U.S. Blows Late Lead, Draws 2-2 With Portugal Setting Up A Huge Match vs. Germany

It should tell you something about the rapid rise of the U.S. men's soccer team under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann that a 2-2 tie vs. Portugal this afternoon at Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil was seen as very disappointing. We feel this way because the Americans had all the power in their hands as they could have booked their trip to the knockout round with a win while Portugal would have been eliminated from the 2014 World Cup if they had lost.

Instead, after allowing the tying goal in the 95th minute on Varela's header from Cristiano Ronaldo, the U.S. faces the grim challenge of Germany on Thursday (12, ESPN) in their final group stage match. A win or tie against the Germans would do the trick but the U.S. can also advance with a loss: 1) coupled with a tie in Ghana-Portugal or 2) better goal-differential than whoever wins the other match. You couldn't ask for much more in terms of excitement since all four teams in Group G are still alive.

This was a fantastic contest and since it was on a Sunday night in primetime, I predict they received record ratings in the U.S. It was the type to pull in a casual fan and hopefully hook them enough that they check out the Germany match and possibly some others. What is it about the beginning and ends of games for the U.S.? They are always filled with drama.

After Geoff Cameron's clearing attempt went horribly awry-deflecting right to Nani in the fifth minute-the Manchester United product showed the finishing skills that he's lacked for the past year with both his club and country. The U.S. trailed at halftime in the rainforest which was certainly alarming since they were 0-14-1 when trailing at halftime at the World Cup (they tied Slovenia in 2010). Meanwhile, Portugal had been 8-0-0 when ahead at halftime.

Unlike vs. Ghana, the U.S. looked solid from the start (save for Cameron's blunder). They owned more possession and were unlucky to be down to the team that FIFA ranks as the fourth best in the world (haha yeah right!) The Americans tied it in the 64 minute on an absolute howler by midfielder Jermaine Jones. It easily has to go down as one of the prettiest that the U.S. has ever scored on as he wound up from way behind the 18-yard box and put it in the corner with serious pace.

A tie would have been ok but credit to Klinsmann and his team for continuing to go for the three points. They were handsomely rewarded in the 81st minute when Clint Dempsey's re-directed Graham Zusi's cross with his stomach. Not his chest, I can't say I have ever seen that kind of maneuver. In a sense, the U.S. was fortunate to be leading at that point since Portugal had blasted a shot off the post and Tim Howard made a spectacular reaction save on the followup.

Ronaldo hadn't done much all day so it figures that the top player in the world showed up when it mattered most: Michael Bradley capped off his tough day (he should have scored an easy goal earlier in the second half) by turning the ball over in midfield. The Portuguese quickly counterattacked (albeit 5-on-7) then Ronaldo whipped in the cross that Varela perfectly hit past Howard.

If we're being honest, this game probably was most deserving of a draw. Germany and the U.S. are tied atop Group G with four points while the Germans have a superior goal differential (+4) to the Americans (+1). Ghana (-1 goal differential) and Portugal (-4 goal differential) each have a point. Leading up to Thursday, I can guarantee that most sane fans and media will expect Germany to win. The good news is that tough situations like that where people are doubting them the most seems to be when the U.S. plays its best. Four points against Ghana and Portugal is admirable but the U.S. still has plenty of work to do to prepare for Germany (who have an extra day of rest) and get a result that will keep them alive.

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As Expected, Jozy Altidore Will Miss the Portugal Match

Today the U.S. soccer federation confirmed what we all could have guessed back on Monday: striker Jozy Altidore (strained left hamstring) will be out on Sunday when the U.S. meets Portugal (6, ESPN) in Manaus. Obviously, two important followup questions come with us but the problem is that at least for now we have no idea who will replace him in the lineup (either Aron Johannsson or Chris Wondolowski) or if Altidore will play another match at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Even without Altidore, who is far from their best player but still one of the most irreplaceable (if that makes sense), I think that the U.S. has a good chance to beat Portugal. It sounds like Matt Besler's hamstring injury is much less severe than Altidore so he should be able to play while Clint Dempsey will also compete whether he has to wear a goofy mask or not.

The U.S. clearly have their issues and Altidore's absence can't be underestimated but few would disagree when I say that Portugal is much more of a mess. Defender Pepe is suspended after receiving a red card vs. Germany, right back Fabio Coentrao is out for the rest of the tournament and forward Hugo Almeida's status is uncertain after he left early with an injury in the 4-0 German beatdown.

It is a must-win for Portugal, they can't afford another lost particularly with that brutal scoring differential starting them in the face. I think another win for the U.S. would basically clinch a spot in the knockout round since I can't see Ghana beating Germany (they play on Saturday).

Sunday is shaping up to be a huge day for U.S. soccer and it's sure to get monster ratings in that primetime slot. Let's hope the U.S. can continue this wave of positive momentum for the sport in this country, after all everybody loves a winner.

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U.S. Finally Solves Its Ghana Issue at the World Cup

It only took three tries but the U.S. men's national team found a way to beat Ghana at a World Cup. What better way to open up their 2014 experience in Brazil than with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Ghana at Estadio Das Dunas in Natal? Ever since the fateful draw in December, we knew that if the U.S. was going to have any chance to advance from Group G, they had to beat Ghana (the same team that had eliminated them in the past 2 World Cups with 2-1 defeats). 21-year-old German-born defender John Brooks was the unlikeliest of heroes for Jurgen Klinsmann as he scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute-a header from Graham Zusi's on-the-money corner kick. It was the first goal scored by an American substitute in World Cup history, how's that possible?

The fact is that 85% of teams who win their opening match advance to the knockout stage while ESPN's trusted Soccer Power Index gives them a 63% chance after the huge three points. There are many aspects that made this such a sweet victory: Ghana's Andre Ayew had tied it at one in the 82nd minute so this looked like a draw or maybe even loss for the U.S. since they had basically defended the entire match after Clint Dempsey scored the fastest goal in U.S. history (32 seconds in!) and became the first American to score at three World Cups. There were an absurd amount of injuries for the Americans: Jozy Altidore went down with what looked like a serious hamstring injury in the 23rd minute, Dempsey's nose was broken with a high kick to the face and Besler was switched at halftime before he got seriously hurt.

Ghana owned a 59%-41% advantage in possession although truthfully it felt way higher. That's not normally a sound strategy to win at major tournaments but the U.S. made it work since Ghana didn't put together too many great chances, usually bungling passes or losing it in the attacking third. They took 21 shots but only eight landed on goal and Tim Howard was under considerable pressure but he didn't have to be Superman. Ghana got increasingly frustrated as midfielder Mohammed Rabiu picked up a yellow card in the 30th minute and midfielder Sulley Muntari was booked in the 92nd minute. An added bonus is that the U.S. didn't receive any cards, congrats Jermaine Jones!

Altidore will be evaluated more tomorrow and we have to hope that it wasn't as serious as it looked. Aron Johannsson came on for Altidore and despite playing 72 minutes, I can't remember him making a single positive play for the U.S. That's not to say he was terrible, he just didn't do anything to stand out in his first career World Cup appearance. Keep in mind that the striker from Iceland is only 23.

The U.S. is off until Sunday (6, ESPN) when they meet Portugal who got crushed 4-0 vs. Germany earlier this afternoon. That will certainly be a tough match but it doesn't look quite as imposing as we probably expected for a couple reasons: 1) Portuguese defender Pepe received a red card so he's out; 2) forward Hugo Almeida and defender Fabio Coentrao were both subbed out with injuries. Their status is something to monitor in the coming days. Portugal will be desperate and seeking to score many goals (to dig out of their brutal -4 goal differential) while the U.S. would be happy with a tie but a win would essentially put them through. Ghana plays Germany on Saturday (3, ESPN), good luck with that!

Who else already has a case of World Cup fever?



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Landon Donovan's Summer Suddenly Got Much Less Busy

The 2014 FIFA World Cup starts three weeks from today (!) and the U.S. men released their 23-man roster set to go to Brazil. The normally joyous occasion was marked by controversy as star midfielder Landon Donovan (the U.S.' all-time leading goal scorer) was surprisingly left off after appearing in the past three World Cups. We already knew that head coach Jurgen Klinsmann had German balls of steel but this move certainly shows that he's not afraid to take a different approach than most.

I trust Klinsmann and his assistant coaches' judgment that Donovan wasn't in good enough form to make it (midfield is the U.S.' deepest position) and I just hope that this doesn't remain the main focus for everyone when they get to Brazil. Should the Americans lose (a near certainty), let's not pretend that simply having Donovan would have changed everything. Klinsmann will have to answer plenty questions about this subject tomorrow (as he should), but after that it's time to move forward with this group.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

After naming the 30-man preliminary roster on May 12, the following seven players have been released from the U.S. MNT’s training camp: forwards Terrence Boyd and Landon Donovan, midfielders Joe Corona and Maurice Edu, and defenders Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst. The seven remaining players have been placed on a standby list and are returning to their respective club teams.

The U.S. has three warmup matches stateside before things get real: they play Azerbijan next Tuesday in San Francisco (10, ESPN2), Turkey a week from Sunday (2, ESPN2) at Red Bull Arena then they close with Nigeria (the only team of the three also heading to Brazil) on June 7 (6, ESPN) in Jacksonville.

Ever since that nightmare draw for the U.S. in December, I have purposely not gotten my hopes up at all in terms of them advancing out of the group stage. It certainly could happen, don't get me wrong, but I just am leery of setting myself up for painful disappointment. I think it is as simple as seeing what happens in the U.S.' first match, vs. Ghana on June 16 (6, ESPN). If they win, great. If they tie or especially if they lose, goodnight. The best they can hope for vs. Portugal on June 22 (6, ESPN) is a draw while the final match vs. Germany on June 26 (12, ESPN) is all but guaranteed to be a loss. Got it? Let's go U.S.!

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Four More Years of Jurgen Klinsmann for the U.S. Men's National Team, Because Why Not?

Bravo to the U.S. soccer federation for acting fast before people are all down on the men's national team this summer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Today, they rightfully rewarded head coach Jurgen Klinsmann (27-10-7) with a contract extension through the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The key footnote to the deal is that he also becomes the team's technical director.

Odds are that his first World Cup with the U.S. next June will be a forgettable one as they face the formidable task of advancing out of Group G which features Ghana, Portugal and Germany-all unquestionably great squads. Even if the Americans get embarrassed, Klinsmann is still the best man for the job. I'm not saying he's the greatest coach in the world (that's so subjective anyway) but let's agree that the U.S. couldn't do any better.

Changing the culture around the team and youth programs take years and a few cycles of World Cups to see any progress in a sport that usually moves at a glacial pace (hello goal-line technology). Klinsmann is young, full of energy and his coaching and playing resume speaks for itself. So far his players seem to respond positively to him, they have to realize how lucky they are to have an outsider rather than some MLS or god forbid U.S. college coach.

With all the Americans have success around the Globe, we have plenty to be proud of when it comes to soccer these days. Still, I'll maintain that Klinsmann is the best thing to ever happen to the USMNT. He will have as good a chance as any to turn us from a middling team to a powerhouse more in line with our country's size (yes I realize we have a million sporting options unlike most other countries).

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What a Nightmare: U.S. Men will face Germany, Portugal & Ghana in Group G

So who's looking forward to the 2018 World Cup in Russia? I can't remember being more depressed about a sporting event that is still seven months away than this afternoon when the 2014 World Cup draw was unveiled in Brazil. The three teams in your group are absolutely vital to the non-superpower teams so that's why the fact that the U.S. men drew Germany, Portugal and Ghana was a stroke of unbelievably bad luck.

I could care less about the method that shady FIFA came to this conclusion, I feel bad for U.S. fans that have already dropped thousands of dollars to book their trips to crime-infested Brazil. Haha stay safe guys! The U.S. meets Ghana (a team that in the 2006 group stage eliminated them and knocked them out in the 2010 round of 16) in a must-win to open play on June 16 in Natal.

There is no mystery to how the Americans will advance. They have to beat Ghana which has clearly proven to be a tough task then they somehow need to draw with either Portugal on June 22 in Manaus (a rain-forest city) or June 26 vs. Germany in Recife. Seeing Cristiano Ronaldo face the U.S.' clownshow backline should be good for some laughs. I won't say that Portugal is a tournament-favorite because as someone with Portuguese heritage, I can tell you that they always choke. For that reason, the U.S has a better chance to tie them. Germany is always a heavyweight so in this setting, I give Jurgen Klinsmann's team zero chance to do anything positive against his countrymen.

And this has been your 2014 World Cup update. I will still watch every game that I can since I maintain this is the best sporting event in the world and it only comes once every four summers. However, I have already come to the conclusion that it'll be a short stay for the U.S. Nevermind if they will get any points in Brazil, will they score any goals is a more relevant but super negative thought stuck in my mind.

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At This Point, Qualifying For the World Cup is a Formality; It's Time For The U.S. Men To Take The Next Step

Let me be clear: tonight is rightfully a time of celebration after the U.S. men's national team beat Mexico 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Columbus Crew Stadium. Coupled with Panama's 2-2 tie with Honduras, the Americans have reached the World Cup for the seventh consecutive time and 10th overall. That got me to thinking: it's about time that we started striving for more.

Being a Top-3 team in CONCACAF is not that difficult (Costa Rica also clinched a spot) and heaven forbid the U.S. comes in fourth, then they get to wipe the floor with a patsy from Oceania. What I'm trying to say is that now that we know what Jurgen Klinsmann (25-9-6) is all about, why don't we start demanding greater success at the World Cup? I'm sick of the U.S. struggling to get through the group stage then bowing out to an average team (hello Ghana in 2010). It's silly to think they can win the World Cup next summer in Brazil but why not make an unlikely run to the semifinals?

Mexico is a dumpster fire that looks destined for a date with New Zealand in the playoff after tonight's loss which was preceded by them firing their coach last weekend. To complete qualifying, the U.S. will meet Jamaica (Oct. 11) and Panama (Oct. 15) but this evening's results took all the intrigue out of them (which is what we were hoping for).

It was scoreless at halftime but the U.S. made it 1-0 on Eddie Johnson's powerful header (from Landon Donovan's cross) in the 49th minute then fittingly Donovan iced it in the 78th minute with a redirection from Mix Diskerud. Clint Dempsey had a chance to leave it at 3-0 but his last-second penalty kick missed the net.

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