The Biggest USA Game Ever, For Now

It is not a stretch to say we are less than twelve hours away from the biggest US national team game ever. And if they win of course that honor will be passed on to the quarter final match. Certain matches have garnered a legacy with the passage of time: 1-0 over England, the Port of Spain qualifier, last year's Confed Cup win over Spain. But this is that rare moment where achievement, expectations, visibility, and excitement come together in one game.

And the USA will be taking on Ghana as the result of... probably the most important goal in the national team's history. If Landon Donovan had not scored in the dying moments against Algeria there was a perfect storm for a soccer backlash in this country just waiting to be unleashed. Despite all the curiosity and interest from casual fans and the never-watched-soccer-before types I am convinced the fervor for the game would have been crushed. The "referees always want the US to lose" "Why doesn't the game end at 90? Wait why doesn't it end after the added time, like on the second?" "I don't understand why a game can end tied..." and don't even breach the topic of the drawing of lots (which to be fair is an absurdity). But all that vanished as Donovan scored a dramatic winner that stoked casual interest even further.

After following most of the game online from my desk at work I took my lunch early around the 60th and went into the cafeteria where I found one casual 50-something woman watching the game. Soon after I sat down other people began to trickle in. By the 80th minute there were probably a dozen people. Many of them were asking basic questions about the game, genuinely interested in answers, and I remember thinking this is probably happening all over the country. How does offsides work, what about substitutions, what if there is a tie, etc. By the time Landon Donovan scored that goal there were at least 25 people (of them maybe 7 real fans of the game previously) packed around the TV urging the team on. Sometimes epic moments recede into nothing as time goes by, but I feel like this might be a watershed moment for this game in the USA.


As for USA vs Ghana: I feel there are two keys to this game for the United States. The first is don't concede early. They did it against England and Slovenia and only the fortune of the crossbar prevented it from happening again in the last group stage match. Add to that the early goals in the friendlies leading up to the tournament and a dangerous vulnerability becomes apparent. Yes they have bounced back against England and Slovenia and that speaks to the grit of the team, but your luck runs out at some point. Going a goal down early in a must win game is not insurmountable but sooner or later the US will be facing a team capable of shutting the game down and dictating terms.

The second is to be patient. This Michael Essien-less Ghana squad suffer from a lack of offense. They tallied a mere two goals during the group stage and both came from spot shots. A team that relies on penalty kicks to get through group play may do it, but they must realize the reality changes once they enter the knock-out round. It would seem the longer the game remains scoreless, or if the USA grabs the lead, the more Ghana will step out of its comfort zone and commit men forward. At that point the USA will begin to have legitimate counterstrike opportunities.

My picks for today: Uruguay 2-0 South Korea. USA 2-1 Ghana.

Enjoy!