USA Outclassed But Not Quite Out…Yet
June 13, 2006 by admin
Filed under Past World Cups
Humbled but not completely humiliated (although they weren’t far off it) would be the best description of the USA’s opening game in Group E as the Czech Republic rolled back the years to trounce them 3-0 and leave the US still without a World Cup win on European soil.
The cocksure bravado was well and truly knocked out of the US side when man mountain Jan Koller powered in the Czech’s opener with a trademark header and by the time Goon-to-be Tomas Rosicky doubled the lead with a cracking strike from long range (why did he have to move to A*senal of all places?) they were in disarray. Rosicky’s shot which came back off the bar would have added insult to injury before he did just that with another fine finish from a probing pass from former European Footballer Of The Year Pavel Nedved.
OreoCEO sums up the mood of many USA fans with his no holds barred rant about the side and their arrogance being their downfall and he’s completely right. A quarter final finish in Japan/Korea 2002 and an inflated ranking in FIFA ridiculous world ranking system has gone to the US players’ heads and they seemed to think that they only had to show up to take the points.
Sadly the World Cup doesn’t work that way and when you are in one of the two Groups of Death then it definitely doesn’t pan out that way. With games to come against a strong Italy side bouyed up by their 2-0 win last night and a strong Ghana side who, despite losing to Italy, showed more than enough glimpses of danger to threaten any of the other sides in the group.
This one will go right to the wire for qualification, if the United States want to be still in with a shout then they’ll need all six points from their next two games. I think I mentioned above that they’ve never won a game on European soil in the World Cup to date. They better find out how to do it and quickly or it’ll be an early trip home for Bruce Arena and his boys.
Tomas Rosicky is a class act, if only he’d sign for Charlton and forget the Arse! As for the USA being ranked 5th in the FIFA ranking, well what sane football fan takes those ranking serious. USA are knocked out and I would consider it a miracle if Italy and the Czech don’t take the top spots, I would even say the Czech would finish top of the group. Maybe a semi for them, but definently a quarter final place. Really impressed with their football, actually they seemed more classy than Argentina. But I still feel Argentina are gonna win it and I would put Italy as a good second favourites.
USA’s arrogance led to their deserved downfall.Soccer is a game not played on paper and the USA team should not have let the ridiculous Fifa rankings get to their heads. In a tough group consisting power houses like Italy and Czech Republic, they can’t afford to surrender so easily. What disappoints me wass how deflated the Americans were after they let in the first goal, they didnt continue to fight and most of them just wanted to go home and play with their PS3. The only bright spot was substitue Eddie Johnson for me, he outshone his senior teamates and hmmm maybe Charlton should buy him considering their misfiring strikeforce.
Forza Italia and Chelsea and Czech Republic