The U.S. men’s national soccer team set a list of goals two years ago, as they began the long journey that they hope will end with them holding a small golden trophy on July 11, 2010, in South Africa.
After last week, they can cross off steps one and two of their list of goals. By beating Honduras 3-2 and fighting their way to a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica, the U.S. was able to hold off Mexico and claim the top spot in CONCACAF World Cup, qualifying for next summer in South Africa. That said, this was the easy part of their climb to the top.
A process that started two years ago came down to two games, with the U.S. team having to claim at least one win. The U.S. made short work of this task, accomplishing what no other team in the region had been able to do: beat Honduras on the road, thanks to the stellar play of Conor Casey and Landon Donovan.
The team returned to the States on an emotional high, knowing they were in position to claim the CONCACAF qualifying title and celebrate their success with home fans. However, that was when the cruel winds of fate began to blow; up-and-coming star forward Charlie Davies was involved in a horrific car accident 48 hours prior to the team’s tilt with Costa Rica. One passenger in the car was killed at the scene, while Davies and the other passenger were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Davies had extensive surgery and is scheduled for even more to repair a broken femur, left elbow, lacerated bladder and facial fractures. The accident all but rules him out for the World Cup next summer. If that was not enough injury trouble for the U.S., who had already also lost defender Jay DeMerit for two months due to eye surgery, in the final minutes of the Costa Rica game, backline rock and AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu slipped on the wet turf and tore his left patellar tendon.
One positive is that the team has qualified for next summer’s World Cup. There are still 18 countries worldwide trying to secure one of the last nine spots still available. Unfortunately, the U.S. team doesn’t have many other places to hang their hats.
The loss of Onyewu has only magnified the lack of depth that the national team can pull from for the backline. Even if Onyewu and DeMerit have recovered from their respective injuries by the time Bradley must name his roster, it is unknown what type of condition they will be in and what training they will be able to do.
Chad Marshall, the backup for Onyewu during a qualifying yellow-card suspension, is recovering from an injury of his own as and most likely won’t be called up to play. It will be up to Bradley to sift through the numerous youngsters, with little to no international experience, and find the right man to hold down one of the most important positions on the world’s largest stage.
As for replacing Davies, the U.S. team has a few more options; however, they are still lacking. One of, if not the biggest, criticisms of the Americans is their lack of scoring and inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the United States recorded one goal in the entire tournament and that was an own goal scored by Italy. Davies and fellow international newcomer Jozy Altidore seemed like they were forming a good chemistry, and were the solution to the USA’s goal scoring problems. Now it looks like national team veterans Conor Casey and Brian Ching will be asked to step up their play and start next to Altidore.
One of the biggest problems for the Americans will be staying sharp, being game fit and remaining able to compete with teams from across the world. The best way for the players to get prepared is obviously by playing with club teams in world competition. However, many players in Europe and other world leagues ride the bench and see little play. It is going to be up to the U.S. players to fight their way into their respective team’s starting line-ups and stay sharp for next summer.
Our national team qualified, and yes, soccer fans are ecstatic about the possibilities that lie ahead in the next nine months. As the team prepares for competing in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the team must still overcome major challenges before they will be able to compete with the big dogs, in what is already shaping up to be one of the most competitive and exciting group of 32 nations the tournament has seen in a long time.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
