Great effort from the US but it also showed how far they still have to go to become a world class program. Belgium dominated play and Howard kept them in it until the Extra Time and it just wasn't enough. Basically Belgium had 8-9 guys who were more skilled than the US players and they controlled the ball and just pounded away for the most part. That's not to say that the US didn't play their asses off because they did and they fought like hell to the end and had their chances, and if it goes to PK's it's 50/50 because both sides had great goalies. This US team played 4 teams in a row that were more skilled than them without one of their top 3 players, and they played all of them as hard as they could, they have absolutely no reason to hang their heads because they represented themselves and this country as well as they possibly could have. And while their are going to be big changes in personel between now and the next World Cup their is definitely reason for hope with players like Green and Yeldin coming up. They will be making a huge mistake if they get rid of Klinsmann, which is the sense I get from listening to Lalas, but Klinsmann understands the level and depth of talent it takes to be a top program, and when they can trot out a starting 10 (plus world class depth off the bench) that can control play and dictate the action the way teams like Germany, The Netherlands, France, italy, Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina usually can then they will be at that level and threatening final four with a real shot at winning it, and that's still probably 20 years off.
I love the speed and athleticism of Yedlin and Green, and I would love it if speed were the ultimate basis for the identity of this national team. I don't think you do it to the detriment of having a team with good size that is really tough but i think the US has the athletes who can provide both elements. Jozy Altidore, Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, Deandre Yeldin, and Julius Green provide a really athletic nucleus going forward, and i have the feeling their are more like them in the feeder system and some will end up being revelations. They ares till going to have the more cerebral players like Bradley and big defenders like Gonzalez but to me the thing that could make the US team scary in future international events is the athleticism.
At this point I am just on a patfanken ramble. Hated to see them go out, have to get the soccer talk out of my system.
Tim Howard-Was that his last World Cup? Hopefully not, he may not be the starter at 39 but goalies last and he just played one of the greatest games any goalie has ever played, hard to call him done until it starts to show and that doesn't look like it's soon. Worst case scenario he gets beaten out and he's still available as a back-up. Unless he calls it quits?
Clint Dempsey-Not counting goalies the best player in US history, Donavan has the numbers but Dempsey scored the biggest goals on a consistent basis. I think he's done at the National Team level, he can still play at a high level and could help them the next year or two but he just played his last WC game.
Micheal Bradley-As much crap as we dish out at him he works like no one else and imo the last 30 minutes showed that Lalas was actually right and he is a far better player when playing from a defensive midfield position rather than an attacking one, when Altidore went down the moved both he and Dempsey up, and both suffered for it, and when they moved Wondolowski high and Bradley and Dempsey back their entire attack changed as Bradley consistently gave dangerous through balls to the attacking midfielders. More than anything else i think Klinsmann is going to take heat for that decision, they struggled with their possession and attack when he was playing higher up and they looked much more effective and dangerous when he was playing from the defensive midfield position he normally plays. I loved the creativity at the end of that game and despite getting stuffed the set play with Dempsey off the line was a thing of beauty.
They have some pieces but they have a ways to go, hopefully they will find some of the answers in the next year or two, that way they can contribute early and build for the next World Cup.
