RobertSpuhler.com

48 Months

This entry could go in lots of different directions – I could rehash the “Landon Donovan is soft and scared of his own shadow” post and talk about his complete unwillingness to attack, I could whine about the shoddy refereeing that gave Ghana a backbreaking penalty kick in first half stoppage time, or I could remind everyone that, going into the tournament, we were supposed to be the third place team in the group according to most people who actually know something about soccer – which eliminates 98 percent of the American sports press. But instead…

There are some days that I envy Chicago Cubs fans. They, after all, have perfected the idea of “Wait until next year,” the rallying cry for when their Cubbies, as they invariably are, finally are eliminated from playoff contention. Sometimes it’s in September, in a closely contested playoff series, and sometimes it is in July, after a 20-70 start.

For international soccer fans, the cry is different. At 9 a.m. today, I found myself wondering just how much money it would take to save up for a trip to South Africa for the next World Cup, after the United States’ 2-1 loss to Ghana.

But what is interesting is how, because of the quadrennial nature of the tournament, is that I have no idea where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing a year from now. If I were, say, a Dallas Mavericks (NBA) fan, I could plan for next June – look at the approximate dates of the NBA Finals, try to figure out what airfare will be like, etc.

But in four years, what will I be doing? Will I be able to take a month off in 2010? Will I be able to afford the airfare (right now, seems to be over a thousand from anywhere in the US)?

More importantly, will there be a significant other I have to think about? Who else will be in my life that these decisions affect? And most importantly: In four years, will I still have this kind of passion for the game, the kind that makes me incapable of focusing on anything else during the cup, that makes me slightly nauseous after defeats and nearly euphoric after a harmless 1-1 draw?

“What a difference four years makes,” a television journalist says to start off her report on the differences between the 2002 and 2006 results. What difference will four years make for me?

For the sports-phobes, don't worry - this will be my last soccer post for a bit, I think. At least until late in the knockout stages. Please enjoy your regularly-scheduled RobertSpuhler.com, already in progress...

10 v. 9

It’s a common mistake to think that the Beautiful Game has to be, well, beautiful to be worthy of admiration. Sometimes, it’s the grittiest, not the prettiest of results, that are the most impressive.

The United States very rarely looked like a threat to score on Italy today. The lone U.S. goal came off the foot of an Italian, and the only other clear-cut chance ended up whistled for offside.

But after a red card for midfielder Pablo Mastroeni in the first half and a second yellow for defender Eddie Pope early in the second half, a 1-1 draw with world power Italy while playing a man down for 45 minutes (including stoppage time) will do quite nicely.

Drama doesn’t always have to look good. And positive results don’t always have to be world changing. Sometimes, a tie is a victory.

Disappearing Act

U.S. national team midfielder/forward Landon Donovan has been celebrated for years as the American soccer superstar. Even since picking up the Golden Ball Award for best player at the under-17 World Championship in 1999, he’s been the next big thing. His goal against Mexico in World Cup 2002 is burned into the mind of every American and Mexican soccer fan.

So why, on Monday, did he play like he had eight other things he’d rather be doing

In the 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, Donovan barely spent any time on the ball. Part of that may certainly have something to do with his teammates not getting it to him, and certainly some of that has to do with an exceptional Czech Republic that likely did not receive the respect it deserved pre-tournament from many American soccer fans.

But when you’re the superstar, you have to work. You have to demand the ball. You have to work to get open. In basketball terms, he was John Paxon rather than Michael Jordan, content to stand outside the three-point line and hope someone tossed him the ball rather than go and get it and make something happen.

If the U.S. is going to have any chance of beating Italy on Saturday (and make no mistake – it’s almost mandatory that the U.S. beats Italy to have any chance at advancing to the second round), Landon Donovan will have to exponentially improve his game from what we saw Monday.