USA men tumble out of Olympic Tournament

The task was already going to be tough, but when U.S. Olympic defender Michael Orozco drew a red card just four minutes into the U.S. team's crucial Olympic match against Nigeria, the job turned into trying to swim in a shark tank with your foot cut off.

The Nigerians picked and prodded at a gutsy U.S. team, eventually finding openings and punishing the Americans with a pair of clinical goals on their way to a 2-1 victory on Tuesday. The win helped Nigeria win the group, and also helped eliminated the United States from the tournament just three days after the Americans looked well on their way to the quarterfinals.

So what went wrong exactly? Where do you begin? Losing Orozco and having to play a man down threw the U.S. team's gameplan out the window and also crippled an already left flank. The lack of left-sided options on the U.S. roster was exposed for all to see as U.S. coach Peter Nowak was left with nowhere to turn.

Then there was star forward Jozy Altidore, who sources say went into the tournament nursing an ankle injury that limited him. Insted of a coming out party, Altidore left Tuesday's match at halftime, failing to play a combined 90 minutes in a tournament he was supposed to be a star of.

As for the red card, there is no denying two things. Orozco can't throw an elbow of any kind, but the referee did not have to give a red card that early in the match. The elbow wasn't at the face or a full-swing strike. It was an innocuous swing that led to an award-winning acting job by Solomon Okoronkwo. That didn't matter as much as the fact that Orozco lost his cool, leaving it up to the judgment of a referee to determine his fate.

Even with all the adversity, and having to chase around a dangerous Nigeria squad a man down for 86 minute, the U.S. team had life late in the game. Second-half substitute Charlie Davies left us wondering why he hadn't played more in this tournament when he came on and instantly provided a dangerous threat. His header off the crossbar late in the match nearly gave the Americans a stunning equalizer, but luck wasn't on the U.S. team's side this day.

Not when the Netherlands are being gifted a weak penalty call to help give the Dutch a penalty kick goal and 1-0 victory in a game they were outplayed by the Japanese. It will be tough for American fans to accept, but it was the U.S. team's own mistakes in the 2-2 tie vs. the Netherlands that helped the Dutch team reach the quarterfinals despite playing poorly for most of the group stage.

Perhaps that is the most frustrating part about the U.S. team's exit from the Olympic tournament. The squad showed signs of being good enough to advance, being skilled enough to play with anybody in the tournament. Players such as Sacha Kljestan, Freddy Adu, Marvell Wynne and Charlie Davies gave us moments that led us to believe that something special might happen in these Olympics.

Now it's over and the promising signs do little to erase the feeling that this tournament was a wasted opportunity.

What did you think of the U.S. team's loss and exit from the tournament? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[kpugs]

Gave away two points against Holland, then had to play a man down for 86 minutes against Nigeria.

I hate to say it because I love our young players, but this is just another disappointment for the U.S. team. We can take a couple positives away from this tournament, but not even to advance to the knockout round is, while not pathetic, not good.

[Steve]

I'm proud of the kids. They did better than expected and should learn a lot from their mistakes

[Mark]

There's no getting around it, the US absolutely blew it. From being in a position with 2 minutes to go where you are qualifying, to being out of the tournament, really is hard to swallow.

[soccerpruim]

I've been in a sour mood all day and everyone has been asking me what my problem. I reply with the best U.S. Olympic soccer team ever blew thei chance to make some noise. They reply with a shrug and a " did you see Michael Phelps last night?" I feel like s%*t.

[Shakes]

As a Toronto FC supporter, I'm just glad that we will hopefully be getting Edu and Wynne back for our game versus RBNY. :D

I'm a cold hearted bastard, I know.

- Scott

[Simona]

It's disappointing but they were really decent. It's just unfortunate in someways but they did a lot better than expected.

[Ulrich]

I'd hardly say that Sacha Kljestan was a star for the team.... Yes he scored a goal, but between his lazy passes/turnovers, jumping as part of the wall, and a penchant for weak defense, he was more a liability than anything else. At most his value was a push.

[Dan]

Ives:

I think composure is one area where the USMNT is deficient in compared to the rest of the soccer world. We deserved the tie against Holland because of clumsy play and we also deserved today's loss because of a lack of mental discipline. This is a shame, because I thought with a leader like Brian McBride on the team, mental discipline would improve, not worsen.

[Brian]

Ives, as always great analysis. I was really looking forward to a "coming out party" for the whole team... not to be.

I don't understand why Nowak kept a spent McBride on the field today. And Nowak's omission to use a sub at the end of the Netherlands game was shameful.

I only hope that this experience burned the players so badly that the scar will not have healed by 2010.

I can find some solace in knowing that we did better in the Olympics than Mexico.

[jmart]

Ives, in total agreement here. While the red card seemed overly harsh, Orozco should have known better - especially since we were missing some key players to begin with. The US should have been ready for some physical play and not lost their cool. The game was definitely winnable, or at least tie-able with all hands on deck, but a man down for the whole game was definitely going to be problematic at best.

I also agree that despite being knocked out, there is much hope for the future, as the performance of many on the team over the course of the games was a pleasant suprise. My favorite 'undiscovered' standout had to be Wynne - if scouts aren't on this guy, then they are missing someone with a lot of potential upside. I also enjoyed the play of Holden (despite some big mistakes), but I would have liked his play even more had he made that cross to SK near the end of the Netherlands match.

And when will Bradley quit getting stupid yellow cards...

[Johnny]

Orozco probably won't be called into the any national team Under 23 or Senior team for a long time.

McBride was a waste of a senior team spot. I was not enthused when he was chosen. After seeing Charlie Davies play like a man on fire it makes me wonder what a pairing of a Adu Davies could have done. Football is a young man's game, good luck to McHead in semi-retirement with the Fire

Consistency. I say many players play great at times. I saw the same players not play well and make bad decisions. We need consistency at all levels of the USMNT. We need diversity too. Not all players should aspire to play in the BPL. Jozy, Freddy, Danny, Sal, have the right idea and hopefully in the future we will see our yanks abroad in all the top levels.

Landon Donovan needs to play abroad to raise his game to the next level. Yes I know he wasn't in the olympics, but our best player will never be his best unless he sucks it up and tries again.

Peter Nowak is not the worst coach, and he is definitely not the best. Taking Adu out of the second game was plain dumb.

Don't worry everyone. Only one week til world cup qualifiers start!

[Kevin]

Given the red card, the loss was expected. Hopefully, the tournament will be a learning experience for the younger players. Discipline and situational awareness cost them the quarters, play just a little smarter in the final minutes of game 2, and they would have been through prior to today's game.

Also, just a few inches today separated the quarterfinals and going home. Davies gets that header down a few inches, and it's 2-2, with us going to the quarters. Given the red card, no Adu, no Bradley, and very little on the left today, that's pretty damned impressive.

[anotherbodymurdered]

@Posted by: Steve | August 13, 2008 at 01:59 PM

the most sane comment I've heard from a US soccer fan regarding this entire tournament, kudos

[m@]

Disappointing results, but good overall play that bodes well for the future of the USMNT.

In addition to the players you mentioned, I think Holden was perhaps the most consistent player both ways, providing calm maturity on the ball, winning the ball at key moments, and helping to control the pacing of our play.

Adu is definitely the most creative player on the team. Wynne is going to be dangerous, particularly if he continues to work on his technique. Edu was great, particularly given that he was not in his natural position. Kljestan was painfully inconsistent, but was very good at key moments. Davies looked good, but had too little playing time to judge his potential; all other signs are hopeful though.

I think Nowak did a decent job with the team and the games, but there are better candidates for coaching this age group.

[Juke Box Hero]

As I pointed out alongside many others, bringing no left backs and about 8 guys whose best position is center mid really hurt us. We were exposed down the left and had little to no crossing from the run of play. Also, Nowak's decision not to sub starters from game to game (with the exception of the 2 forced subs today) was silly if you ask me. Rogers continued turning the ball over again and again and McBride was gassed up front, while Davies was chained to the bench.

That said, I applaud the effort by our boys. Tough group, and Orozco really put them in an impossible hole. Wynne was our best player overall, and I'm pissed at Nowak.

[victor]

there's no way I'd mention kljestan as "something special". Yes, he scored a nice goal and converted a pk (when there was only moderate pressure, mind you, because it looked like the US was gone and buried), but it seemed that he gave away the ball or made bad passes at an alarming rate. It's amazing how ineffective McBride can be without service, I'd forgotten that with the recent lovefest during his return. It's makes me appreciate seeing Juan Pablo Angel even more, not only can he be a decent target, but he can also create his own shot and create for others.
I hope Jozy one day will be that kind of player. Here's hoping Davies or one or two current U-20 players can become decent offensive options, because we DESPERATELY need more weapons.

[kw]

There several things you can point to, but I don't believe it was any one play, player or game.

i think it simply comes down to mental conditioning - our repeated loss of composure, inability to run out the clock, giving away passes in the final minutes and failing to make the killer pass or shot. The US players are clearly strong, fast and even skilled enough to beat the best countries, but if the team is to continue to grow, they must significantly reduce the mental errors.

[Steve]

At the end of the day, we are just not good enough as a country. Though MLS has helped close the gap with the rest of the world, we will never get over the hump and be an elite team. From the MLS and US Soccer management, the coaching and the quality of the league, it is just not going to cut it on the world stage. We need more players going to Europe to get top quality training, coaching, and first class competition. Until that consistently happens, we should get used to results like we saw today.

[rocky]

I still cant believe they lost this game. It was over when orozco got the red card. We have to be excited though for the future. If im a usa senior team starter I think this is a clear message to step it up, because these players are going to take their spots. Wynne, Edu, Klejstin, Holden, Adu, Parkhurst, all really impressed me, the future looks very bright for this team, I think were going to see a lot of interest from Europe for these players. We as fans have to keep are heads up the future looks bright.

[Robert]

Mistakes that cost us a trip to the history books: needles fouls, two at the end of the game versus Holland (one by Bradley to see him miss tonight's fateful game and one by Holden that set up the tying PK), then another one by Orozco in the beginning of tonight's game that saw a red and left team USA with 10 men and zero options. Missing Adu also hurt since Kljestan was lonely in the midfield and Feilhaber was useless when he stepped in for Altidore (?). It is clear to me now that Adu and Bradley are important pieces of the American puzzle for our future outlooks, that more discipline on the pitch is needed, and that our over 23 players like Donovan, Beasley, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Dempsey and even Eddie Johnson still have a job and for Pete's sake... give us something to be proud of in the qualifiers!
So last night I went to be before 10, did not sleep well and woke up around 3:30, saw a terrible game until Nigeria scored its second goal and then went back to bed. Much better now physically but hurt mentally just like all you fellow soccer fans out there. We had our hands on history and all we needed was a measly tie. More discipline is needed, that much is clear. Jozy needs a little rest (maybe a month or so) before he's back to form.
Today is a sad day in sports. I feel everyone's pain on this comment thread.

[Angel]

Wow!! Michael Orozco Sad day for him, Can't blame him tho but I can't excuse him either knowing that this was it make it or brake it, to pass to the next round he did something Stupid and let the team with one man less. I think even tho they were one guy short hand it we have to give it to them, they (USA) did pretty well and fought. I hope that doesn't take something away from Michael from making it to the Men National Team cause he play his butt of during the elimation and in the Olympic. Like always we becoming little bit more like MEXICO (Could of) we need to step up and get to a final or a semi. Hopefully we can do it on the 2009 Confedaration Cup with the Men National Team and get to that Stage, Something good Came out of this. At least we didn't loose with out any Points or got eliminated last our previous World Cup, and we got other country to take notice and take the USA Serious especially the Netherland Coach. Lucky Baster one more minutes he could of been elimitated.

[Ives]

Folks, I wrote that these players, including Kljestan, gave us moments. For all of Kljestan's struggles in the tournament you can't argue that he didn't have flashes of brilliance.

[andy b.]

Only thing I would add to Ives' analysis is that I thought the biggest problem in the three games, considered as a whole, was the lack of quality service. It's the worst, most consistent problem the US men have suffered for a long time now (or maybe that's just how it feels): a great run, a dangerous move or two, and then... nothing, or at best a dud of a cross. It wasn't just Rogers, it was Wynne, Holden, anybody who had an opportunity. In that sense I disagree with those who thought McBride was a waste-- I think it was the lack of service to him that was the problem, not McBride, and if there had been one or two decent balls into the box, well...
Mostly, what I wonder now is this: HOW DO I MAKE THE HURTING INSIDE STOP? Right there with you, soccerpruim, Brian, et al. I can't believe how friggin' heartbreaking this tourney was.

[andy b.]

and Ives, you're right about Klestjan-- flashes of brilliance. Also, how do I make the hurting inside stop? Did I mention I'm a little bummed out?

[Michael F.]

I agree Ives, I actually was pleasantly surprised with Kjestan. I may be among the minority, but I think bringing in McBride was a mistake.

[jloome]

If everyone in the U.S. is so impressed with Marvell Wynne, will someone please offer TFC a trade for him. Can't play defense to save his life at the pro level; leaves waaaay too much space behind him and has been personally responsible for about a third of the 24 goals TFC has given up this season.

Can't cross either, although he's good on the dribble.

[Drew]

I have no sympathy for Orozco. I hope he hangs his head low today. What a stupid stupid decision in such a big game. Other than that enormous brain fart and lack of class, I think the US had a fairly solid tourney. A tough tough group...seeing as Japan could have easily beaten the US and reports that they outplayed the Netherlands, looks as though Japan was right there too. Is it just me or does it seem like the US always gets placed in a tough group?

[Michael]

I hope Riquelme, Messi, and company are unfreakingmerficul towards the Dutch. Given how extraordinarily lucky the Dutch are, I guess they will always have a chance, but they were the worst team in the group and somehow make it through.

There are two kinds of people I can't stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch.

[Drew]

andy b....i have some ideas, but probably not good ones on a work day. ;)

[nicholas s.]

I can't even read your whole post, Ives -- or anyone's. I feel sick. I'm gutted about showing up to China and bottoming out like this. I don't know what I expected, but not this.

[Angel]

Andy B.
I feel the same way, I bummed out too and I can't understand why we are not playing against ivory Coast or Argentina perhaps. I don't get it.. This lost SUCK Big Time and I'm sick n tired that Media in this freaking Country doesn't take The USMNT serious. and how we are going to make other country to take notice of Our National team when our own country didn't give a damn either.. I freaking pissed off cause we could made history......

[Darkman]

The main thing for me was....
McBride did not get hurt.

Club before country.

[BrianK]

I am desparate to say that the US was the best team in a dificult group (we beat Japan, had Holland on the ropes and lost 2-1 to Nigeria while down a man for essentially the entire match),...but the truth is that in spite of having closed the gap with other countries athletically, technically and tactically, the USA program has been plauged by incredible lapses in decision making by its players. It is nothing new. Over the years we have watched:

John Harkes get a yellow for time wasting (!) against Romania and miss out on the Brazil match in WC 1990.
Jeff Agoos getting a straight red card in Azteca in WCQ?
Jeff Agoos passing the ball to Dion Burton of Jamaica at RFK during WCQ? (I will never forget the look on Keller's face as he stared Agoos down)
Who remembers Pablo Mastroeni's red card just before the half against Italy in Germany?
Who remember Carlos Bocanegra's ridiculous over-the-head backpass into his own penalty box just before the half against Ghana?

Now we see Adu, Bradley, Holden and Orozco,...all good players losing their minds and making CATASTROPHIC mental mistakes that denied an otherwise strong team results. There is definately something lacking in the USA sides,...composure in the heat of battle.

[gimmi]

Even though I love McBride as a player, I felt he was not going to be a good fit for this club, this was not the style McBride is use to playing. And this is coming from a Crew fan..

[Robert]

I'm so depressed now... give me my meds!

[DeLarge]

Damnit people, it's "COULD HAVE!"

NOT "could of."

And yeah, someone mentioned it earlier. Today sucks -- and it happens to be my birthday. I've been down all day long and people wonder why, because Michael Phelps just won gold!

WHO GIVES A ****?

He's got size 14 feet and a wing span like a pterodactyl. He was born to win stupid gold medals.

[Tolik]

Ives, what do you think about Nowak?

It seems strange to me that a known disciplinarian failed to instill (or insist on) basic professionalism: don't get stupid cards, don't run your mouth with the referees, keep your cool - don't respond and don't lash out. A wall during a FK is there to be a wall - unless specifically commanded by a goalkeeper, don't jump, don't do anything - you may protect your privates, but otherwise, don't move, turn, flinch - be the wall.

Selection to the team raised a concern about defence, and now we have 20/20 hindsight to prove it. It lacked depth and quality on the left side from the get go. And as it progressed, it was the left side suffering the most. Orozco was not a left side defender, and he did not adjust well.

McBride proved to be selfish in his insistence to participate and coaches foolish to go alone. He did not improve the team. Somebody like Lewis would have been much better covering the left side deficiencies and providing left side offensive punch.

[Fumar]

Listen folks coming into this tourney no one on this site gave the US a chance in hell to get out of this group. People were saying they would get embarassed and beat into a bloddy pulp by this superior group. I think Ives was even predicting a last place finish. Well the team decided to play the games anyway and they showed that not only can they play with the heavy hitters in this group, but OUTplay them. They were 2 minutes away from advancing and even possibly topping the "group of death." So we had 2 mental lapses at crucial times. It happens. Bad reffing happens. Bad decisions happen. These kids are still young and most are inexperienced in this kind of tourney. They played above expectations and looked like they should win the group, but got a few bad breaks. We didn't expect anything, so this should be a bonus. It only feels like a loss because they were so close.

[Barksdale]

Just a few thoughts after the three games..

Kljestan - I know he scored an important goal against Holland, but other than that I thought he was pretty bad. He has no defensive bite and he gave the ball away WAY too much in the central midfield.

McBride - Even though he didn't score, I thought he held the ball well for us. I was pleased he was on the team.

Edu - I think his play in this tourament might open BB's eyes to another option at CB. Young Bradley, Pablo, Clark, and other attacking options such as Lanny, Adu, or Dempsey will be competiting for time at CM so why not pair Edu with Gooch or Boca in a game to see how the combination works? I thought, for the relative lack of experience, Edu played well in the back.

Guzan - Pure class. Aston Villa is getting a solid young player.

Holden - I thought he looked good both centrally and wide. He could be a nice flank option in the upcoming qualifiers if Beasley isn't back to form.

Wynne - My goodness is he athletic. I wish he would develop some touch.

I thought most other players looked average.

Wishes...

1. More defensive depth
2. A healthy Jozy so he could have played more minutes.
3. Consistent confidence as shown for about 60 minutes of the Holland game.

[Jake]

I can't believe all the "poor Michael Orozco" nonsense here. Throwing an elbow in that situation is simply unforgivable. The US should have won the Dutch game, but 100% of the blame for this game has to go to Orozco's boneheaded elbow. That's something you see 10 year olds do. Orozco is dead to me.

[Angel]

DeLarge Happy Birthday

And thank you for correcting me, "COULD HAVE" But who give a F with my grammer when freaking USA lost...

[future]

THIS TEAM IS BETTER TECHNICALLY THAN OUR SENOIR NATIONAL TEAM and may even be better overall (i would put my money on this team going against our senoir team). NOW THE QUESTION IS, how many of these guys penetrate that squad.
Quick PLAYER NOTES:
SHASHA: though not fast, is our most technically sound player with the best feel for the game
HOLDEN: not flashy but outplays the man he goes up against. a guy which every team needs.
WYNNE: not technically sound, but an M!#FING BEAST (shades of roberto carlos at times). His stock just rose tremendously
EDU: if he plays with the senoir squad, his spot is in the back
ADU, Bradley and Altidore - they are good, and unlike Landon, make those around them better.
DAVIES: leaves us wondering
This is an actual team, which the USA has not experienced before.

I say have this team with the addition of donovan, dempsey, boca, gooch, beasely, cherundalo, howard and poss a few more be the roster for qualifying.

[david]

my big 3 mistakes: naming GUZAN as an overage player instead of a twellman etc.. not giving jozy enough pt... pulling adu in the holland match

oh - and i also wouldnt have even named bradley to the team.. this kid is so overhyped on this site its redic

[Skinn]

If everyone in the U.S. is so impressed with Marvell Wynne, will someone please offer TFC a trade for him. Can't play defense to save his life at the pro level; leaves waaaay too much space behind him and has been personally responsible for about a third of the 24 goals TFC has given up this season.

Can't cross either, although he's good on the dribble.

Posted by: jloome | August 13, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Whatever...

[Fumar]

The one thing this team needs is hundreds of hours of crossing drills. If we got some good balls to the box following sideline runs by Rogers, wynne and others this team would have been an offensive force. As it stands they are an above average team and a great basis for a future national team.

[Curtis Spiteri]

Orozco!!!!!

[A.S.]

Yes, Orozco's elbow was bad. But the reason that the USA is out of the Olympics is one player: Holden. He was absolutely horrible in giving away the two points we needed to advance.

Holden blew the Netherlands game (both in his awful foul as well as in the utter failure to clinch the game with a 2-on-none breakaway minutes earlier). And the Netherlands game was where we lost the Olympics.

That's not to say that others aren't to blame. Adu and Bradley's inexcusable yellows in the Netherlands game ruling them out today. Whoever has been telling our wall to jump. Klejsten's bad giveaway to set up the Holden foul.

But really, those are all much more minor than Holden's poor play. I'll be happy if I don't see him in a US uniform for a while.

[FK PIRIN]

Even though we didn't make it through, I really enjoyed watching the US play. I feel that even if we haven't reached the level of the best teams in the World, we have gotten to the point where I can believe we could win against one of them when it matters.

I really love that this team didn't give up and that they can pull goals back and make it interesting. That quality makes a team fun to watch. At the end of the game I think the fans in the stadium were chanting overwhelmingly for the US. I wish I could have been there for that.

[Hope Solo]

I would have made those saves...

[safety120]

As far as I'm concerned Kjelsten, Holden, and Orozco shouldn't sniff a second MNT time. After their embarrassing displays against Holland and Nigeria I hope Bradley sits them for a long while.

[Steve]

C'mom fellas hold back on the melodrama.

The boys showed well and played well against some tough opposition. The were a little unlucky and a little naive but I think they put on a good show.

Its still the Olympic soccer tournament so we didn't miss a trip to the history books, even if we had been able to advance past Argentina and Brazil the next two rounds.

[A.S.]

Also, to echo what David said above: Michael Bradley is completely overhyped. He did absolutely NOTHING in these Olympics. A complete waste of space.

Bradley should not have even started for this team, much less be a starter for the full national squad. He is simply one of many players who seems to be able to score goals in a mediocre league, but brings nothing to the table for the national side. He has no composure whatsoever, and makes a zillion boneheaded plays (as perfectly exhibited by his moronic yellow card at the end of the Dutch game).

Obviously, with his father as coach, the national team will continue to make him an automatic starter - it is completely impossible for there to be any objectivity about how bad he's been in the Olypics and for the full National Team. I hope that either he improves a LOT of the next few years to the point where he deserves to be on the field in these important games, or that there is a change in leadership at the top of the program to someone who can see what kind of player he really is.

[Fabrizio]

The statement by Robert above is the most accurate. This was lost when Adu and Bradley got the yellows and effectively took themselves out of the Nigeria game in the hopes of not missing the quarterfinals. Tomorrow is promised to no one. You have to play each game as if it is the last game. I know the boys left it all on the field today and for that they need to be applauded. I do question the Jozy switch to start the second half. Nigeria does not know how to manage a game, they keep committing 4 or 5 guys to the attack, leaving the back open. Having a guy like Jozy there who can create a chance for himself, or somebody else, instead of McBride who is an aerial specialist who wasn't getting any service makes no sense (other then a lingering injury to Jozy's ankle). It is a sad day in Muddville, a day where it hurts to breathe!!

[andy b.]

Hey Ives-- if you ever want to pad your resume for something, I think you can describe your blog as 'Group Therapy/Peer-Support Counseling Coordinator.' Something like that. Say it treats sports-performance induced depression in an underprivileged population (just don't mention that the population happens to be despondent US Soccer fans.)

[sasoccerfan]

For anyone who thinks that we were just stuck with "a tough group"...

The crummy teams always complain about the group they're in...the good teams just advance.

US Soccer is making progress, but is still somewhere short of being elite in the world's game.

Celebrate the little bits of progress and start preparing for 2010...

[Charles Zimbabwe]

Kljesten sucks.

[inkedAG]

I have a feeling come 2009 and 2010 we will be having the same conversation we are having now. Look at the future and the positives from a tournament, instead of the reality that we are just not good and not getting any better.

[andy b.]

And Steve, how dare you judge us in our time of pain! Melodrama is the birthright of every soccer fan.

[Steve]

Not going to join the b*tch session. Some of the commentary here sounds like Eric Wynalda's.

The boys played well and caught some bad breaks. They played (at times) attractive, attacking football which is something USMNT fans want to see more of.

[Nate M]

If you subjectively break down the tournament with an assessment for various aspects of the game - here's one take:
1 Raw ball skill displayed - Very good (better than in qualifying and a good precursor for the future)
2 Chances created - Average (They got 3-4 good solid chances per game which ain't bad for this level - the buildup wasn't always pretty but we got the ball consistently in dangerous spots)
3 Finishing - Poor (especially in the 2nd half of 3rd game)
4 Midfield Control - Good (better than average in 1st two games but many many turnovers in 3rd game - single biggest factor in 1st 2 games as to why we even had a chance to advance)
5 Defensive 'shape' - Average (we seemed to give up about 3-4 good solid chances per game - Japan probably had the best chances and didn't happen to hit them - Nigeria took a lot of half chances w/ no success but buried their 2 best chances)
6 Mental - Very poor (single biggest factor as to why we're going home - big mental lapses consistently through the last two games would negate work leading up to it - extremely disturbing trend that is hopefully an anomyly)

[Steve]

BTW, I'm different than the first "Steve" commenter.

[Robert]

Kudos to Andy. This hurts too much to not make it public :(

[paul Lorinczi]

I am tired of the excuses.

We lost the Dutch game giving up a goal with :30 left. It was not bad luck, or a too bad. It was stupid to give up a foul in the position we did with the time left.

It is time for US teams to go into tournaments believing they can go all the way to the final. They need to play like they are going to the final. Getting to the next round is not enough anymore.

They should have taken care of business on Sunday. That is when we lost.

This one is like the 2006 WC.

Why did we put so much faith in an out of form McBride when the in-form striker was on the bench? I love McBride and everything, but he was the one we should have subbed at half-time, not Jozy. The guy who has scored goals for us?

I am still pissed. I am also finding my other Soccer friends a little pissed. This one hurt.

[A.S.]

Oh, and two more things, since I'm at it. If Jozy Altidore was really hurt, such that he couldn't play 90 minutes in 3 games, then he shouldn't have come to Beijing. They should have brought an extra fullback instead.

Second, Ives writes that several of our players "gave us moments". To be honest, I could not care less if a player gives us moments. I would much, MUCH rather have a *consistent* player at a decent level than a player who gives me a moment and then plays poorly the rest of the time.

[paul Lorinczi]

Oh...one more thing.

For all you Parkhurst lovers....now you know why he is not getting the looks for the National Team. He got schooled on both goals against us.

[thom]

“At the end of the day, we are just not good enough as a country. Though MLS has helped close the gap with the rest of the world, we will never get over the hump and be an elite team. From the MLS and US Soccer management, the coaching and the quality of the league, it is just not going to cut it on the world stage. We need more players going to Europe to get top quality training, coaching, and first class competition. Until that consistently happens, we should get used to results like we saw today.”

Posted by: Steve

The blog by Steve copied above sums up our whole situation perfectly. Everybody else is just venting which I guess is what these open forums are for. But what Steve says above cuts right to the heart of the matter without histrionics or name calling.

Congratulations Steve for summing up the plight of U.S. Soccer perfectly in six sentences.

[Nate M]

Paul L - agreed - it wasn't luck!

[Sushant Rao]

This is a black day indeed. Getting kicked out of WC'06 due to a dubious call against Gooch in the Ghana game and the dubious straight(!!!!) red to Orozco against Nigeria, this is again very painful.

The weird thing is that even though we were down a man, we had our chances against Nigeria. The Davies header at the end plus the shot he took that went straight to the goalie (did anyone notice Dax and someone else running up to the box; if only he had squared the ball, we would have had our tie!).

I give a lot of credit to the players on the field. They played their hearts out! It's hard for me to have much sympathy for Adu and MB. Adu had a reckless challenge against the goalie and MB should have had someone else waste time. They both had yellows and should know when to pull back or defer.

Having to sit those two out plus Orozco's elbow were just plain bad.

That said, there were a number of positives:
- When Adu's on the field, the US has much better possession and takes on teams
- The back line of Wynne, Edu, Parkhurst and Orozco were superb most of the time. I wished we had another center defender so we could have played Edu as a def mid but the back line was solid and came up to attack.
- Guzan was great and shows he ready for top flight competition
- Davies was a revelation off the bench with the way he ran at players.

Based on what I know and have seen, I think we should have fielded a lineup like this:
Davies - McBride
?? - MD - Sacha - Adu
Orozco - Parkhurst - Edu - Wynn
Guzan

I would have preferred another center defender so Edu takes on a center midfield spot instead of Sacha, but i'm ok with it.

However, there wasn't anyone else in the midfield that impressed me. Rogers, Holden, Szetela, Feilhaber, McCarthy all didn't do enough to warrant starting.

It's too bad because this team deserved better and the Dutch got really, really lucky.

[Nate M]

The Parkhurst plays hurt - all the composure in the world - hope its another anomaly

[timpramas]

I fault the coaching staff on roster selection. Sturgis played well in Olympic qualifying and I understand his inclusion on the original roster for the Olympics. But, he had injury issues all season and at least one alternate should have been selected who was capable of playing as a left defender. For the entire tournament the US ended up having to play a center defender out of position on the left and then play a center midfielder out of position as a center defender. Given the number of center midfielders on the original roster, should one of the four alternates been a center mid? With the maximum allowed three overage players already on the roster, should one of the four alternates been Hejduk?

[Fabrizio]

The statement by Robert above is the most accurate. This was lost when Adu and Bradley got the yellows and effectively took themselves out of the Nigeria game in the hopes of not missing the quarterfinals. Tomorrow is promised to no one. You have to play each game as if it is the last game. I know the boys left it all on the field today and for that they need to be applauded. I do question the Jozy switch to start the second half. Nigeria does not know how to manage a game, they keep committing 4 or 5 guys to the attack, leaving the back open. Having a guy like Jozy there who can create a chance for himself, or somebody else, instead of McBride who is an aerial specialist who wasn't getting any service makes no sense (other then a lingering injury to Jozy's ankle). It is a sad day in Muddville a day that hurts to breathe!!

[Fumar]

FK PIRIN - I'm completely with you. Not only has this team proved it can stand tall in the face of feirce oppositon, but also play an attractive attacking style that can bring them back into games. Gone are the days of watching the MNT kick it about the defenders only to boot a hopeful ball to our forwards. This team can work it up the field with intelligent and at time crafty passes. It's nice to have some creative players on our side!

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

Losing really sucks, even more when you expect better.

On to Guatemala next wednesday with the full USMNT. Maybe Kenny Cooper could get a call up, that would cheer me up a bit. So you know it won't happen.

[ag nigrin]

This game reminded me a lot of the WC06 game vs Ghana but not just because it was the 3rd game of the opening round vs. an African team. This game was also reffed by a German who had no respect for the Yanks. A red card to Orozco for a little elbow embellished greatly by the Nigerian layer in the 4th minute of the game is essentially handing Nigeria the win. It should have been a yellow and a warning. Also why no red card to the Nigerian keeper for fouling Edu in the box? At the time of the foul the keeper was the last man back and should have been ejected not given a soft yellow. The USA is like Rodney Dangerfield in these tournaments. They get NO RESPECT!

[hartman]

going into the tournament, i expected 4 points: 3 from japan, 1 from nigeria, 0 from dutch. the fact that we finished on 4 in a roundabout (and more exciting) way is keeping me from going into a deep depression at the moment. it's a thankless job being a fan of the usmnt!

[Rando]

Peter Novak sucks his Decisions come game time really f***ed up for us the US Soccer Program if F***ed up heads need to start rolling starting with the coaching staff. this team needs new ideas. Theses guys dont have set style of play hardly anyone can make a desent pass trap shoot hold the ball nothing. This is pathetic im afaraid that unless something is done this will be the same stoy in SA 2010.

[jpc]

I Think although the result here was very disappointing, there are a few positives to take away... WE WERE THE BEST TEAM IN THE GROUP OF DEATH. I know, we didn't advance and we blew it, but from my perspective our team ouplayed the Netherlands and Japan, and came a post away from tying Nigeria while playing 90 minutes with only 10 men without our 2 best players... Benny Feilhaber should be playing much more for club and country, I'm not sure what the flak that he receives is over, but he always produces on the field... Charlie Davies is very good, I want to see more... Sacha Klestjian has moments of brilliance, but for the most part he commits careless turnovers... Maurice Edu is straight nasty, I was not one of his fans until recently... I wish Marvelle Wynne was playing running back for my Dolphins, he Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams would win us a Super Bowl. God is he fast, and strong as an ox. If he can learn to not just blast balls down field when pressured (which I want to pull my hair out when I see) then he could be a stud on the right... Danny Szetela is quality, tough, and always seems to make the right decision with the ball

[rkupp]

Good analysis - I agree on the main points:

1) The red card decision was ridiculous. Between 2 closely matched teams, the referee decided the match for them. I don't go along with this "Orozco should have known better" stuff - that was a love tap. Worse stuff happens on every corner kick.

2) The players played their hearts out and showed that they can play with all but the top teams at this level.

3) Nowack was handcuffed with no good choices on his bench. To go 86 minutes with no left back left the whole defense w/o confidence.

4) The more referees rule "by the book" instead of using their judgment, the more games they will ruin.

5) This team needed more high-level preparation matches (where have we heard that before???) to work out these issues with "composure".

[Tony in Quakeland]

I'm bitterly unhappy about the results...

but people turning this into an attack on the state of US soccer need to rewatch the last two games. Yes, there were stupid fouls and mistakes. Combined with some bad luck and a lack of opportunistic finishing, we lost. But there was also a hell of a lot of good play, intelligence and composure.

It sucks to be out. But let me tell you: this Olympic team would have absolutely spanked the World Cup 1990 team. Hell, they probably would have beaten the 1998 team. The evidence of our maturing was everywhere.

[Tom]

Wasn't that just the typical US Men's soccer game? Great athleticism, great fitness but little technical and tactical ability. That has to change sometime, doesn't it?

[Yossarian]

This was the most encouraging major tournament outing by the U.S. since the World Cup quarterfinals run. This was a U-23 tournament, folks. It's not as much about wins and losses as much as showing the overall growth of our players. To quote George Bush, "Mission Accomplished" (except it's actually true, this time).

The U.S. clearly showed it was a top 8 team in this tournament, dominating the run of play against a powerful Dutch team and nearly tying the Nigerians despite being down a man for the entire game. All this despite receiving zero or negative contributions from our two overage field players and missing the cream of our U23 crop due to injuries and yellow cards - Awesome!!

Yes, we did not achieve the results because of some dumb mistakes. "Gasp! A U-23 team making dumb mistakes??!!??" You have to expect some idiocy from the U-23 kids because... well... they're U-23 kids.

It's not important that Holden made a dumb tackle or flubbed an easy re-direction. It's important that he consistently won 50-50 balls, distributed dangerous balls, and made good runs, all the while generally showing good touch and ball skills. This goes for Marvelle Wynne, Michael Orozco, and several other players on the roster. Don't look at their dumb mistakes (those will, hopefully be weeded out with experience), look at their run of play.

The U.S. knocked the ball around and controlled possession as well as I've ever seen. This is very encouraging. Ball skills are what have generally held us back in the past but we showed remarkable growth in this area as a whole team.

I repeat: the most encouraging major tournament outing by the U.S. since the World Cup quarterfinals run.

[doug]

I guess everything at this point is wednesday evening quarterbacking but here are 2 things I took from the tourney

Squad inflexibility--We all knew the deal when we saw the team selected. Not enough backs, not enough forwards, too many of the same type of midfield players. Couldve used Heath Pearce as an overage left-back option, even Eddie Lewis who was out of season. A GK overage selection was a waste, Seitz was good enought to do the job. If you are going to pick overage players, you cant pick someone who changes the way your entire team played during qualification and unitl the last 3 warmup games, i.e. if you bring McBride, bring someone else who can give him quality service (Eddie Lewis?) This team couldve used an Arturo Alvarez. Say what you want about his attitude, lack of hustle or whatever, but after Adu where was the creativity

Dubious coaching--Nowak never really impressed me before the tourney, personally I wouldve liked to see US Soccer promote Rongen and give Nowak the younger squad. After the tourney, I feel like in sme ways he let his team down. Let me explain, first off the squad selection was poor as discussed above. Second, curious substitutions. Adu v Holland. At a time when the US desperatley needed his ball holding skills to kill the game. Davies' cameo had more action than BMB all tourney. If Altidore was injured, all the more reason to see Davies sooner. Third, if reports are true, that it was Nowak who asked Bradley to pick that card up v Holland, doesnt that break the cardinal rule. Dont think about future games until you have the result of the current one. Thats it. Feel free to say Im stupid or dont know anything. These are just the opinions of somebody who is tired of watching the USMNT in any form, rack up "moral victories"

[Danny]

Overall, I am very disappointed that the US was unable to advance out of group play. However, i saw quite a few positives. Our team was talented enough to play with any team we faced. Also, many of our key players are currently in MLS (Wynne, Edu, Parkhurst, Holden, Kljestan, Holden, Rogers, McCarty) or have just left (Guzan, Jozy). Finally america may have a league that makes a major contribution to our national team. I think that many of you guys are being too hard on Holden and Kljestan. They combined for three of our four goals. Holden made a couple mistakes but was very solid. Kljestan needs to work on his turnovers but i like how he adds creativity that the US seems to lack. I was proud of the team how they never quit today despite playing 10 v 11 the entire game without their two best players. The final ten minutes was some of the most exciting soccer i have seen from the US in a while.

[ur]

what a tough way to go out. A few comments:

- We need to get Davies some time in camp with the full MNT. He looked dangerous in his limited time today and considering the state of strikers in the pool (see Johnson, Eddie) another option is appealing.
- Nike gets a big fat "F" for not making uniforms that worked. The shield covered-up by tape looked very bush league today
- Can us soccer hire an overall technical director to guide the program. Inability to hold the ball, pass the ball in tight space, finish or cross seems to kill the US (Full Nat team and this U23 version). And can someone teach some discipline to not do stupid things?

[Adam M.]

We'll never know how good the U.S. really was because they were down 3 starters within 3 minutes of the Nigeria game (4 if you count the limited Jozy) and never really featured the Adu, Altidore, McBride triangle that everyone thought would star. I think the US is proving that it has the talent to be a serious second-tier threat assuming it can limit unforced errors. But we still make far too many unforced errors to be a consistent second-tier threat, much less when we also have to overcome harsh calls (e.g., shoulda been a yellow) or injuries. And we are still light years away from Argentina or Brazil type consistent quality. The real question now is how far the senior side can come in the next year, undoubtedly featuring many of the same players, before the Confederations Cup, which really will put us against top tier talent in competitive matches.

[Nate M]

Tom - I'd say it was the opposite - one of the reasons we saw the mental errors in the 2nd game was fatigue. Giving up the 2nd goal in the 3rd game was also a sign of a tired side. The turnovers throughout the midfield during the 2nd half of the 3rd game were lazy (tired) legs.

It's understandable that they be tired but I'm not sure it was because they were lacking in technical ability. To beat a dead horse, their decision making when they were tired was very spotty.

[tedhill]

THIS JUST IN:

USA did not have the worst day. Olympiacos just lost the away leg 3-0 in Champions League Qualifying! They will need some Greece magic to turn around that scoreline in the second leg.

[AllNats]

I have to completely disagree with the above comments about Michael Bradley being worthless as a player.

This is not a reference to his second yellow, that was absolutely boneheaded and I am not trying to defend it.

As a player, I thought he played pretty well in his two games. He was a very solid defensive presence and was instrumental in disrupted the much-vaunted Dutch midfield attack. Also his passes were accurate and crisp for the most part, and he seems to gotten away from his habitual turnovers.

[Seriously?]

II can't believe how over the top everyone gets, and how harsh people are being on many of the players. Like Parkhurst for example. I missed the first half (stupid Tivo), so perhaps he was "schooled", but he tripped/fell over on the second, which to me was more down to exhaustion than anything else. It wasn’t all that surprising considering that he’d been defending for a team that was a man down since the beginning of the game, against a team that was not shy about sending players forward all game, in what was reported to be oppressive heat, when it’s his 3rd full game in a week. I saw that happen, and it bummed me out, but it was one of many instances in the last 20 mins of that game, where I saw something that in a normal game would have really pissed me off, but at that point, all I could say was, those guys are gassed. I didn’t like seeing Kljestan take the penalty, because I saw how tired he was, and fatigue can lead to mistakes. I don’t know if he likes taking them, but assuming he’s not a player who is afraid of penalties, I would have had Davies take it, knowing how fresh he was. Luckily that worked out, not that it mattered though.

As for Davies, while I wholeheartedly agree that I’d like to have seen him come on much earlier, I can’t get too excited about him yet. He was a fresh player coming into a game against a team that had shown it had little interest in defending, so the conditions were tailor made for him. He obviously did well with what he had, I’m just saying I need to see more of him before I’m ready to anoint him the next big thing.

The biggest disappointment to me was the discipline, both in terms of fouling, etc, and in terms of being disciplined as a team to make the right decisions to close out a game, as should have happened in the second game. Obviously the red card was not smart - even if it was harsh, it was just plain stupid (from what I hear, didn’t see that either). Adu’s 2nd yellow didn’t bother me as much, as I believe he actually got the ball, which I thought was allowed, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who knew that Bradley was going to get that yellow, and was yelling at the TV to just kick the ball and not be so stupid, unfortunately, he decided to go with being stupid. Fortunately, such discipline is much more likely to improve with experience, as opposed to innate skill on the ball, which doesn’t improve that much from this point on.

[Fumar]

1) Adu and Bradley (Bradley for sure) got their yellow cards ON PURPOSE! They wanted a clean slate for the knockout stages. And honeslty I thought it was a good move, because at that point it looked like we were going through for sure.

2) Parkhurst did get beat on the first goal, but his help defense in the box decided NOT TO MARK ANYONE and that led to the goal.

3)Altidore didn't play more because HE WAS INJURED. Why can't people see that. This last game he started because the US was out of option, but he was clearly not entirely right and ran out og gas late in the first half.

4)Thom and Steve - Everyone thinks we need our top players going to Europe, since when is this a novel idea? And establishing the MLS as a legitimate option for American players to get paid playing soccer makes more athletes second guess taking up baseball or football instead of soccer. What we really need is a comprehensive program to bring soccer fields to inner-cities and suburbs everywhere.

5)There is one reason and one reason ONLY that we are not in the quarterfinals - Holden's late foul. The kid needs to see that the ball is moving AWAY from goal. He needs to see that he won't get to the ball before the Dutch player. He needs to see that the player was already surrounded by the defense and has no where to go. He needs to see that this is dangerous spot in which to give up a free kick. He needs to know that there's 2 minutes left. He needs to know not to come in recklessly. Holden is the reason we didn't advance. But he's also part of the reason we did. Ahh football!

[ac]

The USA had their chances! Hopefully this will be a learning experience for the young team. The great potential is there, and I hope they can progress in the future in other games. Where to start? Nowak's questionable choices, referee decisions, bad finishing, bad defending, miscommunication, mental letdowns, etc. But look at the positive. Could the USA actually have some decent foward options in the future? We know that Altidore has immense potential. But from his few moments in the game, is Charlie Davies also a glimpse of the future or just a onetime hit? He wasn't afraid at all on the big stage to run at the opposition as a foward should. If there's something to be taken from these games, the USA actually had some players who weren't timid about taking it to the opposition. The senior national team seems to be stuck in one kind of playing and that's mostly going for the set pieces and not fearlessly attacking the opposition. Adu attacked, Altidore attacked, Sacha attacked, Rogers attacked (even though he really didn't cross well), Davies certainly wasn't afraid to go all out, and even Wynne and Orozco got foward. I sure hope Edu gets a nod back into his midfield positoin soon. He and Bradley could form a good partnership. There's just the growing pains that are inevitable and they must go through. As much as the tumbling out of the Olympics does hurt, the glimpse of some of these players mixed with senior players such as Donovan, Dempsey, etc leaves us to at least hold some hope for the future. Time for WC qualifying!

[ur]

And one other thing, since everyone is killing Parkhurst and Rodgers on the first goal. It looked to me like Edu was the one who left his mark wide open for the easy goal off the cross. Which is understandable considering he was playing out of position (very well for most of the games)

[Robert]

Nice, Hope.

[Bryan]

As far as I'm concerned Kjelsten, Holden, and Orozco shouldn't sniff a second MNT time. After their embarrassing displays against Holland and Nigeria I hope Bradley sits them for a long while.

========================================

First one dies you die too, but there will be others. You can count on that. You gotta let him go. You gotta let him go.

[srfinger]

I love how people's memories are about 2 minutes long.

This was our best chance to make waves in a tourney??? How about the U20's this past summer? They dismantled Brazil and then went out to frickin Austria. How about 2002? Inches from advancing to the semis? You want Olympics? How about LD and Beasley leading us to the medal round in Sydney?

This was our best chance to make a run in a tournament this year. Period.

We had a team capable of going much further, but they didnt. That happens in tournaments. Ask Spain (pre-2008 of course).

We did the exact same thing in the 2002 WC. Went into the Poland match needing a draw and gave up two quick goals and then never really looked good. Its just that Portugal kept hitting the post against Korea, so we got a shot at Mexico. This time Holland gets a terribly soft pk and we get sent packing.

If Portugal puts one away, then 2002 would have been a MONSTER letdown after beating a tourney favorite and holding the hosts to a draw.

This team should have done better. They played a lot of very good soccer but got brutally punished for a few foolish mistakes. Sometimes, luck overcomes those, sometimes it doesnt.

Some guys looked like they were ready to take the next step (Holden and Klestjan especially) and others still need time.

This was an extremely dissappointing way to go out, but lets not make it into more than it really was.

[Nate M]

Relative to Nowak's decision making - Why sub Davies in only after having found out about Netherlands scoring (according to his post game quotes)? You're down 1-0 and at that point, what rationale do you have for not going for the tie? Netherlands score at that point in the game should be irrelevant to your decision making. When they were 0-0, you still should have been going for the tie. If they happened to have stay tied at 0-0 and you lose 2-0, so what. In the meantime, you've lost time off your own clock.

[Christian]

Well, as a Mexico fan it sure feels good to see the US Olympic team continue the tradition of USMNT of the past, and that's going out in the first round of tournaments.

With that said, I don't know how some of you claim the US was the best team in the group when they didn't even advance, that's just poor logic and frankly sounds alot like the mexican fans some of you love to rag on.

Secondly, after watching all three games, with the exception of the Holland game, I wasn't really all that impressed. I was expecting Rogers and Sasha to shine but they did the exact opposite IMO. Jozy was subpar and looks to be obviously carrying an injury. Holden was the most consistent player but he made some boneheaded mistakes against the Dutch. I actually thought the defense did fairly well.

Honestly, this team showed that without Adu's creativity, they will struggle big time. It seems to be the same case with the senior NT.

Don't feel too bad guys, it's only Olympic soccer. Focus on the Confeds Cup for next year and build on the positives so that you may have a successful World Cup.

[A.S.]

"1) Adu and Bradley (Bradley for sure) got their yellow cards ON PURPOSE! They wanted a clean slate for the knockout stages."

If that's right, then they are even bigger morons than if they just were being boneheaded. We were only leading by one goal.

[Fumar]

srfinger - got it exactly right. You win some you lose some. The Karms gods of soccer make all things even in the end, except for with the Italian NT who seem to have singed a long term lease with the karma gods.

[Fumar]

"We were only leading by one goal"

Only leading by one goal with 5 minute left and Bradley killing another 3 minutes with the time wasting and the ref coming over and booking him. It's just good strategy. In fact I think we needed to start killing time right after our second goal. There was a spot when Jozy gathered a long ball and didn't have anywhere to go with it. There were 10 minutes left and I was SCREAMING at the tv, "GET TO THE CORNER! GET TO THE CORNER!" We need to learn from the Italians and other top teams that to close out a game you need to kill time. If you start going to the corner with 10 minutes left and killing 2 minutes at a time, letting your defense rest and reset or possibly forcing a corner and wasting more time, before you know it the game is in the bag. At that point we didn't need a goal we needed to keep the ball away from the Dutch. That's what Bradley tried to do and that's what we need to get better at to close out these tight games.