a play he was unlikely to attempt last year -- to set up Dwayne De Rosario's game-tying goal. Ashe was also dealing with some serious jet lag after arriving Monday and waking up at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The Dynamo's result came in stark contrast to the United States' results in the tournament, as the U-23 squad lost to Turkey, Côte d'Ivoire, and Italy in succession. Ashe played in all three games, including a pair of 90-minute performances, and acknowledged this group of American players has a long way to go.
"You can kind of lose focus as far as wanting to be the best in MLS," Ashe said on Tuesday. "You go overseas, and you see players two or three levels higher, and you realize you have to work harder. You kind of lose sight of that at times."
With three games in five days, the players had scant opportunity to check out French beaches or soak up local culture, instead focusing on the games at hand.
In the United States' opener against Turkey on May 21, Ashe started at left midfield and later switched to an unfamiliar spot on the right in a 3-2 U.S. loss. After falling behind 2-0, the game's most crucial moment arrived in the second half when the U.S. pulled within a goal after a corner kick but allowed Turkey to score at the other end less than a minute later. Ashe went the full 90 minutes in the loss.
Ashe came on as a substitute against Côte d'Ivoire, but his effective double team led to a penalty kick when teammate Tony Beltran fouled the attacker, leading to a game-winning penalty kick for the Ivorians.
In the final game of the tournament on Sunday, Ashe again went the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to powerhouse Italy. After being completely dominated in the first half, the United States improved its play in the second half but could not find a goal.
"I didn't necessarily play my best, but I figure I worked hard and did the best I could and gained a lot of experience," Ashe said. "I worked hard, and what I mean by that is a full 90 minutes. I wasn't able to take breaks."
Ashe and his teammates could be called into camp in hopes of making the Olympic squad later this summer, but head coach Peter Nowak gave no indication of his plans.
"[The coaches] just said, 'Good job and thanks for the effort. We'll be in contact and let you know,'" Ashe said. "They mainly said to focus on your season, to go back to Houston and apply what you have learned here."
Despite jet lag and short notice, Ashe popped up as a substitute on Wednesday and applied what he learned, helping the Dynamo save a road point. That's exactly what a soccer player's international vacation is supposed to provide.
