to do with the referee's decision on that penalty kick. Granted, the call was a complete embarrassment, absolutely scandalous. But that goal was caused very simply by our left back's naïve decision in how to handle a ball he should have knocked out for a throw-in. You make juvenile mistakes at that level, you get punished. End of story.
GIVING GOALS AWAY: Carlos Bocanegra's poor decision was only one-upped by Claudio Reyna's decision to dribble out of the back. Two decisions you'd expect from the 1990 U.S. World Cup team, not the 2006 version. And for everyone who is saying more of the U.S. players need to be playing out of MLS, while that will be debated, let me just take a brief moment to point out that both Reyna and Bocanegra toil in the English Premier League, and the goal-scorer, Clint Dempsey, is an MLSer.
BIG NAMES DID NOT DELIVER: A lot of questions will be asked about some of the big names on this squad, and the answers will be tough to ascertain. In two of the three matches, no U.S. player stepped up and really put their imprint on the match. This was especially evident in the Ghana match against a side that should have been beaten in those first 20 minutes. This might sound crazy, but even the Yanks' lone goal was troubling to me. DaMarcus Beasley gets a ball handed to him and gets in behind the defense, then our fastest player pulls up and hits a first-time (albeit world-class) cross? I just can't see the Beasley of old in 2002 doing anything but taking that ball, outrunning everyone, and tucking the ball home. The result was a goal, but the decision told me a lot.
INJURIES AS USUAL: I wrote it before the tournament and unfortunately it became true, this U.S. side was an injury-prone bunch. Losing Reyna in the third match hurt, but looking back what this team really needed was the enterprising play of John O'Brien.
So that is the Ghana match, over and done with. And now the questions come pouring in about the future of U.S. soccer, The Bruce, and everything else.
My take on Arena and his staff is the following: they took the U.S. program from a shambles to one that is bitterly disappointed in a draw with powerhouses Italy, and as silly as those rankings now look to be, got the U.S. into a very high position in the FIFA rankings. That will be his legacy.
As for the future, I can't lay the entirety of this at his feet, I just can't. He did not line this team up in a 7-2-1. Too many players simply didn't step up. For me, that is the story of the 2006 team. Can you look at some of his personnel decisions and question them? Of course, that is the fun of Monday Morning Quarterbacking. I wanted subs 15 minutes into the Ghana match when we came out limp yet again. I was screaming at him on several occasions throughout the tournament. We are all experts when our team is losing.
But just to sack Arena and then look for a replacement would be a mistake. That job is not easily filled. Think about it.
There is no doubt this U.S. team was an unmitigated flop. But I'm still not sure The Bruce isn't the best man for the job going forward. It also remains to be seen if he agrees, but this team's performance couldn't have helped him attract any new "opportunities."
For me, there are also two very significant positives.
First off: the return of a swashbuckling player named Clint to the U.S. national team. Clint Dempsey was a revelation in this tournament; I love his attitude, his intensity, and his talent. He just became a fixture in this side for a very long time.
And secondly and more importantly: a return to reality for the U.S. program, internally and externally. In 2002, the U.S. advanced in part because they played with nothing to lose, and played against teams that showed them little respect. In 2006, neither was the case. We all know the FIFA rankings are a joke, but now it is time for the U.S. program to return to the place from which it can have the most success: underdog. That is not a bad thing.
FLICK-ONS:
As if the game wasn't disappointing enough, I was really mad that we didn't get a chance to hear Eric Wynalda's thoughts at halftime of the U.S.-Ghana match. But full marks to Waldo, who made up for it with his biting post-match commentary, not pulling any punches in blaming The Bruce for this mess. His telling Julie Foudy to go first so he could calm down was one of the best moments of the tournament so far. Agree or don't with what he says, he really has become must-see TV.
I know Claudio Reyna announced his retirement from international play, but I have a sneaking suspicion we will see him again in a U.S. uniform. And frankly, I hope he does, so that ghastly gaffe is not the last play by which we remember him.
It's good to be Ukraine. You get hammered in the first match, and get to play Saudi Arabia and Tunisia next. Must be nice.
Best line of the tournament so far - and I hate to say it - came from the Queen of the Palace during the U.S.-Ghana match. The lead announcer says Michael Essien is known as "The Bison." The Queen's retort: "Do they give him this stuff just to see if he'll say it?"
I'm going to deal with this empty feeling the only way I know how this weekend - I'm going to sandwich watching four World Cup matches on TV around going to The Home Depot Center on Saturday night for Galaxy-Houston. Gonna be the first match in person for the Prince of the Palace, who is so mad about the Ghana loss that I think he started teething with 15 minutes to play.
With the first round gone, for the record I picked 12 of the 16 teams that made it through in my pre-tournament column. Not terrible. As much chest-thumping as I want to do for picking Australia to go through, your old pal Tino also had Argentina crashing out in the first round. And you wonder why I got rid of the betting section in this column.
During the season, The Clean Sheet runs each week on MLSnet. Views and opinions expressed in this column views and opinions are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com. Send any questions and comments to tcsresponses@yahoo.com
