USA-Algeria: Ecstasy

It just wasn't our day.

Gomez shot one straight at the keeper from 10 yards out. Yet another good goal was taken away by a terrible call. Landon and Jozy managed to blast a ball over from six yards out. Buddle's header went straight to into M'Bolhi's hands. Dempsey rattled the post and then missed an open net.

It was an agonizing 90+ minutes that had me (and millions of others, I'm sure) in complete disbelief, wondering if this was indeed how it would end. Wondering if we'd forever feel bitter about the points stolen away by officials and rue the countless missed opportunities to knock off Algeria.

Then, magic.

Landon Donovan. The man who has so frequently been criticized for coming up small in big games. The guy who almost single handedly turned around the Yanks' fortunes against Slovenia just to keep their hopes alive. The player who was largely invisible for this entire match, most likely leading to a few angry mutterings of "Landycakes" from his detractors. And now, he's the man who sent an entire nation into a state of euphoria with his unfathomably clutch goal to not only put the US through to the Round of 16, but also clinch first place in Group C. Get him a spot on Mount Rushmore.



Anything I say will not do justice to what that experience was like, what I'm feeling, and just what today meant to me as a fan. The only thing that I can think of is to say that today was the greatest fan experience that I have ever had. That might not sound like much, but when you consider the fact that I was fortunate enough to be in attendance when my beloved Phillies broke the Philadelphia title curse two years ago, it's definitely a bigger deal. Of course, this game didn't win the US any championship, but boy it sure feels like it, particularly after four long years between tournaments and an unbelievably tense couple of weeks in Group C.

And now, we've made it to the point where anything can happen. While we might not be the best team in the tournament, we can certainly hold our own with anyone on our day, and that has me thinking that this might not be our last instance of ecstasy in South Africa. But for now, I'm going to try to avoid looking ahead to the Round of 16 and how we stack up against our potential opponents; I'm just going to soak up what is one of the greatest results in US Soccer history.

I said it on Twitter, and I'll say it again. Last Friday, we were united by injustice, as hardcore fans and casual supporters were brought close together by a baffling blown call. Today, we're united by pure joy, as a sports mad nation revels in the heart-stopping success of the Yanks. Seriously, calling this team "the cardiac kids" is probably as accurate of a nickname as we can get. I'm glad I'm still young, or my heart probably would have given out by now with all of these wild swings in emotion.

USSD contributor and amigo Bob Dillon sent me this email following the game, and it pretty much sums up the spirit and emotion that I felt at the final whistle:

"I am in complete emotional overload at this moment. The United States just won't quit. This team has shown over and over that they play 90 minutes. There are so many teams around the world that would love to have the effort that we saw today. The French are out. The Nigerians are out.  The Slovenians are out.  And the USMNT has just won their group for the first time since 1930, beating out England to grab the top spot. There are so many positives from this game, and I was ready to write a post in defeat about how they still were really good today, particularly Bornstein, Demerit, Boca, and Dolo, but thankfully I find myself no longer having to write about what could be. 

We have booked our ticket for the next round, and we have a legitimate chance to win again. No matter the outcome of group D, we can win again. Winning on Saturday afternoon would take us to a place that we have only been once before. The Post in Saint Louis was insane when the goal went in; it was as good as it gets for fans. I can't hardly catch my breath. Here I sit with the pride of the USA stamped across my face. We did our job. We finished. We played the game known as the first round of the World Cup, and we are one of the last 16 teams left standing to play. 

It is hard to capture the emotion of the moment, but I do know that I will be forever tied to this team. They will be the gold standard for me. Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Altidore....these are the guys that will forever be my line in the sand for placing the United States on center stage for the biggest tournament in the world. Today we celebrate, tomorrow we worry about the next game. USA...USA...USA" 

I would try to break down this game further, but that can wait.  Right now, I'm just a ball of emotion, not someone interested in settling down to analyze tactics or game play.  What I will say, though, is that Bob Bradley deserves a big pat on the back for making a ballsy move to start Bornstein over Gooch that got the job done.  He made the right subs against Slovenia, and he made the right lineup decisions today, and by God it made me damn happy to see his post-game emotion.  He has invested so much time and energy into this team, and it warms my heart to see it all pay off.  And that applies to all the US players, too, who make me proud to be an American with the heart and pride they play with game in and game out.

Now, more than ever, I believe in Bob.  And I believe in this team.

Soak it up, folks.

USA! USA! USA!