effort zoomed over the bar.
“The defense played extremely well the last 20, 25 minutes of the game,” said Sampson. “We would have liked to continue to play for the win, but the most important thing is to get the result.
“Fortunately, we were able to dodge some bullets from the Colombians, who where getting behind us and penetrating our midfield.”
A major facet of U.S. attacking play to be displayed during this tournament is its own ability to counter and turn the defense with crossfield balls. Colombia had tightened its grip on midfield, but Harkes broke down the left to send a high ball beyond the far post. Jovan Kirovski headed it into the goalmouth, and Wynalda crashed his header over the bar from six yards out.
With 11 minutes left, another U.S. attack freed Wynalda on the right, but his cross couldn’t find any of the three U.S. players waiting in the box. Mike Sorber, wrongfooted, couldn’t get his left foot to Wynalda’s service as it swerved past him.
Colombia forced two corners in the final seconds. Harkes headed away Bermudez’s first attempt, and only Burns had any chance to turn aside Bermudez’s seemingly unstoppable second header. Burns got enough of his 5-foot-8 frame airborne to deflect the ball away.
“Burnsie’s grown by leaps and bounds the last couple of games,” said Harkes, with no pun intended for the game-saving jump. “He was in a great position, and he did what any other defender would do, head it clear. But we were glad he was there.”
Said Friedel, “It was a combined effort today for our defense. I don’t think there was one standout star in the defensive lineup. I thought we played quite well, and like Alexi said, quite smart.”
The U.S. will need to play well and smart at Copa America, where it may meet packed, harsh defenses designed to repel this robust American attack. And a repeat of its disastrous performance at the ’93 tournament would erase many of the bright images produced at U.S. Cup ’95.
But bright images they’ll remain, for a while at least.
“I’m extremely proud of the players over the last three weeks,” said Sampson. “Three great results.”
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney