Compelling Soccer

Pre Game:

The US starting lineup is slightly different from the Honduras game, but is still the "A" lineup.

GK: Howard
RB: Cherundolo
CB: Onewyu
CB: Bocanegra
LB: Bornstein
RM: Holden
CM: Bradley
CM: Feilhaber
LM: Donovan
ST: Altidore
ST: Casey

USA v. Costa Rica 8 PM Eastern

USA: 19 pts, 1st in the table, +6 GD

Costa Rica: 15 pts, 3rd in the table, 0 GD

Stakes: The US has nothing on the line in this one except pride. That factor might be upped more than normal tonight as the team tries to overcome the loss of Charlie Davies for likely through the World Cup after the striker was involved in a horrific car crash. For Costa Rica, the World Cup is on the line. A victory sends them to South Africa. Anything else means a Honduras win in El Salvador would send them home. Not even a draw would help; the teams would finish tied and Costa Rica's awful goal differential would leave them empty handed.

Charlie Davies.

The talented speedy striker had taken the US soccer world by storm after his marvelous Confederations Cup. In mere months he had gone from untested substitute/reserve to a guy who had all but locked down his spot on the 2010 World Cup roster. It was meteoric rise unlike any that I can remember, at least in the soccer world. Such things are usually reserved for workout wonders at the NFL draft; not players on the International soccer stage.

Then in an instant, the rise became a crash.

Four days ago, this was supposed to be do or die time for the US men's national team. They were supposed to be fighting for their World Cup lives in the nation's capital against Costa Rica. The winner went to South Africa. The loser likely had two dates with Argentina complete with a probable complementary trip home. It represented the doomsday possibility for the US. As unlikely as a loss on the home turf would be, the lead up and game was going to be a nerve wracking experience.

And then the US won in Honduras and made the game completely inconsequential.

The story of Saturday night's road victory over Honduras, outside of the US locking up it's sixth straight World Cup appearance, was the surprise star of the match Conor Casey. How big of a surprise was Casey's heroics? For starters, if you polled media people or US fans, he probably would have been deemed least likely player to start the game outside of Brad Guzan and maybe Robbie Rogers. Then when you combine that with the situation, supposed difficulty of the game, the stakes and his perceived skill level and you have one of the most unlikely performances in US soccer history.

Did anyone else feel more relieved than overjoyed at the US qualifying for the World Cup? Is it a sign my expectations are getting too far out of whack? Naahh, I live in 2009, not 1989.

-Ives Garlarcep has one of my favorite soccer blogs out there, but his logic about the US qualification somehow vindicates Bob Bradley is a fallacy. The logic only holds if the World Cup was an open competition in qualifying where the 32 best teams make it. But we know that's not the case.

So, as I mentioned in prior posts, a near perfect situation opened up. A bar by my place was showing the US Honduras match. I also mentioned that I would shun internet feeds and pay to watch the game at the bar. I was looking forward to the experience of getting to watch a soccer game with passionate US fans, something that I haven't done in the past.

Yet, on the night when the US team exceeded the general expectations and beat Honduras on the road, coming from behind to do it, I missed out on most of the fan base euphoria. Why?

Because I watched the game on my computer.

CONCACAF Qualifying

Honduras: 3rd in Group, 13 Pts, +6 GD

United States: 1st in Group, 16 Pts, +5 GD

Stakes: The are but two games remaining in World Cup qualification and while both of these teams are locks to make the top four, neither wishes to end up in that 4th spot. Why? That spot will result in a playoff with a team from South America, most likely Argentina. In other words, you can forget the World Cup.

I've got my place to watch the game and I'm excited for what could be the US team's ticket punching to South Africa in 2010. Of course, I'm not necessarily optimistic; the team has struggled on the road thus far and Honduras has been dominant at home, unbeaten in Hexagonal play. However, it will be a nice test to see how far this squad has come.

So it looks like I have my answer to "what will I do for the Honduras v. US match" Saturday night. I was debating having to cab my way over to a Mexican Restaurant to watch a Spanish feed of the game with most likely, Honduran fans. That might have been an experience on to itself, but a new option has opened up. Connolly's, a bar within walking distance of my place is now listed as one of places showing the game, in English. This is seriously a lucky break for me; many people don't have a place within miles and I've got one within ten minutes walking. Not that I believe in signs, but this is the closest thing to one there can be. I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth; I'll be there Saturday.

Of course, that means no live blog, but I can always do that for the Costa Rica game Wednesday.