As many of you are already aware, the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) is currently taking part in the Copa America Centenario tournament being held right here, on home soil. The final word tagged onto the end of the tournament's name merely indicates that this is a special edition of the Copa America tournament, played on what would normally be a year without a Copa America, to commemorate its 100th anniversary. This particular trophy is generally contested ever four years by the best teams from North and South America. That ensures the exclusion of the European teams which continue to dominate the global game, but includes international powerhouses Argentina and Brazil.
The United States' semi-fledgling soccer program hasn't yet produced the sort of talent which would allow our USMNT to compete with the best of the best. Indeed, even if coach Jurgen Klinsmann's boys do manage to claw their way out of the group stage, there can be little hope for any sort of top-four finish. At the time of writing, their progression beyond the group stage is far from guaranteed. By the time this is published, their game against Paraguay on Monday June 11 will have concluded and we will have our answer.
Regardless of what comes the USMNT's hopes for a stellar overall result, their first two games of the tournament have entertained and fascinated me more than any game they've played since the 2010 World Cup. Their first game on June 3 against the recently-indomitable Colombia ended with disappointment for U.S. soccer fans, myself included. The Colombians cruised to solid 2-0 win, with both goals coming from first-half dead-ball scenarios. The first goal came in only the ninth minute of play, when the impressive defender Cristian Zapata volleyed home an Edwin Corona corner kick. The second goal came in the 40th minute, when Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez easily dispatched the penalty awarded after a Deandre Yedlin handball in the box. Clint Dempsey caused Colombia's defense and goalkeeper some headaches in the second half, forcing both a goal-line clearance from Sebastian Perez and a save from goalkeeper David Ospina.
Even the USMNT's most optimistic fans were likely not expecting much better from the June 7th game against Costa Rica. After all, this was the same Costa Rica which topped a World Cup group which included Italy, England and Uruguay. They ended up with an outstanding quarterfinal finish, far better than any Central-American team had ever done previously.
Incredibly, the U.S. men had a 4-0 romp over the Costa Ricans. What's more, it wasn't a fluke. The USMNT actually outplayed Costa Rica by a solid margin for much of the game. Our national team actually looked like an incredibly cohesive unit, for the first time in several years. All of the 11 U.S. players seemed to be reading the game magnificently and it showed in their lively and incisive passing game. The offense, spearheaded by both Bobby Wood and the LA Galaxy's Gyasi Zardes, gave the Costa Rican defense headaches, all night long. Goals came from Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones, Bobby Wood and substitute Graham Zusi.
While the USMNT's first game against Colombia was basically identical to my expectations, their second game left me flabbergasted. These first two games of the Copa America Centenario have collectively been a story of two teams. One U.S. team defies expectations and effortlessly breaks down all barriers in its way. The other submits to expectations and believes that it just can't compete with the big boys. By the time this article can be seen, we will know which team showed up in their final group game against Paraguay on June 11.
