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CommentaryUnited States

US Crash Out

June 26, 2010 — by Sean6

A rough day for the USA where nothing ever materialized in their offense third, while Ghana exploited a less-than-convincing centerback pairing that’s been shaky throughout the Cup. The boys simply looked tired on two-days rest, and with the customary goal given up within the first ten minutes of play, the struggle proved to be too much.

Who knows what the game might’ve been like if they hadn’t given up that early goal? Ghana was instantly content to sit back and block off routes into their half, and we’ve seen even the best attacking teams struggle to unlock stubborn, compact defenses during this tournament. The confidence and sharp movement we saw against Algeria was nonexistent, with poor touches and lofted balls bypassing the midfield the order of the day.

Surely it didn’t help that the entire support of Africa was behind Ghana. In fact, if it were any other team playing Ghana, we all would’ve supported them too. Now the Black Stars move on and the US is left adrift for another four years.

“The finality of it is brutal,” said Landon Donovan, who spent several long minutes alone on the US bench after the final whistle. “When you realize how much you put into it, not only for the last four years, but for your whole life. There’s no guarantee there’s another opportunity at that. It’s disappointing.”

The tournament continues, with some great matches yet to come. Tonight we lick our wounds, tomorrow we’re back!

6 comments

  • amy

    June 26, 2010 at 11:50 PM

    it is safe to say that i knew the whole time US wasn’t going to win??? the black stars had an energy and confidence about them from the start that proved their worth…..US couldn’t break their D as you mentioned sean, as well as their lacking midfield this game. they showed no real threat up top, except for a few bursts from jozy……black stars deserved the win! yes, that early goal really stifled them, but they were lackluster at best until the second half. definite adjustments mentally and emotionally must be made in order for a team of that caliber to stay afloat in such a prestigious tournament.

  • June

    June 26, 2010 at 11:55 PM

    KOREA!!!!

  • Ryan Reft

    June 27, 2010 at 4:43 AM

    you know .. Ghana played well, they have a number of world class players … moreover, arguably their best player essien didn’t even make the trip so big ups to them … the us accorded itself well … a quality loss if such a thing exists .. donovan convinced me he’s a real player something i wasn’t so sure of at the tourney’s opening … really a great showing and all the comebacks, teams with guts always get more respect so i think the us did well ..

  • Suman

    June 27, 2010 at 7:14 AM

    Good point about Essien! Ghana has been working towards this for a couple decades, with their success at the U20 level, with all their top players playing important roles for top European clubs..the depth they have was demonstrated when they brought Sulley Muntari in off the bench–in the 115th minute! Granted, there have been some clashes with the coach, but still…
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_national_under-20_football_team
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulley_Muntari

  • amy

    June 27, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    very good points ryan and suman….i thought without essien would really hurt them, but all in all ghana really stepped up as a team, and did step up and show the depth they had off the bench. they are proving that they are worth carrying the weight of representing africa in the cup

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