One Last Look Back to South Africa as 'Summer of Soccer' Continues

Major League Soccer's marketers, often guilty of a bit of hyperbole, can't be accused of it this time over their 'Summer of Soccer' campaign. Between World Cup qualifying, the recently-completed Confederations Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Superliga, the start of the CONCACAF Champions League and visits by the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea and more, we're in danger of saturation.

The schedule serves to throw a bit of cold water on the argument that the sport isn't growing in this country, as does the U.S. national team's performance over the past week in South Africa. Before looking ahead, it's worth looking back at what we learned from the Yanks' roller coaster ride.

-- We learned that the "sky is falling" crowd just needs to shut up. The wailing over Bob Bradley's supposed incompetence, and the calls for his job, following the losses to Italy and Brazil were ridiculous and demonstrated a lack of the knowledge, perspective and patience that building the sport in this country requires. Yes, Bradley made a few mistakes at the beginning but also was the victim of some shocking errors by a couple of his players and a bit of questionable officiating.

But the development and learning curve demonstrated by the squad, resulting in the victories over Egypt and Spain and a near upset of Brazil, clearly are an indication that Bradley is figuring out which players fit and that the team is competing with the right spirit. His decision to leave Jay DeMerit in central defense and move Carlos Bocanegra out to the left, to finally bench an ineffective DaMarcus Beasley, to push Clint Dempsey up top against Egypt and to play with two strikers (giving Charlie Davies an opportunity he seized), all worked out. Bradley did the best with what he had. He didn't have a Dani Alves or Elano on the bench like Dunga did in Sunday's final.

The program and the coach need time, and the goal continues to be a good performance in next summer's World Cup. Bob Bradley is the man for the job. However, he does need to explain why Jose Francisco Torres is in the doghouse. He was poor against Costa Rica, certainly, but wasn't the only one. He'll be needed before qualifying is over.

-- We learned that Landon Donovan is a world class player. Many of his detractors have good reason for their pessimism. He was a disaster in the 2006 World Cup, playing nervously and tentatively and hampering the U.S. cause. He failed to stick with Bayer Leverkusen after two tries and was not offered a contract by Bayern Munich during a preseason loan. He can be petulant, and his weird pre-penalty kick rituals are annoying. But there is no denying he was critical for the U.S. in South Africa, demonstrating the sort of on-field leadership the team will need next summer.

"I thought he had a fantastic tournament," Carlos Bocanegra told reporters in South Africa. "I was a bit disappointed he didn't get up on the podium for one of the awards, to be honest with you. He's taken a lot of criticism, but he showed he was a world-class player, not just [in the final against Brazil] but this whole tournament. When he plays well like that, he kind of leads by example and other guys feed off that. He has so much to offer. He just brought it up another level for the tournament."

Donovan had two goals and two assists, and just as importantly was consistently willing to take on defenders, take space with the ball and force opponents to make tough decisions and big plays. He is at his best when attacking from deeper positions before a defense is set, and Bradley obviously has realized this. Possession is overrated -- the U.S. is better off winning the ball deep and getting the ball to Donovan's feet so he can create in open space. That allows Bradley to keep two more defensive central midfielders, where there is considerable depth on the team. Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber and the incoming Jermaine Jones all can contribute.

"This is becoming the player I want to become," Donovan said. "And I'm proud of where I'm at right now. I've done a lot of internal work, and a lot of physical work, I've just really focused and spent a lot of time on it and it's good to see it pay."

Whether Donovan, still just 27, chooses to take another shot at Europe is up to him. He has personal reasons for staying in California, including his wife's acting career. But he is good enough, and now confident enough, to make it work.

-- We learned that any American players who decide to try their luck abroad simply must play. It hardly matters where. The performances of DeMerit and Davies, who play in the English second tier and the Swedish league, respectively, demonstrate that regular games are absolutely critical. MLS needs to think long and hard before it considers another deal like the one that sent Jozy Altidore to Villarreal or Freddy Adu to Benfica. Altidore's goal against Spain was brilliant, but he was an exhausted liability against Brazil, and Adu did not feature at all.

The U.S. doesn't make the final without DeMerit and Davies.

Now, before looking ahead, one more look at Donovan's astonishing goal against Brazil. Plays like this, and a silver medal at a FIFA tournament, give plenty of reasons for optimism.



While the sting of Brazil's comeback is still fresh, there's plenty going on this week that's worth paying attention to. The U.S. Open Cup returns tonight with the round of 16. The eight qualifying MLS clubs enter the fray against the surviving minor league and amateur sides. While U.S. Soccer's inability to dispense with its inscrutable qualifying system and hold a real single-elimination tournament featuring every eligible team remains an annoyance, the Open Cup remains loads of fun and holds an important place on the American soccer landscape.

Tonight's Matchups:
Harrisburg (Pa.) City Islanders (USL2) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Ocean City (NJ) Barons (PDL) at D.C. United (MLS)
Chicago Fire (MLS) at Wilmington (NC) Hammerheads (USL2)
Chivas USA (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL1)
Columbus Crew (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL1)
Kansas City Wizards (MLS) at Minnesota Thunder (USL1)

Tomorrow Night:
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Austin Aztex (USL1)
Seattle Sounders (MLS) at Portland Timbers (USL1)

The round's most intriguing matchups will be in Maryland and Oregon. The Barons are the only remaining amateur team and will get their chance of a lifetime against the most successful club in American soccer, and the reigning Open Cup champion, D.C. United. A PDL team has eliminated an MLS opponent just three times since the first division league launched in 1996, and no amateur team has managed the feat since 2001. A nice story on the Barons and their big opportunity can be found here.

Tomorrow, the big northwest derby that appeared to be put on hiatus when the Sounders ascended to MLS will be back in the spotlight. A victory for the Timbers, who will join their rivals in the top tier in 2011, will be even sweeter this time around.

The Cup can be followed at the outstanding usopencup.com

Then this weekend, a full slate of MLS games and the accompanying July 4 celebrations will be accompanied by the start of the 10th Gold Cup. This year's regional championship will lose some luster because it's being held during World Cup qualifying and because it doesn't offer a Confederations Cup berth, but it will provide an excellent opportunity to get a look at the second tier of American players, some of whom will have the opportunity to catapult themselves into consideration for the World Cup roster. Certainly the prospect of Bradley handing the keys to Adu for a few games is tantalizing.

The competition kicks off Friday at the Home Depot Center with Canada-Jamaica and Costa Rica-El Salvador in Group A, clearly the most balanced of the touranment's three first-found pools. The U.S. starts on Independence Day against Grenada in Seattle as part of a doubleheader with Honduras and Haiti. Grenada, which features New England Revolution stalwart Shalrie Joseph, is appearing in its first Gold Cup and is the smallest country ever to do so, with a population of just a little more than 100,000.

It will be a David v. Goliath story that puts U.S.-Brazil/Spain and Ocean City-D.C. United to shame.