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| quote: | Originally posted by PressPLay
U.S. is out because Austria just finished them this afternoon! |
oh well, at least they played a lot more valiantly than Canada did..
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Sad to see dignified U.S. go out
July 15, 2007
Cathal Kelly
It's an unfamiliar feeling for a Canadian watching the U.S. get knocked out from a major international tournament – sadness.
The neighbour we all not-so-secretly love to hate is just plain likable when it takes the soccer pitch.
Their skill is part of it. American teams always play aggressive, attractive soccer. But it's their attitude that sets them apart. In a game full of whiners, divers and handbag swingers, American soccer players carry themselves with a little more dignity than their opponents.
They lost to Austria yesterday, 2-1 in extra time. It was a wet, sloppy affair played in a steady downpour. The sodden ball skidded away from the players and goalkeepers, soft passes rocketing off into touch time and again. Reduced to 10 men in extra time, the Americans could not hold back the Austrian tide.
Super-sub Erwin Hoffer – the name `Jimmy' shaved into the side of his head – knocked in the winning goal in the 105th minute.
Austria moves forward to play the Czech Republic, which beat Spain on penalty kicks last night after a 1-1 tie. The Austrians deserved their win, but that can't stop us from missing the U.S.
"We won fans over with our technical ability, our attacking football," U.S. coach Thomas Rongen said after the match.
Of course, that was part of it. But it was the heart on display that was notable. Take U.S. keeper Chris Seitz.
Playing with a thigh injury so serious it prevented him from taking his own goal kicks, Seitz was a tower of strength. In the first half, he saved a shot point-blank with his chin and never flinched. In the second half, two crucial saves left him reeling, eyes rolling. Even though he probably should have, he refused to come off.
By the end, he could barely walk. He staggered around chasing loose balls, kicking them feebly up to his frantic teammates. Watching Seitz's performance, it was impossible not to feel some cross-continental fealty. From a purely sporting perspective, Mexico or Argentina are a greater pleasure to watch. But they retain the annoying habits that plague this game – going down too easily and for too long, begging for calls and berating referees.
There's been worse in this tournament, embarrassing scenes where some players have looked more like children than young men. Take the head-shaking chaos in the Chile-Portugal playoff encounter, including the too-stupid-to-be-believed snatching of a red card from the referee's hand.
The U.S. encountered a little of that spite after defeating Uruguay in a gutsy, come-from-behind fashion four days ago. After the match, the South Americans tried to square up with their opponents, a small mob chasing the Americans around the pitch. The Americans refused to bite. They separated from the squabbling and went over to clap their supporters. The Uruguayans went back to their dressing room, punching a volunteer along the way.
"I was over shaking the referee's hand and I just saw this big ... thing going on," U.S. star Freddy Adu said of his role in the aborted brawl. "Then I went over and tried to keep my guys away from it."
The tiny midfielder was wide eyed at the idea of it. Fighting? In soccer?! All Adu could do was laugh.
Yesterday, Adu crumpled to the pitch after the loss. He lay there, disconsolate, until Rongen walked by. The Dutch-born American coach pulled his captain up, but didn't stop to console him or make a show of it. Obviously, in Holland there's no crying in soccer.
Adu and his team leave Canada with their reputations burnished. They may not have any silverware to show for their work, but they have won the grudging admiration of their hosts.
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source:
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Soccer/article/236118
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