Compelling Soccer

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.

That wasn't the intent, but unfortunately after paying the ten bucks to get in, we were all treated to a feed which did not work for the first half. When I say did not work, I mean it was a green screen on the TV saying "input cannot be found." It's too bad because there was a good crowd and I met a few nice people.

The bar finally got things "working" with six minutes to go in the first half. It gets the quotes because the game moved at a rate that would make dial up users sick. It was like watching something frame by frame. To make matters worse, word leaked that the internet feeds were out there and working. So at halftime, me and a few other fans gave up and bolted. I had the best luck once again, as I could make a sprint home before the second half started.

I happened to be explaining multiple events of my day to my roommate when the first goal was scored by Honduras. At that point, I think all but the most optimistic fans were just hoping for a draw. As pointless as the one point would have been, it's instinctual. You can't help hoping for the next best outcome when you're up against it. And then something amazing happened. Something incredible and so unbelievable I wouldn't have unless I saw it with my own two eyes.

Conor Casey scored.

It was surreal. Not because it was a pretty goal; far from it. It was ugly, off a broken play where Casey just used his side and got a part of his body to the ball, redirecting it past the keeper who had come out to try to win it. I'm not even sure Casey got the ball with his head. But it was Conner Casey, whom someone at the bar had termed "the worst forward ever to play for the US." (And I beg to differ. That, as we all know, is Compelling Soccer whipping boy Brian Ching.)

And if my eyes looked to have deceived me once, they tried to do so again when Casey found the back of the net again. It was a brilliant through ball by Landon Donovan, at his feet, that sprung the hulking forward. And with a bit of finesse, Casey put it in the corner of the net. 2-1. A brace for Casey? How about a brace for me and every other fan who couldn't have envisioned this in their wildest dreams.

Then off a free kick, Landon Donovan delivered a beautiful shot that might have made his LA Galaxy teammate proud. Curving the free kick around the wall and into the goal, he had given the US the 3-1 lead. Three goals, by the US, against a side that has a few decent players. I was left wondering:

"What is this team? Who are these players? And what have they done with Bunker Bob?"

It wasn't all roses though. In a night of surprises, perhaps the biggest was the weakness of the team was it's backline, not the midfield. Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onewyu were not exactly reassuring in the center, and while Jonathan Bornstein looked somewhat competent at going forward, he frequently allowed Honduras to push someone up the wing position. That resulted in opportunities and eventually, a goal. A complete breakdown of the US defense, leaving Howard on an island and providing multiple Honduran players with shots while the defense looked around helplessly in the box, lead to Honduras curtailing the US celebrations. 3-2. It was disgusting; Honduras made at least one pass too many, but despite having what seemed like six or seven players in the box, the US could not challenge or block the shot.

It got worse. Jonathan Spector committed a handball in the box off a free kick. Hate the call or not, it was clearly a hand ball. The penalty was given. It was taken by Carlos Pavon.

It was missed. High.

I texted on to Beth, one of the people I met earlier, "OMG, what a choke on that penalty."

I received back: "& another choke" a few minutes later, after Pavon blew an open header wide.

Never have hands been used as frequently in a soccer game as this one; only they were being applied to collective throats and not the ball. The ball kicked around the front of the US net once more, but again Honduras failed to drive the equalizer home. Benny Feilhaber entered play for the man of the hour, Casey, and eventually had the ball land on his feet with a 1 v 1 opportunity on goal. He missed, badly. It would have iced it.

In the end it didn't matter.

Yes, for all the positives there were many negatives. Despite coming out with the three points, the US team was outplayed for much of the game and were fortunate to escape. The defense had a bevy of poor moments. I'm beginning to feel about Boca the same way I do about Jamie Carragher on Liverpool; a nice player who might be seeing the game pass him by.

But in the past the poor moments would have lead to a disaster. After falling down a goal, that would have been it on the road. Instead of folding, the US did more. They came back, took care of business like a good side should. And now, they get to take their place as a good side should, headed to South Africa for next year's World Cup.

It was a night of failures and success. On this night however, the failures served to make the successes all the sweeter.