By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Oct 14, 2009) USSoccerPlayers --
1) Pray for Charlie Davies's recovery.2) Five second half goals, two free kicks, a break out performance by a heretofore marginally effective striker. A missed penalty. A win on the road against a good Honduras side. The US of A's sixth-straight World Cup. The best match of the Hexagonal. And you missed it because you couldn't get to a place showing it on closed circuit TV.
3) Seriously, that match - from what I was able to gather from Twitter updates - was best advertisement we've had for our sport and basically nobody saw it.
4) Let's put that win in perspective. Honduras beat Mexico, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador by a combined score of 12-2 at home. Not only were the US the only team to beat Honduras at home, but they scored more goals in one half than all teams combined.
5) I know that we were supposed to qualify, but isn't it time we start giving Bob Bradley some props?
6) Am I the only one that didn't see that whole Connor Casey thing coming?
7) And isn't that a big endorsement of MLS that a player who's been performing consistently in the league got the nod over someone who's signed to an EPL side but wasn't getting the starts... and the MLS guy came up huge?
8) From this point forward, #10 shall be simply be known as "The Truth".
9) Oh and if he doesn't win Honda Player of the Decade, I'll demand a recount myself.
10) Anyone got the number for a good psychiatrist on stand by? Carlos Pavon might need one.
11) Granted we have no dog in the fight and we're already qualified, but... wouldn't it be nice to repay Costa Rica for that result they put on us in San Jose?
12) And doesn't THAT loss seem like a long time ago? Guess winning cures everything.
13) So has the window closed on Jermaine Jones before it opened?
14) And if you told me three years ago that Freddy Adu wouldn't play a major role in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, I'd have laughed at you.
15) Oh, and if your name isn't Tim Howard, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey or The Truth, you're spot is still up for grabs.
16) You really didn't expect Mexico NOT to qualify, did you?
17) We haven't been drawn into a group with a South American side since 1994. I think we're due.
18) Would a good showing next summer boost our chances of hosting the party in 2018 or '22?
19) No matter what happens at RFK, this year has been the biggest roller coaster ride for the USA in memory.
20) Is there any wonder why we love this game?
5) I know that we were supposed to qualify, but isn't it time we start giving Bob Bradley some props?
6) Am I the only one that didn't see that whole Connor Casey thing coming?
7) And isn't that a big endorsement of MLS that a player who's been performing consistently in the league got the nod over someone who's signed to an EPL side but wasn't getting the starts... and the MLS guy came up huge?
8) From this point forward, #10 shall be simply be known as "The Truth".
9) Oh and if he doesn't win Honda Player of the Decade, I'll demand a recount myself.
10) Anyone got the number for a good psychiatrist on stand by? Carlos Pavon might need one.
11) Granted we have no dog in the fight and we're already qualified, but... wouldn't it be nice to repay Costa Rica for that result they put on us in San Jose?
12) And doesn't THAT loss seem like a long time ago? Guess winning cures everything.
13) So has the window closed on Jermaine Jones before it opened?
14) And if you told me three years ago that Freddy Adu wouldn't play a major role in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, I'd have laughed at you.
15) Oh, and if your name isn't Tim Howard, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey or The Truth, you're spot is still up for grabs.
16) You really didn't expect Mexico NOT to qualify, did you?
17) We haven't been drawn into a group with a South American side since 1994. I think we're due.
18) Would a good showing next summer boost our chances of hosting the party in 2018 or '22?
19) No matter what happens at RFK, this year has been the biggest roller coaster ride for the USA in memory.
20) Is there any wonder why we love this game?
Andrew Dixon is a soccer writer based in Miami and a weekly columnist for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at: golnoir@golnoir.net
