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Canales Daily: Jack Be Nimble, Giants Refuse To Die
The U.S. can hold its head high after the valiant final versus Brazil, but should still lament lost opportunities.
Jun 28, 2009 5:41:27 PM
By Andrea Canales
The trouble with killing giants is that it's not as easy as it looks - not against the soccer behemoths that are used to other teams going after them with all guns blazing. They're tougher than that.
A goal here, another there, it won't scare them. You've got to keep striking, attacking, and never, ever let your guard down. Because a giant with head bowed in frustration - well, that's not the same thing as resignation, by far.
"There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive."
Credit the U.S. The Americans came out and made a game of it, chasing every ball, harassing Brazil's stars on every play. They also fought in optimistic fashion, looking for openings, trying for chances, running toward the little glimmers of daylight here and there on the field.
It was as unexpected as Clint Dempsey's playground move on the opening goal, a little roller deflection that was anything but a classic soccer move. Instead, it was an inspired dink, effective for being unusual. Keeping the momentum of the cross fed into the box, Dempsey in one deceptively subtle touch changed the ball's direction and added rotation, sending it on a happy little spinning trajectory to the net. Brazil's players, even their goalkeeper, were all out of position, expecting a more predictable strike. They gazed on, chagrined, as the ball floated past, so near and far.
The second U.S. goal was almost as surprising, and it began with a seeming vengeance for Brazil's own second goal against the U.S. in group play. It was as if the Americans watched the video of DaMarcus Beasley's humiliation so often that they absorbed the positive lessons of the play, and then proceeded to show Brazil that indeed, this is how to do it.
The millisecond that Brazil's own chance at goal was thwarted, Landon Donovan was off to the races in midfield, that open field play he thrives in setting up perfectly for him.
He passed the ball to Charlie Davies, whose notable speed helped him reach the pass. Two more amazing aspects of the play unfolded quickly - Davies, an energetically hard-charging and single-minded a striker as can be found in the game today, passed the ball back. Donovan, for his part, finally took his chance to strike, a classy finish that beat Julio Cesar low and to the corner.
If the goalstrike itself wasn't up to the slight-of-foot trickery of Dempsey, the stinging cutback move that opened up space for Donovan's shot was more on par.
Two large swings of the ax by the American Jacks and the giant was close to tumbling down the Confederations Cup beanstalk.
Close isn't enough, though. Gotta keep swinging away at that beanstalk.
The little engine that could ran out of steam. The early strike by Fabiano was deadly because it cut out a large part of Brazil's frustrated mistakes. They focused instead on their mission and how to achieve it.
Basically, the beanstalk wobbling all about woke the giant up. Brazil came down from their soccer heaven, where the 90 million-dollar gods live, with perhaps more urgency than they had anticipated needing, but then got to the business of squashing the annoying upstarts.
The U.S. side, with Championship contributors and MLS players, was brushed aside, like so many contenders before.
Brazil had been there already, after all, prevailing against Egypt and South Africa. They actually had their easiest match in the 3-0 romp over Italy that helped the U.S. advance.
Fabiano was fabulous, with Kaka the midfield key that kept opening the doors of chances. Brazil kept their composure, got back to their game, and sambaed triumphantly over the dreams of the plucky Americans.
Brazil has the Confederations Cup it deserves.
The U.S., for all it has taught the world that its game is no joke, is left with a lesson. Giants don't die from one blow or two. Keep killing. They're not out of the game until they're cold and dead.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
For more on the Confederations Cup visit Goal.com's Confederations Cup page.
The trouble with killing giants is that it's not as easy as it looks - not against the soccer behemoths that are used to other teams going after them with all guns blazing. They're tougher than that.
A goal here, another there, it won't scare them. You've got to keep striking, attacking, and never, ever let your guard down. Because a giant with head bowed in frustration - well, that's not the same thing as resignation, by far.
"There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive."
Credit the U.S. The Americans came out and made a game of it, chasing every ball, harassing Brazil's stars on every play. They also fought in optimistic fashion, looking for openings, trying for chances, running toward the little glimmers of daylight here and there on the field.
It was as unexpected as Clint Dempsey's playground move on the opening goal, a little roller deflection that was anything but a classic soccer move. Instead, it was an inspired dink, effective for being unusual. Keeping the momentum of the cross fed into the box, Dempsey in one deceptively subtle touch changed the ball's direction and added rotation, sending it on a happy little spinning trajectory to the net. Brazil's players, even their goalkeeper, were all out of position, expecting a more predictable strike. They gazed on, chagrined, as the ball floated past, so near and far.
The second U.S. goal was almost as surprising, and it began with a seeming vengeance for Brazil's own second goal against the U.S. in group play. It was as if the Americans watched the video of DaMarcus Beasley's humiliation so often that they absorbed the positive lessons of the play, and then proceeded to show Brazil that indeed, this is how to do it.
The millisecond that Brazil's own chance at goal was thwarted, Landon Donovan was off to the races in midfield, that open field play he thrives in setting up perfectly for him.
He passed the ball to Charlie Davies, whose notable speed helped him reach the pass. Two more amazing aspects of the play unfolded quickly - Davies, an energetically hard-charging and single-minded a striker as can be found in the game today, passed the ball back. Donovan, for his part, finally took his chance to strike, a classy finish that beat Julio Cesar low and to the corner.
If the goalstrike itself wasn't up to the slight-of-foot trickery of Dempsey, the stinging cutback move that opened up space for Donovan's shot was more on par.
Two large swings of the ax by the American Jacks and the giant was close to tumbling down the Confederations Cup beanstalk.
Close isn't enough, though. Gotta keep swinging away at that beanstalk.
The little engine that could ran out of steam. The early strike by Fabiano was deadly because it cut out a large part of Brazil's frustrated mistakes. They focused instead on their mission and how to achieve it.
Basically, the beanstalk wobbling all about woke the giant up. Brazil came down from their soccer heaven, where the 90 million-dollar gods live, with perhaps more urgency than they had anticipated needing, but then got to the business of squashing the annoying upstarts.
The U.S. side, with Championship contributors and MLS players, was brushed aside, like so many contenders before.
Brazil had been there already, after all, prevailing against Egypt and South Africa. They actually had their easiest match in the 3-0 romp over Italy that helped the U.S. advance.
Fabiano was fabulous, with Kaka the midfield key that kept opening the doors of chances. Brazil kept their composure, got back to their game, and sambaed triumphantly over the dreams of the plucky Americans.
Brazil has the Confederations Cup it deserves.
The U.S., for all it has taught the world that its game is no joke, is left with a lesson. Giants don't die from one blow or two. Keep killing. They're not out of the game until they're cold and dead.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
For more on the Confederations Cup visit Goal.com's Confederations Cup page.
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