USA World Cup Tickets

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Cup-tie fever hits South Africa

The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ is about to enter its decisive phase with the start of the Round of 16 on Saturday.

Kicking off the knockout rounds are Uruguay and Korea Republic in the first of the day’s two ties. Back in the world elite after a 20-year absence and led by the inspired Diego Forlan, La Celeste were in flawless form in Group A. Collecting two wins and a draw, and scoring four goals and conceding none, they did much to alter their image as a solely combative, battling unit. The South Koreans meanwhile have played some lively, refreshing football and pose a significant threat to the in-form South Americans.

The evening game pits USA, Group C winners ahead of a much-fancied England side, and Ghana, who edged out Serbia in their pool and gave Germany a stiff examination before going down 1-0. This is the Americans’ fourth appearance in the last 16, a further shot in the arm for an increasingly popular sport Stateside, while the Black Stars are carrying the hopes of an entire continent as they seek to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

The matches
Uruguay-Korea Republic, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, 16.00 (local time)
USA-Ghana, Rustenburg, 20.30 (local time)

The big game
USA-Ghana
Urged on by the biggest support at South Africa 2010, the Stars and Stripes scrapped and fought their way out of the group phase, coming from behind against both England and Slovenia and snatching a last-gasp winner against the Algerians. Former national team youth coach Bob Bradley has drafted several untried youngsters into a well-oiled side that has fulfilled the promise it showed in reaching the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

Their Achilles heel remains the defence, which has stood firm against high balls but looks vulnerable when attacked at pace, a threat they can expect from the Ghanaians. CAF African Cup of Nations finalists back in January, the Black Stars have matched their performance at Germany 2006, drawing strength from a mobile and resourceful defence and a midfield unit that combines class and industry. In contrast to the Americans however, the sole African representatives have been underperforming up front, scoring just two goals so far, both from the penalty spot.

In focus
Diego Forlan v Park Ji-Sung
Uruguay’s potentially fascinating tie with the South Koreans features an intriguing sub-plot as the free-scoring Forlan and the hard-running Park put their goalscoring abilities to the test. The Uruguayan hit 17 goals during his less-than-prolific spell with Manchester United, where the South Korean is enjoying more success, scoring the same amount of goals and earning the Old Trafford faithful’s admiration with his work rate. Though their paths did not cross at the Theatre of Dreams, they should both prove key protagonists at Port Elizabeth Stadium.

What they said
“Defending well is not a crime, it’s a virtue,” Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay coach extols the benefits of a solid back-line.

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Friday, June 25, 2010

England, USA made to sweat

It has become notorious, yet this headline in English tabloid The Sun summed up a widely-held view that the Three Lions would stroll through Group C. USA, too, greeted the draw with satisfaction, confident – if not quite as bullish as The Sun - that they would be strong enough to join Fabio Capello's side in the last 16. And, ultimately, both prevailed. But easy? It was anything but.

A measure of just how closely-contested this section proved is that, as the final whistle sounded in Port Elizabeth, it seemed certain that England would top the group, with Slovenia going through in second. What happened next, of course, was a 91st-minute Landon Donovan goal that changed everything, and sent the US through as group winners for the first time since 1930.

How it finished1. USA, 5 points
2. England, 5 points
3. Slovenia, 4 points
4. Algeria, 1 point

What happened
USA: A team with more comebacks than Rocky Balboa, the Americans were worthy Group C winners if only for the sheer guts that characterised their campaign. Going behind inside four minutes against England began a habit of giving themselves a mountain to climb, then dragging themselves to the peak. Having fought back to draw with the English and then eroded Slovenia's 2-0 half-time advantage, it all came down to the final game for Bob Bradley’s side. There, a script worthy of Hollywood unfolded as Donovan, the team's talisman, struck at the death to take the Americans from third to first – and into the knockout stage.

England: History will tell you that, for all the inevitable pre-tournament hype, England rarely coast through the group stage. Here in South Africa, a statistic of two goals scored in three games tells the story of a frustrating campaign that could have ended in disaster were it not for Jermain Defoe's match-winner against Slovenia. Although Wayne Rooney remains out of sorts, England did show glimpses of their potential in that final group match and, with the talent at Capello's disposal, nothing can be ruled out.

Slovenia: In football, one's man's dream is invariably another's nightmare. So it was for Slovenia, with USA's joy spelling heartbreak for Matjaz Kek and his players. It was a cruel end for Kek's side, who stood within touching distance of the last 16. Ultimately, however, despite performing admirably and claiming a historic first-ever FIFA World Cup win, the Slovenians proved unable to take that final, decisive step.

Algeria: Les Fennecs may leave South Africa with Group C’s wooden spoon, but at no stage were they out of their depth. Well-organised and fiercely committed, Algeria proved exceptionally hard to beat, holding England to a draw and conceding just two goals in three matches. Their downfall came at the other end, where a FIFA World Cup scoring drought stretching back to 1986 continued throughout a frustrating, goalless campaign.

Moments to savourSlovenian history made"It is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog." This old saying would have proved an apt motto for Slovenia in South Africa, as the tournament's smallest nation set about making a big impression. After a debut campaign in 2002 that yielded three straight losses, history was made as early in their opening match, with captain Robert Koren sinking Algeria for his country's first finals win.

Rebel yellAt a time when England's languid performances against USA and Algeria were being roundly lambasted, there was talk of mutiny within the camp when John Terry suggested at a press conference that he would be telling Capello a few home truths. It later transpired that the Italian did most of the talking and, whatever he said, the result was an inspirational performance from Terry as England finally found their form.

Fennecs make their standAlthough the focus inevitably fell on England's shortcomings, the 0-0 draw with Algeria represented a major triumph for the north African outsiders. With their defence in defiant form, Les Fennecscomfortably held their all-star rivals at bay, leaving their supporters to celebrate long into the night.

Donovan's fairy taleThis was the moment that defined the group, and it will take something remarkable – perhaps a last-minute goal in the Final itself - to match it for sheer drama. It was after 91 minutes of frustration, and with their dream seemingly slipping inexorably away, that Donovan started and then finished a breakaway goal that is sure to live on in US football folklore.

The stat
8 – the number of international games Wayne Rooney has now gone without scoring. The England striker is currently enduring his longest-ever drought with the national team.

The final word"People closest to me know how hard I have worked for this moment, and this is just unbelievable, I know the people back home are watching, and we're not done yet! We embody what Americans are all about. We believe, man," Landon Donovan, USA forward

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Last-gasp Donovan fires USA into final 16

USA scored a dramatic injury-time winner in Pretoria to secure a 1-0 victory that sees them qualify for the Round of 16 as winners of Group C. It looked as if the Americans would be going home early after they missed a number of openings with Algeria goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi in stubborn form.

USA were sitting in third place as the 90 minute-mark ticked by but everything changed in the blink of an eye as Landon Donovan led one last attack. Jozy Altidore squared the ball into the danger zone, where M'Bolhi beat it away, but Donovan was able to latch onto the loose ball and passed it into an empty net, before being submerged among a sea of white shirts. It was the least Bob Bradley's team deserved, having also had a Clint Dempsey effort disallowed for offside, struck a post and seen Altidore pass up a glorious opening. Frustration for Algeria was evident as captain Anther Yahia was sent off in the dying seconds for a second yellow card.

The African side, who also needed to win to give themselves a chance of going through, made the more positive start with Karim Matmour unleashing an attempt on goal in the opening seconds before Rafik Djebbour aimed a hooked shot against the crossbar. It was a decent attempt from the centre-forward, who took the ball on his chest, but the woodwork came to USA's rescue. Djebbour tried again shortly after, from a wider angle, but his drive was always heading wide. The Americans answered in kind, with Dempsey and Herculez Gomez – one of three changes in Bradley's line-up – failing to keep their efforts on target.

It was an open, entertaining tussle, reflecting both sides' need to win the game. Gradually, USA were beginning to dominate possession and create openings. In the 21st minute, they had the ball in the back of the net but their joy was quickly extinguished when Dempsey was ruled offside, as he applied the final touch after Gomez's shot was diverted to him. That, at least, encouraged Bradley's team to think a breakthrough might not be far away, and they kept pouring forward. Donovan slid a lovely ball into Dempsey but Mbolhi did well to smother it. Two minutes later, the Americans were back to cause more panic in the Algeria penalty area. Bradley set up Donovan and when he could not turn it home the ball fell nicely for Altidore, but a heavy swing of his right boot sent the ball careering into the seats behind the goal.

For their part, the African side looked dangerous whenever Nadir Belhadj or Karim Ziani were on the ball. At the end of the first half, Ziani cut in from the left to position himself for the shot but was unable to keep it on target. USA were cursing their luck again in the second period as Dempsey followed up after Altidore had made ground with a strong run. The Fulham forward shaped a bending shot with his right that came back off the post, then gathered the rebound, only to shoot wide with his left foot with the goalkeeper still scrambling into position.

Both sides had let-offs in the 68th minute. Mbolhi came to Algeria's rescue again, parrying a close-range header from substitute Edson Buddle before jumping on the loose ball. The Africans immediately went down the other end, where a decent scoring chance for Ziani went the wrong side of the upright. Chances kept coming at either end and it came down to Donovan to at last make one count.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Bradley completes US fightback

USA fought back from two goals down to earn a battling 2-2 draw with Slovenia and keep their FIFA World Cup™ hopes alive in an exciting Group C clash at Ellis Park.

Matjaz Kek's men looked on course for a second straight win in the section when they took a 2-0 lead into the break through Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic but the Americans hit back as Landon Donovan narrowed the deficit before Michael Bradley equalised eight minutes from time. The result left Slovenia top of Group C with four points ahead of England's meeting with Algeria later in the day, and ensured the Americans remain undefeated with two draws ahead of their third game against the Algerians.

An exciting contest opened with Birsa blasting Slovenia into an early lead. There were just 13 minutes on the clock when the midfielder collected the ball some 25 yards from goal and left Tim Howard rooted to the spot with an expertly-guided strike to the goalkeeper's left. Bradley's men sought a response and came close when midfielder Francisco Torres fired in an inswinging free-kick from out wide that drew a fingertip save from Samir Handanovic. Donovan then looked set to tap in Clint Dempsey's low cross only for defender Miso Brecko to get a decisive touch to clear the ball.

Slovenia looked to be in dreamland in the 42nd minute when Ljubijankic doubled their lead. Milivoje Novakovic played a defence-splitting pass through to Ljubijankic who, with the Americans appealing in vain for offside, slipped the ball coolly past Howard. Yet Donovan threw the Americans a lifeline three minutes after the restart when Bostjan Cesar failed to deal with a ball down the right touchline, allowing the LA Galaxy man a free run into the box. Cutting in from the right, Donovan lashed a superb shot high above Handanovic at the near post.

With the Slovenia defence struggling to cope with the power and aerial strength of the imposing Jozy Altidore, Bradley's men kept the pressure on and the coach's son grabbed the US the point their efforts deserved – a father-and-son first in the FIFA World Cup. Altidore nodded a high ball down into the path of the onrushing Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder and he fired emphatically into the roof of the net. The Americans might even have won the game only for referee Koman Coulibaly to rule out a goal from Maurice Edu, who volleyed home Donovan's free-kick from the right. There was still time for Novakovic to threaten with a header at the other end but his effort was held comfortably by Howard.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

USA get rub of the Green

A terrible mistake from England’s Robert Green gave USA a share of the spoils in Group C’s opening match played in front of a passionate crowd in Rustenburg. The goalkeeper, given the nod by Fabio Capello to start the match ahead of David James and Joe Hart, allowed Clint Dempsey’s 25-yard drive to slip through his grasp, giving last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup finalists a deserved share of the spoils.

The game had begun so well for England, who enjoyed an ideal start to their FIFA World Cup™ campaign, taking the lead with just four minutes on the clock. Frank Lampard found Emile Heskey who played a perfectly-weighted ball to Steven Gerrard and the skipper made no mistake with an intelligent finish past Man of the Match Tim Howard with the outside of his right foot.

From then on, however, USA gradually got more of the ball and a grip of the game. They fired their first real warning when Landon Donovan’s teasing cross from the right was headed wide by Jozy Altidore. Oguchi Onyewu also glanced wide a header, again from a Donovan set-piece, and the LA Galaxy man himself tested Green with a curling 25-yard effort which swerved just wide of the upright.

If USA seemed not to be enjoying any luck, they got their deserved equaliser in fortunate fashion five minutes before the break. Dempsey’s shot appeared to be straightforward enough to handle, but Green’s failed attempt to claim the ball drew them level. It was a horrible mistake by the England goalkeeper – one which he immediately acknowledged - but one which England ultimately failed to recover from.

The Three Lions upped the tempo in the second half and Emile Heskey spurned a good chance to put them ahead – firing straight at the keeper after being put clean through by Aaron Lennon. Lampard stung the palms of Howard with a long-range effort and Glen Johnson also snatched a shot when well placed. Green went some way to atone for his earlier error when he pushed Altidore’s shot onto the post after the pacy striker had powered past substitute Jamie Carragher down the left.

As the half wore on, Wayne Rooney began to find more space and consequently his influence on the game increased. First he headed over from a Gerrard cross and then a quickly-taken free-kick almost caught Howard out, but the ball flashed wide of the far post. The No10 also set up Shaun Wright-Phillips in a fantastic position, but his shot lacked conviction and Howard was able to make a comfortable save.

With the clock ticking down, both managers introduced striking substitutes in the hope of a late winner, but a winning goal failed to come. With such a fearsome rivalry between the sides, there was a feeling of anti-climax at the final whistle, but there is still plenty to play for at the FIFA World Cup.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

1990s: the rebirth of American soccer

In 1989, FIFA named the United States hosts of the 1994 World Cup, but it did so under significant international criticism because of the perceived weakness of the national team and the lack of a professional outdoor league. This criticism diminished somewhat when a 1–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S.'s first away win in nearly two years, in the last match of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, earned the United States its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

For the 1990 World Cup in Italy, two of the team's more experienced players, Rick Davis and Hugo Perez, were recovering from serious injuries and unavailable for selection, and manager Bob Gansler selected many inexperienced players and recent college graduates. The U.S. went on to lose all three games to Czechoslovakia, Italy and Austria.

In March 1991, the United States won the North America Cup, tying Mexico 2–2 and beating Canada 2–0. This was followed in May by a 1–0 victory over Uruguay in the World Series of Soccer. The national team then went undefeated in the 1991 Gold Cup, beating Mexico 2–0 in the semifinals and Honduras 4–3 on penalty kicks after a 0–0 draw in the final. In 1992, the U.S. continued its run of success, taking the U.S. Cup with victories over Ireland and Portugal, followed by a draw with Italy.

Having qualified automatically as the host, the U.S. opened its tournament schedule with a 1–1 draw against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome in the suburbs of Detroit, the first World Cup game played indoors. In its second game, the U.S. faced Colombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at the Rose Bowl. Aided by an own goal from Andrés Escobar, the United States won 2–1. (Escobar was later murdered in his home country, a killing some believe was in retaliation for this mistake.) Despite a 1–0 loss to Romania in its final group game, the U.S. made it to the knockout round for the first time since 1930.

In the second round, the U.S. lost 1–0 to the eventual champion Brazil.

In the 1998 World Cup in France, the team lost all three group matches, 0–2 to Germany, 1–2 to Iran, and 0–1 to Yugoslavia, and so finished in last place in its group and 32nd in the field of 32. Head coach Steve Sampson received much of the blame for the performance as a result of abruptly cutting team captain John Harkes, whom Sampson had ironically named "Captain for Life" shortly before, as well as several other players who were instrumental to the qualifying effort, from the squad. It emerged in February 2010 that Sampson removed Harkes from the team due to Harkes having an affair with teammate Eric Wynalda's wife.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

USA Football Team in 1980s

After the enthusiasm caused by the creation and rise of the North American Soccer League in the 1970s, it seemed as though the U.S. men's national team would soon become a powerful force in world football. Such hopes were not realized, however, and the United States was not considered a strong side in this era. From 1981 to 1983, only two international matches were played.

To provide a more stable national team program and renew interest in the NASL, U.S. Soccer entered the national team into the league for the 1983 season as Team America. This team lacked the continuity and regularity of training that conventional clubs enjoy, and many players were unwilling to play for the team instead of their own clubs. Embarrassingly, Team America finished the season at the bottom of the league. Recognizing that it had not achieved its objectives, U.S Soccer cancelled this experiment, and the national team was withdrawn from the NASL.

U.S. Soccer made the decision to target the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California and the 1986 World Cup as means of rebuilding the national team and its fan base. The International Olympic Committee provided what appeared to be a major boost to the United States' chances of advancing beyond the group stage when it declared that Olympic teams from outside Europe and South America could field full senior teams as long as those senior players had never played in a World Cup, including professionals. U.S. Soccer immediately rearranged its Olympic roster, cutting many collegiate players and replacing them with professionals. Despite this, the U.S. finished 1–1–1and failed to make the second round.

The United States did bid to host the 1986 World Cup after Colombia withdrew due to economic concerns. However, Mexico beat out the U.S. and Canada to host the tournament, despite concerns that the tournament would have to be moved again because of a major earthquake that hit Mexico shortly before the tournament.

In the last game of the qualifying tournament, the U.S. needed only a draw against Costa Rica, whom the U.S. had beaten 3–0 in the Olympics the year before, in order to reach the final qualification group against Honduras and Canada. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played at El Camino College in Torrance, California, an area with many Costa Rican expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community, even providing Costa Rican folk dances as halftime entertainment. A 35th minute goal by Evaristo Coronado won the match for Costa Rica and kept the United States from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.

By the end of 1984, the NASL had folded and there was no senior outdoor soccer league operating in the United States. As a result, many top American players, such as John Kerr, Paul Caligiuri, Eric Eichmann, and Bruce Murray, moved overseas, primarily to Europe.

In 1988, U.S. Soccer attempted to re-implement its national-team-as-club concept, offering contracts to national team players in order to build an international team with something of a club ethos, while loaning them out to their club teams, saving U.S. Soccer the expense of their salaries. This brought many key veterans back to the team, while the success of the NASL a decade earlier had created an influx of talent from burgeoning grass-roots level clubs and youth programs. Thus U.S. Soccer sought to establish a more stable foundation for participation in the 1990 World Cup than had existed for previous tournaments.

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