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Get ready for an American dream showing in South Africa | Amy Lawrence | Football | guardian.co.uk
Get ready for an American dream showing in South Africa
After reaching a sixth straight World Cup, the USA feel they are not as far behind the best as the stereotype would have it
USA fans pay tribute to their stricken player Charlie Davies during the World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
From the puddles of Buenos Aires to the snowfall of Chorzow, from the warmth of Blantyre to the eruption in Turin, the climax to various teams' World Cup qualification prompted an outpouring of emotion. Special prizes are due not only to Diego Maradona's magnificent belly flop for providing the defining image and to Marcello "angry like a beast" Lippi for the most vivid non-Maradona quote, but also to the lesser known lights such as Vladimir Weiss, the Slovakian who professed love for his entire squad after they came through in a blizzard in Poland en route to South Africa.
The smokebombs that engulfed the USA team tell of another kind of emotional charge altogether. In the ninth minute of their match against Costa Rica, supporters released flares to highlight a cause close to their hearts as they held aloft cards bearing the No9. It was their way of showing support to their striker Charlie Davies, who is in a Washington hospital with career-threatening multiple injuries following a car accident that took the life of a young woman.
This was not the most straightforward match for the Americans, but the outcome reveals why they will be one of the teams to watch for next summer. They had already gained safe passage to the World Cup, and when their opponents – who needed to win to secure their own qualification – took a 2-0 lead, Bob Bradley's men would have been forgiven for playing out the rest of the game on auto-pilot. They had even more of an excuse in the 83rd minute when they lost the key defender Oguchi Onyewu to a knee tear and, having used all their substitutes, finished up with 10 men.
But there is a sense of defiance, a born hatred of losing, that underpins the spirit of the team. The Americans equalised with a late flourish of which Sir Alex Ferguson would approve. Little wonder they went a bit loopy. There were so many layers of meaning – a dedication to Davies, a face-saver in front of their own fans, and a confirmation that they finished ahead of Mexico to top what has become a pretty menacing group. That may count for something when the seeds are arranged for the draw for the finals.
This successful qualification guarantees the sixth consecutive World Cup for the USA team, dating back to Italia 90. That is not an achievement that some fairly high- profile nations can match. Not England. Not France. Not Holland.
But there is something in the air that suggests the USA team are extra serious about this one. It was in South Africa, at the Confederations Cup last summer, that they produced perhaps the finest display in their footballing history. They stunned even themselves when they scalped Spain to reach the final, which they lost narrowly to Brazil. The USA duly gave themselves a reference point about playing the best around. They know they can give anyone a scare. They feel they are not as far behind the best as the stereotype would have it.
Right now, anyone who gives you shorter odds for Argentina to go far in 2010 is off their rocker. The USA are in a sense everything that the mishmash under Maradona is not. Their team ethic is exceptional, they are drilled to play to their strengths, and their athleticism and attitude makes them a pretty relentless opponent. If the draw is kind to them, they could go further than they have ever been in their modern history. Having appeared in the World Cup finals of 1930 and 1950, it took them four decades to reappear on the main stage of planet football. At Italia 90, the USA lost all three matches. The journey since then has been considerable.
Do they feel ready for a new surge? Their understated coach, Bradley, is not one for grand statements but he is naturally pleased with the progress. "We are very proud to win the group," he said. "It took a really determined strong effort by our team and we always talk about when you step on the field, you show people what you're all about."
As Jozy Altidore, the raw and powerful striker who is evolving nicely on the international stage, reflected, it has been a challenging time. "I was very emotional the past few days," he admitted. "I am not going to lie, I just couldn't get my mind off of it. It is unbelievable to think how your life can change in one night, in one minute, in one second. It was tough to swallow. For me and a lot of the guys Charlie is a brother. We're all very close and that news hurt us a lot. We played with him in our hearts and I think it helped us out big."
For now, they are grateful for some time out to take stock, before firing up the systems again to travel full pelt to South Africa.
Get ready for an American dream showing in South Africa
After reaching a sixth straight World Cup, the USA feel they are not as far behind the best as the stereotype would have it
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From the puddles of Buenos Aires to the snowfall of Chorzow, from the warmth of Blantyre to the eruption in Turin, the climax to various teams' World Cup qualification prompted an outpouring of emotion. Special prizes are due not only to Diego Maradona's magnificent belly flop for providing the defining image and to Marcello "angry like a beast" Lippi for the most vivid non-Maradona quote, but also to the lesser known lights such as Vladimir Weiss, the Slovakian who professed love for his entire squad after they came through in a blizzard in Poland en route to South Africa.
The smokebombs that engulfed the USA team tell of another kind of emotional charge altogether. In the ninth minute of their match against Costa Rica, supporters released flares to highlight a cause close to their hearts as they held aloft cards bearing the No9. It was their way of showing support to their striker Charlie Davies, who is in a Washington hospital with career-threatening multiple injuries following a car accident that took the life of a young woman.
This was not the most straightforward match for the Americans, but the outcome reveals why they will be one of the teams to watch for next summer. They had already gained safe passage to the World Cup, and when their opponents – who needed to win to secure their own qualification – took a 2-0 lead, Bob Bradley's men would have been forgiven for playing out the rest of the game on auto-pilot. They had even more of an excuse in the 83rd minute when they lost the key defender Oguchi Onyewu to a knee tear and, having used all their substitutes, finished up with 10 men.
But there is a sense of defiance, a born hatred of losing, that underpins the spirit of the team. The Americans equalised with a late flourish of which Sir Alex Ferguson would approve. Little wonder they went a bit loopy. There were so many layers of meaning – a dedication to Davies, a face-saver in front of their own fans, and a confirmation that they finished ahead of Mexico to top what has become a pretty menacing group. That may count for something when the seeds are arranged for the draw for the finals.
This successful qualification guarantees the sixth consecutive World Cup for the USA team, dating back to Italia 90. That is not an achievement that some fairly high- profile nations can match. Not England. Not France. Not Holland.
But there is something in the air that suggests the USA team are extra serious about this one. It was in South Africa, at the Confederations Cup last summer, that they produced perhaps the finest display in their footballing history. They stunned even themselves when they scalped Spain to reach the final, which they lost narrowly to Brazil. The USA duly gave themselves a reference point about playing the best around. They know they can give anyone a scare. They feel they are not as far behind the best as the stereotype would have it.
Right now, anyone who gives you shorter odds for Argentina to go far in 2010 is off their rocker. The USA are in a sense everything that the mishmash under Maradona is not. Their team ethic is exceptional, they are drilled to play to their strengths, and their athleticism and attitude makes them a pretty relentless opponent. If the draw is kind to them, they could go further than they have ever been in their modern history. Having appeared in the World Cup finals of 1930 and 1950, it took them four decades to reappear on the main stage of planet football. At Italia 90, the USA lost all three matches. The journey since then has been considerable.
Do they feel ready for a new surge? Their understated coach, Bradley, is not one for grand statements but he is naturally pleased with the progress. "We are very proud to win the group," he said. "It took a really determined strong effort by our team and we always talk about when you step on the field, you show people what you're all about."
As Jozy Altidore, the raw and powerful striker who is evolving nicely on the international stage, reflected, it has been a challenging time. "I was very emotional the past few days," he admitted. "I am not going to lie, I just couldn't get my mind off of it. It is unbelievable to think how your life can change in one night, in one minute, in one second. It was tough to swallow. For me and a lot of the guys Charlie is a brother. We're all very close and that news hurt us a lot. We played with him in our hearts and I think it helped us out big."
For now, they are grateful for some time out to take stock, before firing up the systems again to travel full pelt to South Africa.
