By Graig Carbino
ALBANY, NY (Nov 20, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Mentality. Defined as a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations. It’s always interesting to try and determine what type of mental attitude a player, or more importantly, a team will take into various game situations.
Don’t kid yourself. All games are not created equal. Players love to say they are, but then again players are taught to answer questions posed by members of the media without actually saying anything. Derek Jeter talks to the media after all 162 New York Yankee games every season but never seems to answer any of the questions sent his way. He answers without answering.
Still, in a private, honest moment even the Yankee captain would have to admit that a game against the Red Sox, in Fenway Park, in August, with the teams separated by one game in the standings, matters more than an April game against the Royals in cold and windy Kansas City. It’s just easier to “get up” for the really big games. Soccer is the same way.
We all know that players are supposed to give everything to every game. Sell out or don’t bother showing up. We also all know that unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Last time anyone checked, these are humans we are all talking and typing about. You could excuse your team then for having an off game when they are put into a situation where trying new formations and mixing in different players is more important than actually winning the game.
That was the scenario leading up to last nights World Cup qualifier between the United States and Guatemala. For the US, the match would afford younger and less experienced players the opportunity to show what they are worth during a qualifying match.
Guatemala, on the other hand, needed a result out of this game. They needed more than a result on the night. They needed help and they needed to play the game of their lives to keep their slim hopes of World Cup qualification alive.
In theory, the anatomy of a game in which one team desperately needs to win while the opposing team needs nothing out of said game should go something like this:
- Team who needs to win presses the play from the start. They fly around the field and dive into every single challenge because a positive result means so much to them.
- Team who doesn’t need anything out of the game sits back, content to keep possession when it is afforded to them and maybe hit the overzealous, desperate opposing eleven on the counter attack a time or two.
- Anxious team in need of a win batters the opposing goalkeeper with shots from all angles in the hope that maybe, just maybe, said keeper will spill a rebound for one of their hard working forwards to tap into an empty net.
- Needy team sneaks a goal at some point. Maybe it’s early, maybe it’s the 90th minute, but they are supposed to be rewarded for their endeavor. That doesn’t always happen, but it’s nice when it works out that way.
- Team who has nothing to play for may or may not get back into the game after that first goal is scored. Either way it’s no big deal to them because, as mentioned, this game doesn’t mean that much to them.
The US-Guatemala match last night didn’t quite stick to that firmly constructed, and usually applicable, framework.
Still trying to figure out exactly what Guatemala’s thinking was in going with a negative, defend first and meekly try to counter later attitude? Trust me, you are not alone. They had an opportunity to fly out of the gates from the first whistle and put pressure on a young US team that only had a few days to prepare as a unit. Instead they were content to sit back and soak up the American pressure all while waiting for that first opportunity to hit back on the counter attack.
Not exactly the type of mindset one would expect for a team that was on the brink of elimination from the World’s most significant sporting tournament (yes, even better than the Olympics). The World Cup is the be all, end all of this planets most popular game. Guatemala had a chance to continue their quest towards the Mecca of global football, and instead they played like a unit frightened and bullied off the field just waiting to make a mistake.
We all know at this point that, in the end, this result turned out to be inconsequential in regards to Guatemalan World Cup qualification. Trinidad and Tobago beat Cuba. Ultimately, it wouldn’t have mattered if the Chapines came into Denver and took it to the US, they still would have come up short. Still, it would have been nice if they had at least humored us with an attacking, free-wheeling, win at all costs effort. Last night we got the opposite, and Guatemala got what they deserved.
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It’s difficult to take a lot away from last night’s performance from a US perspective because whenever you grade a team, or individual players, you need to also take into consideration the level of performance and the ability level of the opposition. Guatemala showed last night that they do not deserve to take part in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, and that is being nice. In any event, here are three things to like from last nights US showing:
1. Forwards. Jozy Altidore and Kenny Cooper seemed to work really well off of each other for long stretches last evening. They looked to get one another involved and were even a bit too unselfish at certain points. Not bad for only having a day or two of practice ahead of time.
2. Freddy. Mr. Adu was pretty good last night. Not great, but pretty good. He again showed the reason why fans continue to put their faith and hope in him. He has that special ability of being able to take on opposing defenses and put them back on their heels. His free kick goal wasn’t bad either.
3. Organized. It was nice to see a US team that looked composed and very organized last night despite their lack of familiarity with one another. Guatemala really never looked like scoring, and on the few occasions when they did make it through the American back line Brad Guzan was there to slam the door shut.
Biggest Disappointment: The Crowd. Only 9,300 brave souls showed up to Dicks Sporting Goods Park last night outside of Denver. Maybe it was the early start time, the weather, the slumping economy coupled with overpriced tickets or the perceived insignificance of the game, but no one came out. It’s rare for the US to show up in Denver, and maybe this is the reason.
