Goal met; now raise bar
Paul Doyle
Hartford Courant
The minimum expectation, set by U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, was to survive group play. So the U.S. achieved its most basic requirement at the World Cup.
But even Gulati admitted everything changed when the U.S. was left with a winnable path to the semifinals. The team had the attention of its country, the bracket was favorable and there was an opportunity to make history.
Instead, the U.S. squandered its chance to march deep into the tournament and the opportunity to bring a nation of new fans along for the ride. A few days removed from the loss to Ghana, there's a feeling that the U.S. underachieved.
The truth is, the team's deficiencies caught up with it against Ghana. A team can come from behind only so many times. So let's consider the 2010 World Cup an overall success, but it might be time to expect more in four years.
pdoyle@tribune.com
An opportunity lost
Grahame L. Jones
Los Angeles Times
The 2010 World Cup is over for the U.S., and players and coaches have gone their different ways. Reaching the second round was the stated "first goal," but this team could have and should have done better. The U.S. will finish somewhere between 11th and 13th in the 32-team field. That's about in line with its world ranking.
But there was an opportunity to have seized the moment and gone even farther. Ghana was not an impossible task. Uruguay in the quarterfinals would not have been an impossible task. The U.S. could have reached the semifinals, with all the resulting impact that would have had in the U.S. media and among the fans.
The sport could have capitalized and taken another step forward. It has not taken a step back, but it was an opportunity lost.
gjones@tribune.com
Not good enough
Orlando Sentinel
Sorry, USA, not enough.
Not enough because you lost a very winnable game against a team that had scored only two goals in group qualifying.
Not enough because your coach botched some lineup decisions — badly — with one of them leading to the first goal of the game. By the way, falling behind early once again in a game where a goal is so precious constitutes another huge mental blunder.
Not enough because there were a bunch of casual soccer fans jumping on the bandwagon, buzzing with patriotic pride, and you let every one of them down.
This group was good enough to make it to the round of eight. This country is out of excuses when it comes to soccer on an international stage.
The U.S. missed out on a great opportunity.
gdiaz@tribune.com
Average at best
Bob Foltman
Chicago Tribune
The U.S. has advanced past the point where simply getting out of the group stage should be cause for celebration. The team's performance in the four games has to be considered average at best and disappointing at worst to not take advantage of perhaps the easiest path to the semifinals.
The question always asked after a team crashes out of a tournament, fairly or not, is whether a change at coach is needed. The number of early goals the U.S. conceded can point to the match preparation by Bob Bradley, and his lineup choices, particularly in the Ghana match, can be questioned.
However, Bradley is still the best man this country has for the job, and assuming he wants to return, he should be given the opportunity to guide the U.S. through qualification for 2014.
rfoltman@tribune.com