Pierre Boisrond has followed soccer and the World Cup
closely for many years and also writes for other websites. We at PWC are proud to have him as
a columnist. He will share his views about the past, present and future of
the World Cup.
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The USA: A Gutsy World Cup Performance against Italy
June 17th was a mourning day in the European Continent after the South Americans from Argentina gave a football exhibition to Serbia & Montenegro. On the other hand, the CONCACAF representation (USA) and the CAF (Ghana) plunged the European continent in a state of shock and disbelief by respectively shocking the Italians and the Czechs. And the Iranians almost shocked the Portuguese. However, the day belongs to the Americans for their heroic performance against the Italians at the Fritz Walter Stadion in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
It was a game where the Americans knew that they had to go for everything. It was game that the Americans knew they had to leave their blood on the field. It was a game that the Americans knew if they lost it would have been all over. If against the Czechs, the Americans had a lousy performance, but last night they redeemed themselves against one of the giants of European football, Italy. It was a game for the ages; it was game that none of the Americans would ever forget. It was a game that I will always remember. At the end it was a battle. A battle that ended victorious for the Americans as the fans in the stadium were chanting USA...USA...USA.
This is what the World Cup is all about. And I congratulate the American national team players for giving their best on the field. It was a gutsy performance by the Americans. In the World Cup, players learn to defend the colors of their national team with great pride. And certainly the Americans did not disappoint their people. They played in a manner that they have never played before. They played like there won’t be any tomorrow. They played in a very high level because they knew that the American people were extremely disappointed in them against the Czechs. They played in such intensity because their family members urged them to go out there and step it up to the extreme highest level. They excelled their game to show to the world that the Americans also belong to the big dance.
I might not know what to call the American dance, but I can tell you that the Americans have danced over the Italians. The Americans were facing a fierce opponent, and last night they were victorious. 1-1 was a victory for the Americans. They were playing not only against Italy, but against the referee. The referee, Jorge Larrion of Uruguay, destroyed the game because he decided to strictly apply the red card rule. I hope that would be this Uruguayan referee's last game.
Against all odds, including the referee, the American national team managed to upset the Italians. The Uruguayan referee strictly applied the red card rules by ejecting two American players and one Italian. Despite playing with 9 players against 10, the Americans continued to attack the Italians while Keller, the American goalie, became unstoppable. It was a World Cup game that turned into a football war. Red cards or not, the Americans were not going to be intimidated by the Italians because there was one objective life or death.
After the disastrous performance in their first game, somehow I knew that the Americans would have come up with a monstrous game. If the Ivory Coast National team failed against the Argentines, the Americans were not going to fail against the Italians. If Paraguay had failed against England and Sweden, the Americans knew that they were not going to let the Italians make their reservations for Washington, DC. If Serbia & Montenegro received a football exhibition by Argentina guided by the talented midfielder, Juan Roman Riquelme and the Messi-ah, then Claudio Reyna and Landon Donovan were ready to conduct the American symphony Orchestra because they were not going to fall in the trap of the Italians. If Costa Rica were unable to control the Germans and the Ecuadorians, the USA was able to control the Italians with 9 men.
This is what the World Cup is all about. It is about faith. It is about believing that the impossible can happen. It is about playing like there was no tomorrow. It is about playing without speculation. It is about playing with hearts when all odds are in favor of the opponents. It is about players leaving their blood on the field. It is about rising to the occasion. And the Americans have done it.
It does not matter to me whether or not the Americans will move to the next round by beating Ghana. What matters the most to me is that the Americans are Champions in my book. They had faith that they would upset the Italians, and they had done it. As fans have written to ask me about this game, I had told them that the USA would step it up. And yes, they did it.
Bravo Kasey Keller! Bravo Landon Donovan! Bravo McBride! Bravo DaMarcus Beasley! Bravo Mastroeni! Bravo Eddie Pope! Bravo to the USA National Team!
It was a gutsy World Cup performance by the Americans, certainly a performance for the ages!
Until my next Article, God Bless the USA!
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