Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports | Three R's for America

		27 June - 3 July 2002 Issue No. 592 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
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Three R's for America
The United States came to the World Cup seeking redemption, respect and recognition. It got all three

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In the quarter-finals, the Americans almost slid past Germany
Staging a World Cup, which the United States did in 1994, does not turn a team into a football power. But eight years later American football players can report that they have joined the elites of the sport and can now look at the rest of the world, not with awe, nor envy, but with confidence. "Every time we play, we should feel like we don't expect to lose," Landon Donovan said.
More than anyone, the sprite 20-year-old striker from Southern California created the lasting image of the United States at this World Cup. When the final whistle blew Friday night at the stadium in Ulsan, he wanted to keep playing. The 1-0 quarter-final loss to Germany ended the best ever US World Cup performance, and Donovan looked like a little boy whose ball had been taken away.
After finishing dead last at the 1998 World Cup in France, the Americans checked out of their hotel in Seoul on Saturday at their highest point since 1930 when the United States was among 13 nations invited to the first World Cup and made it to the semi-finals.
Coach Bruce Arena changed the direction, instilling a sharply higher level of professionalism and focus. The Americans struggled in qualifying, losing most of their forwards to injuries for extended periods, but peaked in time for the World Cup. With a 3-2 opening victory over favourites Portugal, a 1-1 tie against co-host South Korea and a 2-0 second-round upset of Mexico, they became one of the biggest surprises in a tournament full of upsets. And then they dominated Germany for much of their quarter-final loss.
"I'm just proud of my team," captain Claudio Reyna said after draping himself in the Stars and Stripes and saluting the several hundred American fans who made the trip halfway around the world. "It showed the ignorance of some European coaches," he added.
Donovan and others had been with European clubs only to get snubbed, unable to set foot on a field during games. They were, after all, Americans.
Reyna, following the trail begun by Paul Caligiuri, John Harkes and Tab Ramos, established himself in Europe, along with goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. But others were never given much of a chance, such as Donovan, Eddie Lewis, Tony Sanneh and Frankie Hejduk.
"This was our finest moment, certainly in modern history, both during the whole tournament and last night," Alan Rothenberg, chief organiser of the 1994 World Cup and president of the US Soccer Federation from 1990-1998, said Saturday.
With the buzz back home this month, millions stayed up or woke up for games that started at 2.30am. Now US soccer officials hope these victories not only transformed the sport's image, but transformed viewers into fans.
"There's that huge ethnic soccer population in the United States which still stays loyal to their country of origin," Rothenberg said. "This kind of tournament starts to make them take a second look and think the United States is every bit as good as Germany, as Mexico. If we can ever turn those fans into US team fans, I think that breaks things our way."
It appears Arena will be offered a new contract through the 2006 tournament in Germany. Already on Saturday, he was talking about qualifying, which starts in 2004.
Arena has an exceptionally young team to work with. Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley are just 20, Clint Mathis and Josh Wolff are 25, and Santino Quaranta and Bobby Convey are working their way up. "The next team, whoever coaches it, whether it's me or somebody else, is a new team for the most part, starting from scratch," Arena said. "We've learned a little bit more, but not enough. That's fine," he said. "We have to keep moving forward and try to get better. The one way you shut everyone up is you win. You've got to step on the field and just beat them."
Before the World Cup, Arena doubted the United States would win the tournament in his lifetime. Now it seems possible. Rothenberg, derided when he started Project 2010 -- to get the United States into a World Cup final by the end of this decade -- thinks he might even live to see it.
"Yeah, I think I will."

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