The U.S. advanced in the World Cup on a blue-collar, Cleveland-type goal. Too bad our own teams do not exhibit the same qualities.
They say you can learn a lot about a country by the way it plays soccer. If so, the goal that advanced the U.S. in the World Cup was us at our best, the U.S. as it would like to be.
The celebration of Landon Donovan, left, in extra time against Algeria was made possible by his persistence that left him in position to capitalize on a late scoring opportunity, sending the United States into the round of 16.From the instant goalkeeper Tim Howard stopped the header nodded right at him by an open Algerian player on a counter-attack Wednesday, it was a display of resiliency leading to opportunity, opportunity to persistence, persistence to "finishing."
The latter, which is a coaching term for scoring, is the rarest quality in soccer. That the Americans finished, almost literally, at the end of the Algerian game, in stoppage time, as well as late in the we-wuz-robbed tie with Slovenia, only adds to the non-vuvuzela-produced buzz surrounding it.
There should, however, be no Cinderella aspect to the advance to today's round-of-16 match against Ghana. Nor should a fairy-tale atmosphere surround the goal that got the U.S. there. The goal was hard-earned.
At this stage, 20 years after the U.S. returned to the World Cup by losing three matches in Italy by an aggregate margin of 8-1, America should get out of the World Cup's first round. Youth soccer is ever flourishing, and the skill level at the top of the pyramid is markedly better, as shown now on the world stage.
As thrilling as have been the current team's comebacks, what damage might it have inflicted had the fastest, most explosive player on the team, Charlie Davies, not been seriously injured in an automobile accident that kept him off the roster?
The goal that turned a leaden letdown into a golden celebration was a collaboration of the three most exciting players on the team.
Landon Donovan took Howard's outlet pass after the save, running onto the ball at midfield, then streaking on.
Jozy Altidore took a pass from Donovan in the 18-yard area and crossed the ball through the goal mouth.
Onrushing Clint Dempsey got a touch on the ball, which was stopped at almost point-blank range by the sprawling Algerian keeper, who could not control the rebound.
Donovan, who had not given up on the play and had continued to the net, put the ball in the back of the net in the far corner.
Landon Donovan carries the Stars and Stripes after Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Algeria. It was a hockey goal, says a puck-centric friend with considerable justification. He meant it came from crashing the net, from applying pressure with waves of serious men of malign disposition. It was a work-rate goal, produced by a labor-intensive approach.
It was not one of those goals that are sprinkled with stardust, like the ones Argentina scores. Argentina is the new Brazil, wavering at times in defensive focus, but made transcendent by the virtuosity of Lionel Messi.
The U.S. doesn't have such a player. No blueprint exists to duplicate the genius Diego Maradona and Messi displayed in Argentina, Zinedine Zidane displayed in France and Pele displayed in Brazil.
What the U.S. does have is a much more creative and attacking side than in years past, a side that can put shots on goal, put shots on goal, and put shots on goal until the other team cracks. The wide-open American play in the second half of the Algeria match was dictated, in part, by the standings. Both teams needed the win, and the Algerians needed a big win, to advance.
Still, the U.S. has scored four goals in three matches. One was a gift by England's 'keeper. Two others were disallowed on bad calls by referees. Nothing succeeds like success, but in soccer, scoring is close.
Tactically, the nearly golden goal came on a blazing counter-attack, made effective by Donovan's flair, Altidore's energy, Dempsey's ubiquitousness as a threat, and, finally, Donovan's persistence. It was a blue-collar goal, an American, even a Cleveland goal. It simply was willed into existence.
In a city that has seen its basketball team quit, its baseball team dismantled, and its football team never really cohere, it proved that the old values hold. Provided a team cares enough to honor them.