United States advances to Round of 16 despite loss to Germany

On a rainy day in Recife, Brazil, the United States was able to stand tall against the mighty offense of the Germans, only giving up one goal. The German win at 1-0 gave the European nation the title as Group G winners, but more importantly, it gave the Americans the title of Group of Death survivors in which they defied the odds that the entire world put against them. The match with the ball and players sliding all around the turf was a back and forth battle that placed the United States defense on edge in a battle with the crisp passing of the Germans. 

The Americans seemed a little shaky at the beginning of the match, very similar to their last match against Portugal; however, after the first 10 minutes past, the team seemed to calm down and trench in for a long battle with Muller and the German attackers. A key change for American starting lineup by Jurgen Klinsmann was front and center as CB Omar Gonzalez began the match in place of CB Geoff Cameron, who many believe was ousted from the position for intermittent mistakes against Portugal. The major change in defensive leadership played off well for the Americans as Gonzalez displayed the same skill he devotes to LA Galaxy each week. If I was the American head coach, I would be sticking with this same defensive line for the long haul as they held arguably the best offensive machine in the world to one goal. Along with Gonzalez's entrance into the starting 11, also came the Houston Dynamo's Brad Davis who has found his place in MLS over the years as a lethal winger with an excellent skill at free kicks; it's too bad there were not many free kicks gained by the Americans in the game with play so choppy. Bedoya would enter the game for Davis in the second half, after Davis completed a considerable showing in his first ever World Cup appearance.

The United States midfield play settled down after the midpoint of the first half as the players began to find cohesion and connections around a stout German defense. Featured among the many bonuses of this match was the cooperation on the pitch between Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones. After starting the match with Jones at a defensive spot and Bradley at an offensive spot, the two seemed to switch roles midway through the first half as Jones continued to push forward successfully to find holes in the German defense, while Bradley kept the German attackers in check as he does at Toronto FC. A picturesque moment was a beautiful lobbing ball downfield from Bradley to Jones that almost had the German-club player in on goal, but the poor field conditions tripped him up at the last second to blow up the opportunity. However, it was great to see a big body headed down field every so often to battle the German lines just as Connor Casey offers teams in the MLS. Along side the skills of Bradley, Beckerman, receiving a yellow card in the game, came up huge in some German chances in the box as he would clear the ball away across the field after the American defense halted the offense moving in. The cohesion between defense and midfield was the real highlight from this match as the United States was able to come together to create a wall along with GK Tim Howard (yet again, no surprise at his incredible ability to save his team) to hamper one of the most impressive soccer teams in the world.

Clint Dempsey played well for the U.S. at forward despite the conditions as he was able to hold the ball up at times. While watching the match though, I pictured what if Jozy Altidore was playing, adding some bulk to the attack; for one thing, there would have been more offensive chances for the Americans. The speed and skill of Graham Zusi aided greatly including a beautiful shot across the goal at one point. With Dempsey at the top, the United States has looked pretty well against both Portugal and Germany; however, the addition of Altidore back would be greatly appreciated against either Algeria or Belgium.

The Americans in my opinion are looking more and more like Chelsea with each game: wanting to grind it out with good defense and minimal goals, which can work out brilliantly with a strong defense; I think they finally found that defense today which will propel them into their first match on Tuesday. Their play has definitely earned them a spot in the next round.

Now I must give a little thanks toward Cristiano Ronaldo and his lone goal in this tournament against Ghana as he eased many heart beats across this great nation along with Taylor Twellman's during the ESPN broadcast. Thank you eliminating the American kryptonite.

The American dream of a deep World Cup run will now continue over the days the come with questions to be answered such as "when Jozy will return?" or "will Jurgen stick with this new defensive line"? But away from all the stress, the American heart can calm to a slower beat as the team has overcome the first of many hurdles: advancing to the Round of 16. Much of the glory must be attributed to Klinsmann; it took him some time, but he figured out the American style of hope and physicality and embraced it with his own team to make them believe in themselves. Now they have survived the Group of Death and with three other CONCACAF teams (Mexico, Costa Rica) will be advancing to the next round.

Congratulations to Jurgen, the entire team, and the American nation for embracing soccer as a whole while at the center continue to be the die-hards from MLS among other leagues!

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