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To Hell And Back
GRANT WAHL
June 29, 2009
Against first-round competition even stiffer than they'll see at next year's World Cup, the U.S. men showed their worst side, then their best, in South Africa
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June 29, 2009

To Hell And Back

Against first-round competition even stiffer than they'll see at next year's World Cup, the U.S. men showed their worst side, then their best, in South Africa

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By the end of Hell Week, it was still fair to ask: Is the U.S. a good team? The Americans rekindled their old spirit against Egypt, but if the goal of the Confederations Cup was to measure themselves against the world's best, some of the concerns arising from the first two games still lingered. Wednesday's semifinal against Spain would be a perfect chance to provide more conclusive answers. One year away from World Cup 2010, much remains to be learned.

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Complete Confederations Cup coverage from Grant Wahl at SI.com/bonus

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