This column will observe a moment of silence for those who died in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Thank you.
By Andrew Dixon - MAIMI, FL (Apr 1, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I've been cranking a lot of old school hip hop recently. In fact it was the late Professor X (the Overseer) who summed up what I was thinking as the US gets ready to welcome Trinidad and Tobago to Nashville tonight.
We've been here before.
The background then? Guatemala City. The background now? San Salvador.
The last time the US got ready to square off against T&T on these shores they were coming off what I thought was an awful away match against a team they should have beaten handily. The USA came away with a 1-0 win against Guatemala that was celebrated and called historic in some circles.
While I was happy with the win, I was unhappy at how ugly it was and all the excuses about the complexities of playing in Central America. What I was impressed with was how the States came back four days later and comprehensively dismantled the Soca Warriors. The US scored early and often, wrapping the match in time for me to watch Jeopardy.
Fast forward six months.
Full marks to El Salvador who came out to play. They were sharp, confident, effective when they had to be and should be disappointed not to collect an historic three points. But the US played a truly awful first 75 minutes.
Again, I'm reading and hearing a lot of comments about how proud we should be about the US coming back against El Salvador considering how bad they played. Look at Brazil, I hear, they dropped points too. At least we didn't lose.
Please.
We shouldn't have to be coming back against a team that came out of a group featuring Haiti and Suriname and still finished a distant second to Costa Rica. Not when Bob Bradley had most of his top choice players at his disposal at one of those few junctions when everybody (both domestic and foreign based) is in the midst of their regular season.
This roster has an average of 35 appearances with the lowest being Jose Torres' two caps. Eight players had appeared in the World Cup and most of those playing overseas are getting decent playing time with their club sides. Quick: name anyone on El Salvador's roster who can even come close to matching the credentials of a Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley or Clint Dempsey. Go ahead...I'll wait.
So on the heels of yet another sub-par display in Central America, here come the Soca Warriors. To be honest, I expected the game against T&T to be the tougher of the two.
This isn't the same team that the US played last September. They've become more resilient as the US found out in Port of Spain and Honduras now know after Saturday. This team dominated El Salvador on the same field before giving it up late. They've got more international experience than El Salvador (2006 World Cup anyone?) and players who are producing on various levels in England.
Still.
The US needs to dominate this match.
Not just win.
Dominate.
There are practical reasons for why the US needs a repeat of last September's blowout. These are three points that need to be wrapped up now given the matches that follow them. The US is away to Costa Rica on June 3rd where the US have never won in an World Cup qualifier.
After that, Honduras comes calling and anyone who thinks that’s a sure three points needs to go back and watch the tape from September 1, 2001. Thankfully they won’t be playing that one in DC. Then there's Mexico at Azteca. Enough said.
It’s clear the US needs to have these points to allow themselves the luxury of coming up short in any of those tougher match-ups.
But more than that, it’s time for the US to start acting like the giants of CONCACAF we expect them to be. Giants destroy lesser teams at home. Giants come into your building and take your points away from you. Giants don’t play constantly give the ball away, get out hustled or leave a player with excellent dribbling skills that can unlock a packed defense on the bench. They don't play to the level of a team ranked 88 places below them. They take everyone’s best shot, look at them and saying “Brother, please. That’s all you got?”
It wasn’t that long ago that the United States didn’t have the respect of the other CONCACAF nations. Today we’ve got it, won it to be more specific, even in begrudging fashion from our neighbors to the south. I’d like to see the US get to a point where Mexico traditionally has been: teams hoping to not get blown out when they play us. Hammering teams in the Hex that we should beat is one way to get to that ultimate level of respect.
You see, for me, it’s not enough to just win in CONCACAF anymore. Call me arrogant, but my major focus isn’t on what we do in WC Qualifying, as important as it is.
The US and El Salvador are in two different places. We're SUPPOSED to qualify. If El Sal makes the playoff, that's a major achievement. What concerns me most is what we do when we get to South Africa.
I want the US to be at a point where the results we get in CONCACAF lead to not just playing at the World Cup but playing deep into the tournament at the World Cup. That comes from confidence earned through results outside of consistently beating Mexico at home.
It starts with dominating weaker opponents in our region, winning the big matches both home and away against the better teams in the region, and having the confidence to go outside of CONCACAF and taking a big time scalp or two. (See Mexico: Copa America 2004 and Confederations Cup 2005). It’s time the US step up and do the same.
The time is now for the US to begin the first stage of preparation for a deep run at the World Cup by doing what big time teams do. Dominate the games they’re expected to win. This starts with a solid beating of a hungry T&T team that Clemente Lisi has shown is no pushover.
Then again, this is just One Grown Man's opinion. VAAAAAANGLOROIUS!!!
Andrew Dixon is a soccer writer based in Miami and a weekly columnist for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at: golnoir@golnoir.net
