After a season of controversy and division amongst Real Madrid and Barcelona’s stars, the United States decided to present Spain with a gift. The team that knocked out La Furia Roja in the 2009 Confederations Cup would submissively allow the best in the world to do whatever they please. Vicente Del Bosque, hoping to recreate a unified ambiance in the dressing room, could not have been more grateful. The largest crowd ever to see at US Soccer match at Gillette Stadium, over 64,000 fans, including myself, paid to see a well played match, however, by the end of the second half there were fans in the American Outlaws supporters section shouting, “Bob Bradley stole my wallet.” That argument is wholly fair, though perhaps the blame partially lies within the US Soccer federation for scheduling this friendly three days before their Gold Cup opener against Canada, which the US coach never let out of his focus.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in New England, “The Greater Good” took precedent over the opportunity to challenge the world’s best given Bob Bradley’s machiavellian mindset. But it’s hard to look past what was lost.
Firstly, confidence. The Gold Cup always seems to be a battle between the Americans and the Mexicans, and unlike US Soccer, Mexico scheduled a match against New Zealand to focus on fundamentals, gain rhythm throughout the midfield, and give younger players confidence. This will be the tournament where Chicharito breaks out as the leader in attack for El Tri, but it also should be the tournament where US starlet Juan Agudelo shows Americans that he really is something special. But within the context of preparation and confidence, Agudelo has just been forced to endure a demoralizing match where not only did he not receive any service, but he also understood that he has a ways to go before he can prove a challenge for Pique and Sergio Ramos. The same case is true for two US defenders with bright futures: Tim Ream and Eric Lichaj. Having to defend an onslaught of David Villa, Alvaro Negredo, and Santi Cazorla isn’t quite the same as being able to control the New Zealand attack.
Landon Donovan did not partake in the match due to illness and Clint Dempsey was only subbed on at halftime. Captain Carlos Bocanegra did not even dress for the match.
Secondly, the US lost respect, from the world and from US Soccer supporters alike. Make no mistake, tens of millions from all over the world watched expecting a decent contest. Will that many people watch the US again throughout the entire Gold Cup? Doubtful. Established journalists such as Sid Lowe had shown the US respect given the fact that they were only one of two teams to have beaten Spain in a competitive match since 2006. Domestically, US Soccer supporters may never turn on the team’s proven talents (Dempsey, Howard, Cherundolo, Bradley, Donovan), but they may reconsider their team’s lack of commitment. The support the US received yesterday was immense, so choosing to throw away this game was very much a slap in the face for the thousands that paid at least $50 to see the Stars & Stripes in action. And a slap in the face, from Bob Bradley or Sunil Gulati, does not resonate well.
One analogy I think holds appropriate for the occasion was the United States’ utter disrespect for the Copa América after they were invited to participate in the tournament by CONMEBOL in 2007. The US, having already won the Gold Cup earlier in the summer, which allowed them to play in the 2009 Confederations Cup, chose to rest its stars and send an experimental “B” squad to play against Argentina, Paraguay, and Colombia. Unsurprisingly, the US wasted the honor of the invite by losing all three matches and finishing with a goal differential of -6. Perhaps even more unsurprising, the US were not invited to partake in the tourney this summer in Argentina. Unless Spain wants to schedule another tune-up match, it’s hard to imagine the Spanish federation inviting the US to the Bernabeu anytime soon. Spain did do justice to the masses in attendance, starting 6 of the players that started in the World Cup final, while also giving players that have shined in La Liga this season, such as Santi Cazorla and Alvaro Negredo, the start. Oh, and then Iker Casillas, Andres Iniesta, and Fernando Torres came on in the second half.
Spain admirably showed respect for their opponents by coming ready to play with intent, which is probably why it was so difficult to watch the US Men’s National Team, until Clint Dempsey came on in the second half, content with getting destroyed. It was a lost opportunity, but more than that is the embarrassment in the fact that the US didn’t even make an effort to show the best team in the world the dignity they deserve.
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