YTG Re-View: USA 1-2 Ghana

THE GOOD ...
- RESILIENCE: Well, if nothing else, we know this team can take a punch. After conceding yet another early goal, the US dug in and gave as good as they got, particularly in the second half.
- MIDFIELD MAESTROS: Sure, we knew Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan were world-class players. But Michael Bradley, with his energy, vision, and desire, has put himself into the discussion of the must-have players from the US squad. He's got a nice gig in Germany, but don't be surprised if he gets a little attention.
- THE IMPACT SUB: Once again, Benny Feilhaber comes on at halftime and changes the game for the US. Much of the American resurgence in the second half came from Feilhaber's quickness and passing, as well as being able to stretch the field. One wonders what the game would have looked like if he started ...

THE BAD ...
- ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? A goal inside five minutes of the start of the game. A goal inside three minutes of the start of extra time. At this point, I think Bob Bradley's best option is just to have the US kick the ball into their own net at the start of each game. That way, we all get it over with and the players don't have to wait to "turn it on."
- THE GOAT: I know, it's harsh, but the facts are the facts. Ricardo Clark gave up the goal against England. Clark gave up the goal against Ghana. Bradley said that Clark's substitution was only because of the yellow card, but exactly no one believes him. There's a lot of reasons why the US got beat by Ghana, and a lot of blame to go around. But, unfortunately, you have to start with Clark.
- ROSTER CALLS: For much of this tournament, Bradley's squad selection has been right on the money. But by choosing Clark over Edu or Feilhaber, and by choosing Findley over Buddle or Gomez (or just starting Edu and Feilhaber and putting Dempsey up front), Bradley left the US vulnerable to the type of devastatingly slow starts they'd fell victim to throughout the tournament. I think Bradley, overall, did a good job, but this was a strike against him.

... AND THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
Ghana won this game, and as such deserve to go on in the tournament. But this was much more a US loss than a Ghana win. Both Ghana goals were gifts from defensive gaffes - if you allow a team who hadn't scored from open play the entire tournament to put two past you, you're doing something wrong. A better game against Ghana and the US moves on to the quarterfinals against a team that's not Argentina, and a chance to let the magic run. The Americans accomplished what they were supposed to accomplish in South Africa - get out of the group stage, and likely get knocked out in the first round. To meet your expectations is definitely a good thing - just ask Italy. But the opportunity was there to do more, and the US got in their own way of taking advantage of it.

THE BIG PICTURE.
That's worthy of another 'blog post. Check out "So, Now What?" soon to follow.

THE FINAL WORD.
While the Ghana loss is disappointing, ultimately you have to be proud as an American for how the team gutted out their group stage performances, got the results they needed, and accomplished what they set out to accomplish. Hopefully, between the success they achieved and the unprecedented support from the American sports fan they received, this will be the building block of the Beautiful Game's growth in the Land of the Free.

Is it 2014 yet?