Truth and ConsequencesDespite high hopes and a fast start, the U.S. men's soccer team was still not in Argentina's leagueby Peter King
One thing that American soccer fans tend to do is overestimate the ability of their national men's team. And heading into last night's Olympic opener against Argentina, there were great expectations, as usual. "We're at a point in American soccer where it's not enough for us to compete and play a good game with any team in the world," U.S. defender Alexi Lalas said last week, echoing the sentiments of his country's soccerphiles. "With the training we're getting and the international experience we have, we have to start winning games like this."
With an early show of hands, Baba (7) and Eddie Pope of the U.S. held Crespo in check.
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Says who? Argentina, so deft and quick and skilled, overcame a stunning U.S. goal 30 seconds into the game and rallied for a 3-1 victory at Legion Field in Birmingham. The boost that American players hoped would come from a capacity crowd of 83,810 never materialized. For most of the night the crowd behaved in much the same fashion that Alabama fans do in the fourth quarter of a blowout of Southwestern Louisiana. Truth is, the Americans gave their fans little to cheer about. Argentina could have won by four or five goals, blowing three breakaways against U.S. goalie Kasey Keller before settling into a defensive posture for most of the final 30 minutes.
At the outset the U.S. team's biggest offensive threat, midfielder Claudio Reyna, a New Jersey native of Argentine descent, celebrated his 23rd birthday in a big way. He broke up a routine Argentine pass 20 seconds into the game and deflected the ball to teammate Imad Baba deep in the opponent's end. Then he left-footed Baba's return pass cleanly past shocked Argentina goalie Carlos Bossio.
Claudio Lopez tied it for Argentina midway through the first half, netting a crossing pass cleanly past Keller from five yards out. And Hernan Crespo made it 2-1 just 11 minutes after intermission, scoring on a perfect breakaway pass from Fabio Zanetti.
With 15 minutes left, Reyna came within a gloved fingertip of tying the game. He took a crossing pass from 15 yards out and again with his left foot rocketed a shot toward the top right corner of the goal. But Bossio leaped and tipped the ball just wide. A Diego Simeone garbage goal with three minutes left sealed it.
"Now," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said afterward, "we've got to be careful we don't make this game too important." Indeed, the Americans, who have never advanced past the first round in the Olympics, will probably need a win and a tie in their remaining first-round games with Tunisia (Monday in Birmingham) and Portugal (Wednesday in Washington, D.C.) to reach the second round. But if the U.S. doesn't come up with more offense in those games, it'll be
another short Olympics for the Americans.
"Physically, we're there," said Keller. "Technically, we're close. But most of our guys play three months a year. Their guys have been pros for three or four years, and that's one hell of a thing to compete with. What we need is an Olympic team with players who play in a pro league for several years. And that's coming."
Not soon enough for American soccer fans.
SI Olympic Dailies
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