Remember this day my friend, so when you are asked where you were when the US Men's National Team emerged from the darkness of world football and rose up to end a record tying streak, defeat the top ranked team in the world and end the long held misconception that this is not a great soccer nation. The men in red,white and blue, with one common mission and one common national seal worn like a badge of honor across their chest have done great things. Forever will the names Altidore, Dempsey, Howard, De Merrit, Onyewu, Spector, Bocanegra, Clark, Bradley, Davies and Donovan be placed beside those of Preki and Keller in 1998 and Gaetjens, Columbo, Maca and Wallace in 1950. It was on this day of 23 June 2009 eleven men representing the United States of America were besieged by the great nation of Spain, and stood tall, took every shot the Spanish giants could muster for the full ninety, in a country half way around the globe and proved that soccer is indeed alive and well in the good ol' US of A.
Now let's take a moment for a little perspective. Is the equal to the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team? No, and I don't think anyone of sound judgement would argue that it is. But none the less it is a feet so rarely accomplished in human history that it has been noted on the front pages of non sports websites and broadcasts. Spain fired nineteen shots, only eight found there way to goaltender Tim Howard. The USA defenders were throwing themselves in front of every ball they could, sacrificing themselves in the name of victory and this great nation. As a team they successfully fended off seventeen corners, seventeen!!! It got to a point were Spain had tried every imaginable way of attacking from a corner kick and just played the ball in to maintain possession. And once again the US had to battle with bias officials who called the game in favor of the European power as opposed to the lowly regarded team from CONCACAF. Any call that was remotely questionable was called in favor of Spain. And the straight red card shown to Michael Bradley was extremely soft for an international tournament.
All told the words of Francis Scott Key seem as poignant as ever... "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE." And let me tell you, our star-spangled banner was waving all over and OUR team, a team every man, woman, and child who calls themselves American should be proud of, was indeed brave.
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