The Biggest Surprise of 2009: Conor Casey

Conor f***ing Casey.

I don't know how many times I muttered that to myself when I first saw the lineups for the USA-Honduras World Cup qualifier last October. Packed into a bar like sardines, fans around me tried to convince themselves that they misread the lineups, which would have been understandable given the less-than-stellar quality of the stream. But, alas, there he was at the opening whistle, his unmistakable bald head reflecting the floodlights as the match got underway.

Heading into the game in San Pedro Sula, I don't think any USMNT fan would have preferred Conor Casey getting the start over Jozy Altidore in this pivotal road qualifier. In his Confederations Cup appearances, Casey looked slow and clumsy, making little impact on any game he entered. So who would want that over Altidore, who has shown the ability to change a game with a fantastic finish? Questions like these raced around the bar, with more than a few taking the all too common "Bob Bradley is an idiot" route. Within a couple minutes, though, the game settled in, and the Casey conversation took a backseat.

For the time being.

It didn't take long for people to jump all over the burly Colorado Rapids striker, chastising him whenever a touch went astray or a pass was intercepted. As I watched, though, I found myself being somewhat surprised, dare I say pleasantly pleased, by a few things Casey was able to do. In management, it's referred to as the "salience effect"; when your expectations of someone are so set, that anything even remotely above (or below) those expectations are viewed as a massive upgrade (or downgrade). Was Casey's pass to spring Stuart Holden in the first half that led to Charlie Davies' point-blank header a world-class bit of skill and patience? No, but when you factor in the relatively low expectations, it was a moment of brilliance.

I would have been happy with Casey's performance just based on what he did in the opening 45. He held the ball up a few times, made a couple of good passes to free wing midfielders, and he didn't completely derail the US attack. The game was still tied 0-0, and a draw in Honduras wouldn't have been a bad result by any means. Despite his relatively solid showing, Casey was immediately the topic of conversation after Honduras' opening goal in the 47th minute. Fans around me called for Jozy Altidore to enter the game at once, feeling that the best chance for an equalizer was on the bench, not on the field.

And then it happened. Conor f***ing Casey. The last person that any USMNT fan expected to make a huge play stepped up and silenced Estadio Metropolitano, while simultaneously sending throngs of USMNT fans into a state of euphoric disbelief. People tried to explain what seemed like an impossibility, but could not muster much more than just "Conor f***ing Casey."

His first career international goal put the US in a position to earn a tough road result in a nerve-wracking conclusion to a tight final round of CONCACAF qualification. It was a goal you would expect of Conor Casey: brash, physical, and ugly. He could have exited the game in the 51st minute as a hero, exceeding the expectations of everyone outside of the USMNT camp and the Casey household. But he wasn't done defying expectations yet. Just 16 minutes later, Casey showed a side to his game that USMNT fans have not had much of a chance to see. A beautiful pass from Landon Donovan found his feet just behind the last defender, and the New Hampshire native once again left every USMNT fan dumbfounded and exuberant.

It was a finish fit for the world's biggest stage. The delicate first touch off of the Donovan pass, the subtle feint to get the Honduras keeper off balance, and the cool finish into the corner. It was something that fans would have expected out of Charlie Davies or Jozy Altidore. But instead it was Casey, the much-maligned target forward, vaulting himself into USMNT folklore with his unfathomably clutch performance.

Landon Donovan added a third goal just five minutes later, and the rest, as they say, is history. The USMNT stole a win from the unfriendly confines of Estadio Metropolitano, where Honduras had been unbeaten in 2010 CONCACAF qualifying to that point, and clinched a berth in their sixth consecutive World Cup. Casey was a near unanimous Man of the Match selection after choosing a fantastic time to have his best game in a USA jersey. The performance was cause for some optimism, a burgeoning little belief that Casey could be a solid forward at the international level. And for that one night, it was the reason why so many USMNT fans uttered just three words: "Conor f***ing Casey."

Just a couple days later, Casey reminded USMNT fans of his form prior to the Honduras match, missing a sitter nine minutes in that would have made the Charlie Davies tribute absolutely perfect. Fast forward a couple months and a a few lackluster showings, and Conor Casey has found himself once again to be the target of a great deal of criticism and castigation. The return to his previous status was not a great surprise to most, as it just validated their opinion that the October 10th brace was nothing more than a bizarre aberration.

With his performance in San Pedro Sula looking more and more like an anomaly as time goes on, it's hard to think of any bigger surprise from 2009 for the USMNT. The defeat of Spain and the incredible 3-0 victory over Egypt coupled with Brazil's 3-0 dismantling of Italy are certainly worthy of such a title, but for now, I'll let Conor Casey enjoy one more taste of glory (the copious amounts of glory that come with a USSD shout-out, at that). I think the US could beat a quality team like Spain in South Africa next summer, and I could see Bob Bradley's squad squeaking through to the knockout stages on an improbable couple of results, but I don't know if I can say in good faith that I think Conor Casey has another huge international game like that in him.

Just sitting here typing this, reminiscing about that thrilling victory, I can't help but smile and say it to myself a few more times: Conor f***ing Casey...