USMNT’s Gold Cup Crown Should Not Be Trivialized

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 29, 2013

commentComment        

We don't know what is going to happen if the United States makes it to the 2014 World Cup, but one thing's for sure: the Americans' 2013 Gold Cup crown should not be trivialized.

The USA may not have faced top competition in the Gold Cup this year, but that shouldn't take away from the Americans' accomplishment. The United States outscored its six opponents in the tournament 20-4. That included a 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

In the win over Panama, the USA held possession for 69 percent of the match, per MLSSoccer.com. That was a common theme during the Gold Cup. In the quarterfinals against El Salvador, the Americans held the ball for 70 percent of the match.

While Landon Donovan was undoubtedly the star for the United States during the tournament (five goals, seven assists), the various contributions across the roster cannot be ignored. Chris Wondolowski posted five goals in the USA's first two matches. Then, Eddie Johnson scored 14 seconds after coming onto the pitch in the quarterfinals against El Salvador—then scored in the 11th minute upon receiving the start in the semifinals against Honduras.



The work of Joe Corona, Alejandro Bedoya, Kyle Beckerman, Mix Diskerud and Stuart Holden (who sadly suffered a sprained right knee Sunday) also cannot be ignored. They were instrumental in dictating the pace for the Americans, each doing his part to give the edge to the USA.

That depth continued to be displayed when Brek Shea scored the game-winner in the 69th minute against Panama just one minute after entering the match for Corona. That was after he scored the game-winner against Costa Rica in the USA's third match of the tournament. This was from a player who looked terrible against Cuba in the USA's second match of the tournament and was consequently left off the pitch in the second half.



And while the United States mana...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!