United States Squad Report: Team prepares to leave Brazil

“It’s the hope that kills you.”

An old cliche, yes, but the essence of this sport. The 19-year-old Julian Green’s world-rending goal for the U.S. with thirteen minutes left in extra time in a game the U.S. were suddenly, impossibly, still fighting for after going 2-0 down.

A set-piece to end all set-pieces that nearly set Clint Dempsey free in a crowded 18 yard box against Thibaut Courtois. A heeled Jermaine Jones shot in the box that sailed past the Belgian net. And the lingering bad taste of the horror miss from San Jose Earthquakes sub Chris Wondolowski in the final five minutes of regular time that everybody was still trying to wash out.

The reality is that football is not made for TV, but a game played in real life.

There will be inquests and op-eds all distilling the uncomfortable feeling that despite the inspiring effort, the United States is still a Round of 16 nation unable to compete with the world’s best man-for-man. Particularly on a night when Tim Howard, man of the match, was exposed over and over and over again to the whims of the Belgian frontline.

Perhaps, however, the lopsided shot statistics last night could be explained by the tiring DaMarcus Beasley failing to track back, or because DeAndre Yedlin’s brilliance saw him become the fulcrum of the American attack up front, exposing Gonzalez and Besler in front of goal on the Belgian counter.

And perhaps we should remind ourselves that individual World Cup matches can only tell us so much about the State of Soccer in the USA.

As for Klinsmann—who will fly back with the team to Sao Paulo today to get ready to come home—he will always have his critics, but his decision making this tournament was impeccable, whether using Beasley as a full-back or incorporating the German-Americans to surviving the group of death without the assistance of Landon Donovan. Anyone who believes he won’t be leading the team in 2018 either doesn’t know USSF president Sunil Gulati or has their own agenda. Whether he overtrained his players however is a subject for another day.

What does this mean for American soccer?

I have no idea. I don’t believe the millions who watched and admired the team in the last three weeks will stay on for Major League Soccer, or even the Premier League. International and club football are different beasts altogether.

What matters though is how this loss, and with it the feeling that the U.S. is still a hardworking international David and not a global footballing Goliath, will help further fuel the push for better player development. That’s a much more boring, more difficult task, but perhaps even more vital than anything that happened in Brazil. It will be helped by broader support for the game in America, which 2014 no doubt secured.

It’s the hope that kills you, yes. But if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger. See you in 2018.

Fixtures/Results

Group G — June 16 — Ghana 1-2 United States

Group G — June 22 — United States 2-2 Portugal

Group G — June 26 — United States 0-1 Germany

Round of 16 — July 1 — Belgium 2-1  United States aet.

Squad News/Rumors/Injury Report

FW Jozy Altidore never ended up featuring for the team on Tuesday.

DF Fabian Johnson picked up a strained right hamstring against Belgum.

Quick Notes

1. Klinsmann thought there should be more than one minute of injury time in the second half of extra time.

2. ESPNFC does their level best to keep American viewers interested in the World Cup. Good luck!

3. MLS analyst Matthew Doyle’s take always worth your time.

4. The final word to Tim: