An Open Letter to the US National Soccer Team

Dear US National Soccer Team,

After watching yet another "typical" US National Team performance in World Cup qualification match against Mexico yesterday, I would like to share three points with you.

1) Having one of your star players, Landon Donovan, tell the press "This wasn't a live-or-die game for us. It was for them." after a game is not a good sign. Every game you play is live-or-die especially at the international level. In every organized sport I have participated in throughout my life, my coaches would have firmly planted my rear end on the wooden plank or aluminum known as the bench if I didn't give EVERY game my all, and then more. Assuming that one game is not more important over another breeds apathy. Apparently, there is plenty of apathy on the United States National Team. This apathy better disappear soon or else Team USA will be watching the 2010 World Cup here in the states as opposed to South Africa!

1a) I cannot help but wonder if this apathy comes from the head coach. At times, Bradley has looked brilliant (against Brazil in the Confederations Cup) but at other times his player selection and overall leadership seems to be lacking...which then trickles down to the players.

2) You had an opportunity to make a statement and say that the Gold Cup spanking was an isolated incident, that the 5-0 Mexico win was an off-day. Instead, everyone on that team shows that USA soccer is still relegated to a second or third-tier sport at the "Major League" and international level. You were so close to taking the "big-step" after an amazing performance against Brazil but that level of performance seems to have disappeared. Yet another opportunity to show the world that we continue to improve and will be a force to be reckoned with in international futbol competitions that has been farted away.

3) My final plea is to state that "prevent defense" has yet to work for Team USA. The saying "the best offense is a good defense" doesn't seem to apply to your team and is likely a poor posture in any competitive sport. In both the Brazil and Mexico losses, Team USA had the lead but stopped consistently attacking the opponents half of the field. Your team would fall back and hope that Howard could pick up whatever shots were not blocked by most of the team falling back into a defensive stance. Playing this style of soccer has yet to do the national team any favors and it visually appears as if the players revert back to a grade-school level of performance: lack of sharp passes, clears down-field to nobody, dangerous tackles, etc. etc. Perhaps the lack of physical endurance has something to do with that as not all of the national team players come into matches at game-level performance and the defensive stance means less running and an opportunity to regain some level of stamina. Stay in an offensive posture and take the game to the opponent; don't let them force you to play on their terms.

So men's USA national soccer team, I bid you farewell and good luck. I will still watch your matches, I will still keep my fingers crossed that somehow, someway we can eventually move away from the laughing stock of international soccer to an active, competitive, and highly skilled team feared by opponents as you run onto the pitch. Until then, I will keep my expectations low to keep from being crushed as we continue to languish in mediocrity at the international level of soccer competition.

Sincerely,
-Der Wetteransager