Failure.
This is the only real way to describe it. It was another complete, total, undeniable failure.
For the third consecutive qualifying cycle, The US Under-23 men’s national team secured an Olympic spot on the line.
Another year, another catastrophe and it will sting as much as it did before.
Around this time, it was 2–1 defeat to Honduras that proved to be America’s demiseA long line has formed out of them.
The event fell short again, with another epic collapse at the worst possible moment.
The details behind that collapse are complex. There are some reasons to explain this, some valid and some not. But those reasons are not important in this scenario.
What matters is that, even in the midst of a budding gold generation, America is proving itself worthy in Europe, they are still struggling to take care of business in their own backyard when it really is Matters.
“Obviously, we were devastated, absolutely devastated in the locker room,” said head coach Jason Kreis. “It’s like a tragedy.
“We all wanted it so badly for so many different reasons, and I think it could be that sometimes when you want it so bad, you put yourself in a position where you Cannot perform to required level.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think we’ve had enough.”
America certainly did not have enough on Sunday, with Honduras entitled to the winner, who earned his own Olympic spot. He booked his ticket to Tokyo, disappointing the American team, which lacked the quality to not only open the game, but oftentimes, the attitude.
During Sunday’s match, America looked sluggish and lethargic. Even as the odds began to stack against him, only a few players, namely Captain Jackson Yule, actually stepped up to the moment, attempting to break through years and years of heartbreak at this level.
In the end, it did not happen.
It had already started half time, remaining in a few seconds, which was one half and the first half was slow. Suddenly, however, the ball was in the back of the US net, homered by Juan Carlos Obregon Jr.
However, for what turned out to be a real soul-crushing mistake, there was only the opening act.
Goalkeeper David Ochoa, arguably the team’s best player in the tournament, made his first real mistake at the worst time.
With the ball at his feet, Ochoa’s attempt to play from behind quickly turned into a disaster, as the ‘keeper snatched a pass from Luis Palma of Honduras and fell directly behind his own net in the second instant.
From there, there were moments that offered hope, including Yule’s long-range goal. But it turned out to be a small consolation from a catastrophic day for a team that simply could not complete it.
Because of that, there will be a lot of fingerprints in view of yet another qualifying glitch.
The blame will be on the crease, Who spoiled the decision to leave behind players like Jeremy Abbobis and Eric Williamson. The American head coach would also earn criticism for his strategy, as Cress attempted to put square pegs in the goal hole, certainly contributing to this result.
The blame will also be on the players, who only failed to step up and fight at a time where they had no other choice. With a good half against the Dominican Republic, This American team just never looked like they had the quality or creativity to break the average opposition.
And, of course, the blame will go towards the circumstances the US team left from a combination of USMNT commitments and clubs not being ready to leave players for the event.
The US had 15 Olympic-eligible players, along with two others from the USMNT camp in Belfast, Weston McKenney and Tyler Adams, who were there at normal times.
But, in the end, the defect can spread in each and every direction, and in the right form. This was a program-wide failure. And a.
“I see myself first,” said Crisis, who must make decisions about the roster, about the form of the players and the players who were not here. absolutely. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I raise a finger on myself first.
“Having said that, it is a collective effort. It was not just making those decisions, but I am more than willing and able to bear the brunt of the blame.”
This was a wrong opportunity. It was a chance for young players to make a place on the big stage. It was a chance to reclaim the US event as a CONCACAF powerhouse following the failures of previous Olympic cycles and the recent 2018 World Cup qualifying run.
Perhaps most importantly, it was an opportunity to show that things were moving forward, a chance to win back public confidence in an Olympic competition that even the most casual American fan would care about.
The American event will move quickly, especially with the World Cup qualifier on the horizon. There are bright days ahead for a few days, and this disturbance is meant to ease the excitement that surrounds the USMNT and all young stars currently emerging overseas.
By then, however, it would have been the sting as yet another cycle’s worth of players fell short.
“Ultimately it is my very strong feeling that there are a lot of very good players in that room with very high potential,” Kryce said. “There are young players and they need to develop, continue to learn, continue to move forward.”
“It’s a fact of life that you lose more than you win. And it’s always about who gets up and moves the fastest, because these frustrations happen again and again in your life. You have There is no other option. Go ahead, and I hope these players do that. “
Someday, Cress’s proverb may prove to be wrong. Someday perhaps America will replace these backbreaking losses more often than victories.
But that day was not Sunday, and the team’s Olympic dream died because of it.
Add Comment