The 2008 US Men’s Olympic team came “oh so” close to reaching the quarterfinals by passing some of the most difficult tests over the course of the three games in the group stage. It is because of these accomplishments and the fact that the team did not ultimately advance, that it is much more difficult and painful to accept falling short.

 

Falling short was primarily the result of a few moments of lack of discipline, game situation mental errors, bad luck and inches. In the 2002 World Cup, luck went the USMNT’s way in group play as it didn’t get the draw against Poland that was needed however Portugal didn’t score a goal against South Korea but instead allowed one; if Portugal had tied South Korea, Portugal would have advanced and not the US.  In the 2008 Olympics, ultimately the ball did not bounce in the US’ favor; the Netherlands were gifted a soft PK call against Japan and converted it and the quarterfinal berth.

 

In the minds of many in “Sam’s Army” is that the US Olympic team’s game against Nigeria should have been only about first place/avoiding Argentina and not survival; and the US should not have needed any points from this game but only to rest some or all of its players with yellow cards.

Because the Olympic team was so close to advancing past the group stage, some fans are asking if a few changes could have made a difference. What if a card was not received, foul not committed or jump not made? Should Donovan have come to China instead of McBride and potentially have missed a qualifier (particularly in light of the lack of service available to McBride based on the other players selected for the Olympic team)?  Why didn’t Altidore, Davies and Szetela get more playing time? Why wasn’t a third sub used in the Netherlands game and/or Adu left in? What would have happened if Spector was healthy? Why wasn’t there at least one other left-sided option on the roster?  How can fans support Feilhaber’s efforts to enjoy another on-the-field glory moment like in the Gold Cup victory over Mexico?

But when I step back from these “what if” questions to think about the 2008 Olympic tournament, it’s the most excited I’ve been about the future of the USMNT since the U20 games against Poland, Brazil, Uruguay and Austria last summer.  Even in comparison to the U20 World Cup, I don’t think I’ve seen a young US squad pass and possess the ball with as much skill and gumption as this Olympic team did for approximately 60 minutes against the Netherlands. The degree of attractive attacking soccer was encouraging especially against the Dutch. Also, how could one not love the heart and effort the US Olympic team displayed the entire time a man down in the game against Nigeria?

 

As Ives Galarcep conveyed on “Soccer by Ives,” the US Men’s Olympic team showed signs of being good enough to advance and being skilled enough to play with most teams in the tournament, but in the end it was a squandered opportunity. Hopefully, these great players will continue to improve their skills (e.g., finishing, speed of play/control, shape), learn from their mistakes in judgment and play with a greater level of consistency and composure for the 90+ minutes required. The players should know that US fans are behind every one of them 100%!

 

Congratulations are due to all the players and Coach Nowak for a great performance in the Olympic tournament. Adu, Jozy, Bradley, Edu and Guzan are part of the core young group of players that will be helping lead the USMNT in the future; and Kljestan, Davies, Holden, Feilhaber, Parkhurst, Wynne (a former MetroStar/Red Bull) and Szetela will surely get their opportunities to make their marks. Orozco and Rogers made some positive contributions in the Olympics as well. All of these players have work to do but they all showed promise and potential.

 

We will see if Coach Bob Bradley makes the decision today for that “next step” process to begin immediately for any of them as part of the next round of 2010 World Cup qualification efforts.

 

TNT