It was like the jolt of the alarm clock on Monday morning.
The U.S. men’s soccer team’s first-half fantasy — a 2-0 lead against Brazil in Sunday’s Confederations Cup final — was followed by a halftime spent daring to imagine the possibility of becoming most unlikely champions. But ultimately, a dream week in South Africa that began with a 3-0 win over Egypt for magical advancement out of group play, then crossed over into surreal territory with a 2-0 upset of top-ranked Spain, was always destined to end with a harsh dose of reality.
Recommended Stories
Just 41 seconds into the second half, Luis Fabiano played the role of the grating buzzer, lite-rock station or cheesiest FM morning show on the dial, a wake-up call that permanently wrested the stunning vision from the Americans’ hearts and minds.
The rest of the half — two more Brazilian goals, the dagger with only minutes to go in regulation — was as cruel as the morning commute: both inevitable and unavoidable.
But the glaring light of day isn’t entirely negative. First, in 90 minutes against Spain and one half against Brazil, the U.S. saw a glimpse of how it can win against the best opponents in the world: with confidence oozing forth from ever-stalwart goalkeeper Tim Howard into the rest of the team, and with masterful Landon Donovan and courageous Clint Dempsey slotted into the midfielder behind rugged, athletic and powerful forwards like Charlie Davies and Jozy Altidore that beg for attention and love to punish opponents.
Depth remains a problem — the Brazilians called on reserves plying their trade for Barcelona and Manchester City while Americans’ three subs came from Chivas USA and the Colorado Rapids — and it is U.S. head coach Bob Bradley’s charge to find players that are skilled and fearless, even on the grandest of stages.
The U.S. has again tasted the spotlight in the American sports landscape, as it did in 1994 on U.S. soil and with its World Cup quarterfinal run in 2002. The attention may fall off slightly in the coming weeks but there are hints — similar to those shown by the team itself — that U.S. soccer could be poised to conquer new heights by the time it heads back to South Africa next summer.
